I Can't Believe I Just Found Out Gossip Girl Had Its Very Own Manga
While it’s no secret that manga is dominating the entertainment industry, one sector that was once considered immune to "manga-fication" is the cornerstone of American pop culture: teen drama. However, rumors of American teen dramas resisting manga’s influence appear to have been greatly exaggerated. As it turns out,Gossip Girl, one of the genre’s most iconic series —a true cultural touchstone— has its own manga adaptation, and it’s just as popular as the original show.
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage's Gossip Girl television series, which is based on Cecily von Ziegesar's bestselling novel series of the same name, tells the story of teenagers Serena van der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf, and their classmates and friends at a prestigious private high school in New York City, as seen through the eyes of an anonymous blogger. The narrative provides a "fly on the wall" perspective on how the children of the rich and famous navigate a life where money isn't an issue, but gaining status, influence, and "maintaining position" remains treacherous.
Gossip Girl Was So Good It Needed A Manga Adaptation
The Drama Cannot Be Contained To Only One Type Of Media
Like its source material, the Gossip Girl television series became not only one of the most popular teen dramas in the United States but a global cultural phenomenon. Around the time Gossip Girl reached its peak popularity, manga was beginning to emerge as a promising entertainment medium. Recognizing the opportunity to capitalize on both trends, Yen Press —a publisher of light novels and manga— saw the potential to merge the television series’ widespread appeal with the growing popularity of manga.
Hyekyung Baek's 2010 Shōjo manga, Gossip Girl: For Your Eyes Only, represents the culmination of these efforts. Influenced by Cecily von Ziegesar's original novels and the television series created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, this adaptation offers a unique blend of elements from its predecessors. While inspired by both the novels and the show, Baek's manga charts its own course, exploring the triumphs and tribulations of wealthy teenagers on New York's Upper East Side through a distinctly manga-influenced perspective.
The Gossip Girl Manga Introduced A Fresh Angle On The Lavish Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous Kids
Exploring The Series From A Unique Perspective For New Fans
As outlined in Yen Press's press release announcing the Gossip Girl manga adaptation, and reposted by the manga enthusiast website The Manga Bookshelf, the decision to create a manga was driven by the success of Gossip Girl in capturing the imaginations of young women around the world. Yen Press saw an opportunity to expand the series' reach to a segment of the audience that might not have otherwise discovered the Gossip Girl universe. More importantly, Yen emphasized that by tweaking the story to better align with the manga medium, they hoped to appeal to both male and female manga readers.
If anyone doubted the cultural significance of Gossip Girl, note that the story’s success as a book series and television show has been triumphantly replicated in its manga adaptation. In fact, despite its niche appeal, the manga garnered enough interest from Gossip Girl fans to expand beyond a single volume — ultimately releasing three. This achievement underscores the enduring pop-cultural influence of Gossip Girl, and serves as a testament to the growing power of manga in the United States, which has since become an even more dominant force in entertainment. If Gossip Girl can successfully transition into a manga, it’s clear that anything is possible.
Sources: The Manga Bookshelf
Set among Manhattan's elite, this drama series follows wealthy teenagers whose scandalous lives are exposed by an anonymous blogger. The show delves into themes of betrayal, ambition, and the complexities of high-society friendships, as the characters navigate interpersonal conflicts and personal aspirations.
