This document discusses the target audience and design choices for the author's Japanese pop culture magazine. The magazine aims to attract young teenage girls in both Japan and England by using bright colors and cute styles inspired by popular Japanese magazines. Examples are given of similar magazines in Japan like "Nicola", a fashion magazine, and "Pichilemon", which targets junior high students. "Shojo Beat", an English language manga magazine, is also discussed as something the target audience might enjoy due to its focus on stories about young girls and inclusion of Japanese bands. Comparisons are drawn between design elements and target demographics of these magazines to explain why the author's magazine would appeal to the same audience.

1. How did you attract/address your audience?

2. My magazineMy magazine used bright colours to create a cute feel to the magazine. Cute is commonly used in Japanese pop magazines as they appeal to young teenagers, most of which will like cute styles such as Hello Kitty. I’ve used the idea of showing bright and cute Japan and used it for my title.

3. My audienceMy audiences, Japan would be young teenage girls. Possibly aging from Junior high school girls to 1st possibly 2nd year high school girls. The age of which girls are aiming for their own identity. Whilst in England, my magazine audience would be older possibly ranging from 13 year olds all the way up to possibly 19 to 20. The older age range is due to the interest of Japanese music in England is easier for young adults to understand. They can enjoy the music without knowing the language. This does mean that my magazine can have a better, authentic Japanese pop feel to it without my audience worrying if it looks to young as most know the music a genre intended for their age group.

4. My audience could also be interested in manga and anime. I have included a brief analysis of a young girls manga magazine commonly read by both of my audience but, my audience also my be interested in other manga and anime magazines such Neo magazine a popular anime magazine sold in England or Yen Press an American manga magazine sold in specialist book shops featuring monthly manga.

5. AnimeMy readers would possibly enjoy anime. There is not a set anime channel in the UK any more but in Japan and America there are. Most fans of anime are interested in the music as anime opening songs are sung by Japanese artists and are realised alongside non-anime songs.Most anime fans collect anime DVDs and CDs and would be interested in reading a Japanese music magazine as most anime fans like to collect things and a magazine is something they would be willing to collect. Typical anime DVDs my audience would buy

7. Magazine 1The style and appealing age group would also read magazines such as “Nicola” which is a Japanese fashion magazine aimed at teenagers. This is not a Japanese pop magazine but shares aspects and designs to my magazine

8. Comparison “Nicola” has a pop culture cute deign to it, similar to my magazine. It shows shapes and patterns on the front just like mine. Readers of this magazine would also be attracted to mine as both are aimed at young teenage girls.This magazine is very simply deigned which like other magazine, but instead of being bold and bright, it still maintains the brightness but being more subtle which draws the reader in, this magazine is aimed at the more quieter side of teenage girls.

9. “Nicola” sticks to the one colour design with the each of the fonts but still maintains the pop culture feel. This magazines differs from Japanese rock magazines as they have a more harder edge to them. Japanese pop magazines are softer showing what age group they are intended for.

10. Pichilemon Pichilemon is aimed at junior high students. The magazine is more pink and girly. There is much more detail written on this magazine than the last but the font schemes and colours are the same. It still maintains the similar shapes idea as the last did showing that similar magazine use similar ideas. I like the use of the mascots I feel that in order to reach this age group and create another cute effect I could have create a mascot for my magazine I think that the patterned text as the title is a nice idea too as it is as simple design for the title and helps it stand out from the other pieces of text which are also pink

11. PichilemonReaders of this magazine would also be appealed to my magazines as the bright title and shapes from my magazine would help them feel comfortable to read mine but as the pink girly background would help them see the that it is more aimed at girls. The unique selling point of this magazine is the simplicity of it, it requires only the usage of the colour pink to attract its audience which is what attract most young girls into to purchasing the magazine as they can see it is identifiable to them

12. Shojo BeatShojo in Japanese means “Young Girl” which is why my audience is likely to read this magazine. This magazine features stories of young girls going through love and hardships so these magazines must appeal to my audience. I have used some their styles alongside my magazine.

13. Shojo BeatThis magazine has the same feel to mine. It features similar font styling which would appeal to my audience. As shown in the top left hand corner, this magazine also features Japanese bands.Unlike the other magazines this magazine cover is an English copy but is also read in Japan by teenage girls

14. Shojo BeatThe unique selling point of this magazine is the fact that it is manga and Japanese. In England and America, there are very few Japanese music magazine and Japanese culture magazine. The few English language magazine there are in English speaking countries appeal to fans of Japanese culture as there are very few of them which is what will make my magazine appeal to the English speaking audience and fans of my Japanese music.

15. These magazines are aimed at my audience and using similar unique selling points of my magazine and theirs is what these magazine appeal to my audience and theirs.