How many of us know about cryptocurrency? How many of our children are aware of cryptocurrency and its role in the financial world? Is there any way the youth can know more about it? Is there anyway one might bring the world of cryptocurrency to the youth via an entertainment-related medium to incite their curiosity?
In this regard, perhaps Japan is the first nation that has produced the first known superhero crypto comic book, hence using this strange marriage of Japanese manga and cryptocurrency related concepts as an educational form made freely available to the youth and all fans of comic books.
This comic series is titled “Shonen Crypto” and is in the Japanese language. According to Taro, the creator and Editor-in-Chief of the comic series, his aim is to spread awareness of the crypto world and its potential. As he remarked: “I want everyone to know crypto and its potential. Recently, I feel that the number of active users of crypto is decreasing, and I often hear doubts about crypto.”
Taro wants the masses to have a positive image of cryptocurrency. He regrets that “there are still lots of scams” in the crypto environment and thinks people are not to be blamed for having a generally suspicious and negative view of cryptocurrency. “It is not a good situation for crypto.” said Taro.
But in the unlikely world of manga, Taro seems to have found a light-entertainment medium which he can use to provide vital knowledge of crypto world in a positive light. A reason for using an easy medium like comics comes from Taro’s observation that in Japan “there are already lots of articles about crypto with “only lots [of] words.” Taro interestingly perceives that that in Japan, the “masses usually don’t read such articles.”
The comic features a unique mix of manga action and crypto knowledge. The main protagonist of the series is the superhero Bitcoin Senpai, whose mission in the first issue is rescuing Shitcoin Boy from a beatdown. In upcoming issues, Bitcoin Senpai will lead the superhero team Crypto Heroes in battle against fiat currencies. According to taro, “The fiat characters of Crypto Heroes are USD, JPY, and EUR.” Taro promised the introduction of more characters in upcoming issues.
Apart from the superhero action element, the manga also utilizes certain sections to outline the history of cryptocurrency, all presented in a “comic book” mode via interesting characters. One of these is “Crypto-kun” who educates about historical icons in cryptocurrency history, such as the Mcafee Pump, Mt Gox, and Zaif’s glitch that enabled buyers to purchase BTC at 0 yen. In addition, masternodes and investment advice are also featured in the comic edition, as well as BTCfx, an Android-based Bitcoin trading client. An extra section features a way one can use Dapps on a smartphone. Dapps is known as ‘decentralized applications’ in blockchain technology, which is used to power Bitcoin.
There is also a story of a Japanese called Hakase (professor, in Japanase) and the schoolgirl whom he teaches about Bitcoin. Since Hasake himself invests in Bitcoin for profit, he advices everyone to do so and become rich. But unfortunately, the price falls and the unfortunate Hasake is devastated with despair.
Taro will initially publish “Shonen Crypto” once “every three weeks or one month.” Taro claims that his cryptocurrency-themed manga is the first of its kind, saying “I never heard there are any [other] comic books about crypto.” Lately, the comic announced an English-translated version on Twitter.
