Manga Enlists Young Readers in Biodiversity Battle in Pays de Bray
Bray, France - A new manga series is deploying the power of Japanese comics to engage middle and high school students in the fight to protect the Pays de bray’s unique natural environment. Launched by the Pays de Bray Territoire d’Énergie et de Réemploi (PETR), the online comic, titled “Les Gardiens des Royaumes Naturels” (The Guardians of the Natural Kingdoms), features a hero named Tritéos battling invasive species threatening local ponds.
The initiative aims to foster environmental awareness among younger generations by leveraging the popularity of manga, a genre currently representing 11% of the French book market – 36 million copies sold for a turnover of 309 million euros in 2024, according to a study by the Arcom regulatory authority. The PETR hopes the engaging narrative will subtly instill a sense of responsibility for biodiversity in students, prompting them to become active stewards of their local ecosystem. A second volume is already planned, following positive initial feedback from classrooms where the first installment has been introduced.
“We wanted to draw on the codes of manga, which allow us to create more playful universes and characters,” explained Leslie Drouin, the project lead at PETR. The story’s creation involved collaboration with Jonathan Corbo, a French mangaka (manga artist) who found his calling through the emotional impact of black and white comic panels. Corbo was tasked with bringing the PETR’s vision to life, developing the characters and storyline based on the organization’s objectives.
“The scripting of an adventure and combat story is a classic manga code that reinforces the young reader’s imagination,” corbo stated. “Presenting a natural environment for which the heroes fight to preserve will mark,even unconsciously,the students’ imagination so that they feel concerned about biodiversity.” The first volume has already been presented to several local schools,with educators encouraged to integrate it into their curriculum.
