PASH!

PASH! (パッシュ！, Passhu!) is a monthly women's anime and manga magazine published in Japan by Shufu to Seikatsusha since 2004. The publisher KADOKAWA refers to it as a pioneer of anime magazines.^[1]

Summary

PASH! was the first magazine specializing in anime for women and began publication on an irregular schedule in 2004.^[2] The inspiration came when an editor at Shufu to Seikatsu Sha, Ikuo Tonozuka, discovered that his wife had become a fan of the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. At the time, there were no anime magazines for women in Japan, and the magazines that covered Fullmetal Alchemist focused solely on information for male fans, such as mecha and "beautiful girl" elements, which didn't appeal to female fans. After hearing his wife's complaints, Tonozuka conducted market research and found that anime had a large female fanbase, leading him to start the publication PASH! as its editor-in-chief. The name "PASH!" is derived from the English word "passion," which was suggested to Tonozuka by an acquaintance. The word expresses fans' enthusiasm for their favorite works and characters. The cover of the first issue featured Fullmetal Alchemist, since it was the favorite anime of Tonozuka's wife.^[3]

In April 2007, the magazine was relaunched as a bimonthly publication.^[2] The decision to go bimonthly was largely influenced by feedback from clients, who frequently expressed during business meetings that it would be a waste not to make PASH! a regular publication. This feedback was brought up in internal meetings and became a turning point for the magazine. Although initial sales were slow, they improved after featuring Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY, giving Tonozuka a sense of achievement. The magazine's first anime mook, a special on Big Windup!, was also reprinted due to high demand. Additionally, it was the first publication in Japan to conduct interviews exclusively with male voice actors.^[3]

In June 2012, PASH! transitioned to a monthly publication.^[2] At the same time, Tonozuka stepped down as editor-in-chief, and Mamoru Haruna took over.^[3] The August 2013 issue featured Attack on Titan on the cover, which led to a rare reprint for magazines in this genre at the time.^[2] Following this, PASH! continued to cover popular anime titles quickly, achieving reprints and generating buzz with issues featuring Mr. Osomatsu (January 2016), High Speed! Free! Starting Days (February 2016), and Yuri!!! on ICE (December 2016).^[3]

Initially, the magazine focused on elements within male-targeted anime that might interest female fans, as there were few anime specifically for women. However, with the growth of the female anime fanbase, more anime aimed at women emerged, allowing PASH! to endure multiple risks of suspension and continue publishing over a long period.^[3] In July 2016, PASH! began offering a digital edition, becoming the first Japanese anime magazine to do so.^[1] The brand has expanded into other areas, such as the "PASH! Selection" for anime merchandise and the "PASH! Books" novel label. Many female animators who draw illustrations for the anime licenses featured in PASH! participate in drawing original covers for the magazine over the years.^[3]