If you’ve been following the buzz on social media or sites like Anime News Network, Kotaku, and Screen Rant, Logan Paul’s high-profile manga purchases have ignited debate in anime circles. On Twitter, the YouTuber and WWE star revealed two ultra-rare graded copies of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump issues: a BGS (Beckett Grading Services) 9.2 Weekly Shonen Jump #51 (December 1984) (first appearances of Goku and Bulma, bought for a reported record $550,000) and a BGS 9.0 Weekly Shonen Jump #34 (August 1997, early canon Luffy and Shanks appearance). Some view it as a milestone for manga collecting as a serious investment hobby, but many longtime fans have responded with sharp criticism—labeling him a ‘culture vulture’ who enters fandoms more for clout and profit than deep appreciation.
What is a ‘Culture Vulture’?
A ‘culture vulture’ is a person who heavily consumes, adopts, or mimics elements of a specific community — in this case, art, music, slang, or fandoms — often with the ability to profit from it. The phrase has long been used among art enthusiasts, but today it largely carries a negative connotation, referring to cultural appropriation, exploitation, or the theft of creative work without genuine respect or deep understanding.
What were the reactions to the announcement?
Reactions to Paul’s announcement came quickly. One of the most notable came from fellow influencer IShowSpeed, who shares an ongoing wrestling rivalry with Paul stemming from WrestleMania 42. Speed replied bluntly: ‘You don’t even know shit about One Piece! Speed has been very vocal about his love for the series. He has shared that One Piece helped him through difficult times, including a dark period of depression in 2020. He has even stated publicly that the series ‘saved his life’ by giving him motivation and something to look forward to when he felt he had none. This genuine passion made his blunt reply resonate with many longtime manga fans. They saw it as underscoring a central criticism: Paul’s announcement placed heavy emphasis on BGS grades, record prices, population reports, and manga as an emerging ‘asset class,’ rather than any visible emotional or storytelling attachment to the series.
Fans echoed similar sentiments across social media. One commenter described Paul as the ‘epitome of a culture vulture,’ arguing that he appeared to know very little about the series yet used his vast wealth as a barrier to entry. Another widely shared post captured the frustration: ‘Why does Logan Paul come for every single one of our hobbies to monetize and bastardize it? Like a culture vulture feeding on everything pure and wonderful?’ Some also drew parallels to ‘culture vulture’ behavior seen in the sports card world. Some fans even drew parallels to Paul’s previous high-profile involvement in the Pokémon TCG market, where his big-money moves were frequently blamed for driving up prices and fueling scalper culture.
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Keep in mind, not everyone in the community views this negatively. However, some collectors argue that backlash amounts to gatekeeping that is considered unnecessary and that high-end collecting has always involved wealthy buyers — whether in American comics, sports cards, or fine art. They see this moment as potential validation for graded vintage manga as a legitimate asset class, suggesting that increased mainstream attention and investment could ultimately benefit the broader hobby by raising awareness and long-term value for rare pieces. Others have also pointed out that most fans primarily engage with the stories through affordable volumes or digital platforms, and that ultra-rare graded Weekly Shonen Jump issues were never realistically accessible to the average reader.
Source: Logan Paul’s Twitter Announcement
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