Igor Inocima's face filled with contentment as he described the achievement of introducing the culture of manga to Brazil, where his grandparents emigrated to some 80 years ago.

"Our company began the sale of Japanese manga comic books in Brazil in 2000, and over 500 editions have been released so far," said Inocima, marketing manager for Sao Paulo-based J.B. Communication Ltd.

The company, which has grown into Brazil's largest manga publisher, on average releases a new title every three days.