Not directly connected, no. Actual lettering in Japanese manga is also done by a separate person, usually the editor, who prints the text out and then tapes it on to the balloons. :-) For such a high-tech country, manga-making is still pretty primitive. They don't even keep digital files of a lot of older things.

I think it might be that because Western comics, with a few exceptions, tend to have much more regular panels and fewer wacky reading patterns, ballooning hasn't developed up to the level it has in Japan. Using balloons to make the eye move the right way is inherent in the structure of manga far more than it is for your average superhero book. A good manga artist makes it easy to read, and a great manga artist actually uses the balloon placement to help the storytelling.