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NEWS: Online Manga Rental for PC




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infoman99



Joined: 12 Mar 2007
Posts: 39
Location: canada
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:05 pm Reply with quote
yeah but will it actually be available to only the states?
and won't you need a credit card? i got denied a few days ago
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Mysticmidnightmaiden



Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 123
Location: California (Bay Area)
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:33 pm Reply with quote
@infoman99: Since the site is in Japanese, I'm guessing it won't be available to the US for a while. I'm signing up as I type and I don't think you need a credit card to sign up, but to pay/use the service you do.

This looks pretty cool. I just flipped through the first couple of volumes of Mamotte! and I really like the viewer. It's like a better version of the online manga viewer Tokyopop uses (although with Renta!, one can read the entire volume Anime smallmouth). I haven't tried to buy a rental ticket yet, but if I can, I may not need to go to Kinokuniya as much.

I was just wondering, if/when this (way to read manga) becomes popular, how it will affect the industry? Manga-ka would be able to scan their works straight online (without the publishing houses breathing down their backs for deadlines). Would manga magazines (Weekly Shounen Jump, Afternoon, LaLa, Ribbon and the like) go the way of the radio (Now I got "Video Killed the Radio Star" stuck in my head...)? Not to mention what would happen to scanlators? Would some turn to "hacking the system in the name of free advertisement" (and no, I don't wish to go into one of those debates...)? What do you think?
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SoloButterfly



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 239
Location: Masaki Residence
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:51 pm Reply with quote
wow. I just popped over to site and started reading (er..looking at since my Japanese still has a long way to go) Loki without having to register or anything. Sure seems like this could be abused though. Fabulous idea though!
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DKong



Joined: 22 Jan 2007
Posts: 152
PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:04 am Reply with quote
Seems like a really good idea. I hope some US companies start doing this.
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uhmmmm



Joined: 02 Aug 2003
Posts: 24
PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:19 am Reply with quote
I wonder about the pricing. When you consider that used manga volumes can be bought to own for as little as 100 yen at any used bookstore around Japan (though yes, copies in better condition or of more popular series may be a bit more), then this looks like a much less attractive deal. Why rent something for a day when you could buy your own copy for the same price - and then sell it back used again if you do decide you don't want to keep it?
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BleuVII



Joined: 19 Sep 2006
Posts: 672
Location: Tokorozawa, Japan
PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 4:16 am Reply with quote
Actually, the cost of a manga VOLUME is from 350-600 yen. So, this is still a good deal if you plan to read it only once.

I don't know how the Japanese do it, but here in Korea, our DVD rental stores also rent books. It is VERY popular, but the business has been going down due to online manga viewrs.
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uhmmmm



Joined: 02 Aug 2003
Posts: 24
PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:29 pm Reply with quote
Yes, 350-600 yen is the price of a NEW volume of manga. But I was talking about USED manga, where it does indeed get down to about 100 yen. And with how popular Book Off and similar used bookstores are here in Japan, it doesn't seem like very many people mind buying their manga used.

Can't say I've seen manga or other books rented out at DVD rental places. But there's also always the library, which is free, and probably has a decent selection, even if not the latest releases.
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