Forum - View topicINTEREST: Glass Mask Creator Has Mixed Feelings About English Readers
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marshmallowpie
 Posts: 300 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada |
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"Mixed Feelings About English Readers" sounds like a somewhat misleading title if you don't know that this is a manga that's never been printed in English...
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LegitPancake
 Posts: 1294 Location: Texas, USA |
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So it’s unlicensed because the author is rejecting any offers from English companies? Or the publishing company is demanding too much from a license? Or there’s just no interest in the English market? This article didn’t tell me much...
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Freyanne
 Posts: 216 |
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Indeed. It had me thinking, based on the title alone, that the creator was somewhat "meh" on having [english-speaking] international fans. It got me to read the article for sure, but maybe the title could have been better? That said, I can see why she has mixed feelings due to piracy, but I am also curious as to why there isn't an English version of her manga. |
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ChestPains
Posts: 101 |
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In my humble opinion, if I made a work that people liked so much, they formed groups all over the world and spent months if not years just to translate it into multiple languages so more people could enjoy it, I'd be extremely flattered, and would probably just ask them to support the work if/once it was licensed.
That said, the "mixed feelings" is most likely just to not encourage same-language piracy, which I can totally agree with. "Glad you enjoyed, but why not purchase it then?" |
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Utsuro no Hako
Posts: 1034 |
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The series began in 1976 and has 49 volumes. I'd be surprised if an American publisher has even asked about licensing it. |
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gacha
Posts: 74 |
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I'm sorry but if you didn't bother to push for the international release then I have mixed feelings about your "mixed feelings".
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Replica_Rabbit
 Posts: 354 Location: Portland |
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In my opinion, I would be mad and happy (mostly mad). Happy that people enjoying my work and mad at people for not paying for it or trying to get licensed
It, not her job to push the Manga overseas, it the fan job to show the companies over here there is a demand for the Manga. |
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Ojamajo LimePie
 Posts: 765 |
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Agreed. It's unnecessarily inflammatory. "Mixed Feelings About Readers of Pirated Translations" would be more accurate. I'm sure the author would be thrilled to have people read an authorized English translation, but the chances of a 40-something volume long 1970's shoujo manga being licensed is next to non-existent. |
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#891604
Posts: 4 |
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I can understand if you're concerned about not getting money for your work, but when your work isn't getting translated then there isn't all that much to say as no one overseas would understand it. If anything, pirated manga just encourages readers to buy the real thing and merch (same as Bill Gates's thought on people pirating, some day they will buy it). All these overseas fans who appreciate your works wouldn't exist without "unofficial" English translations. If anything, you're cultivating a fandom that's way larger than the one upon the release of official English translations. So more money when released officially
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explosionforgov
 Posts: 80 Location: United States of America |
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It's a vicious cycle. Something doesn't exist in a person's native language to be purchased legally, a fan makes a version of it to be enjoyed in their native language, the original creator gets a bad taste in their mouth because foreign fans in a language they know they never optioned the rights for come up and compliment them on their work, which may sour them on making an official version for that language...
I know manga companies usually license a series (in the States) only if there's a wildly popular (usually shonen) anime currently airing based on said manga. But there's people whose tastes skew outside of that, and I'm sure many of them would love to read Glass Mask. |
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micah007
Posts: 205 |
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I always love this debate. It's a catch 22, fans need to show strong support oversees for an author/publisher to take the risk and yet for many series that is almost impossible to do without scanlations to start off with.
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unready
 Posts: 399 Location: Illinois, USA |
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meruru
Posts: 471 |
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Eh, her reaction seems completely reasonable and to be expected. Especially when you consider that manga piracy is a big problem among Japanese readers, who really have no excuse for not buying it, especially when Glass Mask is so well known, surely you could buy it for like 100 yen a volume used. Surely no one would have a very good opinion of piracy knowing that.
It's also possible to buy the Japanese manga in many areas outside of Japan, which I feel like you should try to do if there is no English version and you're a big enough fan to meet the creator, even if you're forced to read the pirated digital scans in order to understand them. That way you can read the manga AND support the creator. |
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ChestPains
Posts: 101 |
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It's really not that easy to get something licensed if your name isn't Shonen Jump, and for most series they just have to pray that the anime adaptation garners enough popularity for them to take the risk to license and start printing.
Hell, just look at the history behind JoJo. They printed ONLY Part 3 because of the OVA/Game, had to change to quarterly instead of bimonthly, and it took them 8 years and the anime adaptation by DavidPro to start talks about bringing the rest of the series over. And that's JoJo, a god damn juggernaut of a series that's been referenced to death in everything since Phantom Blood ended in 1987. Look at Hajime no Ippo as well, insanely popular, insanely successful, but over 100 volumes long. Nobody's even dared to touch it either. In most cases, if the anime doesn't help license it, you're probably fucked (unless you're Italy or France, for some reason they apparently license everything). Even smaller older manga are hell to bring over in some cases. Rose of Versailles is a masterpiece and despite having an EN version for english-studying japanese students published decades ago, the first time it was licensed and brought over since 1973 was 2015 and as far as I know, it's still not out. |
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ChestPains
Posts: 101 |
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Coincidentally I've heard someone mention how cheap used manga are in Japan (though most of it is printed in terrible paper), but it really is the best option in this case since it really doesn't look like it has a chance of being brought over at all. |
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