Forum - View topicInterview: Kodansha Advanced Media on the Future of Manga
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Greed1914
 Posts: 4426 |
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On the one hand, it is cool that one title can make that much of an impact on the industry. On the other hand, maintaining that momentum is a whole new problem since Attack on Titan can't last forever, and every title sheds readership as it goes, so publishers will need to make sure that readers who stop reading a big hit don't stop reading manga entirely.
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HikariGo
Posts: 89 |
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Very interesting.
At first I thought that KAM would pose a danger to Crunchyroll Manga, Comixology and other digital manga services. However, the mention of Kodansha's involvement with JManga (which was also Crunchyroll joint-venture), the large number of Kodansha manga on Crunchyroll Manga and the general conversation seem to suggest that Kodansha do not see Crunchyroll, Comixology etc. as competitors, but rather collaborators. |
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Hoppy800
 Posts: 3331 |
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Furukawa (or anyone else at Kodansha), if you read this, I have a suggestion that you also make digital manga more desirable in Japan if Kodansha hasn't already done so, but offer it as a choice alongside print manga similar to how games on the Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, Nintendo WiiU, and Nintendo 3DS have options for both physical and digital games in Japan for most titles and not force readers into digital only manga.
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WashuTakahashi
 Posts: 415 Location: Chicago, IL |
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While it's exciting to see manga go digital to combat piracy, it's also a bit scary...I know I'm not alone as being the type of person who likes to read a volume or two of a manga online before deciding if I'd like to buy it. I'd imagine they'd offer a chapter or 2 for free, but that often isn't enough to really get a feel for a manga.
And the other thing that worries me is manga being digital...and then ONLY being digital. I refuse to buy an e-reader. I love the feel of a real manga in my hands (and it's much less of a stress on my eyes to read paper than a computer screen. and no loading time, yay!) Borders closing is still a sad day I won't soon forget... I'm glad they're trying to stop piracy, but could also see these moves going badly fast. |
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Utsuro no Hako
Posts: 1034 |
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My bookshelves are too crowded already. Any time a series finishes, I have to box it up and stuff it in a closet. At this point I'm reluctant to start a series that isn't available digitally. |
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WashuTakahashi
Posts: 415 Location: Chicago, IL |
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I'd like to think you're in the minority...though there are plenty of people who would surely prefer digital to physical for the cost savings, not the space savings. I understand not having the space (trust me, I'm about to hit the 900 volume mark...space is hard to come by), but I'd rather own the series in a box somewhere than only have access to it online (or even downloaded to my computer) A digital library just isn't the same. I'm probably (who am I kidding, most definitely) in the minority nowadays for preferring paper to a screen, but I'm definitely not alone in wanting to own physical copies. |
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Alan45
 Village Elder Posts: 9840 Location: Virginia |
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@WashuTakahashi
I don't know if we are a majority or a minority these days, but you are definitely not alone in preferring print copies of manga. I've tried Crunchyroll's manga selection and I find it hard to read even though it is essentially free to me. I do realize that storage is a problem. I'm a bit above the 4000 volumes mark. I still prefer to have a print copy to read. |
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Blackiris_
 Posts: 535 |
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A big thanks for this interview to everyone involved.
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Peebs
Posts: 419 |
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At the mention of a possible English release of Giant Killing, I almost cried. Plus all the sports manga I can get my paws on. I prefer digital manga because of space. I don't have a lot of space at home and when I have to move, there's less stuff to pack. Having more options for digital manga is the best that can happen for manga in N.A.
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st_owly
 Posts: 5234 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland |
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Glad to see that the manga industry is /finally/ beginning to realise that digital and print are complimentary to each other, not detrimental. I'm a dead tree fan all the way, but I appreciate digital for being able to get content out there faster and for the convenience when travelling and of not having to move house with 1000's of books in tow. I just hope we see more and more simultaneous releases of series, a la Shonen Jump.
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1747 |
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A better way would be to unify your efforts, across all publishers, and release all manga on one universal site, whether that be CR, Funi, etc. I am not going to pay $100/year for CR Premium Membership, another $50 for Funi and whatever you're going to charge on your website, especially when I don't watch more than 2 hours of anime/week. I read a lot more manga than I view anime, and I'd likely drop CR in a heartbeat for a universal manga site where I could read whatever series I want within a week of its initial Japanese release. So, KAM, the ball is in your court; Produce a "one-stop shop" for manga from all publishers and I'll subscribe to your service. Another way would be to combat piracy would be to release your series, worldwide. Release your scans worldwide and use ads as a way of paying for the extra bandwidth. This way, those in developing nations and/or teenagers/students who don't have the cash to buy manga can support the industry. |
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noblesse oblige
 Posts: 279 Location: Florida |
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[quote="Cutiebunny"]
I agree. In the current market this is the only business model I could see succeeding at the level they seem to be hoping for. I don't think it will ever happen though. Crunchyroll probably has the best chance of one day developing into this; they seem to have the best grasp on how the North American market works. Unfortunately for Kodansha, simply pushing their catalogue out on every existing platform isn't going to bring them the results they want. In this day and age it's all about creating an online DESTINATION. And the way to do that is through easy access to content, a focused and creative marketing effort, and some sort of social forum to promote interaction and create a community of dedicated fans. |
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navycherub
 Posts: 233 |
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Didn't expect to see a glimmer of hope for Giant Killing being released in English. Still not holding my breath, but man would that be awesome.
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configspace
Posts: 3717 |
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I wish the interviewer would've asked about content decisions in deciding which titles to bring over or hand off to other licensees.
They mentioned that the markets are different, and it also seems like Kodansha USA is releasing everything themselves going forward... which is true for all recent titles, except for one: Prison School. Kodansha USA mentioned on their blog that Prison School was too risky to bring over and that they doubt any other publisher would pick it up. Well, that turned out to be completely false. It's popular and Yen Press picked it up. |
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13555 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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@Cutiebunny: In addition to the one-stop shop idea, the digital pricing is something to consider. For example, several of Comixology's Cage of Eden volumes sell for $8.99.
OK, I don't know what how well it would go from a business angle, but lowering a bit could help. While I don't really buy manga anymore, wouldn't $5.50 help? If you have lower prices, you could sell more volumes quicker but higher prices can mean less volumes sold. |
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