Interest
Doujinshi Artist Claims Downloads of Work Are 10-Times Higher Than Sales
posted on by Bamboo Dong
While many anime and manga fans are still joyfully recounting their experiences at the most recent Comiket 85, which took place the last week of December, not all who participated are happy from that week.
Recently, doujinshi artist Shintarou Takemori (part of the circle Susano Arashi) took to Twitter to despair that downloads of his most recent hentai doujinshi were ten-times that of actual Comiket sales.
冬の新刊が早速無断うpされた挙句DL数が販売部数の10倍近いという実情に絶望したのでエロ同人やめます。よかったね。
— 竹森真太郎 (@tkmr_shintaro) January 2, 2014
In response, illustrator @Maku_raco, who goes by the alias Makura Kitsune, Tweeted that he had been following other doujinshi artists, many of whom were threatening to quit, who were saying that their works were likewise immediately uploaded online without their permission, and downloaded "several times more" than physical sales. Makura Kitsune goes on to say that the "encouragement" that the artists receive, along the lines of "But isn't it good that many people are supporting your work?" and "It's because it's popular!" are breaking his heart.
自分の冬の新刊が早速サイトに無断UPされた挙句DL数が販売部数の数倍いってて心折れたからエロ描くの辞めたいな方の呟きに対して「人気あるって事だから」「そんだけの人数に支持されてるんだからいいじゃん!」的な励ましのリプライ送る人を目撃して早朝からこっちの心が折れそう
— まくら狐 (@Maku_raco) January 2, 2014
[Via Yaraon; cover image from @tkmr_shintaro's Twitter]
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history