@FireLunar_ I hear you, I just don’t think it’s doable. There are tons of manga that are niche, even within Japan. It’s still niche in the grand scheme outside of Japan. If there’s enough demand, publishers do pick up series
English
Josuke
477 posts
Piracy is absolutely an accessibility issue. If there were cheaper methods to consume the media you want, piracy would drop significantly.
For manga, it’s on publishers to actively seek out series that people want to see/own/read.
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Anime Updates@animeupdates
'BATTLE SCAR' Manga creator Kazuya Kuramoto expresses frustration over delayed English releases He advocates for prioritizing translations and accessibility over discussion on piracy "This is something I really want to see improved. My own work Battle Scar is a good example: I've wanted to release an English version for the past two years, and I've brought it up to the publisher again and again. Even though a promotional video aimed at English-speaking audiences reached 250,000 likes on Instagram, things haven't really moved forward. I can translate into English just fine, and if you leave it to me, the translation cost would be zero. And yet, even now, nothing has come of it…" "Rather than focusing on piracy, what we need is a system that allows translations to be done more freely and releases to be published faster."
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@AlgisKun @DrTomatin More so considering there are licensing fees, translation fees, publishing fees etc. I feel like this tends to get overlooked, I don’t really think it can be helped. Many new chapters are free to read on release in Eng and that’s a direct response to piracy
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@JosukeSan @DrTomatin its made locally and also very cheap... Imagine paying less than 5 bucks for a magazine with about 10-15 different mangas you can read. Manga is common place over there, overseas its a bit more of a luxury.
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@AlgisKun @DrTomatin Personally, I think it’s because manga just doesn’t sell as well in the west as it does in Japan (I am just guessing, here). I think access to free copies is the cause of that.
I am sorry that I do not speak Spanish, I wish I could reply to you in your own language
English
@DrTomatin Xq no vivimos en japon donde un volumen de tankoubon o una revista como la Shonen jump cuesta no mas de 500 yenes... Lo cual lo jace bien facil de poder comprar solo para ver...
Fuera de japon son muy caras para darse uno probaditas de la misma forma.
Español
@ego_renegade I can’t say at what point exactly. All I can say is that overseas access often wasn’t intended at the point of creation. Perhaps publishers should work with scanlators, rather than publishers release AI translated works for free as an answer to piracy
English
@JosukeSan -at what point does that get restrictive? if everybody else has access to it, what would make that disabled person unentitled, so to speak?
+ beyond that i feel when 3rd parties profit grossly off OOP print copies, that is more restrictive of an artists success than not.
English
The whole piracy thing is a grey line fr me im not against it but at the same time it isn't wrong for mangaka /artists/writers wanting to be paid for their hard work. Asking a mangaka if it's OK to read their work illegally is just room temp IQ activity tho.
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@ego_renegade I don’t expect this of others, but my response to the lack of a translation was to learn Japanese and meet the access where it is rather than demand it come to me. Part of learning new language is the excitement that a new world has opened up to you, I appreciate that feeling
English
@JosukeSan interesting and fair, it gets into a grey area for me as an information specialist (i believe in backups, especially in an era of mass censorship)
another grey area for me is where the line gets drawn. if somebody needs a scanlation due to a need for screen reader access-
English
@ego_renegade I think that if you can’t access something, you aren’t automatically entitled to access it. Where possible I think we should push for more access, or cooperation with creators/publishers, but I’m not entirely convinced we should take it into our own hands - certainly a tough one!
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@JosukeSan can i ask your take on piracy of out of print manga? or ones that could be lost media otherwise?
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@ego_renegade @vegeebs The issue is quite complex, certainly access is part of it. But it’s a self fulfilling prophecy that knee caps the industry. It’s too late.
I’m a manga collector, but I don’t think most fans are. I think we’re a minority, to be honest.
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@JosukeSan @vegeebs i agree they have the right to be upset 100%! however im not finding any stats on people disregarding official access for ease of piracy. manga fans are like massively known to be media collectors, most will eventually buy it even if some dont
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@BrandonBVarnell Most people I know do not purchase manga, they just read it online for free, even when there are official avenues (that are cheap, or free). It’s hard to beat services like Tachiyomi.
When we don’t have access to a car, we don’t default to stealing the car. But we do for manga
English
While there are some people who read pirated stuff and then buy the manga to support creators, most people who pirate manga grow so used to reading for free that they see nothing wrong and eventually come to see reading pirated content as divine right rather than a crime.
However, there are legal ways to read manga for free. Most libraries have a manga section. If you have a library card, you can read manga. Libraries are like the less cool version of a manga cafe.
For online reading, there are online libraries like Overdrive. Overdrive is partnered with most local libraries around the world but especially in the west.
If a library does not have the manga you want, you can request them to get it.
Most people never consider using a library to get content like manga, which is a shame.
There are oither library apps too like Libby and Hoopla.
There are also some subscriptions services like Scribed that have manga available, though they rotate what is and isn't available to read.
And there are also official manga apps like Manga Plus by Shueisha and Shonen Jump by Viz Media. They aren't free, but $2 a month costs less money than your daily Starbucks mocha frappuciono and offers far more filling content to boot.
If you want to own manga, you can also buy super cheap legal bundles from companies like Humble Bundle. I bought the entire Nagatoro series on there for cheap when the deal was up.
I'm all for finding more ways to help people find legal means of enjoying manga and I really hope Kei-sensei can create even more user friendly methods of reading manga. However, I want people in the west to know there are currently numerous legal methods of reading manga without breaking your bank, and I hope people will use them instead of pirating content.
裏那圭◾️KEI URANA@KEI_URANA
I’ve spent the past few days researching the circumstances in different countries, including financial situations. I understand that for many people, pirate sites are the only way they can read manga. I also understand that prices can be higher overseas. I’ve even seen people saying, “Don’t bring this issue up.” But if we do not speak up now, the value of Japanese manga and creative works, built through the sacrifices and relentless efforts of those who came before us, will be wasted. I’ve also seen people say, “Reading for free doesn’t hurt sales.” That is not true. “Free” lowers the value of things. Once people grow used to getting something for free, they stop looking toward legitimate versions. (I also understand that people who truly love a work will support it properly.) We pour ourselves into creating so readers can enjoy our work. Compensation matters, of course, but more than anything, I do not want to see its value diminished. To help people who cannot afford to buy it, or who do not have access to it, enjoy these works, Ando and I have been discussing this for a long time and exploring many ideas. I cannot share details yet, but we are working on it. Publishers are making efforts as well. I’m sorry it is taking time. But please stop hurling accusations like, “You are racists,” or saying misguided things like, “Piracy is free promotion for you.” We will continue doing everything we can so everyone can enjoy manga. And I ask one thing in return: please try to understand our perspective and our culture as well. ※I’m using a translation app.
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@ego_renegade @vegeebs I understand your point but I think it’s fair for authors to be bothered by it. Their work, which was made for a specific audience in a specific country, is being stolen and uploaded for free online discouraging any official translation because it’s hard to beat free access
English
@vegeebs yes but if there is no actual legal way for someone to read said work an author cant be upset if someone chooses the only way. if they talk abt the series its free promo and hype for it, if theyre not advocating and showing ppl how to pirate it, and nobody would ever know
English
@AllbonesJones This is something really unique to Manga. Official companies are expected to make their content available for free to fight piracy because people are already accessing it for free.
I think that really highlights why piracy is an issue for manga specifically
English
I bet there's an easy way to settle this international piracy debate: Get a manga artist to upload his own work to an overseas manga pirate site and add a page that says "uploaded by original author, please donate" with a patreon link.
Find the truth by comparing the wages.
English
The piracy issue is bigger than just access. Piracy is ingrained in the culture of manga and anime in the west, it’s the default method of access for many, even when official releases exist. Official services can barely compete, especially when stolen chapters are released early.
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Josuke retweetledi
Josuke retweetledi
Driftveil City - Hitomi Sato (From Pokémon Black & White)
@BelleMarsT Personally I think we should all spend less time observing the opinions of the internet
English
Honestly, I really dislike this new wave of people who have entered into animanga spaces and only likes to whine and moral police everything they consume. What happened to the golden rule? Don't like? Move on to something else.
There is so much content out there.
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Josuke retweetledi
Nintendo Switch『リズム天国 ミラクルスターズ』の発売日が2026年7月2日（木）に決定。
リズムにノッて、プレイするリズムゲームの中から1つを少しだけご紹介します。
#リズム天国 #リズム天国ミラクルスターズ
nintendo.com/jp/switch/bflt…
日本語
@omeganests @SubHeartJP My two cents: Translation is not an easy skill as there are a number of translation decisions that have to be made under tight deadlines and client requirements. Criticism and complaints are welcome but the manner in which you carry yourself as critic is important
English
being like "fuck this translator, i hate seven seas translators, they just LOCALIZE everything and DISRESPECT the SOURCE MATERIAL" is extremely dangerous rhetoric when we're seeing a rise in AI translations (and seven seas was bought by an AI company) by the way. watch your words
English
@HacGrand @JoeMerrick I walk into a supermarket and expect they have a range of goods on offer at varying levels of quality.
I’m just saying that people expect a certain level of polish for a brand, like Pokemon, that has the level of popularity that it does.
English
@JosukeSan @JoeMerrick Walmart is the highest grossing grocery store and I bet you never walk into one of those expecting higher quality goods than Target or Safeway. It’s about brand expectations and only people with a basic understanding of finances expects better.
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Like I said in my preview, the fundamentals are here but my gosh some of the decisions they have made are going to cause such detriment
When a game stumbles at launch, it seldom recovers
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@HacGrand @JoeMerrick I hear you, though I just think people expect better from the highest grossing franchise in the world.
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@JoeMerrick I feel like everyone here forgets this isn't a $60 game, it's Master Duel but with Pokemon. I guarantee you this won't even be the same game 6 months from now.
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@AUTOMATON_ENG Shonen Jump feels like it’s aged out of the young kids demographic
English
Manga is losing young readers in Japan as kids and teens move away from print but can’t afford digital platform subscriptions, industry researcher suggests
automaton-media.com/en/news/manga-…
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@Finaland_ Duellum exists to serve only the shareholders, and to drain the wallets of every fool who ever hoped for a new, true, Dissidia follow-up.
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#DissidiaDuellum, c'est une formule qui ne fonctionne pas tellement, surtout en Occident. Le jeu est fondamentalement trop "japonais" (comme NT) et difficile de dire s'il fonctionnera.
Il y a un potentiel dans le gameplay mais son interface et son agressivité gacha n'aident pas.
Français