Tag Archives: digital distribution

Not a Citizen, But a Customer – A Response

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If you haven’t already read Lori Henderson’s fantastic essay at Manga Xanadu regarding Viz Media’s digital comics initiative and her assertions that users not using the iOS platform are second class citizens, I encourage you to do so, since this essay is a response to her article. I respect Lori quite a deal more than most manga bloggers on the net (we both write for the manga review flagship Manga Village) and I understand (and somewhat agree with) her arguments, but I have a few points that I would like to bring up here in regards to that recent post.

Essentially, Lori brings Viz Media to task for treating those who would use their non-iOS digital services as second class citizens, stating that it isn’t fair that Android users and PC users don’t have the same download capacity that iPod/iPad users have.

One part of me agrees. I think that buyers should be able to OWN their content, so as much as I am excited about JManga bringing new material to the USA, I am also not that thrilled that I don’t have the ability to download it to my computer. At the same time, there are certain risks that are inherent in this delivery system. Giving someone a professionally translated pack of manga images on a PC where file manipulation is rampant and easy just seems like a losing bet when some 2-bit wanker can just get on the web and upload it to a scanlation site. It isn’t “fair” in the sense that iOS users can download their content, but iOS doesn’t have a way to easily pirate these images onto the web from an iWhatever. I think it is a matter of feasibility in that regard. Is it the best? No. But Viz has delivered the service to a platform rife with the problems they have to fight as an industry in order to survive.

And, although a very dedicated person could possibly capture the images from the iPad or iPod and deliver them to a MangaFox or OneManga, just like anyone could use screen captures to grab images off of the web-only portal, the amount of time and dedication to perform such an act would probably require more wherewithal than your average bear has. On PC, where downloading a file to your computer is pretty much an open door for instant sublimation to the various seedy and illegal aggregators, I can understand (even if I don’t approve of) Viz’s position in the PC market.

The bigger issue I want to get at here is that despite the fact that Viz has tried to accommodate as many digital markets as it can (I would bet that a Viz Manga app for Android will soon appear on the Android Market) it really didn’t have to. The fact that they have created this web interface is a step in the right direction, and for some people, that is certainly going to be enough. For me, since I am an iUser, I have no issues with the iWhatever experience or the website.But I understand those who don’t like the service of the Viz Manga site.

If you don’t like their current offerings, I invite you to NOT BUY. Don’t buy something you don’t want to support. You aren’t a citizen of MANGA OF VIZLAND, and nor should you consider yourself one. Don’t consider yourself a citizen, let alone a “second class citizen“ – you are a customer, a much more powerful position. I don’t think it is reasonable or expected for customers to support a business model that goes against their beliefs on financial transactions. and their disagreement with paying for what is essentially a license to read a book without actually owning the book.

Still, I think that this service, while not perfect, is a far cry better than the alternative, which is theft and non-support of great artists who deserve to get paid if people consume their work. Kept in perspective, the web-only service Viz provides is similar to DMP’s eManga and the new collaborative site JManga and at a price point that is comparable or better than these other services.

If you don’t like the pay-to-read service of these web-only sites, the final story on them is that you shouldn’t be paying for them. Use your “citizenry” (AKA money) to vote yes or no for these services.

Frankly, I am fine with voting yes.

Moving Review: Otomen, Vol. 1

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Otomen, Vol. 1, Written and Illustrated by Aya Kano
Viz Media Shojo Beat
ISBN 9781421521862, 208 pgs.
$4.99 US digital (iPod & iPad only); $8.99 US

If you haven’t seen one of my moving reviews, please give a look at my last review of Monkey High, vol. 1. The results of a review are the following:

Keep: I liked the book enough to pack it up!
Donate: I liked it or think that others will like it, so I will donate it to the local library system
Trash: I didn’t like this book, and I wouldn’t donate it (eeek!)

One of the great new things about technology is the ability to have your books wherever you like as long as you have your digital device with you. While I certainly appreciate having a physical book and feeling the paper, smelling the ink, and experiencing the raw, unfettered joy of reading, I also enjoy being able to slip multitudes of books into my pocket, and the ability to read during downtime, long bus and car rides, and basically wherever I want. That is why when the Viz Manga App first hit the iPad shortly after the tablet’s debut, I was extremely excited. I would be able to take a whole stack of manga with me on the road. Now, with the iPod App, I can keep all my books between both devices and reread manga whenever I like.

Another good thing about the Viz Manga App is that allows me to check out series that I haven’t read or seen before at a discount price from their retail selling points, and that was good enough for me to check out the first volume of Otomen. Even more exciting, I picked up the volume during Viz‘s March Madness sale and got the first volume for a dollar; you can’t beat that price!

Otomen is a shojo manga about a high school boy named Asuka who is proficient in kendo and other martial arts and spends most of his time at school trying to be the manliest man possible – except that on the inside, he loves crochet, sewing, and cooking. In this first volume, we see him fall in love with Ryo, a girl who is fairly manly.

The premise of Otomen is really quite cute, but, without proper management, could have been pretty terrible. We’ve seen other manga with reversed gender roles (Ai Ore comes to mind) that have been schlock, and others (W Juliet, anyone) that weren’t really that… well, interesting. The whole premise would be fairly predictable, but a third main character, Juta Tanibacha, spices things up nicely as a mangaka who writes Asuka’s favorite manga series Love Chick (which is obviously based on Asuka and Ryo’s relationship, except their genders are reversed).

Despite previous attempts at this type of story, I think that Otomen is probably the best crafted that I have read. The characters are very well developed and the events in the plot, while a bit episodic, are also very basic and don’t try to complicate the general plot line. The first whole volume we see Juta crafting his manga while Asuka sputters about trying to work up the courage to ask Ryo out on a date. Seeing Juta help Asuka work through his problems and try to maintain friendship with his “muse” is really quite amusing, and still stays true to the idea of the story.The whole mangaka writing a story about two characters inside a manga is enjoyable meta-humor that I think is something rarely seen in shojo published in the US, and it is what makes Otomen such a great read.

The art is also wonderful – and yes, I realize that while I normally hate on the hearts, flowers, stars, and glitter, they are quite appropriate given the subject matter, and their use is never cloying, so I can put up with it in Otomen. The art is a subtle mix of shojo and shonen characteristics, which I liked, since there is plenty of “cool tough guy action” as well as stuffed bunnies and ornate bento lunches. I also appreciated the fact that Love Chick, the fictional manga-within-a-manga has completely different art than Otomen, which seems obvious, but is a nice touch.

As far as the digital delivery, Viz Media has done an excellent job with their manga app on the iPad and iPod. Books are easily downloaded and purchased in-app, and also easily read. While I dislike the fact that other tablet users and PC users are unable to access this content, it is a great delivery system for Apple devices. The cost per volume is also very acceptable, since at $4.99 I feel as though I am getting a pretty good deal for my entertainment dollar. Free samples allow you to view the first chapter of the fist volume of any series on the app, which is a good choice, and helped me decide to start reading Otomen. The advent of the Viz manga app will definitely not change my love for the written page, but I will most likely begin to follow specific series on the iPad because I am not necessarily that rushed to get them and I really like the price point. I am glad that Viz has entered the fray with this iPad/iPod app, and hope that they will continue to expand their offerings to other platforms.

As far as Otomen goes, I think it is great fun – it is whimsical and breezy and still has enough depth to satisfy those with tastes for more complicated stories. I am interested to see how the series will continue, especially with some of the hints at what could be some messy/complicated plot lines. I’m also interested in how Juta will play out as a mangaka – this part of the book is what really makes it tick, and I hope that we continue to see his progression as a character. Overall, Otomen is a great read that is cerebral enough to approach gender roles and identity and still has time for a “standard” shojo love story, an unusual mix that makes a really entertaining comic book. Highly Recommended.

Mover’s Ranking: Keep

It’s not hard to convince me to keep my iPad, and that’s one of the strengths of this type of content, but at the same time, even if I had the paperback books, I would be packing these up for my move. This is a manga you really need to read!

Tokyopop on Digital

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ICv2 has a two part interview of Tokyopop’s Marco Pavia posted today, and it’s a spectacular read. Here’s a link to the first part, and you can access the second part from the website.

This interview hopefully sheds a little light on the current goings-on at the manga giant, and it’s good to see that the company is still running in the black. Marco has stated (and hopefully cleared up some nasty rumors) that none of Tokyopop’s series that are currently in print are being cut or cancelled. Rather, their printing schedule is being reworked from a quarterly or bimonthly release to a release twice a year. While this isn’t exactly great news, it’s better than the alternative.

One of the more interesting comments Marco made was about the effect of scanlations on book sales in the US. Marco has pointed out that Tokyopop does not have the time or resources to take on manga pirates and people who host scanlations of liscenced manga, and I think it’s fairly safe to assume that this sentiment is across the board. Piracy is going to continue to affect sales of all media, including manga, as time progresses. The best way to beat the pirate is to continue to develop a product that consumers are willing to buy, and digital may be a part of that.

Aside from pirating, but still focusing on digital, one thing that did interest me was a specific correlation between digital manga and manga sales:

On our site, we’ve run manga for free for a limited time and we’ve seen a spike in sales.  Two Fruits Baskets ago, we released a whole volume online for free for a limited time, and we actually saw a spike in that volume’s book sales over the first week compared to the previous volume’s book sales over its first week.  A few other series–Loveless–some of our original stuff–we’ve definitely seen a positive impact on sales when we’ve released something for free for a limited time as a promotional, marketing tactic. (Emphasis my own)

It’s an interesting correlation here; that free releases of digitized manga on Tokyopop’s website actually increases net book sales.  Whether it’s because of the ability of potential customers to sample the manga before they bought it, or the introduction to the series that doesn’t require a trip to the local Borders or Barnes & Noble, digital manga (in one form or the other) is having a positive impact on manga sales.

This is good news. The fact that digital manga is having an impact on the way consumers view, and decide to purchase manga is more evidence that digital manga may be part of the future of the genre. Marco even admits later in the interview that there may be a time when books no longer exist, and that digital will be the future of publishing:

[Digital manga is] definitely the future.  I’d like to think that books will be around forever, but realistically, that might not be the case.  [Tokyopop is] prepared.  We are releasing manga digitally across a number of platforms.  We’re looking at different models, whether it’ subscription, sponsorship-based, but it’s anyone’s guess right now what the model will be.

Like my discussions here on Tiamat’s Manga Reviews have indicated, it appears that the issues with the distribution and business model of the digital manga landscape are the major stumbling block for digital distribution. However, it’s good to see that Tokyopop is taking a vested interest in this form of publishing.

Digital Distribution of Comics (It’s Really Not That Farfetched)

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My apologies for not updating sooner; it’s been a crazy week, and I’ve been preparing for a conference this weekend.

While I wasn’t able to go to NYAF (because, let’s face it, I can’t really afford the gas to get there), I have been keeping up with all the announcements and documentation of all the roundtable discussions. In particular,  the state of the manga industry panel has lead me to ask a few questions about the “state of the manga industry” or, as I like to think of it “the state of where US manga publishers would like to go in the next, eh, six months or so.”

We know that US manga is still profitable. Dark Horse has reported a 20-year high in sales of its manga lines, and people in the industry keep telling us that it’s going pretty well for them. The amount of manga publishers is continuing to increase, and news of an eventual Kodansha imprint here in the States is only an indication of where the business is going.

One of the most interesting statements made at the state of the industry roundtable was Michael Gombos and Kurt Hassler’s dismissal of digital distribution.  Blaming the lack of a universal format and explaining that manga “is meant to be read on the page” is what we got out of them. Frankly, some of us are upset.

That includes me.

See, digital distrubition isn’t about a universal format, and manga certainly isn’t only meant to be “read on the page”. That kind of attitude is what’s killing the music business right now. For the longest time, music was only an analog kind of experence. Play your tapes, your CDs, but don’t use your computer. Your Walkman is fine, thank you. The problem with that attitude is that, while your analog distribution may be pretty fricking great, people have been reading manga on the internet for years. Scanlations have always been a huge part of the industry, and the last time I checked, you get those on the internet, right?

Business is not necessarily about a feel or a perception; it’s about finding a consumer and playing to their needs in a way that is profitable. Manga has found its place in the comics world, but in a society where everyone is always on the run, how much more convenient can mobile manga be? Digital distribution allows manga fans a chance to download and go, and it allows consumers the chance to customize their manga experience.

Think, for example, on the possiblities of a RSS-type manga feed, where users could subscribe to manga series through objects like the iPhone or home computer. Each time a new chapter came out, the manga would be instantly queued for download, and purchased for a micro-transaction type fee. A small manga distribution application would be all it would take to get this kind of digital manga into the hands of a busy fandom. The advantage for consumers is a way to sample manga more liberally, and do so without downloading scanlations of licensed manga, or spend hours in the local Borders trying to find their next series. It also allows customers to keep a more “periodical” relationship with their favorite series that is more in tune with manga in Japan, in that a new chapter would come out every week or every few weeks, instead of one tankoban coming out four times a year.

This isn’t just for consumers though. The manga industry profits too. Without knowing too much about the publishing scene, I can almost guarentee that manga are, at one point or the other, digitized so that translations can be applied to the original comic image. In this sense, the apple is ripe for the plucking.

It’s a shame to see major publishers brush aside digital distribution. Truly, it’s money waiting to be made.