"Simulpubs," or simultaneous publications, of best-selling manga series under Kodansha Comics will now be offered through Amazon and ComiXology, the company announced last April 8.
Fans outside of Japan can finally obtain copies of their favorite manga titles simultaneously with their releases in Japan's "Bessatsu Shonen" magazine. Unlike before when fans had to exercise loads of patience, they can now read manga series alongside Japanese readers without delay. The report, however, informs the public that these immediate English issues will not be available for Japanese residents.
General Manager of Kodansha Advanced Media, Alvin Lu, says that a "simulpub initiative" such as this had never been formerly accomplished. Their partnership with the online store platforms provides worldwide subscribers with latest releases on the dot, effectively eliminating long waiting times for official English translations.
Previously, manga readers in the Western region and areas outside of Japan had to wait for a lengthy amount of time before they could get translated copies of the release. Even more so, translated versions could only be available if the manga had an immense fan base.
Dan Casey, from Nerdist, comments that the "inaccessibility" of official releases is the "worst part" of being a manga fan. More often than not, most fans could not endure the arduous task of patiently waiting and had to go through more "resourceful" channels.
They would visit sites that published "scanlations" or scanned pages of manga series translated and uploaded by fans. These methods are what Casey describes as "murky, legally gray waters of [scanlations] and fansubs." Still, these communities acknowledge the fact that they aren't the official platforms and suggest that if readers like the manga, they should support its artist by obtaining it legally.
With Kodansha Comics' previous announcement, legally, they now can.
Also included in the announcement are latest versions of manga series already uploaded onto the Amazon and ComiXology platform on April 8. From titles such as Attack on Titan: Chapter 80 and The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Chapter 34, to 1,900 previous chapters from available titles under Kodansha Comics.
The list of titles involved in the bunch are: As the Gods Will: The Second Series, Fairy Tail, Fuuka, GTO Paradise Lost, The Seven Deadly Sins, UQ Holder and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, for weekly release; Inuyashiki and Space Brothers, for bi-weekly release; Ajin: Demi-Human, Attack on Titan, Kiss Him, Not Me, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Magatsuki, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth Side: P4, and Sweetness and Lightning for monthly release; and finally, semi-regularly release of Princess Jellyfish.
Photo: Mike Grauer Jr. | Flickr
