Ask John: Is Manga on eReaders on the Way?

Question:
With the grow of E-readers like the iPad, Kindle, and sony reader, will anime companys try to get there Manga to be read on them like books is at a charge.

Answer:
Countless English speaking anime fans attribute the declines in global anime and manga sales to industry resistance to adoption and embrace of emerging market technology, strategies, and business models. To a certain minimal degree this assertion can’t be entirely dismissed, but the accusation is largely made by observers that have little comprehension of the practical concerns that influence manga/anime sales. American distribution is limited by the demands and desires of master Japanese property owners. The Japanese distribution industry can be legitimately accused of traditionalism and resistance to innovation, but that’s not to say that the Japanese industry has been entirely luddite. While traditional print manga sales in Japan have been declining for years, Japanese sales of digital manga have been growing exponentially since the mid 2000s. The emergence of new technological devices especially well suited for digital comics, including the iPad, Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader tremendously expand the already fertile marketplace provided by manga tailored for cell phones.

ComicsOne began offering commerical eBook manga back in 2000. Technology was more limited then than it is now, and ComicsOne could be said to have been ahead of its time. Since then, manga creators including Yoshitoshi Abe have released new works in digital format, and manga creator Shuho Sato has completely abandoned traditional print publication in favor of digital publishing. On the domestic front, Viz Media is, “buzzing with excitement about the iPad.” Digital Manga Publishing already has a thriving eManga service and is, “Working on acquiring digital rights for titles to put on eManga, the Kindle and iPhone.” Tokyopop Associate Publisher Marco Pavia has said, “The potential of the iPad is huge. We feel the comic-reading experience is going to be truly awesome.” (Quotes from About.com). However, the prominence of digital reader applications like Manga Rock, MangaStream Reader, and GO! Manga+ that provide or support unauthorized digital manga may threaten legitimate, official expansion into the digital reader realm before it even blossoms. Digital pirates that don’t have to negotiate licenses or contracts, pay royalties, get translations approved, bug check technology, and a host of other troublesome but necessary procedures will always be quicker to satisfy consumers than legitimate businesses, but digital pirates have only to satisfy consumers while legitimate business need to consider consumers, themselves, their Japanese licensing partners, and original creators. With so many hurdles to clear and the evolving technology still changing very rapidly, there should be no doubt that commercial digital manga distribution will be increasingly prominent in the future. However, commercial manga on the iPad won’t appear instantly. Otaku should look forward to this new digital manga frontier and support it by remembering that seeking illegitimate faster alternatives gratifies short term desire and rewards digital pirates but undermines the efforts and ability of authorized and deserving creators and distributors to adopt and utilize new business strategies and technology.