i rarely read manga online. buying it makes me feel like i've acheeved something. though i do agree with sakura dust. until something is in the country, it should be tottaly fine to read it on a manga site.

@Nehszriah:

This is so true. Not everyone can just afford buying manga/anime all the time. >w<

I'm sorry, ma'am, for being broke because I can't find a job.

I'm sorry, ma'am, that I need to pay tuition and eat when I do have money to spend.

I'm sorry, ma'am, for reading things not always available for purchase in my area/language.

I'm sorry, ma'am, that you have such idiots for fans.

I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't read your stuff because I think it sucks anyways. After a few chapters, which I could've read for free at the bookstore anyways, I wouldn't download that if you paid me.

The online scans and such really hurt authors/artists who lack popularity (more so the ones in Japan rather than America.) because they don't have a large enough following to help support them. That's the no lol matter.

As this is a blog, its her opinion, though it turns to be a debate for artist, fans and the rest of the community since the scanning/subbing/streaming online stops. Japan is a very successful country through every technology as possible.. means that their intelligence is high for them to take a step on thinking 'hey- lets think of a 'other ways' to promote the manga/videos for both the community and for us for an advantage' that kind of thing.

Publicity is spread around the internet in the first place, if not for it, mangas, not just hers, but the other non or famous ones wont be advertise or even be known around the world. Without publicity- no money, no fame. With publicity, fame, scans increase- no money. It also adds to the videos, its the same thing as putting it online.

The last sentence is moving. Though we can't help it, its there, since many love it, theyll keep on sharing. Most, including me, can't help on continuing reading manga online also on watching it online, it'll just keep coming back. But I think some people are going overboard though.

Well,I wouldn't be even buying any manga if I couldn't read at least a few chapters of it (like a preview). Why don't the websites only upload a few chapters (or 1 volume) to get the reader to see what it's like and then they're forced to buy more if they really want to know more about it.

I'm very picky about manga,but if I really like it,I'll buy it. Same goes for anime,if it's really good,I want merchandise of it. DVD's...Figures...I'll buy it.

I've had a lot of times that a manga or anime isn't even worth my money and I discovered that thanks to online scanlations/streaming. If they weren't there,I would just buy a random manga/anime that LOOKS all nice and cute and pretty...But might as well just suck. Now THAT is a waste of money,if you ask me.

I both can and cannot believe that someone is douchey enough to actually send the creator emails saying they're stealing the person's product...

Oh, and since the news nugget seems to not be linking it, here's a more detailed account of the whole story.

...huh. I never thought about it like that.

@Kei:

I'll grant it may not be as weird in the culture it originates from. The problem is that I'm over here on this side of the pond and all I see is a 16 year old girl having a teenage drama breakdown. That and of course the phrase "this is not 'lol'". And I sympathize that being a mangaka may not exactly be the best paying job in the first place. Heck, my dad is a music teacher. The thing is, if the district suddenly decided to stop paying him, I doubt he'd just sit by and starve to death to prove a point, so I'm not really all that good at seeing eye to eye with someone who seems to be claiming that they'll be forced to do exactly that.

Though I probably should mention for the record that fans who tell the people they're stealing from that they're stealing from them as if it's something they should be proud of are profoundly dumb. Basically I see this entire situation boiling down to someone overreacting to a particularly strong example of dumb people being extra dumb.

EDIT: Jack Black says it best. Don't bother whining about how you'll lose your will to live. Just remind your fans that you can't keep providing a service that doesn't earn you any money.

Interesting fact: I own three volumes of the Aria manga. I bought them at a used bookstore because they were a lot cheaper than new copies. The author and publishers of the manga thus did not get any revenue from my purchase. This is perfectly legal, yet is no better for them than if I downloaded scans.

@Ace:

I don't think I would go so far as to call it an "underhanded scare tactic". While it's true that "starve and die" is an extreme thing to say, this is a woman posting on her blog, not giving an official statement to a magazine or other publication.

It's also important to remember that mangaka, animators, and seiyuu/voice actors really don't get paid a lot as it is, unless they have a highly-marketable smash hit.

I don't think she's standing on a soapbox trying to smack people over the head with fears about the industry being affected, but I do think she was expressing her opinion honestly. (You also have to keep in mind that Japan is weird and they have a weird way of expressing things. =p)

I seriously doubt she has to resort to such underhanded scare tactics in order to convince people (yeah, if you seriously starve and die because your manga isn't selling well, I'm just gonna think you're stupid for not finding another job before it came to that). Just tell then that if they steal your manga, they're letting the terrorists win. That's not too hard, is it?

I normally hate chatspeak, but that last sentence is pure win.

lolling at 'this is not lol'