267 replies to this topic

[Saku-chan]

OneManga has been a weekly stop for me for as long as I can remember being a fan of manga, but I for one, can't believe how long these sites lasted.

They say that they will remove material once it's licensed, but I've never had trouble starting a popular series that obviously has already been released here. I don't pretend to know the inner workings of international copyright laws, but it always seemed pretty on the edge to me.

Scanlators will still be able to operate if they're smart about it, and P2P is still going strong. (Not to mention direct download sites like MediaFire.)

tl;dr This won't hinder the volume of manga that I read online.

[dl316bh]

OneManga has been a weekly stop for me for as long as I can remember being a fan of manga, but I for one, can't believe how long these sites lasted.

I think that for the most part, as long as they were still making decent money, the branches over here were content to just look the other way. Recently that's changed to some degree; some have just straight up gone out of business. I guess they felt it's become pressing enough to actually do something about scanlators. Really, there seem to be far more folks reading manga online than actually buying them and it's only seemed to get worse. You can't help but figure something had to give eventually.

Edited by dl316bh, 22 July 2010 - 11:41 PM.

[Saku-chan]

I think that for the most part, as long as they were still making decent money, the branches over here were content to just look the other way. Recently that's changed to some degree; some have just straight up gone out of business. I guess they felt it's become pressing enough to actually do something about scanlators. Really, there seem to be far more folks reading manga online than actually buying them and it's only seemed to get worse. You can't help but figure something had to give eventually.

That makes sense. Many smaller projects have been dropped by the major translating publishers because they've had to fire a lot of their staff. I think TokyoPop has to fire something like 2/3 of its team explaining the halt in FMP novel releases.

And dude, if these companies looked the other way while they could afford to, I think they contributed to their own demise. They didn't do too much to discourage the notion that you can easily read online if you can't get to the bookstore. Businesses need to plan for the downtime they will encounter at some point in their operation. Being solvent in a good economy means nothing if you don't take steps to ensure that you'll still be ok when things get tough.

[Muffins?]

I just hope I can always find a reliable website because I'll be moving to a foreign country soon and I can't speak their language......Everything I read from now on will be from the internet.

[Cupcake-chan]

Where are you moving to?

[Muffins?]

Where are you moving to?

Mexico...of course I had to take french instead of spanish in highschool

[dl316bh]

And dude, if these companies looked the other way while they could afford to, I think they contributed to their own demise.

I agree; I'm definitely not trying to say that's smart, just what I suspect they were doing. Letting it go this long really shows a lack of forward thinking. Eventually things were going to change in the general market, so they should have had something going or they should have started working on nixing scanlations much earlier. They're making their move very late; something like this should have happened years ago.

Obviously, the determined are going to pirate the manga regardless. I mean, those that REALLY want to get it for free have options. It's more those casual viewers who these kind of sites reach; I mean, scanlation sites are kind of odd in that it's really the most open, recognized bit of pirating going. Obviously there's a sect that isn't going to buy the stuff no matter what, but making this kind of thing harder is enough to deter those who don't care enough to jump through internet hoops to read a series.

I could be remembering wrong, but I think it's actually the Japanese publishers are instigating this. I haven't kept up close on this, but I could swear I read something around when the whole coalition started that said the Japanese publishers have taken notice of the falling business and yet unbelievable proliferation of scanlations on the internet and decided to do something. Maybe I'm remembering wrong though; I haven't kept a close, close eye on the whole situation.

[jim1982]

Eh I think part of the problem with people buying manga is availability. I know where I live, the only major choice for manga is Barnes and Nobles, and their selection isn't conducive for starting new series. They either carry the same volume forever or only have the later volumes for sale. I suspect a lot of places that aren't dedicated manga shops are like this. I know I would buy more, but I hate to buy volume 3 of something when I never read volume 1 or 2 yet.

Unfortunately for us, the companies are well with in their rights to request these sites to shut down.

[Cupcake-chan]

Mexico...of course I had to take french instead of spanish in highschool "sweatdrop:

I've lived in Mexico. You'll learn spanish before you know it. It's not too hard.
Wait, where are we supposed to read Naruto? Mangastream? But won't it eventually close down as well?

Edited by Cupcake-chan, 23 July 2010 - 12:07 AM.

[Muffins?]

I've lived in Mexico. You'll learn spanish before you know it. It's not too hard.
Wait, where are we supposed to read Naruto? Mangastream? But won't it eventually close down as well?

I'll only be there for about a year helping with the restaurant before moving back up to Colorado for college. Where'd you live?
And finally Mangastream has a pretty unlikely chance of getting shut down soon it only keeps the 4 most recent chapters.

[Gravenimage]

I do prefer reading manga online than downloading it because it saves space on my PC's disks.

[Saku-chan]

I could be remembering wrong, but I think it's actually the Japanese publishers are instigating this. I haven't kept up close on this, but I could swear I read something around when the whole coalition started that said the Japanese publishers have taken notice of the falling business and yet unbelievable proliferation of scanlations on the internet and decided to do something. Maybe I'm remembering wrong though; I haven't kept a close, close eye on the whole situation.

Well I don't know how much of the sale from a volume gets back to Japan, but I can't imagine that we're a main source of revenue for them. After all, it's most popular in the home country. This may be spurred by the recent developments regarding international copyright enforcement. /a/ was freaking out about it a few days ago and there's an article on Wiki about it.

Eh I think part of the problem with people buying manga is availability. I know where I live, the only major choice for manga is Barnes and Nobles, and their selection isn't conducive for starting new series. They either carry the same volume forever or only have the later volumes for sale. I suspect a lot of places that aren't dedicated manga shops are like this. I know I would buy more, but I hate to buy volume 3 of something when I never read volume 1 or 2 yet.

Unfortunately for us, the companies are well with in their rights to request these sites to shut down.

Ugh. THIS. The biggest reason why I go online is because I can't FIND most of the stuff I want to read in the store. I don't blame B&N, Borders, BAM, etc. for this move because stocking a bigger selection of a niche product doesn't fit into their business model, but if the publishers here want to stop illegal reading online, I think they may have to create some sort of manga iTunes where you pay $2 or something to read a volume online. That way book stores won't have to worry about the retail of such a huge collection.

Wait, where are we supposed to read Naruto? Mangastream? But won't it eventually close down as well?

I don't know how OneManga got targeted first, but I don't think they'll be the last. We'll probably have to check the IRC channels of the Scanlator groups eventually.

[dl316bh]

Well I don't know how much of the sale from a volume gets back to Japan, but I can't imagine that we're a main source of revenue for them. After all, it's most popular in the home country. This may be spurred by the recent developments regarding international copyright enforcement. /a/ was freaking out about it a few days ago and there's an article on Wiki about it.

Oh no, I'm not saying we'd be a major source of revenue. But it is still revenue and with manga being as popular as it has been over here... Well, the popularity seems to be waning somewhat, but that's still a pretty large deal. Money is money.

Like I said, maybe I'm off.

I don't know how OneManga got targeted first, but I don't think they'll be the last.

I personally don't think the why is much of a mystery. Onemanga is one of the bigger communities. I'm not surprised they decided to target one of the big ones.

[MangaReader]

This is truly the end of a great manga hosting site. R.I.P OM, will truly miss you.

[James S Cassidy]

I am sorry to see this site go. Out of most of the manga providers this was probably one of the easiest providers. The sad part is, the recession also has affected this because chances are if the publishers were making money they probably wouldn't have even noticed. As stated many of times: "It's all about money."

I am going to post the best poem of all in memory.

Rendezvous with Death (abridged)
by Alan Seeger

I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade

It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath

I have a rendezvous with Death
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.

[roninmedia]

As long as Naruto scanlators exists, you can download them through IRC. I know several groups that do not have a website or forum and all their releases are available exclusively through IRC and xdcc.

[Dreamer]

As long as Naruto scanlators exists, you can download them through IRC. I know several groups that do not have a website or forum and all their releases are available exclusively through IRC and xdcc.

But i hate using IRC Lurk.

[Kamina-Yoshi]

Does anyone know of a good manga site to get updates for the last Ouran High School Host Club chapter? OneManga was consistent on it, but MangaFox doesn't even have it in their archives.

[Muffins?]

Does anyone know of a good manga site to get updates for the last Ouran High School Host Club chapter? OneManga was consistent on it, but MangaFox doesn't even have it in their archives.

I think you can DL here.

[Kamina-Yoshi]

I think you can DL here.

Is an account required?