Comments on Mecha Mecha Media: Kodansha Jumps the Pond

@phoenix.fire I know that there was pressure on Ko...

2008-07-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

@phoenix.fire

I know that there was pressure on Kodansha to announce before AX just because of all the rumors. AX does feature a lot of manga panels and tables, so best to show the cards so industry people can speak freely.

Younger readers may not care if their books fall a...

2008-07-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

Younger readers may not care if their books fall apart, but us parents that buy them do care!

I don't think there's going to be much coming from AX about Kodansha. That kind of talk is more suited to SDCC. This is more of warning shot with more to come in a few weeks.

I don't get to re-read manga as much as I used to (and I did re-read titles) and at time I do feel weighed down. But, if it's the right title, I'll make room.

I hoping that after watching Del Rey's slow but steady move into the market that Kodansha will take the same tactic.

The disposable manga, yes indeed that's how non-ta...

2008-07-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

The disposable manga, yes indeed that's how non-tankoubon releases are seen.

And I agree, Mitch, I don't need a truckload of new titles, and would rather have the promise that titles I do like (like MPD-Psycho) are seen to the end (which DH has done).

I think I fantasize about re-reading more than I actually do, but nicely made titles look so much better on my bookshelf tham the cheap ones. Maybe it just makes me feel like a classier guy.

Historically, the track record of big Japanese con...

2008-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Historically, the track record of big Japanese conglomerates trying to chart their own course in the North American market has been... colorful.

I'm wondering how big the splat radius is going to be once they burn through that initial capital outlay, and whether they'll just roll the Kodansha brand into Del Rey once they're done flaming out, or if this'll kill Del Rey in the short term.

I would guess that this is at least in part a reaction to Del Rey resisting Kodansha's natural inclination to leverage all of their 'B' titles RIGHT NOW to get some American cash flow. If this is the case, then the Kodansha title rollout will be a lot of solid, unobjectionable, vaguely familiar material which wouldn't catch anyone's attention if it had rolled out under the CMX or Shoujo Beat brands.

I don't know about the rest of the market, but my personal need for manga's pretty saturated. You can only read so much a month. I'm in a place where I'm inclined to replace those titles which have completed, but not to go on any great new buying sprees.

And be honest, how many of you re-read a series after you're done with it? I think I've got two titles that I've read twice in the last two years. Manga was written to be disposable, and when you're reading fifteen to twenty titles a month, there's not much time for going back and re-reading, not if you have anything else to do with your life.

I share this same fear, jonathan.

2008-07-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

I share this same fear, jonathan.

It amuses me that just as the Western manga/anime ...

2008-07-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

It amuses me that just as the Western manga/anime industry starts to feel the reality of the economic situation, a Japanese company feels its a good time to open up in the West.... I hope they are successful, obviously, but I suspect that the shelves are already groaning with unsold manga....