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Scanlation: Distributed Manga

Posted by michael on from the comic-book-guy dept.

IronicGrin writes "Just alerting you to a story I wrote for SFGate.com about the emergence of manga as a cultural and commercial force in the U.S.; in addition to discussing the fact that manga has begun to appear on national bestseller lists (volumes of Naruto and Rurouni Kenshin both cracked the USA Today Top 150), I also discuss scanlation communities--that is to say, distributed groups that use the Internet to translate and distribute as-yet unlicensed manga works--comparing this form of culture hacking to other open source development efforts. Do you think the comparison is apt? How many of you guys read manga (as opposed to watch anime), anyway?"

8 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. I just don't get it... by tha_mink · · Score: -1, Troll

    Maybe it's just me but I hate this stuff. I just think it looks crappy. I know that it's just me though.

    --
    You'll have that sometimes...
    1. Re:I just don't get it... by tha_mink · · Score: 1, Troll

      Do you even have any familiarity with the field? Would you know the difference between Masamune Shirow and Rumiko Takahashi? Have you ever even seen an issue of "20th Century Boys?" If you have actually looked into the genre, saying that you "hate this stuff" and are convinced it all "looks crappy," isn't sufficient. What about it is crappy? What is it that you hate that is common to ALL manga? Saying "manga looks crappy" is like saying "comic books are for kids." There's no way that they are all alike or share a single esthetic; there's far more variety in Japanese mass-market comics -- in artstyle, storytelling techniques, intended audience -- than in the US product. Unless you can lend some further depth to your remarks, you are simply a troll.

      That was my point. I don't know why I think it looks crappy, I just do. It's like asking why a fart smells bad...it just does. (to me) I wasn't saying it *is* crappy, only that I think it looks crappy.

      --
      You'll have that sometimes...
  2. information wants to be free by trance9 · · Score: 0, Troll


    this just goes to show information is unstoppable, whether it's open source, comic books, or anything else. people want to share.

  3. How many of us... by ari_j · · Score: -1, Troll

    I really don't care for either manga or anime. Who's with me?

  4. Please explain to me.... by hypergreatthing · · Score: 0, Troll

    Why people should stop translating manga or anime once something becomes licensed. It makes no sense to me that a foreign book or tv show can suddenly become un-sharable when a company buys the rights to it in the US. These are japanese books/shows, not US version. They should be free to trade. And yes i know about the WTO Tripps treaty, which makes no sense (are they even elected officials who make treaties?).

  5. Re:Donwload and Read by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    FYI: "purdy" is not a word.

  6. One case where you don't get what you pay for by craXORjack · · Score: -1, Troll
    How many of you guys read manga (as opposed to watch anime), anyway?

    Not me. You think I'm going to send my hard earned money overseas for something as useless as a comic book? Not on your life. I'll buy a car or a cell phone from them if it's a better value than I can get domestically. But exporting your money for things with intangible value is Stupid.

    --
    Liberals call everyone Nazis yet they are the closest thing to it.
  7. QFrosT pist? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Steadily fucking MOVIE [imdb.cofm]