Q: Can manga fans make the transition to just digital or will there always be a mixture of the two? Or does digital simply not work for you?
Thomas – I think I would always prefer to read manga printed, but that’s obviously not an option given that it’s a niche market and the younger readers have decided to take it all online. In the choice between Mysterious Girlfriend X printed, or digital, I want printed. But if the choice is digital or nothing, I will happily read it digitally.
Kory – Physical, tangible, feel-able books will always be my preferred method of reading manga. My most favorite books (like those Nausicaa hardcovers) will always be a hard copy for me. But if it means I can read something like CROSS MANAGE or PRINCESS JELLYFISH legally anywhere, I’ll take digital. Digital also provides a good taste test, as those volumes typically run a bit cheaper AND I save on storage space. For me, books will never not be on paper (to use a double negative). But if/when I get a tablet instead of my Note II, I may just convert yet.
Kate – I hope I don’t have to live in an all digital future. I love the feeling of a book in my hands, and enjoy owning physical copies of books I love. However, I have limited shelf space, and there are plenty of series I’d be happy reading once and forgetting. I could see digital helping to get series that normally wouldn’t see print into print, as this could act to poll readers to see if there’s enough interest in a print edition. A future of disposable ad-supported digital followed by collector’s print editions would make me happy, add in a DRM-free digital edition purchase option and everyone is happy.
Kestrel – Again, as a mostly anime person, I’ll have to make the parallels for my manga preferences. For titles I really care about, I’ll always prefer a physical copy; for anime it’s about portability, physical extras, and a nice-looking collection, while for manga it’s also about the greatly-preferred reading method of paper books, especially when a hardcover or even just very high-quality edition is offered. But I watch hundreds of anime every year, most of which I don’t have the time, money, or space to buy all of in the foreseeable future, and that goes doubly for a format that can’t be condensed in size like anime can (since physical anime is, of course, although digital anime). And perhaps above all, there’s the simple fact that, except in very rare and expensive cases, we in the States aren’t going to get our physical copies delivered the same day as those in Japan, and as someone who loves being caught up on current series with the rest of the Internet, getting a cheap, convenient, legal way to do so that works as wonderfully as Crunchyroll is really ideal. Because of how ubiquitous simulcasting has become with anime, I also never really have to make a blind buy, which helps shape my collection much more positively, and all the same would certainly apply to manga just as well.
Mark – For me, the conversion to digital with comics has been nice if only for the same reason I note above: the sheer length of some series. I’m unlikely (read: never going) to buy physical copies of something like a Naruto that’s going to go hundreds of volumes if for no other reason than not having the space for all of that (as well as it being Naruto, but that’s a different argument). But able to store it all in a single device to be called up whenever? I’m in.
Chris K. – If I can get it in print I will get it in print. That’s the bottom line for me. Print is the best way to experience manga and digital will never replace that. However, the glut of titles that exist that are just simply not feasible for U.S. companies to license and release in print will always be welcome in digital. I can hope and dream that a title will become so popular in digital formats that it will get a print release but…I wouldn’t hold my breath. Just please don’t take my print editions away from me!
Greg – As someone who has a constant shelf crisis, as much as I love the feel of physical books, I can live with things moving over to digital only, though it would be nice if they could also offer a print on demand service for fans to have a “real” copy of their absolute favorite works. That would be the best of both worlds for me, though I can understand it if they cannot negotiate those rights from the Japanese rights holders and the economics may not make such a service feasible.
Josh – I go back and forth. I like having a physical copy, but the portability and storage issues make digital copies very enticing. I think ultimately I would approach it the way I do Western comics and books in general: hard copies for the titles that I absolutely love, and digital for the ones that enjoy, but don’t feel the need to own. Once I get over the nearly ingrained idea that I don’t own a thing unless I possess a physical copy, that will probably change.
Mastilo – The same was asked pertaining to ebooks when they first arrived (and probably much earlier by those developing the software). I believe digital manga has as solid a place as print manga mainly because of storage. A library of literature is one thing. One complete story takes up, at most, a couple inches of width on a shelf. But a typical manga run . . . well, how many walls can you devote to shelves overburdened by One-Piece and the like? The feel of books can never be replaced, but in the end, what remains most important are the stories. If features such as bookmarking and annotation are added, I’d never pick up a print edition again aside from those *special* series..
Jessi – As much as I love my collection of physical manga titles, I find myself continually running out of places to put them. While there was a time where I would have claimed that digital manga (or books, or anime) would never replace the physical releases, I realize now that there are pros and cons to both. There are just some titles that aren’t worth the money to print because the financial return just isn’t guaranteed, so being able to at least have them digitally via a service like this is good enough for me in many cases. As a collector at heart, though, I don’t think I could ever fully make the transition unless there were some sort of “download-to-own” option.
