Kodansha Comics Done Rescuing Del Rey Titles

Kodansha Comics logo

Kodansha Comics effectively replaced Del Rey Manga in late 2010. Their release plans then were a mix of new-to-US titles and reissues, some in omnibus form. Some series picked up where Del Rey left off, particularly if they were popular titles.

However, the Kodansha Comics Twitter account has some bad news for fans hoping to see other series return:

Sorry, fans, it’s been cherry-picked, and they’re moving forward. However, as is pointed out in response, some of the series previously published by Del Rey Manga are now appearing on JManga.com, including School Rumble, if you don’t mind reading digitally.



7 comments

  • Aaron

    Considering the fact that I cant even get volume seven of Parasyte resonbly priced used and this whole thing is only a problem for those who are ethical enough to actualy want to suppourt the publishers and Mangaka.

  • insaneben

    Not a good way to start the new year, Kodansha USA- not good at all.

    I was really hoping that with the re-release of Genshiken and Kitchen Princess in omnibus form, there’d be a re-release for Mushishi (or even the possibility of closing out other series, like Suzuka, Nodame Cantabile, or the aforementioned School Rumble). This latest move just reinforces my opinion that Kodansha USA’s takeover of Del Rey Manga was the worst thing to happen to the company. (Sure, someone will bring up Sailor Moon, but with enough cajones and legal wrangling, any publisher could’ve nabbed the license and had a massive windfall- even Infinity Studios or DR Master.)

    What happened to your relationship to the fans, Dallas Middaugh? Are we nothing more than second-class citizens to you? What about us, huh?

  • I don’t think a company making business decisions in a tough market is the same as ignoring their relationship to the fans. Just because you want to read something doesn’t mean that enough other people do to make it financially successful, unfortunately.

  • insaneben

    Yeah, but that doesn’t change the fact that I, a now-former Del Rey Manga supporter, feel betrayed for holding out hope for 2 (going on 3) years, only to receive nothing but a (barely) consolatory tweet for my efforts. (I’m sure I’m not alone in this opinion, harsh as it may sound.)

    I won’t deny that a tough economic climate requires tough business decisions, but that hasn’t stopped Yen Press from publishing all of their titles (though I’m fairly sure I’m overlooking a series or two). My overall opinion remains unchanged- finish the job, or start sending out apologetic tweets stating why was left incomplete.

    As for seeing School Rumble’s release on JManga, it’s like being served a microwave-meal version of high-end cuisine (it may look and possibly taste the same, but it’s empty calories and tastes of disappointment).

  • Ben Applegate

    I just want to point out to Aaron that Parasyte reprints are coming, and should be available at retail next month.

  • Insaneben, I understand feeling disappointed that you’re not being offered a product that you want, but using words like “betrayed” when talking about business decisions… that’s two different kinds of conversations. I’d rather focus on being glad that they said anything, that they at least answered the question instead of leaving fans hanging with no knowledge.

    Whether a company is committing to a book or an entire series when starting to publish is an interesting subject. If the latter, I’d expect to see a lot fewer manga series come to these shores.

  • Phill

    So as someone who pays for physical copies what these acts do is just make me not buy things until I can grab them in one go. Otherwise it’s pointless and a waste of money. The irony is that this hinders their business practices of seeling as for a series to continue it’s to many extents dependent on previous sales of previous volumes. It also means I’m limited to popular series only.

    We the consumers and true fans have every right to be annoyed. it’s not like these are small series either and the series often had only 5 or less volumes left!

    It’s not good business practices to upset and disappoint your consumers. Why the hell should we buy anything? It’s another kick to true fans who pay for their books. Digital copies? Why would I pay for it when I can download them from a plethora of websites?

    A lot of small companies like CPM and ADV disappointed fans then Tokyopop did a lot of damage and now some companies are going to continue this. Fans already have dissapointments of some series being cancelled or on indefinite hiatus, now we have to deal with the fact that there is no guarantees we’ll ever get a series completed.

    Sure the companies never did anything legally wrong, but it’s unfair to not finish a series. it’s also going to make many people hesitate to buy. And then you have a vicious circle.

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