Rethinking Things
Hey guys,
I know we don't have many readers on our site, but I figured I'd throw this out there. I thinking of stopping all manga uploads. I don't want to be known as a pirate or that I'm hurting the manga business (who knows if that's true). I was thinking of just doing translation scripts instead. Crazy, right? It's an internal debate I've been having for quite sometime now. What are your thoughts on it? I know most people can't read Japanese and that's why I love translating so others can love the series too. However, I'm not so sure if it's the right thing to do either (at least uploading it to mangadex).
Sorry for being a bummer. Let me know your thoughts.
Seku
I know we don't have many readers on our site, but I figured I'd throw this out there. I thinking of stopping all manga uploads. I don't want to be known as a pirate or that I'm hurting the manga business (who knows if that's true). I was thinking of just doing translation scripts instead. Crazy, right? It's an internal debate I've been having for quite sometime now. What are your thoughts on it? I know most people can't read Japanese and that's why I love translating so others can love the series too. However, I'm not so sure if it's the right thing to do either (at least uploading it to mangadex).
Sorry for being a bummer. Let me know your thoughts.
Seku
Only scripts would be nice. I'm dating myself, but back in the day before photoshop was widely available, I got the script and followed with a tankoban or magazine. I imagine it would be faster than doing everything. However, will you let others use your script on their scans?
ReplyDeleteAnyone can use the scripts. It's not my fault if they use them for scanlation and nor do I care if they do. I just want the manga translated for everyone to enjoy who can't read Japanese.
DeleteIf you are reconsidering the morals of scanlating, then by all means follow you heart and do whatever is best for you.
ReplyDeleteI don't have easy access to the projects you're currently producing, so there will be no visual context to go along with your scripts, unfortunately.
True. It is hard for some. Fortunately, manga is pretty much all available digitally now. You can purchase the manga for cheap on Honto.co.jp or ebookjapan.co.jp. However, most sites are in Japanese, but I know there has to be some that are in English too. There are tons of ereader apps for manga that are available in English here in the USA. I will make a post about it so some people can get access to it. I will also put step by step instructions for the Japanese sites for every book I buy so people can buy them too.
DeleteWell, i recently found your group, it sucks that you're considering stopping! I wish you best of luck.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, you aren't hurting the manga business. The only way for international readers to support the manga industry is to buy the Japanese published manga directly and that only ever tends to happen through exposure to English scanlation. Official English licenses don't actually help the author themselves - they just make the publisher richer, as well. It's very complicated and publishing has becoming more and more about the company than the actual creator.
ReplyDeleteoh...this is a very tricky subject...
ReplyDeletebut at the end of the day all sides have their reason points...
yes...scanlation is illegal and can hurt the licensing of a manga if the scanlation doesn't completely stop (and there is always someone to continue it)...but the fact is without scanlation most mangakas would be unknown in the west world and most titles would never be heard of...the mangas that are scanlated are a drop of water in the world of publishing in Japan...the problem also lies in the fact that most publishing companies now are focus on what the readers are reading (specially if it is scanlated and famous) and those are the titles that get published in english and other languages...so there is friction (not to mention the friction between scanlator groups and the readers and publishing companies and the fallout some mangakas have because of this and that...)..
this said ...I have been following scanlations for a very long time...the gold age when the work and the teams were respected is long gone and what was supposed to be fun isn't always...so whatever you decide must be what is best for you...not us...