About RMR – A Manga Review Blog

Firstly, let me say that the following is simply my opinion and personal take on reading comics. I am by no means a professional who has dealt with translation or publishing personally; but solely garnered the following opinion based on my personal comic reading experience.

I wanted to include this topic as someone who has read a variety of comic types for some time and who has seen the popularity of manga blow up alongside the internet and social media.

In my blog posts, you may notice that I frequently include a link to the official English translation of a literary work, if one is available. This may be to an official digital reading site made by the publisher, a third party site with some sort of digital rights, or to the publisher’s site where the physical comic can be purchased if you desire to do so.

I add these links because supporting the industry that brings you your favorite stories in your preferred language is very important in order for that the industry to continue providing you with works you love. It can be very helpful to show support in the ways that you are capable of.

(´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

However, the manga and comic industry has really grown over the years and it can be a rather complicated topic with a lot of nuance. I myself first discovered manga and enjoyed lots of manga at an early age thanks to scanlations I found through an app. Of course, at that age, I had no real understanding of the method I was using (all I knew was that this free app on my tablet let me read manga).

I also didn’t really have easy access to physical manga, due to where I lived (the middle of nowhere in the countryside). But those experiences in my youth enabled me to purchase physical copies of series that I previously enjoyed once they became available (and once I gained adult money, lol).

Without that experience, I may have never found my love for manga and comics. So even though I want to do my best to support the industry officially, I also cannot completely denounce the efforts and availability of scanlations. They provide accessibility for those who cannot read comics in an official format, whether it be due to physical, financial, or language-related barriers.

However, as someone who does have some level of access to official English translations, I want to encourage others in similar positions as me to support the industry if they are able to. Not to mention, the availability of official reading options are becoing much more accessible thanks to digital publishing.

I felt it was necessary to include this topic here because it is important that readers understand the impact of where they choose to read. But, as someone who runs a manga recommendation blog, I want to be transparent, too.

After all, this topic is not so black-and-white. There’s many other factors to consider. For example, not all comics are even available in an officially licensed, purchasable English format (or other languages) due to the sheer number of works out there and the vastly different levels of popularity titles can hold.

Additionally, many comics become increasingly difficult to find in an accessible format as they age. Not only do companies often stop publishing works that become less popular (sometimes even in the middle of the series); but they also often won’t publish smaller titles that they think won’t make enough profit.

There are so many amazing titles out there that likely won’t ever see an official English translation. That’s just an unfortunate reality I have to acknowledge (hopefully digital publishing helps prevent these issues one day…fingers crossed).

But regardless, if you have the tools or resources to do so, there are some ways you can positively support the comic industry.

Please note that I’ve said “comic industry” and not specifically the artist themselves. This is because in many cases, buying a work in English doesn’t actually support artists directly.

If you want to support an artist directly, you’d likely have to buy the work in its original language. Which for many people, isn’t really an option. But, by buying the official translations (in English or other languages), you’re still helping the industry continue to provide those translated works.

With that being said, one obvious way to support the industry is to buy the physical copies of a title. There are many publishers that have convenient apps where you can read comics digitally, too—sometimes even for free or for cheaper than what the physical option costs. You can often find monthly subscriptions with publishers that allow you to read many of the titles they translate for a great price.

If purchasing physical or digital copies isn’t an easy option, don’t forget about your local libraries if you have any! Many libraries carry comics for you to enjoy; and while some may not have the most updated selection, in many cases you can request that they carry a title.

Again, it doesn’t hurt to try! Plus, if you don’t have easy access to internet, many libraries offer this for free as well. Some libraries even have online catalogs where you can read digitally if you have a library card. Also, many libraries team up with online reading applications that allow you to borrow digital versions of the books they carry (such as Libby). It’s a great option that not enough people take advantage of. Support your local library!

Another way to show support is to reach out to publishers about titles you think should be published in English (I’ll include a list with links in the next drop-down accordion. Many publishers have a contact form on their website for this sole purpose, or they occasionally ask on social media.

Doing this is totally free and only takes a few minutes to do! It doesn’t guarantee the title will be picked up obviously, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Be sure to take into account the types of comics the publisher usually picks up for a better chance, though.

In the end, the bottom line is that with these methods, you can indirectly help support the overall comic industry. If you do choose to buy these works, that choice supports people in official paid jobs (translating, editing, etc.) with the actual publishers that are in some way or another connected to the original author—even if your money doesn’t go directly into an author’s pocket.

And of course, don’t feel ashamed if you cannot directly support an author’s work. While it is ideal to do so, learning a new language or purchasing loads of physical mangas isn’t something that’s an option for everyone; so just doing what you can with the tools or resources available to you is great, too. ♥