Re:South Korea's booming 'webtoons'
by hkmurakami on Monday May 06, 2019 @07:56PM
(#19845122)
Web manga exists already as both redistribution and early talent development. What they are really lacking in is an eye towards global distribution.
One reason for fixating on print is the existing strong relationships the publishers have with both the physical book stores and the printing houses in Tokyo. Culturally hard to blow up those decades old relationships. It’s how it is.
Re:South Korea's booming 'webtoons'
by jniedrauer on Monday May 06, 2019 @07:58PM
(#19845139)
> an old style of business facing obsolescence
Manga is nowhere near obsolete. It's such a huge market that there are entire supporting industries indirectly built around it.
> Why might they not want to do so?
Probably because they're raking in money.
> Manga is nowhere near obsolete
I agree. The obsolete label applies to print manga, not the medium itself.
The narrative for stories like this one is usually “businesses stuck in their ways refuse to adapt and die out”, painting the business as fools who die due to their incompetence and conservative mindset. I’m curious, though; is there any reason why Japan’s manga publishers might want to retain their focus on print media rather than move to a digital focus?
Going digital seems like the clear optimal move here, they might even consider encouraging artists to create their own webtoons and make Japan competitive in that space. Why might they not want to do so?