I think it might be the start to a great idea. What do you think?

http://mangahelpers.com/news/details/377

If everything worked out the way they say, it'd be really great. Unfortunately, I highly doubt it'll ever take off. How exactly do they think advertising is going to fund all that work? People who function in a professional capacity (unlike scanlators) require payment; and everyone knows this: people are greedy (which is the reason we have this dilemma on our hands in the first place). No-one is willing to compromise - not the publishers, nor the authors or the readers.
This might have a better chance than MH's original plan, but when all is said and done, publishers will probably just decide to enforce copyright laws and shut down scanlation - of licensed series, definitely; of unlicensed ones, probably.

I agree with calstine, They claim to have around 70 artists/mangakas lined up for this. The question is, how will Mangahelpers/OpenManga pay all these artisits? I asked someone the same thing when they brought this to my attention, and he said "Who says MH will pay?". The question then is, why would these artists-- whose livelihood depends entirely on selling their work -- be willing to work for OpenManga for free? Even if they do, it'd probably be a preview-based service, where you get a free sample of the work (say a chapter or so), and you then pay to get in on the rest. The approach to this "scanlation-publisher" utopia, is very, very, flawed. The scanlation scene was never meant to be legal, I can see why it would be great to have it legalized though. But, unfortunately, legalizing it will effectively end mainstream scanlation (whether this is good or bad, you decide). The only reason the scene is now thriving like it is, is because we're illegal. I'll go so far as to say scanlation should never be legalized, there is no real benefit in doing so (not to the scanlators, I mean).

Hmmm... I'm kinda on the fence about this.
Will wait and see what happens.

Last edited by CatzCradle at 8:41 pm, Jun 11 2010

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tl; dr
And since anything from mangahelpers is bound to be 99% bullshit, I don't think I missed much either.

If they can deliver, then fine. I don't think I'll hold my breath until then, though.

This sounds to me much more like a "deviantart" for manga than a serious project, i.e., a place that will gather a group of amateurs and wannabes - and all westerns. Is not exactly the kind of manga that most people want to read.

Would it even be called manga? If this is done well by professionals (or people that draw aw well as professionals) with a great storyline, it might turn out well. If it's just doodles and bad drawings with a nonsensical story, then it would just be a waste of time.

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Lalala~

Actually, the place already exists for free with amatures and wannabes. It's called onlinecomics.net complete with shoujo, shounen, and other manga sections.

I had an account on OC and made my own manga as easy as pie. Then, you got places like drunkduck and smackjeeves that also host your own comics/manga.

Not quite a new concept...

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You guys can't read...

^ What a way to add to this conversation. It's understandable how some people can misunderstand the article but at least, point it out in a nicer way, eh? Anyways, I said what I had to say over at ANN and I didn't repeat it over here. So on my part, I perfectly read the article, 100% fine.

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I'm not too sure about this idea either.

What should really happen is that publishers need to adapt. The current business model simply is too dated to work with the developments in recent years. i.e. scanlations.
Pretty much every branch of entertainment feels the effects of illegal internet distribution; movies, tv-shows, music and games.
Movies and games made great progress in preventing internet downloads, not by sueing people, but adjusting their business model.
Only a few years back there was a 3 to 6 month gap between a US releas and an EU release, and even more so with the rest of the world.
With access to internet, no one had to wait this stupid amount of time anymore, so why would they?
Now, that same time gap has shrunk to a matter of days, sometimes there isn't even one anymore.
And with a lot of games now, you get a download code for some exclusive content when you buy a new game. It may not stop downloading completely, but at least they try to.
Tv-shows have done a similar thing. Once a show proves popular in Europe (though th UK allways gets it faster), the usual time gap of a few months between air dates goes down to 3 weeks. The Lost finally actually had a record of a 3 day time gap.
Music has a bit more trouble to dissuade illegal downloads, but at least we have legal means to download too. It's a start.
Anime and Manga however, have pretty much made no such effort to adjust their business model.
Crunchyroll made an effort, but it's still far from perfect. And many legal online streaming are exclusive to the US only.
So the publishers need to work out a way to adjust. First step should be a way to get rid of those stupid publishing regions though, It's dated and no one likes it anyway.

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I'm glad for it, but sad about it at the same time. I mean, there are many people able to read manga in a library... Some people don't have that option.

How's this gonna work is what I mean? I know it would be nice if they could allow access to the greater library of manga that we're not even provided with... Like, "okay, we want you to buy our stuff, but we don't want to give it to you the way you can understand..and no we're not gonna let you make your own understandable copy and lend it out like a library."
...What about all the manga that has never been liscenced but scanlated Are they going to deal with this issue too? ...or just say 'screw you'?
..I mean, seriously, if every manga I loved was released in English without some stupid alterations completely uncalled for, I'd be fine with it.. but there are the manga that I love that have yet and probably never will be released in English.... Not everything makes it over despite how interesting it sounds and how much I want it... (same goes for anime).

Hn..I don't want to buy another P.O.S. manga again.

I mean, I understand why they're doing this but...I have a feeling its actually going to hurt them more than its going to help...and it'll fall to the point where releases will be few and far between again...
...I hope that doesn't happen...I hope they find someway of making it available online that even those with lower income can enjoy what they love.

(I apologize for my randomness...xD I'm sleepy a bit, lol)

i understand if the publishers will take down all the scanlations... I feel sad about this... because I'm a scanlator too... but I don't want to end up facing any legal actions sooner or later... so I don't really know what to do about this thing...

anyway, same thing, if all the series I love will be published in english right after the release in japan, then i would not have any problems even if they take down the scanlation world...

well, i must say that the sales for the published series will surely grow... but there will be less fans...since most fans became fans because of scanlations...



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I belive the current stance taken by the pubishers is the fault of manga helpers . Dont belive me read on . It would be foolish
to think that publishers did not knew about scanalotors . They knew and some time send warnings to sites about licenced
titles . But they had some what pacified stance toward raws and scan of unlicencd mangas .
But when manga helpers went directly to publishers and god knows what in the name of god they talk about in 2.5
hour meeting. But result is in front of you . Still dont belive me . In real world lot of things however bad or grey they are
seems to be go around . People know about them but they let them slip . But all it takes a stupid whistle or i should say
trumpet blower to make all world stand up and take notice . In current days look how suddenly banks crashed .They were
working fine before with all the irregularities but when the cat came out of the box every body started panicking . you think
officials did not knew about the back hand tactics that banks were using . Still not convinced how about some visual clues .
Steroid are banned but look at huge bodybuilders . they say that they are using strict diet and some super supplement but
anyone can see they are lying because the diffrence between in a natural bodybuilder and a steroid enhance bodybuilder is so
vast that it seem stupid to think that they are are natural . But when some bodybuilder were caught everyone started chanting
rubbish about steroid . Were they blind or fool before . Still not convince how about truth closer to home. Some months ago a
stupid or to say a pervert was caught with a manga . you all know how manga fans were treated after that . Even japanese
publishers started acting on that news . Before that incident everything was normal .
so how manga helper did this i will tell you .
First let me ask you how many of you when you read a manga think in their heart ' yeah i screwed this manga's publisher' I
doubt any of you ever think in that way but that what manga helper did .They went to the publishers and show them that we
the fans and scanlators are screwing them of their money and unless they take the offer given to them by manga helpers we
fans will keep screwing them . What happend after that is in front of you now .
why manga helper did this it may sound ridiculous to you but it was for money like the biblical figure they sold us for some
pieces of silver .
Now i want to ask some question what make a parasite a parasite?
A paprasite feed on its host thats what manga helpers did . Sound harsh its the truth and here is why. How many of you manga
reader ever try to translate or set a manga . it is a hard job and scanlator did this because they love their hobby which is
simply reading mangas like us . what manga helper did was just provide a server where they host manga and fourm where
scanlator talk . Ohh it such a heavy job running a server and maintenance looks thats way isnt it ?but have you ever ask
about the money they get from all the ads .Have they ever disclosed the true amount they are making . last year or later two
torrent sites showed how ugly they were .if you follow those site you know what i am talking about .
manga helpers hunger for money made them go to the publishers and when publisher swated the parasite , host got hurt too
which is us the fans .
still belive manga helper innocent then maybe you should know that their draft is not their original work someone else
posted about it on their fourm and at that time they simply banned them . if later they thought that it was such a good idea then
they could have talk to the community not run with it behind our back in the shadow .
Okay some of the manga helper supporter will say that fan and scanlator are feeding on the mangaka . sure manga making is a
very hard job and that is the reason we like it so much and love reading it . but we do not make money with them .sure some
scanlator get donation but as i said before scanlating too is not an easy job and what manga helper did was to feed on that
hard job and make lot of money .
Now they show us Open manga like some promised land for fans and lure not only fan but this time new mangakas too so
they again leech them with ads revenues . That parasites do after leeching they move on to new pray .
I know i am not using nice words . But i am angry because of the greed of the few many will suffer . I ask you manga helper

how are you going to redeem yourself . Scanlation is not your properity but you acted like you you were our shepherd and
we wereyour sheep ? what gave you rightt to play Moses ? Nothing but the pure greed .

Manga helper atone for your sins before you run in front us 'the fans 'with Open Manga .
All i can think you can do now after your debacle is that you make a big torrent of the unlicensed work and seed that so Fans
will be able to get some relief from your treachery or are you too eager to bend in front of the publishers cause parasites
dont possess a spine .

Manga helpers i am waiting for your answer and i am sure fans too .

sounds fair but you need more than just a few authors for this to work right>? so... nice idea but will the authors bother to change? will they just loose money by doing this due to lack of custumers/quantanty ?

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I believe in letting people do as they wish, as do I myself. Sometimes, of course, what I wish to do is kill them and they do not wish to die. This gives life interest.