Summary
- Kodansha USA aims to gain market dominance over competitor Shōnen Jump with its innovative lineup of original English-first manga series released exclusively on its American website.
- The latest addition to this lineup is Yoshinori Matsuoka's "climate-punk" manga Re:Anima, which is the third title in the series and is originally drafted in English.
- Through its Reader Portal service, Kodansha USA offers free access to these English-only titles, along with perks such as free chapters and manga discounts, potentially allowing them to regain their lead in the manga industry from Shōnen Jump.
In a further attempt at gaining market dominance over competitor Shōnen Jump, Kodansha USA, the American division of the renowned manga publisher, announced the most recent addition to its innovative lineup of original "English-first" manga series releases. These exclusive titles will be accessible solely through the company's American website.
As reported on Anime Network News, late last month, Kodansha USA announced that Yoshinori Matsuoka's new "climate-punk" manga Re:Anima would be available for immediate release via its Kodansha Reader Portal Service. The manga is the third title of its new and exclusive series featuring stories that are originally drafted in English rather than being English translations of Japanese-first works.
Kodansha's "English-first" special series debuted in September 2023 with the premiere of Oma Sei's vampire horror story Blood Blade. That was followed in November 2023 with the release of fan-favorite author Uta Isaki's SPELLBOOK LIBRARY. In and of itself, the series is quite innovative. While manga fans have grown accustomed to content generation beginning in Japan, the new Kodansha series - at the very least - acknowledges the company's intent to give American fans a nod for their dedication and devotion.
According to Kodansha USA: Re:Anime tells the story of the near future in Tokyo, where the average temperature is around 170 degrees. Humanity lives underground to escape the deadly heat, only seeing the surface through the eyes of remote-controlled robots called Re:Anima. Shinano and Kara are of the Enforcement Bureau, policing surface crime and illegal Re:Anima mods.
Kodansha Was Once More Popular Than Its Rivals
Once upon a time, Kodansha was considered a more prominent publisher of manga than Shueisha. - the publisher of Weekly Shōnen Jump. The tide began turning for the younger Shueisha in the 1980s and 1990s with the company's publication of massive hits like Dragon Ball, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and One Piece.
But Kodansha even claimed 2023's top-selling manga spot with Blue Lock. Nevertheless, Shueisha is tough competition to beat. In the last few years, however, Kodansha has tried several ways to close the gap, including K Manga, its mobile manga app.
Kodansha USA Is Looking To Start A Domestic Manga Revolution
None of Kodansha's efforts have been as bold as its Reader Portal Service. The manga on the service will be available free of charge for anyone who signs up for the Reader Portal service and will remain so until the release of the series' first physical volume, which is currently scheduled for Fall 2024.
In addition to getting access to the English-only titles of the series, can also enjoy a range of perks and benefits, ranging from free chapters of Kodansha's extensive library of manga to discounts for manga purposes. Those benefits combined with its release of top-level manga like Re:Anima, suggest that Kodansha USA might finally have the ability to regain its lead from Shōnen Jump.
Sources: Anime Network News, Kodansha USA
