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BookWalker Global Service Changes Ownership on March 31
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The announcement clarified that the change in ownership "will not impact the current services." Customers "will continue to have access to [their] existing content, account details, and features without disruption."
BookWalker Global stated it plans to introduce new features and improvements, as well as campaigns and special offers tailored to English-speaking audiences.
In early February, Dwango announced that BookWalker Co., Ltd.; Dwango; and Kadokawa Connected will all merge, with Dwango becoming the surviving company, and BookWalker Co., Ltd. and Kadokawa Connected being dissolved. The merger will take place on April 1.
Kadokawa founded BookWalker Co, Ltd. in December 2005, and Kadokawa launched the BookWalker e-book store service in 2010. Kadokawa then launched BookWalker Global as an English webstore and app in 2014. The global service has more than 60,000 licensed manga, light novels, and audiobooks in English on offer. BookWalker Global also releases some manga as simulpub releases.
BookWalker Global told ANN in February there would be "no impact on the BookWalker Global Store and its operations as a result of the merger."
J-Novel Club confirmed with ANN that the name change to M12 Media LLC took place on February 1, but the company is not changing the public-facing name of J-Novel Club. J-Novel Club also confirmed with ANN nothing outside of the name of the company has changed.
Source: Press release
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global, and J-Novel Club are subsidiaries of KWE.
