News
Japanese Publishers' JManga.com Portal Now in Beta (Updated)
posted on by Gia Manry
Update: JManga notified ANN that the above list of manga titles, as well as the pricing model described in the user comments for this article, is not accurate for the final release, since they were obtained from an unauthorized login of the beta version. JManga also changed its website so that the opening date is now listed as just 2011.
ANN has confirmed that the JManga.com website is the manga portal revealed last November by Japan's Digital Comics Association (DCA). The organization commissioned Toppan Printing, a Tokyo-based print and technology service provider, to create the site. The site will launch fully this spring, but the current beta version already contains free previews of the following manga:
- Claymore
- Bakuman.
- D. Gray-Man
- Toriko
- Naruto
- Bleach
- Devil King
- Rosario + Vampire
- One Piece
- Rurouni Kenshin
- Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z
- Tableau Gate
- With the Light : Raising an Autistic Child
- Oyayubihime Infinity
- Survival: Another Story
- Onihei Crime Reports in Edo
- Muyonosuke
- Yagyu
- Dragon Girl
- Genju No Seiza
- Samurai Harem : Asu No Yoichi
- Tsugumomo
- Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms
- Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance
- Jyoshi Kousei (High School Girls)
- Drifting Net Café
- Crayon Shinchan
- Madame Joker
- Hitohira
- When I'm With You
- Urameshiya
- Pet on Duty
- Cigarette Kisses
- Oh my god!
- Sherlock Holmes
- LOL Theater
- The Larceny Log of Zampei the Cloud Snatcher
- Death Note
The splash page for the site states that visitors will be able to read manga, connect with a community, and to "get to know" their favorite manga creators.
A representative of Toppan Printing informed ANN that Crunchyroll helped with "system development aspects" of the site. Crunchyroll formed a partnership with Bitway, a Japanese electronic book company originally launched by Toppan Printing, after Bitway invested US$750,000 in Crunchyroll.
Last June, the DCA and North American manga publishers formed a coalition against manga scan sites, and the coalition suggested that it might take legal action against these sites, although none have been reported at this time. The DCA currently includes the following publishers:
- Akaneshinsha
- Akita Shoten
- Asahi Shimbun Shuppan
- ASCII Media Works
- Bunkasha Publishing Co., Ltd.
- East Press
- Enterbrain, Inc.
- France Shoin
- Fujimi Shobo
- Fusosha Publishing
- Futabasha
- Gakken Holdings
- Gentosha Comics Inc.
- Hakusensha
- Houbunsha
- Ichijinsha
- Issuisya
- Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, Ltd.
- June-Net
- Kadokawa Shoten
- Kasakura Publishing
- Kodansha
- Leed Publishing Co., Ltd.
- Libre Publishing Co., Ltd.
- Magazine House
- Media Factory
- Nihon Bungeisha
- Oakla Publishing Co., Ltd.
- Ohzora Shuppan
- Shinchosha
- Shinshokan Publishing
- Shodensha
- Shogakukan
- Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (Sho-Pro)
- Shonen Gahosha Co
- Shueisha
- Takeshobo
- Tatsumi Publishing
- Tokuma Shoten
Thanks to maylo for the news tip.
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history