Legal ways to read manga online

[rocklobster]

My bookstore is too far away and I often lack the funds to complete a manga. (especially since manga volume count often gets pretty long) Does anyone know of a legal way to read manga online?

[Atria35]

Well, there's a few online manga sites- my favorite happens to be <modsnip>. There are a few people who prefer <modsnip>, but they do have a few viruses, so make sure your protection is up-to-date. While those two are the largest/most poular, there's a few more less well-known sites such as <modsnip>, <modsnip>, <modsnip> (but only is you know exactly what you're looking for, they're not as friendly when it comes to making suggestions for people), <modsnip> (though this has a long loading time).

Don't touch <modsnip>- they've been having so many problems, it's a wonder the page can load at all.


MOD NOTE: Please take note of our forum rules. We do not allow the linking of illegal scanlation sites on CAA.

[rocklobster]

uh, I said legal. <modsnip> is ILLEGAL! Read it again.

[airichan623]

unfortunatly, i dont know of any. However, there is your local library. I dont know if your town is big enough to support a library with manga, but mine has a very nice selection. A lot of times I read it a few chapters on onemanga to preview it, and if i like it, i buy it. Sometimes I read ahead there too, and then buy/ borrow the official translation to soothe my conscience.

[Atria35]

uh, I said legal. <modsnip> is ILLEGAL! Read it again.

I did read it. Technically, all scanlation sites are illegal.

However, as people know that there are some series that would be propogated through the internet even though it's illegal (Naruto, Bleach, One Piece are all licensed in the US but still have active scanlations no matter which site you go to), they're generally tolerated, even to the point that lesser well-known mangakas have thanked scanlators and scanlation sites for making their work known internationally.

There are certain sites that tend to hold to higher legal standards than others, and will restrict access to series that the publishers and/or mangakas have requested. So while <modsnip> does operate under more questionable legal standards as they really never take a series down, they are no more illegal than any other scanlation site.

The only truly legal way to read manga online is going to the publisher's website and seeing whether they let you read it online on their site. However, it's been my experience that no publisher posts the entire thing online- only the first few pages of the volume- because their overall purpose is to get you to buy the manga.

[Yamamaya]

Just give in and read scanlated sites.

It's not like they really take away from sales of manga that much. People prefer to have a book in their hands than clicking through pages on the interwebz.

[Fish and Chips]

To preface this post, CAA does not support nor condone linking unofficial and unauthorized sites for reading Manga online, licensed or otherwise.

There is currently no legal way of reading Manga extensively online. At most, some licensors will uploaded a few pages of preview materials, occasionally a full chapter, but that's really about it.

So your answer is there isn't one.

However, the relationship between Manga license holders and Manga scanlation is a precautious one, the sort that occupies a gray vacuum. Jason Thompson, for example, a self-publicized employee and editor of VIZ Media, has frequently alluded to and even provided links to scan sites. After traveling to Japan and apparently having a brief conversation with Fairy Tail's Hiro Mashima, Mashima decided to draw Thompson in his next chapter as a cameo, a cameo Thompson invited followers on his blog to read by posting a link to a scan site containing the entirety of Fairy Tail. It's not an isolated incident either; in his JoJo's Bizarre Adventure FAQ, almost within the same breath that he mentioned JoJo would be licensed and published by VIZ, Thompson provided several links to sites about the series, including several for the express purpose of reading online. It should also be noted that Jason Thompson is the top editor assigned to JoJo's publication.

There's also Dark Horse. Dark Horse traditionally doesn't like or permit online copies of anything they distribute, and tend to be pretty swift in removing them. That said, one of their staff apparently consented to discuss several details of the American release of Berserk with a particular Berserk-related board known to distributed RAWs, translations, and scanlations of the series among registered members.

The conclusion we can draw from this is tentative, but roughly that scanlations are permitted to exist by the industry in a sort of neutral legal limbo. This does not make scanlations or sites that distribute them legal, rather, it implies a certain level of understanding between the two groups, recognition of the service scanlators provide to their audience coupled with the ramifications it could have on book sales by license holders. Most prominent groups I'm aware of who do these unofficial translations and scans tend to include a request to their readers to buy the Manga where commercially available, and some even close up shop completely (though this is becoming rare these days). Granted, you will always have pirates who simply leech off the system and contribute nothing, but they would exist even if scanlations were actively legislated to a criminal extreme.

So ideally, ideally here people, the community works for the convenience and publicity of readers to fill the gap before Manga licensors distribute their titles. However, that only more makes it our responsibility to support Manga financially in America.

[Radical Dreamer]

I did read it. Technically, all scanlation sites are illegal.

However, as people know that there are some series that would be propogated through the internet even though it's illegal (Naruto, Bleach, One Piece are all licensed in the US but still have active scanlations no matter which site you go to), they're generally tolerated, even to the point that lesser well-known mangakas have thanked scanlators and scanlation sites for making their work known internationally.

Just give in and read scanlated sites.

It's not like they really take away from sales of manga that much. People prefer to have a book in their hands than clicking through pages on the interwebz.

Regardless of your opinions here, CAA's rules still stand: we do not allow open linking of scanlation sites (or illegal subbed anime, for that matter) on CAA. If you would like to share a link with someone, take it to PM, but we do not promote these methods on the boards. See our Frequently Asked Questions for details:

Where can I find fansubs or scanlations?

No links to sites hosting or supporting fansubs/scanlations are permitted on the forums. You may not ask for them or give them except via PM. Copyright law applies regardless of if the series has been licensed in the United States or your native country.

Now that the official warning has been given in this thread, further linking or promoting of illegal scanlation sites outside of a PM may result in a strike.

[rocklobster]

RD, maybe you should lock this thread. I'm beginning to think the idea was futile and will just lead to more people getting strikes.

[Htom Sirveaux]

Is there any way I can order some free crystal meth online? Or have someone murdered, maybe?



Actually, there probably is.

[goldenspines]

And I can see this going downhill very quickly.

As RD explained, CAA does not promote linking to illegal sites (yes, all scanlation sites for manga online are illegal). We also do NOT promote the kind of thinking which involves, "It doesn't matter if it's illegal, everybody is doing it, so it's okay."

Since all that has been settled, I will quietly lock this thread.