Manga Library Z Kicks Off Crowdfunding Campaign to Revive Digital Access!
Exciting developments took a surprising turn this November when Ken Akamatsu's innovative service faced an unexpected shutdown, primarily due to challenges with its payment systems. Stay tuned as we explore the implications of this closure and the future of digital services in the wake of such technological hurdles.
Manga Toshokan Z, known for sharing rare and out-of-print manga for free, recently rebranded its official account on X (formerly Twitter) to "Kaette Kuru Manga Toshokan Z," which translates to "Manga Toshokan Z Will Return." The change took place on Monday, but the biggest news came on Wednesday when they kickstarted a crowdfunding campaign on Motion Gallery, aiming to collect 3 million yen (around US$20,000) to get the service back up and running.
As of now, the campaign has already garnered 1,279,055 yen (approximately US$8,300), but the deadline to contribute is set for April 1.
This service was created by manga artist Ken Akamatsu, initially launching under the name J-Comi's "Zeppan Manga Toshokan" back in 2011, with a beta test starting in 2010. The platform was designed to provide a way for readers to access hard-to-find manga for free while also compensating original creators through advertising revenue.
In its early days, Akamatsu uploaded all 14 volumes of his popular series, Love Hina, offering them free for a month with a few ads and no digital rights management (DRM) in a bid to see if the model would work. The site gained traction as it partnered with major publishers like Shueisha and Kodansha in 2010.
Akamatsu later teamed up with Yahoo! Japan's GyaO! to form a subsidiary called J Comic Terrace in 2015, which took over management of the now-renamed Manga Library Z. He stepped back from the day-to-day operations, mentioning a desire to combat piracy while managing his own serialized works.
The site drew attention in 2011 with a controversial release of Seiji Matsuyama's Oku-sama wa Shōgakusei, which made headlines due to legislative changes in Tokyo regarding manga content. Despite being primarily Japanese, it even tested foreign-language versions for select titles that year.
Manga Library Z offered watermarked PDF downloads and a premium membership for additional content, with its platform featuring automated translation in over 51 languages.
In recent years, many sites—including Manga Library Z—faced challenges with payment systems as credit card services, such as Visa and Mastercard, cut off payments amid compliance concerns. This decision impacted several other platforms like Niconico and DLSite, highlighting ongoing complications within the digital content industry.
Cietan Kitney, President of Visa Worldwide Japan, acknowledged in November the need to uphold standards in legal transactions, which has led to caution in payment approvals.
With an ambitious crowdfunding goal and a committed fan base, the return of Manga Toshokan Z is eagerly anticipated by many manga enthusiasts.