[Apps] ComicWalker– App Offers Latest Manga for Free in Japanese, English and Mandarin





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Kadokawa is a major corporation in Japan with several publishing companies under its wing. With a prominent edge in light novel publishing, they have published several popular light novel series’ such as Sword Art Online and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

In March this year, Kadokawa launched their own manga website cum app ComicWalker, featuring titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Love Live! in three languages – Japanese, English and Mandarin. This initiative taken by Kadokawa is likely in response to the current declining print magazine industry in Japan.

A little background regarding Japan’s manga industry: Manga titles are first serialised in weekly, bi-weekly and monthly manga magazines. These series then struggle through the popularity test to stay in serialisation. Thereafter, the archived volumes (tankōbon) of each series are then dished out to reap profits. Manga magazines are generally seen as advertising channels for manga titles and not sources of profit for the publishing company. Profit is often gained through tankōbon sales or other media mix strategies.

Joining an existing app, Manga Box, ComicWalker attempts to capture readers  by allowing free access to browse Kadokawa’s latest manga chapters. Revenue is generated through readers’ purchase of archived manga volumes, either in brick-and-mortar stores or via the company’s existing online store BookWalker.

Besides digital versions of print manga, ComicWalker features its own exclusive manga periodical at a significantly lower price than its print counterpart. Where a typical Kadokawa monthly manga magazine costs around 680 yen (SGD8.32), the e-magazine is priced at 87 yen (SGD1.06).

Kadokawa claims multiple attractive features on their new digital platform. ComicWalker offers an overwhelming number of free manga titles –around 200 works, out of which 50 are digital originals. In addition, full colour versions of previously monochrome-coloured works can also be found in the list. They include remarkable completed series such as Mobile Suit Gundam: the Origin and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

By providing official translations in English and Mandarin, ComicWalker aims to spread Kadokawa’s manga to the foreign audience. However, the relatively new website and app only features over 40 titles in English and Mandarin as of August 2014.

For individuals learning the Japanese language, the large number of manga titles available in Japanese provides a great platform for the strengthening of their Japanese language proficiency.

Furthermore, ComicWalker is compatible with many digital devices. Accessible both as a website and as an app, the e-platform can be viewed on any Internet browser, iPhone or Android app. This allows it to be user-friendly on smartphones and tablets as well as e-book readers.

Apps like ComicWalker and Manga Box are signs print magazines’ conversion to a digital format. With books and e-books, newspaper and Internet news, manga magazines now face the same trend. There is potential for rapid growth: unlike collectible manga volumes or books, manga magazines are bulky printed periodicals. The emerging website and app thus presents a favourable alternative to the traditional print.

However, this app may seem unimpressive to the manga fans outside Japan who have long been consuming manga via websites and apps. It seems slightly puzzling for Kadokawa to service a digital platform, where they will have to compete with existing websites and apps that provide a larger range of manga titles for free.

Following the creation of Kadokawa’s online store BookWalker and the rising popularity of their mobile game Kantai Collection worldwide, ComicWalker can be seen as a move by Kadokawa to provide its manga directly for the foreign audience. In addition, plans are underway to open Kadokawa vocational schools across Asia, with the first schools in Taiwan and Singapore.

Thus, while the app may appear as a weak standalone advertising channel for Kadokawa’s manga, we may be sure to expect more from Kadokawa in the global digital market.