Viz Media lay off staff....

This is really bad news and isnt looking good,this is probaly the reason the 2nd Monster boxset has vanished of the radar, the anime decline continues. :(
 
My fellow bloggers in the States remind that even with the layoffs VIZ remains one of the biggest independent (that is not owned by an international publisher like CMX being owned by Warner) publishers.

What I think you'll see is the VIZ Signature or IKKI titles having staggered releases or be cancelled before they're started.

Tokyopop tore themselves apart to survive and they seem to be still here but boutique publishers like Go! Comi and Aurora are going out of business because they don't have backers with rivers of cash to fall back on.
 
Eeeper said:
What I think you'll see is the VIZ Signature or IKKI titles having staggered releases or be cancelled before they're started.
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They're already released slowly as is.
They also won't cannibalise their own market as badly as all the shounen does.
I beleive that's what tokyopop skrewed up on, they saturated the market, teenagers only have so much money.
 
It'll be a shame if a lot of their newer titles do get canceled. I read Maoh 1 today, and I 100% plan on collecting that for some Code Geass-esque goodness. Eye techniques/mind control isn't exactly new, but the ventriloquism power of the lead does add a new twist to it. I've also read half of Dorohedoro 1 - one of Viz's releases that are bigger in size and have slick covers - and that seems different enough to be worth collecting, too.

Where as, say, ADV released as much junk as they could on DVD, Viz actually seem to be releasing lots of quality manga titles all at once. I plan on having a look at Jormungand(sp?) and Children of the Sea sooner or later, and I'm betting there are other quality titles they've released/will release that are worth a look.

I'm impressed by how Viz offer inexpensive releases and more expensive, excellent value for money releases, depending on the title. There's not much difference when buying from UK import stores--most of Black Lagoon costing as much as the Maoh releases--but I still like the idea of them trying hard to sell their products both to cheapskates and collectors; the type easily impressed by shiny covers and bigger panels.

I'll cry myself to sleep if they stop releasing Ikigami--one of the best manga titles my eyes have glanced over. And they'd better not drop Black Lagoon now that I own seven volumes (the eighth is en route)! The releases are the most sexy ever, and I actually like Black Lagoon more in manga form because all the silly battle poses/slaughtering bits aren't as painful without motion.
 
I bet'cha I'm the only person, out of the kindness of my pure heart, supporting Viz by buying their latest releases. Some people!

Biomega is pretty sweet, by the way. There aren't many Resident Evil, zombie types around in the world of manga/anime, and that makes Biomega most interesting when it has a post-apocalyptic setting where some sort of virus has spread; turning everyone into monsters. Life will soon be ending in the year 3035, and only those rare few with in-built immunity to the zombie bug seem to have a chance of taking the human race forward.

A man-made human rides around on a bike, jumping from rooftops whilst talking to his A.I. female friend, and he also takes the time to slaughter any undead fuckers that get in his way. There's also a man with the body of a bear, too, though I have no idea why a bear would shoot a gun...
 
That-Bastard-Bad-Guy-Aion said:
I'm impressed by how Viz offer inexpensive releases and more expensive, excellent value for money releases, depending on the title. There's not much difference when buying from UK import stores--most of Black Lagoon costing as much as the Maoh releases--but I still like the idea of them trying hard to sell their products both to cheapskates and collectors; the type easily impressed by shiny covers and bigger panels.
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What about those of us that want to collect the shounen stuff tho' I still dislike undersize and loseing colour inserts. Can't realy fault what they're doing with the Signature imprit tho'.
 
That-Bastard-Bad-Guy-Aion said:
I bet'cha I'm the only person, out of the kindness of my pure heart, supporting Viz by buying their latest releases. Some people!
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I just bought this. I'm sure someone recommended it to me once. Eh, it was probably one of those people I don't listen to.
 
Their shounen and shoujo releases are the bottom of the barrel for Viz, and the prices match-up well with the quality of the releases. You can't really complain about being able to get pretty much every FMA, Claymore, Naruto, etc release for around the £4 mark--it isn't as if the releases have Tokyopop-esque errors throughout, or see-through paper. Sure, it'd be nice to get slick covers, bigger books and better paper quality, but are the manga releases even at that level in Japan for the average shounen titles?

I can see why you'd have issue if you have no interest in more mature titles, but it seems reasonable enough to me for Viz to release more childish titles on the cheap and more adult titles in better, far more collectible quality... if buyers are willing to throw another quid or two in per release.
 
fabricatedlunatic said:
That-Bastard-Bad-Guy-Aion said:
I bet'cha I'm the only person, out of the kindness of my pure heart, supporting Viz by buying their latest releases. Some people!
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I just bought this. I'm sure someone recommended it to me once. Eh, it was probably one of those people I don't listen to.
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Fine, fine--I get it. I WILL message you later on tonight/possibly this morning. You don't have to push yourself.

...Talking of Ikigami, base.com have the cheapest price (£5.99) for V5, but only TBD have stock (£7.58 ). Grrrrrrrrr.
 
That-Bastard-Bad-Guy-Aion said:
Their shounen and shoujo releases are the bottom of the barrel for Viz, and the prices match-up well with the quality of the releases. You can't really complain about being able to get pretty much every FMA, Claymore, Naruto, etc release for around the £4 mark--it isn't as if the releases have Tokyopop-esque errors throughout, or see-through paper. Sure, it'd be nice to get slick covers, bigger books and better paper quality, but are the manga releases even at that level in Japan for the average shounen titles?
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NB the special editions on series like Negima! and Hayate no Gotoku, shounen gets high quality releases.

Seinen and jousei manga are often (re)released on a larger format than shoujo and shounen.

Most English manga is in an oversize,gains 1cm height. Most manga has a 2-3 page colour insert at the start. Some also have other colour pages. Magazine serialisations normaly have a few chapter covers also coloured which aren't kept for the volumes. These are normally still reproduced either as an insert at some other point in the manga (the end) or released as artbook.


EDIT following arguement about size formats etc on ann.
 
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