Access limits fuel manga piracy worldwide

Legions of readers are just a click away from pirated manga, fueling a global black market that shows no signs of slowing

11 hrs ago • Yohana Belinda

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March 2026

Cross-border e-commerce fills gap in overseas anime market

Japan's top proxy purchasing service provider helps small and medium anime merchandise sellers reach overseas customers

Mar 25 • Richardson Handjaja

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Original anime films feel the box office pinch

Plus: Kadokawa ramps up in-house manga translations; Webtoon Entertainment discloses creator revenue share; Japan invests in Saudi manga artist…

Mar 18 • Richardson Handjaja

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Anime home video sales plummet in streaming shift

Plus: Osaka broadcaster plans US$50m anime investment; Kadokawa recruits light novel writers abroad; Digital restoration revitalizes popular folklore…

Mar 11 • Richardson Handjaja

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Anime producers ramp up domestic direct film distribution

Plus: Media Do buys LA-based manga publisher Seven Seas; Twin Engine acquires anime studio Nut; CyberAgent finds success in 'Jujutsu Kaisen' game; and…

Mar 4 • Richardson Handjaja

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February 2026

Japan manga market shrinks as digital sales stall

Plus: Netflix takes anime film to cinemas; Kinokuniya USA scouts new store locations; Digital manga market shifts to non-paying readers; Ibaraki…

Feb 25 • Richardson Handjaja

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TV Asahi aims to double anime production

Plus: Anime creators slam ByteDance's AI video generator; Licensing veteran named Aniplex president; TO Books eyes North American expansion; and more

Feb 18 • Richardson Handjaja

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Aniplex chief appointed next Sony Music CEO

Plus: Andreessen Horowitz leads anime AI companion investment; Toho is Fuji Media's largest shareholder again; Bandai Namco sees record 'Gundam' sales…

Feb 11 • Richardson Handjaja

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Counterfeit anime merchandise cause US$30b in damages

Plus: AI startup to speed up anime merchandise approvals; Aniplex acquires Egg Firm anime production planning company; Permanent ‘Sailor Moon’ stage…

Feb 4 • Richardson Handjaja

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January 2026

Sharp slowdown in Japan digital manga sales

Plus: Japan Foundation promotes anime films in Africa; Manga publishers recruit foreign artists; Wine manga's screen adaptation runs into legal barriers…

Jan 28 • Richardson Handjaja

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Direct distribution of anime films widens in North America

Plus: Edia ramps up anime production of light novels; MAPPA deepens Netflix partnership; AI manga translations undermine public interest in Japan; and…

Jan 21 • Richardson Handjaja

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Japan antitrust regulator highlights anime industry issues

Plus: Conglomerate invests in French anime co-producer; Light novel publisher TO Books set to IPO; Comici launches English-language manga reading…

Jan 14 • Richardson Handjaja

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