Farewell, Tokyopop
Every time a publishing company folds, I feel my heart sink.
I was never a big fan of Tokyopop. I bought the FLCL English volumes but I also gave them the cold shoulder for the horrible re-appropriation of Initial D. Still, as a manga consumer outside of the US who has seen the benefits of what they’ve done in bringing English manga here in the Philippines, this news of Tokyopop folding saddens me. I’m quite sure a lot of people have thoughts on the effect of this announcement, but for us here in the Philippines where manga is scarce, we will definitely feel your loss in the market. Thanks for bringing some manga into our lives.
As it is, Philippines hardly get any manga. Here’s hoping that the other publishing companies don’t fold as well.
Last spring was a breath of fresh air after the stark dry season that is post-Nodame. Yes, Nodame’s drama and anime was such a blast that nothing came close to compare the fun and energy that Nodame had. Until of course, spring came. Now, there are many series to keep note of during the season. There were many GREAT animes that came out, but what really sparked my curiosity was the line of dramas that came out during spring. Particularly, Liar Game and Bambino. 
i guess we’re only just feeling the effects of the slowdown in the manga industry that pundits have been talking about two years or so ago. i remember one of the big reasons licensees were cracking down on scanlated manga was because they were not earning as much as they used to — and here it is now. TP may have had shite localizations for some titles, such as the much-maligned INITIAL D, but it was still an important cog in the enlgish manga machinery…
Two years in and scanlations have not disappeared. There’s really more to it than just scanlations. A couple of my friends in the US say that bookstores don’t shelve manga properly.
*sighs* This makes me want to take on that little project we’re planning, na?