Go Tokyo Your Experience
Japan’s second-hand market, including second-hand books, video games, and anime-related products, has always been very prosperous. However, for many Japanese creators, such a market is not welcome, as the economic benefits generated by these markets are largely unrelated to them.
The renowned Japanese manga artist Fukudada recently publicly stated online that he would mercilessly block those who tell him they saw or purchased his works in the second-hand market. Let’s delve into why he is so angry about this.
I apologize to those who leave messages like ‘How much is your work selling for in second-hand bookstores?’ or ‘I bought the complete set in a second-hand bookstore!’ I will directly block you. I know it may seem like a big deal, but to me, such messages are damaging to the creator’s business. If I only mute them, others might still see them. To prevent this from happening again in the future, I can only choose to block you.
The ‘Marriage Proposal Agreement’ serialized from 2012 to 2018.
Recently, a promotion was held on Amazon eBooks, and surprisingly, the price for purchasing the complete set was cheaper than buying a single volume. This promotion inspired Fukudada to write the angry words above because, while he was promoting this sale, he received information about a second-hand bookstore selling his entire set of physical books, which made him very dissatisfied.
This statement sparked a heated discussion among Japanese netizens, with many becoming curious about whether creators truly despise the second-hand market.
Subsequently, he responded to the questions from netizens one by one:
Some netizens expressed, “If some works are no longer available for purchase, I will buy them from second-hand bookstores, but I usually prefer to buy through channels that allow the manga artists to profit. When I absolutely have to buy second-hand, I also feel a bit uncomfortable, so I won’t publicly discuss it; I guess it’s a form of respect towards the creators.”
In response, Fukudada said: “I don’t know why, but there will always be someone who insists on bringing it up.”
Another netizen said: “Specifically mentioning such matters is really disrespectful to the creators… Whether they are illustrators, editors, or printers, publishing a book relies on the efforts of many people…” Fukudada responded: “Indeed, this behavior is quite impolite, and it’s hard to understand why they come to comment.”
Some netizens questioned the statement “Muting will allow others to see,” Fukuda explained: “Although initially blocking someone might allow others to see it, at least it prevents that person from continuing to comment.”
Another netizen mentioned: “When buying second-hand items, the creator indeed doesn’t get a penny… By the way, is it okay to buy electronic versions of doujin comics? There are some works that I really enjoy…” Fukuda responded: “As long as it’s not pirated, it’s fine. Feel free to share the links to promote it; your sharing will help make me a millionaire!”
In this prosperous era of the second-hand market, people may need to be more sensitive to the feelings of creators, especially when purchasing their works. The voices of creators deserve to be heard and respected by everyone who loves their work.
