Why are mangas so freaking expensive?

[LoveDay Conquest]

I must of spent over 200 dollars just on Japanese comics. Mangas can range anywhere from 15 to 20 dollars. That's insane, just for one comic book. For Japanese Mangas, ones that I don't know how to read, they're a lot cheaper, but what good is that if you don't know how tio read Japanese in the first place? Anyone know why a Manga is so expensive?

[Lady Dark]

Amusing answer.  It is the same as how you would price a video tape.  The graphic novels are obviously more expensive because it has more chapters (obviously) but it depends on what day you get the comic book on.  The comic book price raises IF the store kept it in for more than four month or so.  That is because comic books are harder to store in new conditions and its worth a lot because they took good care of it.  An example would be like dinosaur fossils.

[Yuffie Darkblade]

Its more expensive cuz all the smart Japanese people are all smart and know that us dumb Americans will pay mucho bucks to get the same thing for 10-15 dollars more

[MayoBabe]

Because they know that losers like us will pay that much for it.

Supply and demand.  >_>;

[Hououji Fuu]

it's $10-$20...and probably because of the drawings.

[MayoBabe]

Rana, wheerrreee?  And do they have furigana for the kanjis?  ;_;  I am too retarded to know kanji...

...Heck, I don't even know what it'll say.  ^_^;  But I can READ IT!

[Tidy The Perfect]

To be truthful...those Japanese animator punks are over there laughing at us.  Why, you ask?  Because we're stupid.  We'll pay 15 to 20 dollars for something you can rip off the internet and I could easily draw the covers myself.  And if you really wanna make it cheaper... Let's make our own anime.  American Japanese animation, baby!

[SGI]

The truth is simple. First off, theres the cost of licencing the comic, then theres translation costs. On top of that, comics are even less likely to sell than videotapes. Comicbooks are a subculture, and manga is a subculture of comics so manga are expected to sell even less copies than video and dvds of the same titles. So they have to increase the price to even break even in the profits.


There we go

[Hououji Fuu]

10 to 20 actually

[Weetzie Bat]

Individual comics can be anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00. If you mash them together into a graphic novel, then there are, on average, around 6 or 7 chapters in each novel. These chapters, for many comics, are made up of 2 or 3 individual comics. So, in reality, you're usually saving a lot of money buying a $10 or $15 graphic novel, instead of the seperate comics.

Also, for Zines such as Animerica Extra, you may not read all of the comics it has in it, but you're still paying $5.00 for it. Again, it's a lot cheaper to buy the novels.

So... There's my little explaination type thing.

[Chibi Jupiter]

These people are all quite right. Translation costs, supply and demand, subcultures, and the fact that it is a bulk book with many chapters all make it very worth the &#036;10-20 dollars you&#39;re spending on your anime. The cost of printing also has a lot to do with it.. like some books are 15 because they have a couple color pages and a nicer cover. Anyway, everyone spends a lot on this stuff, i&#39;ve spent 80 bucks just recently buying up on my Marmalade Boy and Chobits.... >_< And i don&#39;t even have half of the series&#39;

[LoveDay Conquest]

I did that, I checked out all the mangas that I could from the library... most of them were titles I didn&#39;t really like. I am not willing to drive to Federal Way or Issaquah c_c. The only way you&#39;ll get me to Issaquah is for Krispie Kremes *_*.

[Believe]

Actually, you can suggest that your library borrows it from another library. I did that for Battle Angel #9

[Chibi Jupiter]

holy cow where do you guys live.... here they only have sailor moon....

[Believe]

Federal Way, Washington ^^
Care to visit me? =D

[ParaParaJMo]

My solution to get cheap manga is through means of an expensive way. Go to Japan and get them. You can get all 42 volumes of Dragon Ball for 100 yen per volume.