Crunchyroll announces legal manga site:

[Satoshi-chan]

Crunchyroll - Forum - Apply now to get a sneak peak at JManga!

Hey guys,
As you know, we've been working with Japanese partners to create an official platform for reading manga online. Today, we are opening the site, called JManga, to select users for closed beta testing.

If you are into reading Manga, and live in North America, apply now for your chance to join this closed beta.

We'll be taking your feedback to help improve the service for the official launch hopefully sometime later this year.

Apply now to join the closed beta testing! After you sign up, we will grant access to a handful of users, and notify them via email first week of July.

~ Shinji

So, basically, Crunchyroll, who currently run a site that shows many Japanese Animated television shows an hour after they're broadcasted in Japan for paid members, and a week after Japanese broadcast for free members is looking to set up a site for legal manga reading, most likely with membership fees that will be very fair and sane. Will be interesting to see how this goes. Will also be good to know that there will be a legal alternative that we know will not be shut down, unlike those sites that have manga available illegally.

 

[The Outrage]

Finally, been waiting for something like this to happen.

Though, I really don't care for any manga right now.

 

[proserpina]

I'm over here in England and I don't really care too much to read many particular manga at the minute but this is a great step forward.

 

[Adamant]

Finally, been waiting for something like this to happen.

Viz has been doing something similar for a while, but on a much smaller scale.

But yeah, this is a great project.

 

[Gligar13]

Well, even though in Japan publishers have been putting up raw manga on their sites from past issues, it's still good news for people like me who don't understand Japanese.

 

[birdboy2000]

This is great. Especially as I'm running out of room for my manga collection.