Since its inception, Viz Media has never failed to provide the otaku community with the best content. The platform is currently one of the titans of the anime and manga industries. Whether it’s One Piece, Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, or Jujutsu Kaisen, Viz Media has consistently provided the best service to manga readers.
Furthermore, ever since the pandemic spread, the platform has always been there to quell people’s boredom with its frequent manga updates. Not only that but as manga’s popularity grows, more and more people are gravitating towards the platform, which offers a wide range of popular manga at a very reasonable price. However, according to recent reports, the platform plans to raise manga prices beginning in 2024, which has reportedly aroused the interest of many in the anime and manga industry.
Viz Media to increase its manga price post January 1, 2024
The prices of Viz Media’s manga will increase starting in January 2024, according to a recent report from ICv2, an online trade publication that covers geek culture for retailers. This is the first time in fifteen years that the premium platform has increased the price of its manga.
According to reports, the cost of a volume of the manga will increase from US$9.99 to US$11.99. However, it should be noted that some manga on the platform are already more expensive than US$11.99 per volume, such as Golden Kamuy, which is priced at US$12.99 per volume.
Furthermore, it is reported that the price increase will be applied to the new series as well as new volumes of the ongoing series. The last time the platform increased the cost of its Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat manga volumes was in 2009, from US$7.99 and US$8.99, respectively, to US$9.99.
Additionally, the new volumes of any manga that are planned for English releases after January 1, 2024, are now listed with an updated price on websites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
However, fans can breathe a sigh of relief since Viz Media’s updated price continues to undercut some of its competitors. The price of a single volume of manga, for instance, varies between US$12.99 and US$14.99 depending on the publisher (Kodansha USA Publishing, Yen Press, or Seven Seas Entertainment). However, for the time being, it is all that is known because the platform has not issued any official statements.
Nonetheless, the American entertainment company’s price increase appears genuine, and fans should be pleased that the platform is still committed to delivering content to the fandom. Because the price will be raised, the company will benefit from this strategic move.
However, given the price increase, it will be interesting to see if it will affect any of the platform’s sales, as it hosts a number of popular mangas such as Naruto, Bleach, Kimetsu No Yaiba: Demon Slayer, and many more.
Stay tuned for more anime and manga updates as 2023 progresses.
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