Several scanlations have shut down their sites to help the manga industry. Mangarocks, one of the biggest scanlations sites, took the first step and shut down their site after a decade of providing scanlations to thousands of fans all around the world in September 2019. The step was welcomed by the manga industry.
Why did Mangastream And Jaiminisbox shutdown?
Just like Mangarocks, Mangastream And Jaiminisbox have been the source of scanlations of the various manga. But both the sites have the suit of Mangarocks and shut down their sites. On 19th December 2019, Mangastream was taken off of the internet for illegally scanning and translating the pages of the manga before the official release. Mangastream has stopped working altogether but Jaiminisbox has given up their work on Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. Jaiminisbox took the step themselves to avoid unnecessary trouble and suspension.
So, it is obvious that fans will not be able to enjoy reading their favorite manga from the biggest online sources. The sites have announced that the main purpose of the shutdown is to help the manga industry and to give way to a new era of free access to legal digital copies of manga. These famous manga sites have expressed their desire that they want to give way to legal scanlation platforms. A part of Mangastream’s announcement reads,
“The idea is to let this turn of the decade change the scanlation scene, hoping services like MangaPlus (MP) can grow and put out more free content. Giving way to a new era of scanlation, fueled by the wills and wants of manga fans that want a free, accessible and legal alternative that supports the mangaka. We hope that this will improve the quality of both the scans and translations that MP offers (only time will tell).”
Jaminisbox has stated that they will stop working on Weekly Shonen Jump and would narrow down their focus to their Webtoons and other series from different magazines. The projects most affected by the shutdown include the bestselling manga of the decade, One Piece. Also included in the list are Black Clover, My Hero Academia, Dr. Stone, Dr. Stone Reboot, Samurai 8, We Can’t Study, The Promised Neverland, and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Is shutting down the right thing to do?
The majority of the global manga community has wholeheartedly embraced the decision and gave a positive response to the decision of these sites. However, some of the fans can not help but feel that this might not be the right thing to do. While a lot of fans pay fees and legally access their favorite manga, this move might open a new era of piracy and may adversely affect the manga industry. Manga Plus and Viz Media are officially responsible for the release and distribution of manga, but their services have been questionable. While Viz Media might be a bit tolerable, Manga Plus is a big no for the manga fans.
Alternatives to Mangastream and Jaiminisbox:
Fans might be wondering where they can read their favorite manga now. The best alternative to Mangastream and Jaiminisbox are the following sites, where you can read your favorite manga legally:
- Mangaplus
- Viz
- Mangabox
- Comicwalker
Fans can also download the apps for quicker access to their favorite manga and enjoy the world of manga freely.
