Manga artist buys 1,000 copies of her already cancelled manga

Manga artist Kajimoto Reika has spent 880,000 yen —around 40,000 yuan, according to the conversion in the original report— buying 1,000 copies of the first volume of her manga 贋作の第十番 (Gansaku no Daijūban). She did so after announcing the series had been cancelled and that the second volume would only be released digitally. The author herself told the story on her X account, with a post accompanied by a heart emoji.

The purchase was made in 10 installments, a detail that has drawn as much attention as the spending itself. It is not common for an author to openly announce that they are buying their own work, let alone in those quantities. In Japan, 1,000 copies is often mentioned as the line that determines whether a print edition is viable, but making it public exposes the strategy.

Manga artist Kajimoto Reika talks about spending 880,000 yen on buying 1,000 copies of her own manga.user.guancha.cn

Some readers have interpreted the gesture as an attempt to generate conversation around the manga and attract buyers out of curiosity. However, the stir has not translated into a great deal of interest in the work. The discussion has focused more on how peculiar the operation is than on the manga's content.

Not her first cancellation

Kajimoto had already announced the cancellation of 贋作の第十番 in late September. Before this series, another of her works was cancelled when it had reached its fourth volume. On that occasion, the author paid out of her own pocket for the production of the fifth volume so she could finish it.

The situation reflects the pressure of the Japanese publishing market, where series that do not sell enough are cancelled quickly. Kajimoto has opted for unconventional measures to try to keep her works alive, although in this case the cancellation had already been decided before the bulk purchase.

Stacked boxes with copies of the manga bought by the author herself.user.guancha.cn

The news leaves a bittersweet picture: an author investing her money in copies of an already cancelled series, hoping the gesture will amount to something more than boxes piling up at home. For now, there are no signs the publisher will reverse the decision.

What do you think of Kajimoto's move? Do you think this kind of action can save a manga or does it just delay the inevitable? I'll read you in the comments.