Danica Davidson
February 6, 2025 
Ken Akamatsu’s digital service Manga Library Z (a.k.a. Manga Toshokan Z) is turning to crowdfunding as a possible way to return. Otaku USA readers might recall that the manga site, which legally offered free and rare online manga, shuttered in November because Western credit card companies refused to work with it. The credit card companies took offense to that fact that some of Manga Library Z’s titles include ones aimed for adults, including some controversial stuff.
Akamatsu, who is both a mangaka and a politician, talks a lot about creative freedom, and he feels that what the credit card companies are doing is limiting that freedom. Crowdfunding and becoming a nonprofit were two ways suggested for bringing back the site, and now the former is being implemented. The company’s social media name even changed to Manga Toshokan Z Will Return (Kaette Kuru Manga Toshokan Z in the original Japanese).
The crowdfunding campaign hopes to earn 3 million yen (approximately $20,000), which it thinks will be enough to get the site up and running again. As of this writing, it’s made 3,138,555 yen and 326 people have donated. The site, which is in Japanese, can be found here. People can donate until April.
Late last year, Head of Product Asia Pacific at Visa Cietan Kitney was at a briefing about Visa in Osaka when he noted that sometimes the company refuses to purchase legal merchandise to “protect the brand.”
Other sites that have had some payment services pulled from them include Manga Planet, pictSPACE, Fantia, Fanza, Nico Nico, Melonbooks and Toranoana.
Akamatsu previously stated, “The next request from card brands [after removing explicit material] could be to ban novels or violent scenes altogether. Some say Japan should comply with the global standards. … But if Japanese content becomes too globalized and loses its unique charm, it will also lose its appeal and demand from overseas.”
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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