Kodansha USA

Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC is a publishing company based in New York, US, and a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing company Kodansha. Established in July 2008,[3] Kodansha USA publishes books relating to Japan, Japanese culture, and manga, the latter under their Kodansha Manga imprint (formerly Kodansha Comics).

Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC
Parent companyKodansha
StatusActive
FoundedJuly 2008 (2008-07)
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationNew York, New York
DistributionPenguin Random House Publisher Services (US)[1]
Turnaround Publisher Services (UK)[2]
Key peopleAlvin Lu (President & CEO)
Takashi Sakuda (COO)
Publication types
Nonfiction topics
  • Japan
  • Japanese culture
ImprintsKodansha Comics
Vertical
Official websitekodansha.us

In 2020, Kodansha announced that it had consolidated Kodansha Advanced Media and Vertical into Kodansha USA Publishing, with Kodansha Advanced Media general manager Alvin Lu becoming the President and CEO of Kodansha USA Publishing.[4][5]

On March 9, 2021, Kodansha USA Publishing announced it had rebranded and relaunched its website, and unified Kodansha Comics, Kodansha USA International, and Vertical under the Kodansha name, and Kodansha Comics being renamed Kodansha Manga.[6]

Kodansha Comics

Kodansha Comics is an imprint of Kodansha USA Publishing who are responsible for the localization and publication of Kodansha manga. Established in 2009, the imprint was established to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Kodansha.[7] The imprint's launching titles were Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow and Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, both of which were previously published in English by Dark Horse Comics.[8]

Kodansha Comics later began to acquire series that were previously published by Tokyopop, after their licenses were made to expire by Kodansha.[9] Although bearing the Kodansha name, Kodansha Comics was not intended to be the sole distributor of Kodansha titles, with Del Rey Manga publishing many of Kodansha's titles until the company was shut down in 2010.[7] After the shut down of Del Rey Manga on October 4, 2010, Kodansha Comics gradually began to publish some Del Rey Manga titles, with Random House acting as the distributor for the imprint.[10][11]

Vertical
Main article: Vertical (publisher)

Vertical is a Japanese novel and manga imprint of Kodansha USA Publishing. Founded in 2001 by Hiroki Sakai, in February 2011, the company was bought by Kodansha (46.7%) and Dai Nippon Printing (46.0%).[12] The company was consolidated into Kodansha USA Publishing in 2020.[4][5]

Kodansha Advanced Media
Kodansha Advanced Media, LLC
TypeLimited liability company
FoundedDecember 4, 2014 (2014-12-04)
DefunctJuly 1, 2019 (2019-07-01)[13]
FateMerged into Kodansha USA Publishing
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
,
United States
Key people
Hiroaki Morita (President and CEO)
Alvin Lu (General manager)
ProductsDigital manga distribution
OwnerKodansha
Digital Garage (19%)[14]
ParentKodansha
Websitekodanshacomics.com

Kodansha Advanced Media, LLC was an American distribution company, based in San Francisco, and established on December 4, 2014. The company was a subsidiary of Kodansha, and a sister company of Kodansha USA Publishing. Kodansha Advanced Media handled the digital distribution of Kodansha Comics manga, as well as digital distribution of select Vertical titles. Kodansha Advanced Media also maintained the Kodansha Comics website.[15]

Kodansha Advanced Media was established in 2014 with funding from Kodansha USA Publishing in order to handle the digital distribution of Kodansha Comics' manga titles in English. In February 2015, Kodansha and Digital Garage announced a joint venture to distribute manga digitally in North America, establishing a Japanese-based joint venture company to invest in digital distribution services, and using Kodansha Advanced Media to distribute manga via websites and smartphone apps.[14] Kodansha Advanced Media is also responsible for handling film releases and events,[14] and in 2015, were responsible for releasing an app for Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches for English-speaking audiences.[16]

In response to piracy, Kodansha Advanced Media simul-translated and simul-published Kodansha Comics titles,[17] as well as released certain titles on digital platforms prior to physical printing.[18] In December 2015, Kodansha Advanced Media announced that they had made Kodansha Comics titles available in North American public libraries digitally through OverDrive.[19]

References
  1. Current Clients Penguin Random House Publisher Services
  2. "Publishers Representatives | Publishers Distributors". Turnaround Publisher Services. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  3. "Kodansha To Publish, Sell Manga In U.S. In September". Anime News Network. July 1, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  4. Reid, Calvin (January 22, 2020). "Lu Named Kodansha USA Publishing President and CEO Under Restructuring". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  5. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (January 23, 2020). "Vertical, Kodansha Advanced Media Consolidate Under Kodansha USA". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  6. "Welcome to the Brand New Kodansha.us". Kodansha USA Publishing. March 9, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  7. Reid, Calvin (October 5, 2009). "Kodansha Sets Up to Publish Manga in U.S." Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  8. "Kodansha Confirms Plans To Publisher Manga In U.S." Anime News Network. October 5, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  9. "Tokyopop Confirms Its Kodansha Manga Licenses Have Ended (Update 3)". Anime News Network. September 1, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  10. "Kodansha USA To Take Over Del Rey Titles". Anime News Network. October 4, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  11. "Kodansha USA Has No Plans to Rescue Any More Del Rey Titles". Anime News Network. May 6, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  12. "Kodansha, Dai Nippon Printing Buy Vertical (Updated) - News". Anime News Network. February 23, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  13. Certificate of Merger (201433910077), State of California Secretary of State, June 27, 2019, retrieved January 26, 2020
  14. Ressler, Karen (February 21, 2015). "Kodansha Teams With Digital Garage for N. American Digital Manga Distribution". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  15. "Kodansha Advanced Media LLC Terms of Use". Kodansha Comics. Archived from the original on June 15, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  16. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 17, 2015). "Crunchyroll, Anime Expo to Host Yamada-Kun & the 7 Witches Creator Miki Yoshikawa". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  17. Aoki, Deb (September 15, 2015). "Interview: Kodansha Advanced Media on the Future of Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  18. Aoki, Deb (September 15, 2015). "Interview: Kodansha Advanced Media on the Future of Manga Part II". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  19. Ressler, Karen (December 2, 2015). "Kodansha Comics to Offer Manga eBooks in N. American Public Libraries". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
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