According to Anime!Anime!, Kodansha and Japan’s top printing company Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) will purchase US manga licensor Vertical Inc. Kodansha and DNP will acquire 46.7% and 46.0% of Vertical’s stock shares, respectively. Vertical specialized in minor titles targeted at older demographics. The financial status of the company has been relatively stable despite the steep shrinkage of the manga market in the US. Kodansha has continually been behind its rivals Shueisha and Shogakukan, who dominate the US market with their subsidiary, VIZ Media. Kodansha has made inroads into North America by launching its US branch in 2008 and by taking over DelRey’s titles last October.
Source: Anime!Anime!
