Tokyopop Germany officially admitted in the forum that Kodansha refused to renew all the manga licenses including “Beck”, “Cromartie High School”, “School Rumble”, “Perfect Girl Evolution”, and “Jigoku Shoujo”. Tokyopop was surprised at Kodansha’s decision and urged them to reconsider but failed.
Kodansha established its US corporation last July and started manga business on its own in US. The termination of the contracts with Tokyopop Germany may be related to Kodansha’s new marketing strategy. Kodansha’s rival companies, Shuueisha and Shougakukan, succeeded in the manga business by running the subsidiary VIZ Media. It’s highly likely that Kodansha will expand the direct retailing of manga both in US and Europe.
Source: Tokyopop Germany Official Forum
Source: ICv2
Source: Anime!Anime!
Source: Anime!Anime!
