Japan’s biggest cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo and major publisher Shueisha have teamed up and plan to launch an e-manga delivery service for cell phones in Europe. Dubbed Manga Mode and launched yesterday, the service already lets manga enthusiasts in France choose between about ten different titles.
Certainly the manga with the biggest potential is Dragon Ball, one of the most successful comic series ever made. Other hit manga in the line-up include Death Note and Naruto.
Offered through a subcription model, the titles (which will be translated versions of the Japanese originals) will be priced between $1.50 and $7 monthly. The manga viewing software was developed by Sharp and Tokyo-based Celsys, a pioneer in that field.
DoCoMo says France, where the number of manga lovers is particularly high, is just the beginning and that more countries are targeted for Manga Mode in the near future.
Serkan Toto