Thoughts on Bilibili Comics' Shutdown, Legal Digital Comic Platforms, and Digital Media
On January 24, Bilibili Comics (international), which legally hosted and translated Chinese comics (manhua) from Chinese to English, announced that it's shutting down on February 29. The link is from Twitter because the announcement only appeared on the website's desktop version, while its official Twitter account has been inactive for a while. This announcement came as a shock to everyone.
I don't read a lot of manhua there, but I'm also shocked and saddened by this announcement. I have plenty of thoughts about it: how this is a HUGE blow to the accessibility of legal digital comic platforms to deter piracy, and the transient nature of digital media nowadays, with an example of how one of my favorite manhua vanished from Bilibili Comics.
The Accessibility of Legal Digital Comic Platforms
(Note: while I call it comic, I'm mostly referring to Japanese, Chinese, and Korean comics – manga, manhua, and manhwa – here, as they're the ones I know the most.)
“Piracy is a service problem” is a quote that's been around for years, and even now, it's still being thrown around. Personally, I see truth in it, because I experienced it myself. A lot of people, including me, will gladly pay for legal media platforms that are easily accessible and easy to use, but it's not always an option. Even in this day and age, region block on certain media exist, deterring me from consuming what I want legally. “Just use VPN”, one might say, but it's not that easy for a lot of people and sometimes it's not even an option. And so, if the platform is easily available and accessible, it deters people from doing piracy. After all, why would you pirate when you can easily access it, other than monetary issues?
From my point of view, legal digital comics for international readers progressed far slower than TV series or movies that Netflix dabbles in. The first one to took the initiative was manhwa publishers, like Naver Webtoon with its LINE Webtoon website and app. Then came Kakao Entertainment with KakaoPage, which then changed to Kakao Webtoon outside South Korea (though English speakers recognize it as Tapas instead, as Kakao Entertainment bought it).
It took longer for manga publishers to follow suit, and some of them aren't available globally, like VIZ Manga, Alpha Manga (Alpha Pholis), and K Manga (Kodansha). In fact, I consider my fist true foray into digital manga platform beyond Bookwalker (an e-book storefront) to be Manga UP! (Square Enix), which is less than 2 years old. Contrast that with LINE Webtoon and Kakao Webtoon/Tapas which had existed for god knows how many years now and are available globally. Not to mention the limited library for certain platforms. For instance, it's nice how cheap and easily accessible Manga Plus is, but I'm only interested in and follow a few select titles.
Despite all of the above – the slow progress and limited library – I am very happy with the progress in making comics legally more easily accessible for everyone. Progress is still a progress and must be celebrated. Bilibili Comics shutting down is a HUGE blow to this progress. We took a step forward and then went backwards. I know a few legal manga platforms, I'm sure manhwa platforms will continue to persist, but manhua? I don't know if there's anything else as big as Bilibili Comics. I admit I don't go there often, but I'd consider Bilibili to be a quite big brand, so this is alarming.
A few other platforms, such Comikey and INKR Comics, also have manhua titles, but the number is not on par with Bilibili Comics. After it shuts down, where do the manhua readers go to read their manhua legally? And where do these manhua go?
The Transient Nature of Digital Media
That brings us to: the transient nature of digital media. I'm sure plenty of people know about lost media. This term is often applied to audiovisual media (TV, movies, and games), but undoubtedly, comics are included, too. The primarily digital nature of some types of comics, mainly manhwa and manhua, raised the possibility of these comics to become lost media. Perhaps you've heard about Netflix suddenly removing a TV series or a movie from its platform – this is similar to that.
In its closure announcement, Bilibili Comics said “Our Digital Content (such as comics) will continue to be available until 13:59 PM (Singapore time) 29 February, 2024, except for Digital Content which had been specifically requested to be removed by the relevant copyright holder”. Manga UP! also said:
This means that the comics you've read and even paid for can disappear completely. You may lose access to them – everything you've read and even paid for – and there will be zero compensation. This is the reality of our current digital media landscape filled with subscriptions and “points” system, in which we rent something. There is a saying. “Nowadays, we don't own anything.” With no way to own the media itself, we will eventually lose access to it, maybe forever. Even if it's not removed, the platform itself may shut down and take it down with the platform, like in Bilibili Comics' case.
In relation to lost media, at the very least, it'd be great if there is a physical version. But if not, then it'd be lost forever. Perhaps the original work still exists in its country of origin, but the translated version will most likely disappear to the void. The translators' hard work is thrown out of the window and there will be no future readers overseas. I found that very saddening.
This is what I meant by the “transient” nature of digital media. It's fleeting because it can be taken away from us so easily, at a moment's notice, and we might never see it again.
In a real example, I'll present you one of my favorite manhua that suddenly disappeared from Bilibili Comics long before its shutdown: “I'm Just a Side Character in a Dating Simulation”.
I know, the title might give off a trashy harem romantic-comedy vibes. I initially thought the same as well, but it's actually much better than that! Beneath its comedic, fun, colorful, and somewhat genre savvy (regarding dating simulation game) exterior, it tells the story of complex characters who are more than just mere characters programmed in a game. Although there are hints here and there, the direction it went to pleasantly surprised me, immediately shot it up in my list. Just when the real story is about to begin, it abruptly ended. That's right – it got axed or cancelled, the author and artist said as much.
I'm very sad about that. I've gone through several cancellations already, but this one has to be one of the most painful because it was just getting started. The author clearly had more to say, but it got cut short way to soon. Even worse, it suddenly vanished from Bilibili Comics. I don't know how long it took from the cancellation to the disappearance, but one day, when I went to check it, it's already gone from the website and app.
I don't know why it got removed from Bilibili Comics. Perhaps because it already ended, perhaps because it got cancelled, or perhaps it's the IP holders' decision. Either way, the result is all the same – I can no longer read it and I can't recommend it to others because it might as well be a lost media at this point. It makes me sad that I can't read it again and that there will be no more readers who will appreciate the creators' hard work.
Likewise, the manhua in Bilibili Comics that aren't available elsewhere outside China will meet the same fate when the platform shuts down. They may never see the light of the day again through legal means, unless they get re-licensed. The chances may be slim, but here's hoping some of these manhua get re-licensed!
There are more things I can say, especially about piracy, the affordability of legal digital comic platforms, and even ranting about how we don't own things anymore, but that is beyond the scope of this post. For now, that is all I want to say.