What bothers me about articles such as this one written by Kuriosity's Lissa Pattillo is she is placing all the blame for the downward spiral of manga squarely on the shoulders of the fans. Want to read manga? Learn Japanese. Want to own manga? Import from Japan. These are all great suggestions but they're very much detached from reality. The majority of individuals don't have time to invest into learning a foreign language just to enjoy a leisure activity and despite her skewed facts the majority of people do not have the money to import manga from Japan.
However, people are more than willing to pay for entertainment if they believe it's worth it. Sita Sings the Blues is a great example of how fans will clamor behind a product they like. Even though Sita was free to the public the creator, Nina Paley, made a fifty-five-thousand dollar profit. Paley embraced the internet and in turn was rewarded. Such an acceptance of the internet has yet to happen within the corporate world of manga. There's no Netflix for manga. But maybe the aggregator's have shown companies there is a need for a similar service for manga fans.
I believe, for the most part, the fans have done their part. We've shouted loud and clear, "we want this". Now it's up to the companies to provide. If they don't, we'll find our own way. People such as Lissa may point their fingers and cry "thief", but I'll sleep soundly tonight regardless.
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