Quote:Let's accept the premise that the free scanlation sold you on Manga X (Negima, FMA, whatever) like has been brought up in this thread. Okay, you're sold now. You like Manga X enough to purchase the official releases. Why are you continuing to read the scanlations? The official releases are coming out because you are buying them. Would you stop buying the official releases because you couldn't read the latest scanlations?
Because the scanslations keep pace with the Japanese language releases, and the official English language ones do not, often by a difference of months or years - several volumes worth, at the least. Because, loving and being engaged with the story, we want to keep track, to keep pace - to read more.
And, at least personally, because I've yet to see what I consider a credible demonstration of harm resulting from the practice.
Quote:Your argument is that "free samples produce interest" which is true but meaningless. Once again, what you can do is encourage the NA published to provide free samples if you like them that much. Seriously, it works. It IS working. Funimation has all of FMA: Brotherhood, Soul Eater and other anime available for free. The industry is listening. If you support the official releases and don't leap to the pirates they can and do change their ways.
I don't go out and randomly suck down everything I can reach. I hear or read about something interesting, and track down an example. Occaisionally this has been legitimately available - Soukyou no Strain is the example that leaps to mind - but for the most part, it's not. Perhaps there've been cases where my searching has simply led me to pirate sources first - it wouldn't surprise me.
Given that the ultimate result - my viewing and evaluating the material for later purchase once my cash flow opens up - is the same, I can't say I consider the difference worth expending energy over.
Quote:Learn Japanese then? Or (shocking!) wait for the official English-version release.
First presuming that there is and will be one, of course. Or that the degree of effort and money required for Japanese instruction is rated as less troublesome than doing without the reading material in question.
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"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."