VIZ Media, one of the leading publishers of manga in North America, will be raising the prices of its manga volumes for the first time in 15 years, as reported by ICv2.
The new prices will be implemented from 2024. The MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) for both new series and new volumes of ongoing series will increase from $9.99 to $11.99, as indicated by listings on various e-commerce sites.
According to Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites, popular Shonen Jump titles such as My Hero Academia and others are already reflecting the updated price structure for new volumes set to release in 2024.
For instance MHA Volume 36 is currently listed at $9.99 for its December 2023 release, while the subsequent Volume 37, slated for a March 2024 launch, is priced at $11.99.
However, even with the increase in price, VIZ Media’s manga volumes are still priced lower than any other manga publishers.
Publishers such as Kodansha Comics charge $12.99 for standard volumes, while Yen Press charges $13.00. Titles from Seven Seas Entertainment range from $12.99 to $14.99.
VIZ Media had last raised the prices for Shonen Jump and Shoujo Beat manga volumes in 2009 from $7.99 and $8.99 respectively to $9.99.
VIZ Media LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is owned by Japanese publishing conglomerates Shueisha and Shogakukan, as well as Japanese production company Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (ShoPro).
Source: ICv2
