"Really, my royalties have increased 4-5 times! Even when it isn't free, you all are reading it! I'm crying right now!"—Hika Mayama

The pirate manga site Mangamura was shut down in April and multiple police began investigating the site for criminal activity after Japanese publishers filed charges last year.

Since the site went down, manga artists are stating an increase in sales of their respective series, alleging more users are turning to legal means to read manga with its demise.

Sci-fi shōjo manga creator Toriko Gin wrote that electronic book sales of her series Kimi wo Shinasenai tame no Storia more than doubled after Mangamura went down. Shōjo romance manga creator Hika Mayama wrote, "Really, my royalties have increased 4-5 times! Even when it isn't free, you all are reading it! I'm crying right now!"

Light novel writer Akinori Satake, author of Gyaku Seichō Cheat de Sekai Saikyō , said his book sales have increased and added that individuals that argued they weren't buying what they could get for free and that pirate sites increase name recognition, at the end of the day, were just convenient assumptions.

Comedy manga artist Sakuya Amano ( Konohana Kitan , Eclair, Gosick ) commented that official comic websites for each publisher are actually getting more visitors. Serial Experiments Lain and NieA_7 character designer Yoshitoshi ABe seemed incredulous at the news while Shonen Onmyouji original creator Mitsuru Yuuki said this is good news for everyone that has purchased e-books properly and thanked buyers that buy both the electronic and paperback versions of their favorite works.

Publisher Shogakukan rolled out its newest initiative on June 4. The "NO! Piracy & Illegal Website" campaign seeks to eradicate the use of such websites by clearly posting announcements and ads for all of the company's magazines and digital media hubs. The idea is that by promoting these legal options, readers will participate in a movement to reject pirated copies and illegal manga websites.

Source: Anime! Anime! (仲瀬コウタロウ), BIGLOBE News via Yara-on!