Back when TokyoPop announced their restructuring and layoffs, they mentioned that their new direction would include more focus on their digital distribution channels. One of those channels is what they call iManga. I actually hadn’t even heard of their iManga efforts until I read that press release, so I went over to their Youtube channel to see what all the fuss was about.

The iManga are like a cross between video and comics. They include full voiceovers from actors that do a passable job (about as decent as your usual English dub). The main difference is that instead of full animation they used clipped still art from the manga and animate them with a variety of effects like pan and blur and zoom. I suppose it’s a neat middle ground where they can get some of the benefits of animation but with only a fraction of the work.

Their best iManga is for their popular Bizenghast OEL manga. The storyline takes place in the sleepy town of Bizenghast, where a young girl named Dinah suffers from fits of hysteria. The conflict of the story starts out with Dinah and her loved ones trying to figure out if she’s delusional or actually seeing ghosts.

I’ve included episode 1 here. What do you think about it? Clever idea or just a waste of time? If you want to see more you can go to their YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/tokyopoptv

Technorati Tags: TokyoPop, iManga, Bizenghast

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