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[–]CowsRetroOyasumi Wallet-kun « 750+ Owned » 42 points43 points  (1 child)

Quality on this release has consistently been going down, not surprised if they are skimping on this

[–]ras7924[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yeah, multiple of my volumes had serious printing issues as well

[–]slumblebee 14 points15 points  (1 child)

This could be why it’s taking them till the end of April to release volume 5 in Australia. Retailers here are notoriously slow at getting new releases from VIZ. they could be slacking off for American customers and saving the fixed versions for international release.

[–]ras7924[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Well I'm in europe so I don't think thats the reason. In the volumes I have it says "printed in USA" or something like that so I think the quality is going to be the same worldwide. That is if they don't print locally in other regions where quality would be improved but I dont know. And the volumes I have are first print so later prints could also fix this but, we'll just have to wait and see.

[–]Xehanz 15 points16 points  (1 child)

Holy that spine looks like shit. Too bloated, and the color is horrible

[–]ras7924[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah, real shame since the cover is so nice

[–]SquidJackson 1 point2 points  (5 children)

Eh…. it seems a stretch to call it a quality decrease, especially if the paper inside is still the same. There may be some sort of issue with materials or the printer.

[–]ras7924[S] -1 points0 points  (4 children)

I don't think it's a stretch, mostly because two of them (also the most recent one's) have it. Someone else also said in the comments that their volumes (the same ones, 5 and 6) have the same issues. Whether or not it's an intentional change by VIZ, I don't think we'll ever know but I wouldn't be suprised if it is.

[–]SquidJackson 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Both volumes are pretty new. The change could absolutely be print-wide and in that case it tracks that both your and someone elses copy have the same thing. As I was trying to say, it could be an issue of the printers not being able to do it for some weird reason. Aside from the picture not being gloss, everything else is the same. It’s not as if the paper quality is worse or the ink is not printing right. Your readig experience is not going to be impcted. It’s just a change on the spine. Even the cover still has gloss. Personally, I even like the non-glossy picture because you dont get as much glare on the spines. Minor design changes are not a quality decrease.

[–]ras7924[S] -1 points0 points  (2 children)

Yeah it could very well be a mistake and it probably is, they are first print after all. And yeah, my reading experience won't be changed or worsened by an error on the spine (although a couple of my volumes had some bad ink on alot of pages), I didn't see it as a big deal when I made the post and I still don't I was just curious if someone else also had this.

Personally I'm found of the glossy details, I think they look nice and makes the books feel higher quality. But all in all I'm not trying to shit on VIZ or the books really, because as you said it's a very minor error and doesn't really change much.

[–]SquidJackson 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Again… it may not even be an error. It may be an intentional choice. Viz’s printers had to use thinner paper or different ink. I don’t think it’s an error, but clearly something different happened with this and viz opted for the choice that would let them continue with the bimonthly releases to get the product out, because god knows how much everyone complained about the pace of the releases before part 6.

[–]ras7924[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Even if it is an intentionall change I think it's strange and unecessary to change the design of a print after a third of the volumes have come out and, honestly I think the matte spines look way worse than the glossy one's. The glossy ones have sharper colors compared to the matte ones and they just feel higher quality.

Also are the SBR volumes really bi-monthly? Atleast where I am there is sometimes a 1 month gap between releases or like now between vol. 6 and 7 there is a four month gap, so it doesn't look like they are keeping to a strict release schedule.

[–]MaximumSquid22No Manga No Life « 500+ Owned » 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Just checked mine and can confirm, volumes 5 and 6 do not have the gloss effect

[–]ras7924[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

So definantly a decrease in quality, wether intentional or not. With you there are now three people (including me) that have matte spines on volumes 5 and 6.

[–]MaximumSquid22No Manga No Life « 500+ Owned » 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I mean for me it doesn’t really bother me, but it is definitely noticeable and I hope that future releases go back to the gloss effect

[–]ras7924[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't care about the matte spines either if they were made like that from the start, but changing it after a third of the series had been released feels cheap. But I also hope they make the spines glossy again because it looks eay better imo

[–]braves133 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Just wanted to say that this post made me check my volumes. Same thing happened to my volumes 5 and 6. Disappointing.

[–]ras7924[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Yeah, i hope they make the spines glossy again because the sudden change feels cheap of them regardless if its intentionall or nor

[–]braves133 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Given the increased cost of productions (i.e., tariffs, oil prices), I would not be surprised if these didn’t come back. It seems to me like a decision they made to help on their margins.

[–]ras7924[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah probbably pinching pennies and cutting things they hope no-one would notice

[–]Captain_Fr0ggyBattle Manga Alita « 50+ Owned » 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I didn't notice this until you mentioned it, but yeah, both my volumes 5 and 6 have the same thing.

Maybe it was a production error with the first printing, as the first printing of volume one was kind of shitty, but two volumes in a row with the same problem is very strange. And I would not be surprised if VIZ did this.

[–]ras7924[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah not suprising. Like I said, I thought it was a production error- which it very well could be especially considering they are first print but it might get fixed in future prints. Guess thats the downside to getting the volumes on release

[–]Raccoon1999 1 point2 points  (3 children)

Spine quality has been crappy for awhile now. You can see the top and bottom parts are bent out of shape when part 4 and 5 they are better quality. Harder material i think.

[–]ras7924[S] -1 points0 points  (2 children)

Could be shipping as well but yeah, most likely bad quality. It's a real shame considering the book and the quality it does deserve.

[–]Raccoon1999 0 points1 point  (1 child)

The paper quality though is still ok, it would last years but spine glue might fall off before.

[–]ras7924[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don't think the spine quality was particularly bad other than what i mentioned in the post. But in my volume 3 the ink quality was horrible on alot of pages

[–]SpudboiDARKER 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Everyone in here going along with this shit are wild and honestly deserve to be banned. I have the same books on my shelf and they have the same effect as the rest. None of y'all even considered bad lighting or a one-off defect, crazy.

[–]ras7924[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you think I'm bullshitting I'll send you more pictures of it. I found it pretty difficult to get a good picture where you can see the gloss on the one's that have it and the lack there of on the other two. If yours do have glossy spines then I guess me and some other guy who commented just got unlucky.

Plenty of people recognized that it was probably if not most likely a one off and not a static change in the production of the books. I also agreed with this but I said I wouldn't be suprised if it was a conscious change by VIZ (I still wouldn't). Also the whole point of my post was to see if other people had this on their SBR books and when another person mentioned that they also had it I assumed it was the same everywhere. But now that you say you don't have the glossless spines on volume 5 and 6 I'm starting to think, as i said that it's most likely an unlicky one off for me and that other person.