Covid-19 isn’t done messing with our weeb lives, as a pandemic-fuelled paper shortage could lead to a manga and doujin shortage this Christmas.
The coronavirus pandemic has canceled conventions, slowed anime production, and kept us home with our waifu collections. It has also had a huge impact on the shipping of our favorite otaku things. Now, as 2021 rolls into the Christmas season, a paper shortage could impact the availability of doujinshi, manga, and related books.
Pulp and Your Fiction
According to a report released by printing company Sheridan, the price of wood pulp — used for making paper — has spiked dramatically over the past year and a half. This problem is exacerbated by many other factors, including higher chemical prices and the shutting down of many paper mills. Undoubtedly, the corona curveball has upset the industry, and paper mills have had to adapt or die. According to the report, it may take some time for the industry to stabilize again.
This is just one side of the supply chain that works hard to turn your most erotic wet dreams into doujinshi-sized reality, and everybody’s struggling. Once those books are ready, they still need to be shipped, and this, according to Vox, is another hurdle, with massive delays in shipping and in the clearing of stock once it reaches port.
This long list of woes could make it harder and harder to buy books, as demand soars among fans preparing to spend Christmas at home. After all, what else are you going to do with all that time on your hands? Wink wink, nudge nudge.
A Dry Supply
It’s possible that there’s sufficient stock in production, already printed, waiting in warehouses, or sitting in customs to meet the Christmas demand. Once that’s done though, the real doujin drought could set in.
Fortunately, we have many doujinshi in stock, already printed and waiting. I’m more worried about a new wave of hysterical toilet paper hoarding and the return of the “three seashells” meme.
