It appears that Kickstarter really is becoming an avenue for smaller publishers to get titles out there. Bento Books, a collection of veteran translators, is asking for $9,000 in order to translate and publish Math Girls, the manga adaptation of a light novel series by the same name. Bento Books previously published the first Math Girls novel in 2011.

Currently, the project is running until June 10th, and is at $4,028 -- certainly within feasibility of achieving their goal.

You know what would help, though? You helping to fund the project.

In the past, I've nudged you towards other Kickstarter projects as an alternative way for smaller publishers to thrive. Now it's possible for small groups with direct connections to artists to bring those works to the US in a legitimate manner. I don't mean to keep harping on this point, but it's making it possible to bring over just about any work now.

In the past, there was a boom and glut of manga titles -- things licensed on the hopes people would read them. Now, there may be an explosion of manga again in the Western market because people want to read them. That's a great thing.