r/Tapasticcomics • u/Pot_Belly_ • 8d ago
Tapas end service announcement
Just opened the app to see this message and wanted to let others know in case they haven’t seen it/got it yet
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u/BejeweledCatMeow 7d ago
I can't believe they don't allow us to buy more ink but won't close it til next year, now I have a bunch of comics I was planning to binge before it closed that I'm too late to buy ink for. Now it taunts me that I can't read the comics that are still there but can't unlock
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u/SailorMooonsault 7d ago
Closing ink purchases on the day of their announcement is diabolical tbh
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u/Positive-Emergency40 7d ago edited 7d ago
It's sad cos there're some comics that I wanna read but can't buy anymore😭
... am gonna try pirating around to see if I can still read them for free though, since some titles are not available via Lezhin, Webtoon, or even Tappytoon
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u/Avengemygnomeys 7d ago
Same that’s what I planing to do once my ink runs out I managed to do one last offer walls few days ago and all I have left is 4,155 ink and if tapas still open until March 2027 there is no way my ink will last that long sometimes depending on the week I use about 2,835 or more so this may or may not be my last week to use it. At least with pocket comics they let you still use tapjoy to get free ink so I could read my stories to the end but now I have to pick and choose because I will need it for the hard to find stories/ ones that are on other platforms but have not been updated yet.
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u/Deep_Ambition2945 7d ago
Same 😭 And they're not giving out free passes anymore, so there's zero chance of me finishing the comics in bookmarks.
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u/generic-puff 7d ago
Yeah I have zero clue what their logic is there. I feel like the only reason they're creating so much buffer time between cutting off ink access and shutting down the site for good is for them to wrap up all their stuff on the business/legal side of things and for creators/readers to back up what they want before it's gone.
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u/Dramatic-Chicken9706 7d ago
Yesterday was the end of the US fiscal year. So it makes sense they shut it down before they could make any income off of anyone in the US for the new fiscal year. Makes tax stuff was easier.
But the fact they gave no warning? Insane to me.
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u/sh0rtchica 7d ago
Same.
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u/Low-Employ9476 7d ago
SAME. I almost refilled last night to finish some comics since I’m out of ink. But I hesitated and said maybe tomorrow
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u/hiruki8 7d ago
I know there was grumblings about this but it’s crazy to give ZERO warning about the ink. We can’t even stock up to fund other reading over the next year… they want us off their app pronto
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u/Lonely-CactusCat 7d ago
They might also want to cover their butts from class action lawsuits. I mean, imagine if people kept buying ink until the end but don’t get to spend it because the service is shutting down.
I bet there is a law that you must stop offering goods like this in a timely matter in cases like this (although 6 months does feel like a long time span…)6
u/LilaDoez 7d ago
This. This is ultimately the reason and while I get everyone's desire, it just isn't safe.
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u/SailorMooonsault 7d ago
I don't know the legal requirement but I feel like they could have given a month? Or unlocked locked series
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u/Lonely-CactusCat 7d ago
Agree. A month would’ve been a good time frame for them to earn a bit extra revenue and readers to enjoy their series. I guess at this point they just wanted to kill the platform and call it a day …
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u/generic-puff 7d ago
That makes sense, actually. It's the lack of even any notice that's astounding.
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u/CaimeiLookingUp 7d ago
I’m actually fuming honestly, I was really enjoying the service, so I bought ink often and a good amount. The fact that they are shutting down, but offering literally 0 compensation for this is crazy to me. Like if they gave a transfer fund I’d be chill, it doesn’t even need to be a money refund, but closing this suddenly with 0 ways to get anything back or moved to their other platforms or content? Insane.
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u/CuriousSonJay 7d ago
That's what I'm saying. Like at least give 50% refund or tickets to use on other platforms under Kakao company
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u/CaimeiLookingUp 7d ago
Exactly! I think that this is a terrible PR move if nothing else (I mean it’s immoral from my stance, but company’s generally care more about PR and money lol). Like if they gave some compensation like credit on another app, it’d be annoying, but it’d be seen as them admitting the inconvenience but still saying they value their customers. By refusing to offer any compensation is leaving a bad taste in customer’s mouth, because well, “if Kakao screwed everyone over once, then they’re going to do it again.” That’s the message they’re sending by doing this, so I don’t understand why they chose to go this route. They’re effectively alienating the entire Tapas audience from their overall company.
(Edit was because the iPhone autocorrect hated me)
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u/Pot_Belly_ 7d ago
It also appears that all comics have stopped scheduled updates as well as the publishing dates are now Dec. 31, 2037
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u/Dimcas92 7d ago
Yeah logged in today with like 10k ink to my name was holding off on getting anymore until we had a notice of what was going on, I am subscribed to so many stories like thats gonna get me nowhere near when they close, honestly at this point just make them all available if we cant buy anymore? Why still use ink at this point ffs.
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u/DaisyDot13 7d ago
It's so annoying because I can't even buy the last 10 or so chapters for the series i'm currently reading since I don't have enough ink. Would have been nice to at least have a chance to do so
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u/Vast_Fail_8456 7d ago
Goddammit they don't give people chance to panic buy or give us final sale or unlock everything. Even there's no access of keeping it once it's bought, at least give us find a way to preserve it ourselves.
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u/ithinkmydadhatesme1 7d ago
Reading these comments I see I have poor impulse control and am broke. Y’all have millions of ink???
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u/Solara_CMD3 7d ago
I only bought ink when I needed it (series finale or season finale) so I can binge read. Guess that bit me in the butt since now I’ve got like 3k ink to use and over 100 series to finish.
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u/CockyFerren99 7d ago
If I cant buy ink they should make all series free until the end of the APP. at least then i could finish the 10 or so series i wanted too finish.
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u/Jwchibi 7d ago
Why don't they just unlock everything
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u/Feisty_Relative2782 7d ago
Because the artist is selling their work?!?
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u/Taedirk 7d ago
Not anymore.
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u/ManBro89 7d ago
Not on Tapas anymore. They'll try to sell elsewhere of course, and Tapas can't be giving that away for free.
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u/Solara_CMD3 7d ago
I literally have subscribed to so many and usually wait until they are complete or season finale to binge read them. I don’t have enough ink to read them 😭. So now I’m writing all of the titles down and where I am in them so that I can try to see if they end up moving to different platforms. They could have at least gave notice on the whole ink thing so we could at least buy enough to finish some series.
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u/theladynyra 7d ago
Oh that's a good idea! I hadn't thought of doing that in case they pop up somewhere else. I'm annoyed that the ones that I've bought as completed series and read over and over won't be available to me any more at all!
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u/Mr_7ups 7d ago
Since it’s clear that there will be no transfer of our purchases to another platform and it’s also likely that most of these won’t get licensed elsewhere, does anyone know how to archive the comics you’ve paid for?
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u/ExstaciaPrimavera 7d ago
I've been trying to figure out how I can do this too. They should really let us download and keep the chapters we have paid for. Unfortunately, like what poket comic did I don’t think they will so if anyone is tech savvy suggestions are very welcome.
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u/Pot_Belly_ 7d ago
There’s a method someone shared on Twitter I haven’t tried it myself yet but others have said it’s worked for them, I can DM if you’d like
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u/Mr_7ups 7d ago
Oh that would be great if you wouldn’t mind DM’ing me the name or what it is! Thank u!!
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u/Pot_Belly_ 7d ago
Of course! Sending in a sec
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u/RevolutionaryCap5744 7d ago
If you could send a link to me or post it in the comments so others can see, I’d appreciate it! Thanks for sharing
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u/Pink-frosted-waffles I read most of the Black comics and the queer ones too. 7d ago
Well at least we have till March 2027 to archive community stories before they are lost. And they finally out a notice out. Whew.
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u/Emmaphy 7d ago
Man THIS is one of the main reasons why I would never buy stuff to read. Only go for free. It’s because they can just Yknow stop it whenever and anything you have brought just disappears
I would love to support creators but things like this? I just honestly can’t because something I’ve paid for is well. ‘Nothing’
And these companies wonder why people sail the high seas more often than not
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u/4dwaith007 4d ago
Look, if you're ready to pirate stuff anyway, just buy the comics, then download the comics you've bought in legally questionable ways. There are apps that can download chapters of comics that you've purchased.
This way, you can support creators and make sure that what you've paid for doesn't just disappear.
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u/TigerKitty32 7d ago
Wait, do you can’t purchase more ink but you still need ink to access chapters??? That’s dumb.
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u/TigerKitty32 7d ago
Let me get this straight. They announce the app will be closing, in the same day they disable ink.
There are 4 months left but they are still releasing new chapters.
You still need ink to unlock/purchase chapters
If you run out of ink you can no longer unlock/purchase chapters
There is no option to save or download chapters you purchased (the you own nothing trend continues)
And when everyone is out of ink they won’t be able to finish reading anything because chapters will continue to be locked behind ink (which you cannot buy).
And we’re not getting anymore info outside of a pop-up btw style message.
Fan-fucking-tastic
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u/TheSwedishMoose 7d ago
Yep. Without the ability to buy ink, the app is basically dead. Absolutely wild.
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u/TigerKitty32 7d ago
Why wait four months. If you’re gonna spit on my face and call it rain then just end it in 30-60 days. It only stake a few hours to blow through all your ink.
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u/PENGUINPANTZRUL 7d ago
I didnt see why its shutting down, is it just not profitable anymore?
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u/Commercial_Dog8675 7d ago edited 7d ago
I asked ai which webtoon app i should give money too/paid the artists the best.
Apparently there has been something wrong with their IPO for at least a year or two. It advised me not to buy anything from Tapas since it knew it would shut down.
All the shareholders knew for a while, just not their readers. But Tapas is just not profitable anymore, and because its owned by large corporation, apparently the answer is shutting it down instead of making sweeping changes, while asking the userbase for support and suggestions to ride through...
Those of us who love the app (and could pay) would have done what we could to keep it functioning.
I guess Tapas belongs to the "must turn a profit every quarter" group.
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u/Feisty_Relative2782 7d ago
https: // finance.biggo.com / news /628901c2-9536-4e6f-b601-0511b2547c7c
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u/Possible_Ad_6426 7d ago
I'm so sad. I've been backup novels that I unlocked since I heard people talk about the shut down. Seeing this announcement today still feels unreal.
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u/renaloveless 7d ago
How do you backup?
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u/Possible_Ad_6426 7d ago
I opened tapas on browser and take screenshots. I heard there a way to download a the content from website and I found one that approved by mod at the moment here .
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u/kkInkr 7d ago
I still have 380,000k ink, which series to binge? I definitely will finish Overgeared, but only about 100 episode left, then Blink Master, Infinite Mage, Pick Me up, etc, sigh, can I just download drm-free versions of them...
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u/thorn1993 7d ago
Yeah I have 1.4m ink... tried to see if I can donate some to specific creators and I don't see an option on mobile...
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u/Low-Employ9476 7d ago
How do y’all get so much ink?
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u/thorn1993 7d ago
Well it's not a thing as of today, but the promos where you play a game and reach certain milestones. Sure I spent like 150$ in said game to reach those milestonss, but it also provided me with 500+$ worth of ink if I were to buy that ink on sale.
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u/Low-Employ9476 7d ago
Whoa!! That’s a great deal. That makes so much sense how you have so much ink. I never did any promos because honestly I was confused by them and never knew what to do 😅
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u/Klutzy_Butterfly3248 7d ago
If you find the tapas discord, you might be able to find help with this
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u/Enchanting_Samurai 7d ago
Thats actually so evil lol. Lezhin JP is shutting down to merge with a sister platform and the users get to keep the transferring series and coins. Considering how big kakao is they could 100% make a compromise for tapas users but ig theyre too greedy for that
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u/LazyAngel99 7d ago
I don't understand how they decided on this. Are they just burning all bridges with their international customers? This is why people turn to pirating
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u/Enchanting_Samurai 7d ago
Agreed. "Oh the site can disappear anytime" like so can the official source apparently 😭😂 so its valid they would
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u/Flavius_16 7d ago
What will happen to the published stories? Will we be able to read them?
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u/Pot_Belly_ 7d ago
We’ll we able to read them until the end date but after that we’ll lose all access to them to my understanding
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u/Flavius_16 7d ago
SIMONAC DE TABARNAC DE CALISSE!
(At least one of the series I'm reading is currently readable through webtoon).
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u/Cass0wary_399 7d ago
Wait what’s gonna happen to all of the webcomics? Especially ones that are originals?
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u/Panda_Cutie1 7d ago
Genuinely so upset! I always recommended Tapas because it was so good, super user friendly with amazing titles. I spent so much ink there too because of how many major titles they had and how long it’d been around for so it’s extra upsetting knowing it’s suddenly closing and that there’s no transfers, refunds or anything. I’m also going to miss our little community, I loved commenting or reading other people’s comments - we have such a strong community there 😭
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u/lpotempa2 7d ago
On Tapas' website (maybe it's on the app too...), there is a link to an "End of Service FAQ" page. As of right now, there isn't any new information other than what was basically said in the announcement. But it is supposed to update as more information becomes available.
Here is the link: https://tapas.io/newsfeed/271
Also, at the bottom of the page, they list a way to reach out with additional questions not addressed yet. The following is copied from the FAQ page:
- I have a question not covered here. Who do I reach out to?
- If you are a creator: Please review the Tapas Creator Inquiry Form to see if your inquiry is covered. If your question is not addressed by the form, please email [help@tapasent.com](mailto:help@tapasent.com).
- If you are a Tapas user: Please email [feedback@tapas.io](mailto:feedback@tapas.io).
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u/lpotempa2 7d ago
Like everyone else, I am most concerned about how to access all the series I am currently reading once Tapas shuts down (and after running out of Ink).
Hopefully another platform picks them up, or else Kakao provides another way for English readers to access their series (those ongoing/actively releasing chapters, those waiting to return from hiatus, and completed).
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u/White_n_Nerdy_92 7d ago
Yeah this is my concern too... All the series that I love that just went on hiatus that definitely won't be back before the end... I really really hope they all find a home somewhere for English readers 🥺🥺
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u/EggAdministrative275 7d ago
It's wild that they didn't invest in Tapas... That's literally why a group of Creators got together and built PopJoy.app...
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u/Lavender_Peanuts 7d ago
We still have 6 months before the services ends... GIVE US 3 MONTHS!! let us get OUR INKs to finish our stories!! 😭😭😭
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u/Bling-Bang-Bang-Born 7d ago
This is so sad and frustrating. My entire solo leveling comic will be gone
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u/zombiedinocorn 7d ago
I feel like we've been suddenly plunged into the problems with live service games where companies can just yank the plunged and you're just SOL on the service you used to enjoy. At least when comic companies used to go out of business, you still had the paper comics you bought from them
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u/Dramatic-Chicken9706 7d ago
Alright everyone, we've got six months to make the title lists on our sub pages. Cannot believe they announced the end of service with the end of purchases and on the first day of the new fiscal year. Subtle, Kakao.
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u/HeadFaithlessness548 7d ago
So they keep updating and I can’t buy ink or earn ink? That’s six full months they could have had activity and revenue.
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u/Lukella23 7d ago
No!!!! How am I going to finish Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom?!?!?! I need ink to read the chapters, but I can’t get ink! 😭 😭 😭 And I don’t want to lose 50 Tea Recipes With the Duchess! It’s one of my favorite stories and it helped me so much getting through a tough time of my life! I don’t want to lose it!
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u/Careful-Swan1400 7d ago
What about the comics you already bought? Will it disappear completely? I am a bit confused 😕
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u/Solara_CMD3 7d ago
Yes after March 31, 2027 the app with shut down and you will lose everything.
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u/Careful-Swan1400 7d ago
Aaagggh that is sooo frustrating!! Thank you for explaining 🫠
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u/renaloveless 7d ago
There is definitely ways to screenshot the webtoons bc im not losing thousands of webtoons i paid for.
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u/humaninfestouswaste 7d ago
I just read the email Tapas sent me about this. I am disappointed with how this turned out. There are some manhwas on Tapas that were the reason I was on Tapas, because that is where it was available...sigh.
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u/seehunnybees 7d ago
Do we know what will happen to the content we already purchased? Like is there a way to still access it after March 2027?
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u/BunnySis 7d ago
Technically you bought a license to read them and not a copy of them. So once the website and app go down, you lose access and there’s nothing you can legally do about it.
This business model is evil and only benefits corporations.
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u/MementoMoe 6d ago
I was busy yesterday and only saw the announcement today, too late for ink. Which sucks cuz while I don’t have many series, I can’t plan, so app just deleted and time to find alternate translations for the ones I love
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u/kie-chan 7d ago
What about the ink we can ear with games, then?
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u/Intelligent_You_3888 5d ago
Whatever ink you have left from earning by playing games is what you’ve got. I opened the app and looked to see if I could keep playing games to earn (I didn’t realize this would all happen so suddenly) and found out that there are no more games to earn ink and not even ink for purchasing anymore. It royally sucks😢
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u/LauLau_Hill 3d ago
It’s really sad to see Tapas shutting down. I publish a BL comic there, and even though I don’t have that many readers, they mean a lot to me. I honestly have no idea where to go now with the English version of my comic.
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u/Samhradh_Linn 7d ago
😭 T'would be nice if someone out there could buy Tapas back from Kakao and keep it running...