Manhwa/Webtoon Fans! Manta wants your opinions! You can get money for your time!~

Hello, hello BAYOG Fam~ I bring you a quick non-MHAM post today!~ This is an announcement for my fellow manhwa/webtoon readers! Basically, our friends at RIDI’s Manta Comics are looking for some opinions! They’re basically trying to do several virtual discussions to get opinions to improve their service and marketing. It is legit too. I joined 2. for opinions to help improve their service. What’s in it for you though? Manta will literally PAY YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Y’all help them, and they give you money for your time. We all win, and everyone is happy~ lol Also, let me be clear: I’m not being paid to post this. I decided on my own to post about it! Because honestly, I really do like Manta. Despite being new and still growing, it’s a great service. I also just really love that everyone on the Manta Team are super sweet and really dedicated to providing a great service.

TDLR Version

You basically sign up through the surveys that they post on Twitter or their Discord server. You can find Manta’s Twitter [here], and their Discord server [here]. They’re looking to get opinions from anyone who reads webcomics. It doesn’t matter if you’re a use or pay for the services of another platform like LINE Webtoon, Tapas, Tappy Toon, Pocket Comics, Copin Comics, etc… or if you don’t use those at all. You don’t have to be a Manta user or subscriber of their service. In fact, they’re particularly looking to speak to more non-Manta subscribers. But they’re basically looking for opinions from a wide variety of people and interests (romance fans, BL fans, gamers, etc). Right now, they’re currently looking for non-Manta subscribers to talk to. They’ll give you $50 for your time. If you’re interested check it out [here]. But yeah, you help Manta, and they help give you money for your time. Everybody wins! Yay~ If you’re worried about legitimacy, I did 2 meetings and talked about my experience further down~

Heyo please help spread this!

We're looking for non-Manta subscribers to gather some opinions about their experience w/ webcomics (sorry besties). Please fill out this survey if you want to participate in our discussion and receive $50! https://t.co/UB71YGxwiL

— Manta (@MantaComics) May 25, 2021

📣CALLING ALL BL FANS📣
It's your time to shine.

Join a discussion to talk about your love for BL with fellow BL lovers and receive $50!

The only requirement is that you enjoy reading BL.

Fill out this form to receive info about participating!https://t.co/RcVjcgJeYZ

— Manta (@MantaComics) May 13, 2021

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So y’all know I LOVE my manhwa and webtoons. I’ve been reading them for years, and I somehow shifted from posting about Korean dramas to being more focused on manhwa/webtoons. I use just about every manhwa/webtoon platform: LINE Webtoon, Tapas, Tappy Toon, Manta Comics, Lezhin Comics, Pocket Comics, Copin Comics, etc. I’ve really liked Manta and it’s subscription approach to manhwa/webtoons instead of the typical coins and paywalls. I’ve liked it ever since it first launched and I wrote my [first post] on it. But another thing that I really like about it and what made it stand out to me is the Manta Team’s sincere commitment to constantly improve the app. Like I said in my [follow up post on Manta], I was really surprised and impressed that they quickly reached out to me after reading my post. They asked me for my feedback and how they could improve. It was a really pleasant exchange. The most impressive thing is that they actually followed through. They actually implemented changes and improvements based on my feedback. They did it pretty quickly too. Manta is still new and a bit more limited in their content compared to longer established platforms. I actually tend to read way more series from LINE Webtoon, Tappy Toon, and Tapas. However, Manta grown pretty quickly in the span of 5 months. I love the dedication to improvements, and the customer service is excellent. Plus, it’s super affordable. $4 USD for unlimited access to all of their content is a steal. It actually does help me save some money since some series from other platforms can be found on Manta as well. Although, I do hope there are more series I’d be interested in, they still have a great selection of various genres to choose from. So while I may not use it as much as LINE Webtoon, Tappy Toon, and Tapas… Manta stood out to me and has become a favorite because I appreciate their commitment and sincerity to the readers. To me, Manta is like a mom and pop shop that I really like and want to support as much as I can.

The Discussions and Process

They’ve already implemented alot of changes and improvements since when I first started my subscription in December/January. However, they’re still constantly trying to get feedback to try to improve it. So they recently started holding discussions on different topics and targeted groups to help get feedback to work on. Again, they will also give you money in exchange for your time. It is completely legit. I actually did two with them. It’s super easy and chill. You basically just join a Google Hangout call and have a pretty casual discussion on whatever topic they asked you to join. I admit I was a bit nervous because I’m just socially awkward. However, the Manta Team is super sweet and chill. So don’t feel pressured or nervous. They might ask you to use your webcam, but it’s a super chill and casual discussion. After the discussion, they’ll email you to thank you and ask you for your PayPal info. Just think of it as you get to talk about stuff you like, and you get money in exchange. Plus, Manta is under RIDI, a well-known and trustworthy publishing company. It is legit and they do stick to their promise of paying you for your time. I can personally attest to that. Now do know that Manta/RIDI is based in Korea. However, they do their best to schedule a time that’s convenient to you; No matter where your location and time zone. They’ll post announcements about surveys to sign up for discussions on their Twitter page. You can find that [HERE].

Again, I joined two discussions. The first discussion I joined was on romance manhwa/webtoon. Manta/RIDI said they would give me $50 for about 1- 1 1/2 hours of my time. It was about a 1 hour discussion. Funny thing is the other person who joined us is one of our readers/BAYOG Discord Fam members haha. It was totally unexpected and unplanned haha~ Anyway, that discussion was to help in regards to content/series and marketing. We got to see a sneak peek at an upcoming project too. The process was really interesting too. So I’m extremely excited to see how that turns out. Plus, it feels pretty good to be a small part of it. My second meeting was a one-on-one talking about the app as an android user. It was about 20 minutes to discuss how I use it, how I felt about it and the different features. They were going to give me $25 for those 20 minutes. It was an interesting experience, and it was nice to see some of the faces of Manta. Se Eun and Seo Young were really nice and sweet. I thought it was really cute how they were excited to talk about some things, and they were really cute and sweet thanking us for our participation. They were fun conversations, and I definitely plan on participating in future discussions. Low-key, I honestly didn’t need to be paid for my participation because I genuinely like the app and love helping in anyway I can. But… I’m also not gonna say no to extra cash (especially during this pandemic) lol Your girl realized she spends way more on webtoons than she realized… Do I have a problem? Probably. But it’s okies, cuz it’s money I would’ve spent on make up or boba tea… Will I continue to read all the things? Yes. Definitely, yes… But also… Thanks, Manta! Y’all actually help me helped me bring down my webtoon/manhwa costs down a bit haha.

(2/2) pic.twitter.com/vZsvUgG2XQ

— มิ้นท์ • Minty 🧈ʕ„• ω •„ʔ🧈 (@piecesofminty) May 24, 2021

My meetings with them had some unexpected and funny moments too. Again, there was an unexpected meeting with one of our readers/BAYOG Discord Fam members. It originally seemed like I would be the only one in the meeting cuz everyone seemed to have bailed, but this girl joined. I thought her name was really familiar. I figured she was probably one of our readers who joined the BAYOG Discord server a few months ago. But I wasn’t sure and couldn’t bring myself to ask. They had asked me some basic info about me (age, occupation, location), as well as my weekly schedule and what I do in my free time. I definitely named work, reading webtoons, watching dramas, and playing video games. I forgot to mention that I did blogging… cuz I just kind of forgot I’m a blogger…lolol It wasn’t until the other girl brought up the BAYOG Discord server, finding out about Manta, my blog post that Manta retweeted, and saying she trusted me as a source for recommendations. Confirming my suspicion. They were like “???” Then I remembered and was like, “Oh, yeah…right… I blog with friends sometimes. I did a post on you guys a while ago, and it was re-tweeted.” Se Eun and Seo Young were surprised and I got called an influencer… LOLOL I was like laughing inside cuz I’m most definitely not LOLOL But it was funny and they were really sweet. My second meeting was a one-on-one with Se Eun, one of the researchers (she was also one of the Manta Team members at the previous discussion). She mentioned that she realized that my name was familiar and remembered the Manta Team talking about me after my blog post. I don’t think she could tell, but I was low-key surprised and flustered haha. I didn’t expect to be remembered lolol

Again, I am not being sponsored to make this post, nor am I affiliated with Manta/RIDI or anything. I literally just did it because I like Manta and the Manta Team, and I wanted to help. It’s also just been amazing and interesting to see Manta’s journey and growth, as well as somehow kind of be a part of it too. I was surprised when Se Eun thanked me for keeping my appointment. I was really sad to hear she had been a bit nervous because alot of people who signed up for the discussions kept dropping out. So I told her I would try to help through the blog, Twitter, Discord, and friends. I’m just a small blogger and I don’t have alot of influence anywhere… but I figured the least I could do was help spread the word. So I’m keeping my word and doing what I can to help. I’d appreciate it if y’all help spread word as well~ I figured maybe people are dropping because they’re not sure if it’s legit or not, so I just also wanted to share my experience as proof. Anyway, that’s all friends~ Take care, stay safe, and I hope y’all have a lovely day!

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And if any of the Manta Team members happen to see this…
I just want to say I really appreciate your sincerity to listen to feedback from your users, and actually implement improvements based on the feedback you receive. I appreciate your hard work and how sweet you guys are. It was a pleasure speaking with the Manta Team member handling the Instagram account, as well as Se Eun and Seo Young during the discussions. Please keep up the great work, and I’m looking forward to the improvements and new content you have in store for us! 파이팅!~

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JOIN THE BAYOG FAM (つ≧▽≦)つ 🎮🎞️
We share and chat about lots of stuff on Discord, and we’re on other platforms too!
Don’t forget to say hi in the Discord server so we can properly welcome you~
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Follow the BAYOG OGs!
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[Minty – piecesofminty] | [Lauren – cattastick (Necara)]

Stay safe and healthy out there, y’all.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.

If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].

You can also check out the following:

• http://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• http://blackliveswillalwaysmatter.carrd.co
• http://saytheirnames.carrd.co

STOP ASIAN HATE

As an Asian-American, racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes against AAPI isn’t new. It’s always been around. Unfortunately, misinformation and the pandemic has caused an insane surge in racism and xenophobia. There has also been an insane rise in hate crimes. More recently, we’re seeing a surge of hate crimes against the Asian elderly. Particularly in the California and New York areas. Some cases even leading to injuries and even death. The sad thing is that many cases do not get alot of attention, or are just looked passed. It breaks my heart and is cause for concern since it affects our community. Since some of the BAYOG Crew (including myself) are Asian-Americans ourselves, I wanted to use our small platform to help in anyway. Hate, racism, and xenophobia is an ugly thing. We’re friends, in the same community, and against the same social injustices. So be kind and let’s fight these things together.

You can also check the following for more information, ways to help, & to donate:

• http://hateisavirus.org
• https://gofundme.com/AAPI
• http://advancingjustice-aajc.org
• [Donate to Different Organizations to Support AAPI Communities]
• https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co
• https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/

Please report hate crimes at Stop AAPI Hate:

• http://stopaapihate.org

Volunteer
You can see if your community has a volunteer chaperone or neighborhood watch/patrol program.
Some examples:

• Compassion in Oakland @ Oakland, California| http://compassioninoakland.org
• Safe Walks @ NYC, New York| https://safewalx.com/en/welcome
• Guardian Angels| http://guardianangels.org/volunteer
  They’re well known patrol volunteers in NYC, but they do have other branches too.

Volunteer at any other organizations that provide assistance to Asian-Americans; Particularly the elderly.
Some examples:

• Heart of Dinner @ NYC, New York| https://www.heartofdinner.org/
  An organization that supports local businesses and provides meals and care packages to the Asian elderly in NYC.