@crazybars
I will not justify the existence of piracy.
They come in various ways that will eventually return to the main points, affecting the results of the sale. It is still a bad point, however, defined by all defenses.
I would say that >3,000 copies are mid-range, that's not bad.
And you just gave a bad sample with this manga, it doesn't prove everything wrong. Because there are still many of these types that are also very popular. For example Ojisama to Neko, with sales approaching >200,000 copies in 2 volumes.
I think, Japanese readers aren't too blame (not when compared to interested readers in my country).
If it's a crisis, maybe all manga genres won't be popular there. They like to read, also diligently post a review on bookmeter. The response is good and everything will return to the community. But it also doesn't depend on mere trends.
...the most popular selling mangas in Japan get official foreign translations to make even more boatload of money.
My country seems to be one of the most gambled of all countries. (I'm not American, I'm just lazy to change it)
If Europe the first one licenses many big titles like The Promise Neverland, Dr. Stone etc., they always appear later here - it almost pisses me off.
If you're curious enough, here are some titles that are not popular in the global community but are licensed in my country:
1. Kuneru Maruta
2. Ooedo Youkai Kawaraban
3. Matinee to Soire
And many more.
My publisher gambles more than Yen Press, lol. Believe it.
Also, you can't blame them completely. It's all about money. After all, manga is a business.
If it's very popular, why not? Like in my country, we have a poll, the reader will vote for the title to be licensed. This must be considered rather than being left piled up in the warehouse - or even worse, left in the middle of the road because of a small number of enthusiasts.