Crunchyroll is making a massive leap in its digital manga offerings, delighting fans across North America. The Crunchyroll Manga app is set to significantly expand its library, partnering with Kodansha USA to bring a wealth of popular titles from Kodansha's extensive back catalog. Additionally, a new series from Shueisha will also join the lineup. This exciting update is scheduled to go live on May 18, promising a fresh wave of captivating stories for manga enthusiasts.
A Flood of New Manga on Crunchyroll
The upcoming addition of Kodansha titles marks a pivotal moment for the Crunchyroll Manga app. Fans can look forward to diving into critically acclaimed series, beloved classics, and ongoing hits. The breadth of genres ensures there is something for every reader, from epic fantasy and intense action to heartwarming romance and compelling dramas. Among the highly anticipated Kodansha titles making their way to the app are:
- Attack on Titan
- Attack on Titan: Before the Fall
- BAKEMONOGATARI
- Beck
- Chihayafuru
- DAYS
- Domestic Girlfriend
- Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro
- Fire Force
- Kiss Him, Not Me
- My Boss's Kitten
- Nodame Cantabile
- Parasyte
- Peach Girl
- Say, "I Love You".
- School Rumble
- The Fable
- The Seven Deadly Sins
- Tokyo Revengers
- Tsuredure Children
- Vampire Dormitory
- Watari-kun's ****** Is about to Collapse
- Your Lie in April
Beyond Kodansha, Crunchyroll is also adding You Chiba's Dricam!! from Shueisha, further diversifying its collection. This substantial content injection highlights Crunchyroll's commitment to building a robust digital manga platform for its users.
Understanding the Crunchyroll Manga App
The Crunchyroll Manga app is a dedicated service designed for a premium manga reading experience, operating separately from the main Crunchyroll anime streaming platform. It initially launched on iOS and Android devices in the United States and Canada on October 9, followed swiftly by a browser version release on October 15. This distinction is crucial for subscribers to understand.
Access to the app varies by subscription tier. Subscribers to Crunchyroll's Ultimate Fan tier automatically gain access to the Crunchyroll Manga app at no additional cost, enjoying a seamless integration of their anime and manga passions. For those on the Fan and Mega Fan tiers, access to the manga app can be added for an additional subscription fee, offering flexibility for users to tailor their entertainment package.
Powering the Digital Manga Experience
Crunchyroll emphasizes that its new manga service is "powered by Link-U Group," a significant Japanese media company known for its expertise in digital content. Link-U Group operates various successful platforms, including the digital manga site Comikey, the digital manga store Compass, the webtoon company Studio Moon6, and the VTuber and streaming production company Romanz. This partnership underscores the technical backbone and industry experience supporting the Crunchyroll Manga app.
The app boasts an impressive roster of partner publishers, ensuring a wide and varied selection of titles. These partners include AlphaPolis, Compass, Square Enix, Viz Media, Yen Press, Shueisha, J-Novel Club, and ThirdlineNEXT. This diverse network of collaborators is key to expanding the manga library and offering fans a comprehensive reading experience.
Crucial features designed to enhance user experience include mobile, tablet, and browser compatibility, allowing fans to read their favorite series on any device. The app also offers the convenience of downloading chapters for offline reading, perfect for commutes or travel. Customization options like light and dark modes cater to personal preferences, while full page spreads provide an immersive visual experience. Users can also create personalized reading lists, complete with recommendations, making discovery effortless.
A New Chapter for Crunchyroll Manga
This is not Crunchyroll's first venture into manga. The company initially launched a Crunchyroll Manga service in October 2013, which specialized in simultaneously publishing (simulpub) titles from Kodansha USA Publishing across over 170 countries. However, that service experienced changes, with 14 simulpub titles removed in February 2018 and 10 catalog titles removed in March 2018. Kodansha USA Publishing subsequently removed a number of its manga titles from Crunchyroll in January 2023, citing "changes" in its simulpub distribution program. The original Crunchyroll Manga service officially concluded in December 2023.
The current Crunchyroll Manga app represents a fresh start and a renewed commitment to delivering digital manga. With a robust new platform, significant partnerships, and a wave of highly sought-after Kodansha and Shueisha titles, Crunchyroll is poised to become a premier destination for manga readers. Fans can look forward to exploring a vast universe of stories, all available at their fingertips starting May 18.
