You’re lying in bed, you want to do some reading, and you’re really craving a tale about mages with no regard for property rates running amok while fighting world-ending magical threats. The answer? Manga! While the last few years have seen an explosion in accessing anime series through the likes of services such as CrunchyRoll, the manga source material has been surprisingly slow to adapt with the times.
The first positive step was taken when Shonen Jump launched its own digital app, bringing new releases to western audiences and fully translated in the process as well. A new challenger has hit the scene though, one with a whole lot of pedigree and new titles to read. Called Mangamo, the Android and iOS app features manga such as Fire Force, Attack On Titan, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex amongst many other offerings.
What’s the catch? Well for starters the premium content does require a monthly sub, although the modest $4.99/R60 a month fee includes access to 300+ titles that regularly update and are ad-free. I’ve had a look at the app, and I do appreciate that the manga is uploaded in a high resolution that pops nicely on tablet devices. “Mangamo is ushering in a new frontier in digital manga that makes it as widely available and easily binge-able as anime for fans everywhere,” Sony Innovation Fun’s chief investment manager Gen Tsuchikwa said in a statement.
This investment signifies our confidence and excitement in Mangamo’s role in the growing global manga market and the possibilities for this new, influential consumer touchpoint of entertainment IP.
“Mangamo was created by manga fans, for manga fans. Our purpose is to connect the manga community to manga creators and provide an easy and affordable way to read and discover tons of new manga whenever you want, in the palm of your hand,” Mangamo founder/CEO Buddy Marini added.
Being available on Android means bringing manga to even more people all over the world, and we encourage everyone to let us know what they think so we can make Mangamo the best way to read and discover manga.
The first 30 days are on the house, after which the subscription fee kicks in. Pardon me while I dig right back into Fairy Tail, the Michael Bay of manga.
Last Updated: December 14, 2020
