How To Read Manga In This Modern Time
Manga has enter the Netflix and Spotify era
In this modern, interconnected time, there are mainly three different ways to read a manga. The first one is to buy a physical book. You can order the manga online or go to the nearest bookstore and buy the manga there. Pretty straightforward.
The second way is to buy the digital version of the manga. You can purchase the manga that you want through most online retailers (most people use kindle), download the book, and then read it on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or any other supported devices.
The third one, and this is the one that we’ll talk about right now, is to read the manga through a subscription-based app. The principle behind this is similar to Netflix for movies and Spotify for music. You download the app, register, pay the subscription fee, and you can read thousands of manga through the app.
Sounds good, right? Well, sort of. After using several of these apps, here are the things that I think you should know before you jump into the world of manga subscription services.
Manga Reading Apps
The world of manga reading apps can roughly be divided into two major categories, official apps from big publishers, and apps from independent companies. An official app from a big publisher usually has a huge selection of titles, but their options are limited to the titles that are published under their name.
Independent apps usually license their titles from different publishers, which means you will have a wider selection of titles to read, but the total amount of manga within the library itself might be quite limited.
For now, there are three major publishers that have released their official app. Viz Media with their Shonen Jump app, Kodansha with their K Manga app, and Square Enix with their Manga Up! app. As for independent apps, there’s Mangamo, Azuki, Inkr, and several others.
Pros of Manga Reading Apps
Convenience. Just like Netflix and Spotify, the biggest advantage of using subscription-based apps is the convenience to consume the content that you want. Do you want to read the latest chapters of Naruto or One Piece? Just open the app and read it. Or maybe you want to read chapter 24 of Attack on Titan? Just open the app and read it. You literally have thousands of manga in the palm of your hand.
Finding New Manga. These kinds of apps are also a great way to find new titles to read. After all, they usually have an algorithm that can recommend new titles based on your reading history and preferences. Not only that, they usually have sections like “Editor Recommendation”, “Most Popular”, or “New Entries” as well. With these apps, finding new manga couldn’t be easier.
A Cheaper Solution. As you might’ve noticed, the price of a new manga volume keeps on increasing throughout the years. If you want to read the entire 42 volumes of Dragon Ball, you can expect to spend a couple hundred dollars on it. So in that regard, this manga reading app is actually a cheaper alternative to buying manga.
Cons of Manga Reading Apps
Too Many Apps. Manga reading apps suffer from the same ailment as movie streaming services, there are too many platforms to choose from. If you want to read Naruto, then you should get Viz’s app. But if you’re in the mood for some Attack on Titan, then you should download Kodansha’s app. If you want to read some obscure/independent/little-known manga, then you need to look for third party apps that may or may not have it in their libraries, such as Azuki or Inkr. If you want the biggest access, you have to subscribe to them all.
Different Apps, Different Rules. Unlike music or movie streaming services that usually have the monthly-subscription-based fees, different manga reading apps may have different rules on how to spend your money. Viz asks you for a small monthly fee, and in turn, you are allowed to read about 100 chapters a day. On the other hand, Kodansha and Square Enix have their own in-app currency like “coins” or “tickets” that you have to purchase if you want to read any titles or chapters, sort of like Korean Webtoons. Other apps might have different payment options.
Censorship. In order to reach the biggest audience, these manga reading apps are usually available both in Android play store and iOS app store. While this is certainly convenient, it also means the app has to adhere to the strict censorship policy of the app stores. And as you might know, there are tons of manga that have adult-oriented content out there, either for fan service or for the plot. This is especially true for manga aimed for a mature audience, such as Seinen or Josei. So expect to see some black bars on those kinds of manga.
Should You Use Manga Reading Apps?
I presented three points for both the pros and the cons, but truth be told, I’m merely scratching the surface when it comes to manga reading apps. There are lots of other things that we can talk about, such as global availability and questions regarding ownership. But the purpose behind this article is to introduce you to the booming world of Manga Reading Apps, so I believe that should be enough information to bring you up to speed.
So should you use services like manga reading apps? My answer is you should give it a try. I recommend at least giving Viz’s and Kodansha’s apps a try. Play around with the app, look through the libraries, see the payment options, use them for at least a couple of days. If you like what you see, then go ahead and continue using it. If not, you can always go back to buying individual volumes.