A new digital manga service called MangaPlaza has launched with a lineup that includes hits such as Attack on Titan, Tokyo Revengers, and That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime.
The new service is produced by NTT Solmare Corp and features one of the largest content libraries available in the United States. The platform is currently offering fans a 7-day free trial to familiarize themselves with their manga library. The service is also running a contest where 301 registrants will win a $10 Amazon gift card, to celebrate MangaPlaza's launch date of March 1. MangaPlaza's stated mission is to serve both the global fan community and the manga industry by increasing accessibility to content. Their new platform will provide manga fans in the US with an extensive selection spanning a wide variety of genres, including shōnen, shōjo, seinen, josei, boys’ love, and teen romance. The collection includes not only popular series that were previously translated into English, but also original titles that haven't been officially localized into English until now.
The new storefront gives fans the ability to access nearly 50,000 chapters of manga content from over 2,000 titles. Users can opt for a monthly subscription for $6.99 a month to receive unlimited access to about 13,000 manga chapters. Readers can also purchase access to individual chapters without a MangaPlaza subscription for a nominal fee ranging from $0.45 to $3.99. The majority of titles in MangaPlaza's digital library also offer a free chapter for readers to try out.
During MangaPlaza's pre-registration campaign, Obey Me!: The Comic and Obey Me! Misadventures became the first and second most popular titles on the platform respectively. These new manga titles are based off NTT Solmare Corp's global hit mobile game titled Obey Me!, which is a reverse-harem starring seven demon brothers and a human exchange student who ends up living with them in the Devildom. The service will also host a number of other popular romance titles, including Noragami, Cinderella in Plastic, and Plus-sized Misadventures in Love!
The digital manga market has become more competitive in recent years as manga's global popularity begins to climb and more and more readers turn to digital distribution for their entertainment. Last year, Azuki, a brand new manga service backed by Attack on Titan publisher Kodansha, was launched. Crunchyroll also recently expanded its selection of digital manga it offers to its subscribers, as did the dedicated digital comics platform INKR.
