Manga Plus

What Manga Plus does

MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is a free, official digital manga distribution platform operated by Japanese publisher Shueisha Inc. and launched in 2019. It offers simultaneous-with-Japan release of Shueisha titles to international readers, serving as the publisher's primary global online reading channel. The catalog is anchored by flagship Shueisha franchises including One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, SPY x FAMILY, Boruto, Hunter x Hunter, Black Clover and Dandadan, with One Piece generating 234M+ cumulative views and the Chainsaw Man finale drawing 1.1M views as engagement benchmarks.

The platform is delivered across three distribution surfaces: a web client plus native iOS and Android applications distributed via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Localization supports English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Thai, Portuguese and Russian, reflecting an explicit non-Japan reader focus. Operational integration extends into the broader Shueisha ecosystem through the MediBang creator platform and distribution partnerships with Viz Media for coordinated English-language digital and print release.

The business model is freemium at the reader level with no subscription fee and no direct platform monetization disclosed; the asset functions as a global marketing and demand-generation funnel that drives upstream value back to Shueisha through physical tankobon sales, anime production tie-ins, merchandising and licensing. Distribution is governed by ABJ Mark compliance and the platform is positioned as a publisher-direct alternative to scanlation and third-party aggregator routes.

Name

Manga Plus

Legal name

Shueisha Inc.

Website

https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is Shueisha's free official digital manga platform, launched in 2019 to distribute Shueisha titles simultaneously worldwide. It serves global manga readers across web, iOS and Android in seven languages, driving upstream value to Shueisha through physical volume sales and licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Manga Distribution

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Manga Publishing (Japanese & Global) (MPAJAGAA)

Keywords

• Digital manga distribution
• Manga reading platform
• Simultaneous release
• Multilingual comic streaming
• Online manga reading

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Free Content Access (Freemium): The platform provides free access to manga chapters, serving as a global promotional and distribution channel for Shueisha content. This freemium model attracts a large user base and drives readers to purchase physical volumes or regional licensed versions.
2. Licensing Revenue (Shueisha): Shueisha generates revenue through licensing agreements with regional publishers like Viz Media, who distribute content in specific territories. The platform serves as an official distribution channel supporting these licensing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is a digital manga distribution platform that provides official, simultaneous worldwide access to Shueisha's manga catalog via a web platform and mobile apps (iOS and Android). It releases new chapters at the same time as the Japanese publication schedule in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Thai, Portuguese, and Russian, with all content available to read for free. The platform also features a real-time ranking system, a manga library with genre and status filtering, and a creators platform linked to Medibang for manga artist support.

Product overview

MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is a unified digital manga reading platform that provides simultaneous worldwide access to Shueisha's manga catalog. The platform consists of a web-based reading platform (mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp) and mobile applications for iOS and Android. Key features include a manga library with genre and status filtering, a real-time ranking system showing popular titles, curated featured content sections organized by publication (Weekly Shonen Jump, Jump Plus, Young Jump), and a creators platform for manga artist support. Users can read manga in multiple languages from anywhere in the world at the same time as Japanese releases, supporting manga artists while accessing popular titles like One Piece, Boruto, Hunter x Hunter, Spy x Family, and Dandadan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA (Web Platform) A web-based digital manga reading platform that allows users to read Shueisha manga titles from anywhere in the world, in multiple languages, simultaneously with Japan. The platform features updates, rankings, featured content, and manga library browsing for individual manga readers globally.
• MANGA Plus Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android devices that allows reading manga on the go with the same simultaneous release features as the web platform. Available through the App Store and Google Play Store.
• Creators Platform (Medibang Integration) A creator support platform linked through Medibang that allows manga artists to create and submit works, with the 'Creators' link providing access to manga creation tools.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Viz MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 March 2026Viz Media serves as the English-language licensing partner for Shueisha content. Manga Plus coordinates simultaneous releases with Viz Media's English platform, particularly for major series like Black Clover's final chapters. Both platforms release content at the same time, with Viz Media serving the North American market while Manga Plus serves the global audience.
• MediBangminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMediBang partnership provides creator tools and community platform access through the Creators link on Manga Plus. The link directs to medi bang.com/mpc for manga creator resources, supporting the broader manga creation ecosystem.
• Apple (iOS App Store)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApple serves as the distribution channel for the Manga Plus iOS mobile application through the iOS App Store, enabling iPhone and iPad users to access the manga reading platform.
• Google (Google Play)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoogle provides distribution infrastructure for the Manga Plus Android application through Google Play Store, enabling Android device users to download and access the manga platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Crunchyroll (Sony Group): Owned by Sony Group, Crunchyroll is a global anime and manga streaming/distribution incumbent. Its growing digital manga offering and synergies with anime simulcasts make it a broad incumbent competing for the same global manga reader.

Emerging players

• Tapas Media: Independent digital comics platform offering serialized manga, manhwa, and original webcomics with a freemium model. Overlaps with Manga Plus in free-reading model and global audience, though with stronger focus on independent and Korean titles.
• Comikey: English-language digital manga publishing and distribution platform offering simulpub-style releases from multiple Japanese publishers. Directly competes with Manga Plus in the official English-language manga distribution space.
• INKR Comics: Digital manga and webtoon aggregator with legal licensing from multiple Japanese and Korean publishers. Comparable to Manga Plus as a multi-publisher digital reading destination targeting international manga fans.

Direct peers

• Viz Media: Shueisha's primary English-language licensing partner and direct digital distribution counterpart. Viz Media operates its own Shonen Jump simulpub platform, making it the closest competitor in English-speaking markets and the platform's most strategically entangled peer.
• Webtoon (Naver): Naver's global digital comics platform and the largest webtoon reader app. While its content is predominantly Korean-origin, it competes directly with Manga Plus for global digital-reading mobile mindshare and offers a comparable free-reading experience.
• Tappytoon: Digital manga and webtoon platform with a strong Korean (manhwa) and licensed Japanese catalog. Competes for the same global free-to-read digital manga audience as Manga Plus, especially in Southeast Asia and the Americas.
• BookWalker (Kadokawa): Kadokawa's global digital bookstore and reading platform for manga, light novels, and books. As a fellow Japanese publisher-operated digital distribution service, it is structurally comparable to Manga Plus and competes for the same international Japanese-content reader.

Regional players

• Bilibili Comics: Digital manga publishing arm of Bilibili, dominant in Greater China. While Manga Plus is not focused on China, Bilibili Comics represents the same licensed Japanese-manga digital distribution model in a major regional market.
• Piccoma (Kakao Entertainment Japan): One of Japan's largest digital manga platforms operated by Kakao Entertainment. While primarily Japan-domestic, Piccoma competes for the same licensed manga content pool and offers a benchmark for monetization strategies (e.g., wait-tickets) that could influence Manga Plus's future.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mangaplus_o
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MANGAPlus_channel
• Facebookfacebook.com/mangaplus.en
• Instagraminstagram.com/mangaplus_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manga Plus