Having launched in April 2020, Mangamo is one of the newest platforms for reading manga on the go. They came to Virtual Crunchyroll Expo 2020 to introduce themselves and discuss what they had to offer.
Mangamo?
First of all, yes, it’s pronounced “manga-mo.” They are a mobile subscription service for reading manga and webcomics online, and it’s $4.99 a month for unlimited access to their entire library. Of course, potential subscribers can try it free for 30 days. At the time of the presentation, they are offering 300+ series, including some only found there, from twenty publishers. New chapters are added daily, with some of their newest titles being Fairy Tail, My Wife is Wagatsuma-san, All-Rounder Megaru, and Ajin: Demi-Human. Right now, the app needed to access the service is only available for iOS (7+, iPhone/iPad), but a version for Android is currently in development. Moreover, although the service is only available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand at present, more countries are being included as time goes on. Their goal is to go global by year’s end.
Award Nominees
Two series available on Mangamo were highlighted as being up for awards in Japan. Loving Yamada at LV999! and I Fell in Love, So I’m Streaming It are both webcomics that were selected for nomination for the “Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Taishou 2020” (Up-and-Coming Manga Awards 2020). The panel was pre-recorded, so it was unknown at that time whether either had won. Unfortunately, neither did. Still, being able to read two award-nominated series in English on their platform is rather nice.
Mangamo Originals: Japan Sinks (2020)
Japan Sinks 2020 was another manga given special attention. Touted as the first Mangamo Original, this title tells an original story based on the 10-episode anime series, which is itself an adaptation of a 1973 novel, about the Japanese islands sinking after a huge earthquake. So how is it a Mangamo Original? They were on the committee that made the anime, so that makes it an exclusive title for the service. New chapters will be available every two weeks.
Read about Japan Sinks 2020 on Mangamo.
Now Available & Favorites
The two presenters then picked out a dozen favorites among their many titles available on the service. These included series which have received anime adaptations, such as Fire Force, The Seven Deadly Sins, Somali and the Forest Spirit, Arte, and Dropkick on My Devil. Titles from many genres were discussed. The popular Devil-Chi about a half-succubus high school student whose identity is discovered and Department of Demon Resources about a demon who wants to become a military general unexpectedly being transferred to work in the titular department are both comedies. Reset Game is a sci-fi suspense tale that takes escape rooms to a new level. Similarly, Bangyaloop is a time travel mystery about a female fan trying to figure out a murder in her favorite band. Meanwhile, Changing Fates is a Mangamo exclusive title where select people have the incredible and terrifying “Power of God” on their phones. Fans of Ultraman will want to check out Summer Hero, another newly added title to the service. Finally, I Wanna Be Your Girl deals with trans issues. In short, they have something for everyone.
Sozo Comics
Sozo Comics is a digital comics publisher, and they are new to the U.S. Interested readers can check out the following four titles on Mangamo.
Marin is an adventure series from The Legend of Zelda manga team starring Japan’s most popular Pachinko character, the eponymous Marin. In the story, she’s a beautiful dancer who gets involved in a conspiracy after the theft of the Power Stone. Will she live to dance another day?
In Zan, famed Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D artist Yoshitaka Amano teams up with the director of the Spawn movie for a fantasy tale about a samurai fighting against the darkness. Artist GORIO 21 will draw the manga based on Amano’s concepts.
From the artist of Yu-Gi-Oh comes Enchanted Racer, a kid friendly story about two young car racers on another planet who need a monster in order to participate in races.
Finally, there is Prince of Lan Ling from the author of The Heroic Legend of Arslan and Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Set in ancient China, it tells the story of Gao Changgong, the handsome but fearsome, mask-wearing, military leader.
Announcements
In the final part of the presentation, they announced three brand new additions to the Mangamo service: Erementar Gerade, My Evil Stepbrother, and Deathdeus: Hero of the Dead.
Erementar Gerade, which is also known as Elemental Gelade, is a classic fantasy adventure tale that follows a group of five people who are on a journey to Edel Garden, the legendary land of gold and the birthplace of mystical entities called Edel Raids who are described as living weapons. All 28 volumes are available.
In My Evil Stepbrother, Satono is the lonely daughter of a single mom who works all the time. When her mom suddenly remarries, Satono gets an out-going older stepbrother named Ryo. However, becoming a real family isn’t so simple. The first chapters are available to read now.
Deathdeus: Hero of the Dead isn’t just new to Mangamo; it’s new in Japan as well. In this post-apocalyptic action series, the undead Reversed are the scourge of humanity, and Shion, a high school girl from another time, is the only one who stands a chance against them. Time to resurrect the world! The first three chapters are available now.
Overall, Mangamo is a welcome, new service for people looking to read manga at home or on the go. They encourage readers and potential readers to check their social media pages to request series, get info on new series, or find out when new countries will have access to the service.
Mo’ manga, mo’ fans, no problem.
You can visit Mangamo’s official website to learn more about their company.