K MANGA Reviews

by Afroakatsuki

First off the manga are all censored. I understand there’s some issues there with how Apple usually tends to be regarding adult content.

The solution there, is to do exactly what VIZ and SJ plus did where you go on the site VA your browser where you can view mature rated content.

But if that were the only issue it would be manageable. It’s not.

The biggest issue here is you have some sort of coin system, which might work for Korean porn sites, but isn’t going to work here.

Not to mention the Korean pornwha sites have better deals.

For under six dollars a month I can get VIZ and SJ plus and read thousands upon thousands of chapters. For six dollars with K-manga, I can read maybe like 4 or 5 new chapters.

Not only is this service outrageously priced and annoyingly censored, but the typesetting on some of the chapters looks absolutely terrible.

You can fix about 50% of your problems by just making this subscription-based service like it should’ve been from the get go. 25% can be fixed by just having a web browsing site or we can read things without having to view censorship. And the other 25% will understandably take time but you don’t see the same issues SJ/VIZ simulpubs quality.

You can either fix these or the rest of us will just continue to pirate and not use your service.

The choice is yours.

by Duke Of MCHS

First let me say I always try to support the official release BUT… I was on KMANGA for 10 minutes before I decided this wasn’t worth my time. Yea you do get chapter for free but you also have use a “ticket” or watch a video to read certain chapters. Newer chapters you have buy points. 148 points cost 99 cents and new chapters cost 99 points. So if you want stay up date on a several series you going to have pay up or wait a week. At this point I would just buy the volumes physical or digitally. It’s not worth it. On top of that the interface is awful. It looks like a cheap cellphone game. Everywhere you look it telling you get tickets or earn points. I’m just here to read manga. This shouldn't be this complicated. Viz got this right with the Shonen Jump app and the new Viz app. I suggest getting those apps instead or just do what we’ve been doing for over a decade when we want to stay up to date with a series. Wink wink nudge nudge “ Ahoy Me Hearties”.

by Finksie

So let me save you some time. You get “free chapters” for a set amount of time (5-25ish). After that point you have to purchase “points” to read chapters. 1 point = 1 cent. Most chapters cost 69-99points (69cents-99cents). So if you wanna read say, Blue Lock, You’re gonna be coughing up $200+. The folks over at Viz/Shonen Jump have already established the subscription format and it’s working. If this had a sub, it’d be a success. But since they’ve chosen this asinine “points/ticket” mess… lemme put it this way, for $1.99 you can read 2-4 chapters on K Manga, or you can read 10,000+ chapters on Viz for an entire month. I’ll stick to buying Kodansha books physically, for a couple bucks more I don’t need to jump through hoops and I own my books forever.

by Stephenbudz

Initially I was very excited for a Kodansha app, but this has completely snuffed out any positive feelings I had. No research was done about the west, most people do not enjoy in app purchases and the gatcha system, especially when it adds up to such high numbers just to read a story. Far cheaper to buy the volumes, or even cheaper just reading for free online via piracy since KMANGA makes no attempt at making it easier and convenient to read legally. On top of all that, they’re censoring panels even though KMANGA is rated 17+….. giving consumers a subpar experience by all accounts. They’d have been better off putting more chapters onto Azuki. Take this down and start from scratch. The competitors clearly have it figured out to some degree, not saying those apps are perfect. But they are convinient.

by Inter4ever_7

I was cautiously looking forward to KMANGA, but unfortunately it’s even worse than I expected. They really didn’t everything on the Japanese side without taking any input from a single international fan. This is sad because they have a US division that has been operating for years now, but it seems they didn’t even bother with consulting them. The affiliates system to earn points is scummy, and even worse than the worst gacha out there. How did they even think it was a good idea to put the mangakas’ hard work behind such horrible schemes. Subscribe to Norton to get points to read manga? Install this suspicious app and subscribe to earn points? Really? It’s very sad. Hopefully someone is reading these reviews and telling their boss this was a horrible idea and that they should go back to the drawing board. I just feel sad for those who will spend money on an app that’ll inevitably get shut down sooner than later.

by Sphil87

You need to pay money to read recent chapters for anything. Rather than getting “starter points” or something along the lines, you’ll be “given the opportunity” to buy discounted points for seven days. Users are given a “premium ticket” upon downloading KMANGA which gives you access to one chapter out of literal thousands that would otherwise be unavailable. But not a new chapter, only something that’s in the backlog. There is a way to receive free points, but you need to watch 30 seconds of ads in order to get the chance at 50 points. You’re more likely to end up receiving 5 points for your time. Also, a single chapter is 99 points, so you could be grinding out half an hour’s worth of ads just to read a single chapter. If you want to take screenshots to share your favorite moments with your friends, KMANGA will ban you if you screenshot a certain amount. The Viz media apps are much more worth your time and money.

by Overman King Archer

The practices here are disgusting. Not only does KMANGA require you to buy the chapters, but also has two forms of currency to buy them with: premium tickets and tokens (which cost real money). This wouldn’t be so bad if the manga wasn’t censored. On an app rated 17+. Which, again, you have to buy. Now, you CAN get the he paid currency by watching ads and, at roughly 12 chapters a volume, it IS cheaper to buy each chapter on here. But, if you bought the volume physically, it wouldn’t be censored. Now, you do have alternatives! The Viz Media app is $3 a month, no censorship (though the translation of One Piece is still kinda rough), and comes with Shounen Jump, Jump Plus, and Viz Manga (Dragonball, Naruto, Pokémon, etc.) You do have to buy some series by the volume, older series like Ranma 1/2, but occasionally they do become free (Hunter x Hunter was paid, now it’s free). The other alternative is to sail the high seas which is morally correct when companies do not respect their customers.

by Stanl3yrockz

So I think its amazing that theres finally a app that will allow you to read official manga on mobile devices. Unfortunately KMANGA misses the mark. Going the point route is pretty dumb and greedy imo. If I wanted to try an new manga out you can read the available chaptets they provided for free which is cool and all but if you want to continue padt that point, have to use point (earn thru tapjoy which I assume is downloading apps, open them for a bit, and wait for point rewards to come in). A app like this would be perfect if they had a monthly and yearly subscription. That way you dont have “ earn or buy” points to own manga that you’ll probably just read once and would fade its existence away in your library… And its more suited for the times. You don’t have to get rid of the points you should also have a subscription based model as well. Have access to all the manga for a monthly fee or yearly. Cancel anytime… and lose access to stuff you would be able to read under the subscription.

by Boopboopoop

I was looking forward to K Manga’s release, because Kodansha has most of the titles and series that I really love, but KMANGA really left me feeling disappointed. If it were compared to Manga Up! or Shonen Jump, it’s definitely most alike to Manga Up. It requires a constant buy-in of points and exhausting dedication to earn tickets. I thought that maybe I could get buy with just keeping up on a couple of series I cared about the most, by “earning” points to unlock the most recent premium chapters, but it’s entirely too inconvenient. The 3 chests, which is essentially a lootcrate system, netted a total of 15 points for the day. When I tried to take some surveys to earn more, I was shown webpages that stated the maximum responses were reached instead.

I recently re-downloaded this app to give it a second chance, but now they’re splitting chapters in half— including the latest chapters of witch hat atelier, the one series I was willing to try and keep up with. So I’ve demoted my 2 star review to one and I’m uninstalling. Splitting chapters in half is the scummy and disrespectful.

by LunaWoona

I was reading my manga online somewhere else. Heard about KMANGA and updates will happen here going forward. Cool, come on over to learn of a point and ticket system. That’s fine, as long as everything is fairly cheap with points and tickets it shouldn’t be that bad. The newest chapter I wanted to read was 99 points and the watch a free ad doesn’t give you 50 points, it’s only a chance at 50 points. I watched 3 ads and only got 15 in total so I imagine getting 50 is pretty rare. I looked on the shop to see how much it would be and even tho it’s only a dollar for 148 points and I could read the chapter, I’d rather go look else where for it. Not gonna spend the money to read updates, if new chapters were 5 points it wouldn’t be that bad. This is also only for a manga I currently keep up with, what if I wanted to read something new? Sure they have free chapters but eventually your gonna have to spend points to read farther. Seems like a waste, I’m sure you can find it elsewhere if you look. You can also purchase the books online, purchasing digital chapters isn’t the play.

by XXX_Person_XXX

When I heard that Kodansha was releasing a manga app, I was pleasantly surprised given that it would mean easy access to new chapters from a reputable source. But, not only is KMANGA is clunky and frustrating to use, it’s also implemented a terrible point/payment system that means users must pay for each chapter individually. This payment model is completely inadequate given Viz and Shonen Jump having much more reasonably priced subscriptions that don’t involve paying for each chapter separately. Not only that, but they also publish new chapters to read for free. Until K MANGA can get its act together, there are better places to find chapters.

by Neverknow247

This is tough. I really was looking forward to using KMANGA to read some of my favorite manga but unfortunately it ends up being about $1 per chapter (which i realize is cheaper than buying the books) or trying to get free points by filling out surveys which i didnt even attempt. KMANGA reminds me of early 2000s scams where you “won a tv, but you need to answer 5 surveys first” it feels and looks bad. KMANGA is unnecessarily bloated with micro transactions and scammy ads. I would love a simple app that i pay a subscription each month like viz and shonen. Unfortunately KMANGA was deleted off my phone almost immediately because it is just garbage.

by Spider3zx

I was very excited when I heard that Kodansha would have their incredible lineup available through official means via a manga app. I thought that it would be subscription based just like Shonen Jump or the recently released Viz app, but I was sorely mistaken. Instead, it’s this ticket and coin system that feels incredibly outdated and costly. This model may have worked in Japan, but it feels so expensive and unnecessary. I wanted to support the company that brings me new and old works like Shaman King or Blue period, but the entire experience has left a sad taste in my mouth. And to make things worse, there are pages that are censored, so we are paying for a lesser product overall? Just why?

by Jan Pona

You get what it says on the label: free manga chapters.
And they are free - if you don’t mind waiting 24 hours for another Ticket to read just one more chapter. Or if you don’t mind watching a ton of ads or doing affiliate nonsense to get points just to read the latter chapters of a series.
If it were subscription based like Viz’s apps, I’d have paid, no problem there, but this is just ridiculous. Convenience is the one of the biggest factors in preventing manga piracy, and someone didn’t get the memo.
Just wait this one out and buy the physicals, if you can. It’ll probably be much cheaper and quicker anyways…

by Low2127

Always looking for more ways to officially support the manga industry but this… this ain’t it. Basically requiring watching ads or paying per chapter instead of per volume, an abusive pricing structure for in app points. Daily login rewards to keep you coming back to be more tempted to cave and make purchases and offering free points to read chapters for specific series which is a “glowing” endorsement of the products themselves not to insult any of the manga specifically it just feels weird making people read one thing so that they can earn points to spend on something they’re actually on KMANGA to read. Do better.

by Blackfang19

For an app that is a basic ebook reader and ebook shop, the method and service KMANGA uses is so unpleasant it makes me simply not want to read the series published. KMANGA lets you buy a volume of manga for essentially the same price as any other digital retailer except you use points instead of money and you have to buy each chapter individually.
The points are simple enough as 99 points = 99 cents but the tickets are the real disaster. For one ticket each day you can read one chapter of a series. This is not only a nightmare for binge reading but so off putting that I’d rather either go somewhere else and read the volume of manga in its entirety or skip the series all together.
The other problem with the tickets is that only a certain number of chapters are free to read with the tickets so if you weren’t planning on buying a later volume of a series you have either wait months or a year for those chapters to enter their “free period” or go somewhere else which would not only be faster but you could read it much sooner.
The service is so needlessly strange I’d rather buy the same product from someone else instead of dealing with this nonsense.

by Flamephantasm

Ignoring the actual quality of the comics, The business model is just strange. You get one free chapter per day, per comic, not including whatever chapters are free. Ok, cool. Except the most recent chapters are PAID only. And while this isn’t unheard of (I.e, webtoons fast pass system) this is limited to 3-5 chapters at most. Some of these comics are pay locked behind the last 20 chapters or more. Coming out to nearly a dollar per chapter, with very little ways to generate enough free points, unless you read absolutely INSANE amounts of manga it’s barely any cheaper than buying physical copies. Compare this to SJs 3$ a month for their entire vault? Not worth it. I’m not even saying that they shouldn’t charge more for their manga. I think KMANGA could maybe be worth it as high as 10$ a month if it had SJs model. But paying nearly physical price for digital comics, without being able to read up to date comics for free? No thanks. I wouldn’t mind ads, paying a little bit, etc. But this is an egregious amount just for the right to simulpub.
Plus apparently they’ll even split up some chapters in to two parts so you have to pay twice as much for longer chapters? Insane.

by Nate R. Thomas

KMANGA requires purchasing points, tickets, has nonsense reward system, and a sloppy casino looking layout. I appreciate having access to quick releases to manga I follow; however, I don’t like apps that hide user cost through a messy points system.

A straightforward purchase approach with tiered subscriptions that also allows for a-la-carte purchases with actual $$ is better. A simpler layout would also be a improvement rather than an overwhelming app that looks like you landed on an internet spam site.

A cross between Kindle/Comixology, Apple Books, and Crunchyroll would be far better than this; hopefully the company rethinks its approach because KMANGA looks like an online gambling app.

by Paooul

I was excited to hear that Kodancha was releasing an official manga app so that some of the series I enjoy I could read legally. Buuuuuttt the moment you open KMANGA you can tell that it’s all about the money for them. Besides the few chapters of series you can read you then have to use a “ticket” to access a chapter for free or pay for it. And sure you can get more tickets for free but you have to watch 30 second or longer adds each time for a lottery chance to get another ticket.

I wish they’d just have the membership option like VIZ/Shonin Jump does as I’d prefer a monthly payment to get rid of the adds as to me their app is set up like one of the illegal manga reading apps you can get on here. Oh and there’s no dark mode function.

by Zombifriend

I understand the points system may work fine in Japan, but it comes off really expensive for my tastes. Why would I buy points to read a chapter when a whole volume comes out more expensive than just buying it physically? Why would I pay for anything censored when I can read it uncensored for free?

I am a huge fan of supporting and paying for manga, but I don’t think this is the way. I love the idea for KMANGA, but I hope a better strategy or updates will come in the future.

by Zorgling

While KMANGA does let you read Kodansha’s manga legally, they have a bad habit of splitting chapters in half and letting you read most of a series for free if you have the patience to read half a chapter a day, but the end is always paid for whether the series is still running or ended 5 years ago. It makes KMANGA a very unappealing way of consuming the manga on it which is unfortunate because prefer to support straightforward legal methods of reading like this rather than hoping for a library to carry the books or reading at a bookstore.

by DeltaG117

I love that i can have my iPad propped up and read manga continuously page to page in landscape like i had the physical copies. It makes double page panels spectacular HOWEVER once you exit the manga the home screens force you to go back to vertical until you select another manga to read. I hope in a future update they make it so the whole app can be landscape. Now onto what everyone talks about in the reviews. I'm happy that there is a way to officially support the mangaka on an ereader platform but the mix of currency makes things confusing and frustrating especially when there are several chapters in the middle of a series that will be points only but the chapters previous and following are tickets. Hopefully one day they can switch to a subscriber based model like $0.99/month for 30-60 free chapters so people can keep up with their weekly manga and possibly binge a smaller series or some higher amount to get full access to everything. Other than that the quality is great and the variety is awesome.

by Crazygurl51210

As a recent user I’ve found KMANGA to be the only one where I can read Ninja vs Gokudo in English anywhere so I decided to give it a try.

I agree with other reviews that the point system is annoying but it’s not that bad only because they have the option with the advertiser HC which allows you to get 7-9 points just for reading 3 slides. Without that I either would have quit KMANGA or just ended up reading the manga slower than I wanted to.

I do like the option of daily tickets to unlock a chapter and the treasure chest that gives more free points and the option to get points for reading a chapter of whichever manga they offer. I personally don’t have money to spend on KMANGA so if they ever get rid of the free to earn points option I will leave. For now though it’s not too bothersome and it’s the only way for me to read this manga.

I do suggest adding more advertisers like HC who will give a good amount of points for easier actions.

by Overseer Of 116

I love the fact that KMANGA doesn’t have a subscription service. when I first saw KMANGA I was worried I would have to pay for another subscription but nope instead it’s roughly $1 per chapter. it’s so refreshing to not have to pay monthly for a service. KMANGA could use a bit of work on the layout mainly allowing you to look at manga in a genre in alphabetical order and not just by popularity ranking but solid app and business model

by Alyh46

okay i see what people are saying in the bad reviews but hear me out, most of the time the first few chapters are free to read and sometimes up to like 40-50 chapters are free depending on the manga, and then a good majority of them you can “rent” which is kinda odd BUT you get like 30 tickets and then like 5 tickets per day/week(?) and you can use those to rent a chapter for 72 hours which i feel like is more than enough time to read a chapter! and then it’s like the last 3 or so chapters cost less than a dollar to read so often times you’re just reading manga for free! i’ve had it for a few days now read like 20 chapters of fairytail 100 year quest and i haven’t paid a dime! it’s a little janky but it has its perks!

by Heartsofthedead

I don’t know why people are complaining. KMANGA is definitely designed to provide readers a legitimate method of viewing the latest chapters of a series in English without having to wait for a volume release. Unlike Square Enix’s “Manga Up” (which splits up chapters into multiple transactions), Kodansha’s K Manga keeps the true chapters! It is my gateway to access the latest chapters of ongoing series. I also love their campaigns, and it’s a great way to figure out which series I want a physical of. KMANGA has definitely grown since its release and the development team definitely takes in the feedback. The promotional ticket campaigns are great.