Viz Media has recently introduced a new app and subscription service called Viz Manga that allows fans to access over 10,000 manga chapters digitally. The subscription is priced at $1.99 per month and provides access to various genres of manga, including action, horror, slice-of-life, and fantasy. The platform features well-known manga like Junji Ito’s GYO Uzumaki, Rumiko Takahashi’s Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2, and more.
When combined with a Shonen Jump subscription, Viz Manga offers access to over 25,000 manga chapters. Viz Media plans to expand its offerings in the future. Viz Manga’s most notable feature is that it will release English chapters of ongoing manga on the same day they are released in Japan, which may discourage piracy of the manga industry.
Ken Sasaki, CEO of Viz Media, stated that the launch of Viz Manga is a reflection of the company’s innovation and experimentation to ensure that manga is read from official sources and to expand its audience reach. This launch puts Viz Media in direct competition with Crunchyroll’s manga service, which was launched in 2013.
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