One Piece & JJK in One Place: Crunchyroll Launches Manga App

If you're a manga fan, you know the drill. With different publishers locking titles behind separate apps and competing subscription models, it's a frustrating, expensive, and clunky way to enjoy the stories you love.

Crunchyroll, the undisputed king of anime streaming, is making its biggest move yet into the world of reading. The company is launching a standalone manga app on October 9th for iOS and Android in the U.S. and Canada, followed by a web version on October 15th. The company is yet to officially announce the manga app's availability in India.

First announced in January and set for a preview at New York Comic Con, the Crunchyroll Manga is poised to solve the single biggest headache for digital manga readers: bringing the world's biggest titles under a single, affordable subscription.

By partnering with a huge list of Japanese publishers, including VIZ Media, Square Enix, Yen Press, AlphaPolis, and COMPASS at launch, with others like Shueisha and J-Novel Club to follow, Crunchyroll is uniting blockbuster series that were previously scattered across the internet.

One Subscription to Read Them All

For the first time, readers will be able to access a massive, officially translated library in one place. The launch lineup is a fan's dream, featuring titans of the industry like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen alongside My Dress-Up Darling, The Apothecary Diaries, Sasaki and Miyano, and The Summer Hikaru Died.

This directly addresses the current market chaos. Previously, reading a Square Enix title would require their Manga UP! app which had its daily currency limits. While a hit like Delicious in Dungeon was only available in separate digital volumes from Yen Press. Crunchyroll’s new "all-you-can-read" model replaces all of that with a single, Netflix-style service.

Instead of a standalone subscription, the service will be integrated as a premium add-on to existing Crunchyroll plans. The US model provides a clear picture of the cost. The 'Fan + Manga' tier will be available for $11.99 per month, while the 'Mega Fan + Manga' tier will cost $15.49 per month. 

For subscribers already on the top-tier 'Ultimate Fan' plan, priced at $15.99 per month, access to the entire manga library will be included at no additional cost. Regardless of the tier, all subscribers will enjoy unlimited, ad-free reading and the ability to download chapters for offline enjoyment.

A New Battlefront Against Piracy

While the app is a major convenience, its biggest impact might be on the war against piracy. It’s a strategic move for a company serving over 13 million paying subscribers, operating within a global manga market size that is expected to reach USD 42.46 billion by 2030. 

"The best way to combat piracy has always been to provide a better service," says media analyst Ayesha Sharma. "Why would you risk malware and dodgy translations on a sketchy website when you can pay a small monthly fee for a high-quality, official release on your phone, on the same day it comes out in Japan? Crunchyroll is making it a no-brainer."

However, there is one notable giant missing from the initial publisher list: Kodansha, the home of megahits like Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga. The publisher has its own digital app, K Manga, which uses a purchasable ticket system. 

Ultimately, the launch sends a clear signal to the industry. The days of juggling apps and hunting for chapters are numbered. The future of reading manga is about to get a whole lot simpler, and Crunchyroll is leading the charge.