The new Crunchyroll Manga will be a premium add-on to the anime streaming service and will be launched as an iOS and Android app, with a web version planned later. The app will launch in English and plans call for adding more language options in the future, much as Crunchyroll does with its anime.
"Crunchyroll Manga will be a premiere online manga app that carries catalogs from renowned publishers, offering fans unparalleled access to the visionary works that inspire the anime we love," Purini said in a statement accompanying the announcement, adding, "Research shows that nearly 70% of anime fans read digital manga at least once a month, highlighting the immense demand for this medium. Crunchyroll Manga will not only meet this growing interest but also fuel the continued global popularity of anime and manga alike."
Crunchyroll launched its first digital manga service in 2013, shortly after it was purchased by an investor group (see "Crunchyroll Sold"). The service, which was both web and app based, was included with a basic subscription. The catalog was heavy on Kodansha titles, including the blockbuster Attack on Titan, and carried some titles simultaneously with Japan until Kodansha pulled its some of its content in 2018 and the rest in 2023. Crunchyroll is now owned by Sony and has made a number of changes since it was acquired, including shutting down the Funimation streaming service (see "Funimation Streaming to Disappear") and folding the online retailer RightStuf, which it had also acquired, into its own web store (see "Crunchyroll to Shut Down Online Retailer RightStuf").
