Type of site | Manga platform |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Founder(s) | Abbas Jaffery |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Parent | KiraKira Media, Inc. |
| URL | azuki |
| Launched | June 28, 2021 |
| Current status | Active |
Azuki is a digital manga publishing and distribution service that aggregates English-translated manga legally from publishers such as Kodansha, Futabasha, Coamix, and Kaiten Books for reading online. Content is made available to read on the Azuki website, iOS app, or Android app through a single linked account, and readers may either subscribe monthly for access to thousands of chapters, or unlock manga volumes via individual purchases. Azuki also translates manga in-house and publishes series exclusive to its service such as Natsume & Natsume and Turning the Tables on the Seatmate Killer.
KiraKira Media Inc., the company behind Azuki, was established in California in early 2020. [1] Three of the four founders are former Crunchyroll employees. [2] The Azuki service officially launched to the public on June 28, 2021. [3]
In March 2022, Azuki received a $500,000 investment from Y Combinator, and officially joined the Y Combinator W22 batch. [4]
In May 2022, Azuki announced that the company would begin licensing and translating series directly from Japan, with the very first exclusive manga license being Hikaru in the Light! by Mai Matsuda. [5] The first chapters of Hikaru in the Light! launched on the Azuki service in June 13, 2022, and serialized weekly until it ended at 4 volumes in December 2022. Later that year, Azuki licensed two new series, My Dear Detective: Mitsuko's Case Files and Turning the Tables on the Seatmate Killer. [6]
In Jan 2023, Azuki announced that the service would no longer be publishing Kodansha's simulpubs in accordance with updated policy from Kodansha and that 13 simulpubs series from Kodansha would be removed from the Azuki catalog. The same simulpub series were removed from all other manga publishing platforms at the same time. [7] Around the same time, Azuki acquired the license for I Fell for a Fujoshi, which began serializing in February. [8]
In March 2023, Azuki began distributing downloadable, DRM-free ebooks of its exclusive series. [9]
During the remainder of 2023, Azuki obtained four more exclusive licenses: Crescent Moon Marching, [10] Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms, [11] Our Aimless Nights, and You're So Sloppy, Hotta-sensei. [12] Azuki also finalized deals with publishers MediaDo International and Medibang! to add over 150 new series to its catalog. [13]
Battle Angel Alita, known in Japan as Gunnm, is a Japanese cyberpunk manga series created by Yukito Kishiro and originally published in Shueisha's Business Jump magazine from 1990 to 1995. The second of the comic's nine volumes was adapted in 1993 into a two-part anime original video animation titled Battle Angel for North American release by ADV Films and the UK and Australian release by Manga Entertainment. Manga Entertainment also dubbed Battle Angel Alita into English. A live-action film adaptation titled Alita: Battle Angel was released on February 14, 2019.
VIZ Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ, LLC. In 2005, VIZ, LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media, LLC, which is owned by Japanese publishing conglomerates Shueisha and Shogakukan, as well as Japanese production company Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (ShoPro). In 2017, Viz Media was the largest publisher of graphic novels in the United States in the bookstore market, with a 23% share of the market.
Hiro Mashima is a Japanese manga artist. He gained success with his first serial Rave Master, published in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1999 to 2005. His best-selling work, Fairy Tail, published in the same magazine from 2006 to 2017, became one of the best-selling manga series with over 72 million copies in print. Mashima began the currently ongoing Edens Zero in 2018.
Cinnamoroll is a character series created by Sanrio on 6 March 2001, with character designs from Miyuki Okumura. The main character, Cinnamoroll, is a white puppy with chubby cheeks and long ears, blue eyes, pink cheeks, and a tail that resembles a cinnamon roll. He starred in his own manga series, an anime movie, and various animation shorts.
Fairy Tail is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collected and published into 63 tankōbon volumes. The story follows the adventures of Natsu Dragneel, a member of the popular wizard guild Fairy Tail, as he searches the fictional world of Earth-land for the dragon Igneel.
Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC is a publishing company based in New York, US, and a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing company Kodansha. Established in July 2008, Kodansha USA publishes books relating to Japan, Japanese culture, and manga, the latter under their Kodansha Manga imprint.
Crunchyroll Manga was a digital manga anthology published by Crunchyroll, LLC in North America. It began distribution on October 30, 2013. The service launched with a lineup of twelve titles, with chapters released simultaneously with their Japanese release. Crunchyroll Manga provides English speaking readers with officially licensed editions of the latest installments of popular manga published by Futabasha, Kodansha, Kadokawa Shoten and Shōnen Gahōsha soon after their release in Japan.
Kiss Him, Not Me, is a Japanese romantic comedy manga series written and illustrated by Junko. It was serialzed in Kodansha's Bessatsu Friend magazine from April 2013 to February 2018. Fourteen tankōbon have been released. It is published in English by Crunchyroll for online releases and by Kodansha USA in print. The manga won Best Shōjo Manga at the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards.
Gunnm: Mars Chronicle, also known in its English translation as Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, is a Japanese science fiction manga series written by Yukito Kishiro and the third installment of the Battle Angel Alita series. The sequel to Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, the series is the "final chapter" in the Battle Angel Alita franchise.
Attack on Titan: Lost Girls is a Japanese novel written by Hiroshi Seko. The book is a spin-off of the manga series Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama. A manga adaptation began serialization in August 2015 and ran until May 2016. A three-part original animation DVD adaptation was released on December 8, 2017, April 9, 2018, and August 9, 2018, with the 24th, 25th, and 26th limited edition volumes of the original manga, respectively.
Edens Zero is a Japanese science fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since June 2018, with its chapters collected into thirty-one tankōbon volumes as of March 2024. Set in a fictional spacefaring universe, the story follows Shiki Granbell, a boy with gravity powers who embarks on a voyage aboard the titular starship in search of a cosmic entity named Mother.
Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest is a Japanese manga series written and storyboarded by Hiro Mashima, and illustrated by Atsuo Ueda. It is a sequel to Mashima's Fairy Tail series, focusing on Natsu Dragneel and his team from the titular wizard guild as they aim to complete an unfinished, century-old mission. The manga was launched in Kodansha's Magazine Pocket manga app in July 2018, and is licensed by Kodansha USA for an English release in North America. As of December 2023, sixteen tankōbon volumes have been released in Japan. An anime television series adaptation produced by J.C.Staff is set to premiere in July 2024.
Four Knights of the Apocalypse, also known as The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki. It is a sequel to Suzuki's previous series, The Seven Deadly Sins. The manga has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since January 2021, with its chapters collected into fifteen tankōbon volumes as of January 2024. The manga is licensed in North America by Kodansha USA. An anime television series adaptation, produced by TMS Entertainment and animated by Telecom Animation Film, premiered in October 2023.
Medalist is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since May 2020, with its chapters collected in ten tankōbon volumes as of March 2024. In North America, the manga is licensed for English release by Kodansha USA. An anime television series adaptation produced by ENGI is set to premiere in January 2025.
A Condition Called Love is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Megumi Morino. It started serialization in Kodansha's magazine Dessert in December 2017. As of November 2023, 14 tankōbon volumes have been released. An anime television series adaptation produced by East Fish Studio is set to premiere in April 2024.
A Sign of Affection is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by suu Morishita. It started serialization in Kodansha's Dessert magazine in July 2019. As of December 2023, ten tankōbon volumes have been released. An anime television series adaptation produced by Ajia-do Animation Works aired from January to March 2024.
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 also known as Loving Yamada at Lv999! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mashiro. It began serialization on Comic Smart's Ganma! manga website in March 2019. As of October 2023, the series' individual chapters have been collected into eight volumes. An anime television series adaptation produced by Madhouse aired from April to June 2023.
Hikaru in the Light! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mai Matsuda. It was serialized in Futabasha's seinen manga magazine Manga Action from May 2021 to August 2022, with its chapters collected in four tankōbon volumes.
My Dear Detective: Mitsuko's Case Files is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsumi Ito. It began serialization on Futabasha's seinen manga magazine Manga Action in May 2021.
In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):
