It seems as though more and more manga magazines are moving online in order to make their titles to overseas fans who desperately want to read what they’re offering more readily available. The latest to make this move is Manga Time KIRARA Comics, who has created a brand new Facebook app available in over 240 countries and regions via Facebook Instant Games on September 28, 2020.
Now with this piece of information comes the good and bad news. The good news is that the app is launching with some of the most popular four-panel Cute Girls Doing Cute Things titles from the last few years, all for free:
Available upon launch (in order of appearance in the magazine)
- Hidamari Sketch (by Ume Aoki)
- K-ON! (by kakifly)
- Kin-iro Mosaic (by Yui Hara)
- Is the order a rabbit? (by Koi)
- Urara Meirocho (by harikamo)
- The Demon Girl Next Door (by Izumo Ito)
To be available after launch (in order of anticipated release)
- GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class (by Satoko Kiyuduki)
- Yuyushiki (by Komata Mikami)
- Blend S (by Miyuki Nakayama)
- NEW GAME! (by Shōtarō Tokunō)
- Gourmet Girl Graffiti (by Makoto Kawai)
- A Channel (by Kuroda bb)
Now for the bad news… according to the press release, none of the listed titles are available in their entirety so if you sample a manga listed above and want to read more of it, you’ll have to seek out copies elsewhere to get your manga fix which, even I have to admit, doesn’t sound like a very sound policy to have.
As a big fan of the CGDCT genre of manga and anime, I really hope that WFS and Houbunsha can work out the kinks in their system and make an offer to fans around the world that is truly worth their time investment. Shonen Jump, for instance, has made a killing by offering all of their comics for a low monthly cost and I’m willing to bet that if Manga Time KIRARA Comics did the same, many fans would be willing to support the venture.
Source: Press Release via Anime News Network
