Kodansha USA Is Giving Away a Ton of Free Manga Right Now
Manga, have you heard of her? Once a niche subspecies of the graphic novel market, Japanese comics are now eclipsing it in popularity and gaining new readers ( and more books sold ) every year. Kodansha USA , the English-language arm of Japanese publishing giant Kodansha, is doing its part to make this happen by handing out volumes of hundreds of different series across all storytelling genres in hopes of attracting new readers.
Until March 27, the publisher is offering free digital copies of the first volumes of more than 220 series, from the mega-popular to the incredibly niche, so you can try whatever interests you. If you like what you read, subsequent volumes of many series are also available at up to 50% off. Here’s what you need to know to close the deal, and where to start reading if you’re new to manga in general.
What is manga?
If you’ve never read it, becoming familiar with manga can be intimidating. On the one hand, these are comics. On the other hand , it is distinguished by its unique art style (usually all black and white), imagery (from exaggerated character expressions to stylized violence and, sometimes, but definitely not to the extent that stereotypes might suggest, sexual content) and format (many series are published weekly in Japanese magazines, which are later collected into paperback volumes of several hundred pages). Even the reading it takes requires real learning – books are read from right to left instead of left to right, and there’s a certain geometry to decipher each page – but once you get the hang of it, you’re likely to quickly become obsessed.
Who is Comic Kodansha?
Kodansha Comics publishes translated versions of popular Japanese manga for English readers in North America. As one of the Big Four players in the manga industry , they publish some of the world’s most popular manga, including Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, Fairy Tail and Vinland Saga.
How to Get Hundreds of Free Kodansha Manga Volumes
Getting free volumes is as easy as heading to one of the many online stores selling digital manga, including:
Any of these retailers will give you access to free volumes based on their own special requirements (you may still need a credit card, for example). If you don’t want to read everything from your laptop, you’ll also need some kind of e-book that can work with manga. (For reference: here’s an example of how to make it readable on your Kindle .)
Where to begin
Manga is a medium, not a genre, so there are different stories for every reader, from action adventures to romance novels. The breadth and variety of services on offer can be overwhelming when you are just starting out. Since many of the first volumes are free as part of this “sale”, it’s best to just grab as many as you can and see what catches your eye. However, you’ll probably do well if you start with shows that have proven to be a hit all over the world. Here are some episodes to think about:
- Attack on Titan : A post-apocalyptic sci-fi story in which the remnants of humanity battle hordes of gigantic, carnivorous monsters.
- Vinland Saga : A gripping historical epic about the Vikings.
- Battle Angel Alita : The inspiration for the 2019 film about a cyborg trying to find his place in a violent human world.
- Tokyo Revengers : A time-traveling detective story in which a disgruntled young man returns to his high school years and tries to prevent a terrible tragedy.
- Fairy Tail : A silly fantasy game about a wizard searching the world for an ancient dragon.
- The Silent Voice : An emotional teen drama about the struggles of a deaf girl in high school.
Check out the full list of available titles on the official Kodansha website where you can narrow down the options by category.