As a lover of all things manga, I’m always excited to learn about new manga platforms. At this year’s Anime NYC, I had the opportunity to meet the folks behind NIUHI and get a sneak peek at their manga service, so I’ve been waiting for this!
NUIHI is bringing indie manga from Japan in English straight to users in the US and Japan. Up until now, the service had only been available as a beta on desktop. While the app will only be available on iPhones for now, it will soon be launched on the Google Play Store.
The app is launching with some cool features:
- Manga and Comics from Around the World: Including manga and comics from Japan, the United States, and Hong Kong, with more works from indie and commercial creators added regularly.
- Creator Profile Page: With dedicated creator profiles, artists can present their work in a personalized space. Profiles can be customized with a profile photo, cover image, and optional features like country flags and social media links to help them connect with fans.
- User Profile Page: The new Favorite Shelf feature allows users to showcase up to six of their favorite purchased titles in a beautifully arranged bookshelf. Readers can also explore what other NIUHI users are enjoying through their own curated selections, making it easier to discover new stories and creators.
- Profile Customization: NIUHI Rewards lets users unlock exclusive avatars by completing reading milestones, starting with rewards for finishing five and ten books. Avatars include characters from What the Muck: the end of the world, MOON CIDERS, and NIUHI original characters. Users who create an account between December 1 and December 31 will receive a special bonus avatar.
- Community Translations: Allowing fans to support creators by helping translate stories into different languages using NIUHI’s built-in translation tools, making manga and comics more accessible to more readers.
In addition to the app launching on December 1, episode 3 of the NIUHI original manga, MOON CIDERS by Japanese duo artist TALI, will be dropping. Episodes 1 and 2 are already available to read for free, so fans can catch up on the story before the release of Episode 3.
Source: NIUHI Press Release
