After their initial announcement back in December, digital manga store MangaPlaza now has an expected launch date.
Set to officially go live March 1 in the US, MangaPlaza will launch a beta version today, ranging from Kodansha titles (Fujita’s Wotakoi, Hatsuharu’s A Girl and Her Guard Dog) to Starts Publishing titles (Maro Fuduki & Punichan’s Cafe Happiness: Food from Out of this World) to Solmare titles (Nomo Marino’s I Wish You Happiness), and more. Founded by NTT Solmare Corp, who has run Japanese manga and eBook site Comic C’moA, MangaPlaza is slated to launch as a subscription-based service and a free service with a mix of genres, which will also include MangaPlaza originals.
Here’s the list of companies that are partnered with MangaPlaza:
- Kodansha
- WWWave
- Harlequin
- SHUSUISHA ORIGINAL
- Futabasha Publishers LTD.
- SHODENSHA Publishing CO.,LTD.
- HOUBUNSHA
- IMA
- Fusion Product Inc
- Julian Publishing
- FUNGUILD
- Mobile Media Research
- Coamix Inc.
- Starts Publishing Corporation
- Cork
- K.K. HarperCollins Japan
- PRINTEMPS PUBLISHING
- Kaoru Tada/minato-pro,M’z-plan
- Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, Ltd.
- SHUFU TO SEIKATSU SHA CO.,LTD.
- Akita Publishing Co.,Ltd.
- NIHONBUNGEISHA Co.,Ltd.
- Love Pop
- DAITOSHA/SHUSUISHA
- SHINCHOSHA Publishing Co.,Ltd.
- MAG Garden
- screamo
- TAIYOHTOSHO Co., Ltd.
- Booklive Co.
- HAKUSENSHA
To kick off its debut, the service is launching a series of campaigns: first a pre-registration cash back bonus campaign that will run from January 24 to February 28. Depending on the amount of users that pre-register, the better the cash-back prize will be:
- If there’s 50,000 pre-registrations: $3 cash back.
- If 70,000: $5 cash back.
- If 100,000: $6.99 cash back — or the first month of MangaPlaza for free.
You can only subscribe to the beta site using PayPal during this period.
MangaPlaza’s second campaign involves the dating simulation game Obey Me!, which will also run from January 24 to February 28. Synopsis:
MangaPlaza brings fans an exclusive collaboration with global hit mobile game, “Obey Me!”, the dating simulation game with 6 million downloads across 186 countries and regions.
In Obey Me!, you get to make seven handsome demon brothers, each with their own personalities, do your bidding as you enjoy different methods of communication with them. Enjoy your school life in the Devildom by interacting with the dangerous yet charming brothers and their classmates through chats and phone calls, and by making them go to work. Read through an exciting story that changes depending on the choices you make!
Laughter, excitement, and romance all await in “Obey Me!”
As part of the campaign, the first chapter of Obey Me! The Comic, drawn by Subaru Nitou, will be available to read for free; All of Obey Me! Misadventures, which is drawn by Yukina Okamoto and only available on the Obey Me! official social media, will be compiled into one volume and available to read for free on MangaPlaza. For those who take part, various prizes will be awarded throughout the campaign period; read here for more information on how to participate.