VIZ Media announced on May 9, 2023, that they have launched a new digital manga subscription service, VIZ Manga for the North American audiences.

What sets this apart from Shonen Jump is that VIZ Manga will feature titles from Shogakukan and other “iconic
publishing houses and revered legends of Japanese manga,” all of which will be available to read in English upon its Japanese release.

This would also be the first time ever where Shogakukan titles will be available to read legally in English language upon its publication in Japanese.

The subscription cost for VIZ Manga will be $1.99/month.

According to VIZ, this measure would ensure that the fans can read the manga legally without resorting to other methods, and would further fight in cracking down of piracy.

As a part of the newly launched service, subscribers on the VIZ Manga app will have access to more than 10,000+ chapters of both Shogakukan and Shueisha manga, expanding VIZ Media’s digital offering exponentially.

It will feature a variety of genres such as shojo/romance, fantasy, action, horror, slice-of-life, LGBTQ+, mystery/thriller, drama, supernatural, and comedy/humor. With this, VIZ will be catering its services to a wider range of audiences.

The simulpub catalog will be launched with 15 titles, with the 3 recent chapters of the manga available to read for free.

It will include the latest releases from Eisner and Harvey Awards Hall of Famer Rumiko Takahashi’s MAO, renowned creator Haro Aso’s ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead, the sequel to the international smash hit Inuyasha – Yashahime: Princess Half Demon from Takashi Shiina, and bestselling titles from newcomers including Tomohito ODA’s Komi Can’t Communicate.

Other authors and their titles in the library includes:

• Rumiko Takahashi: Inuyasha, Ranma 1⁄2, Mermaid Saga, and others
• Junji Ito: GYO, Uzumaki, and others
• Yuu Watase: Fushigi Yûgi, Absolute Boyfriend, and others
• Inio Asano: Goodnight Punpun, What a Wonderful World, and others
• Taiyō Matsumoto: Sunny, Tekkonkinkreet, Ping Pong, and others
• Gosho Aoyama: Case Closed
• Ai Yazawa: Nana
• Arina Tanemura: Full Moon, The Gentlemen’s Alliance †, and others
• Plus, dozens more critically acclaimed titles

Here is what the Chief Executive Officer of VIZ Media, Ken Sasaki, and Chief Operating Officer Brad Woods have to say about the new service:

Ken Sasaki:

“With this new development, VIZ Media builds on its history of innovation and experimentation. We want our world-class creators to reach as wide an audience as possible while reinforcing that manga should be read from the official source.”

Brad Woods:

“With a desire to always disrupt the status quo and bring innovative ideas to market, this new development in content, and creation of the simulpub offering is something we’re excited to offer fans. We are also proud to support the work of our creators and partner publishers.”

VIZ Media LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, 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, with a 23% share of the market.

Source: Press Release