I am a big fan of Japanese manga and have the habit of reading it daily. I have explored more manga platforms than I can count and finally found the best one, which is MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA. For those who don’t know, SHUEISHA is the publisher behind some of the most legendary manga titles in the world, including One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, etc. The fact that this app comes directly from such a reputable source immediately grabbed my attention. The app is completely free to download and use and even offers access to many chapters without charging a penny.
After knowing about it, I decided to test the app myself and have been using it for over two years now. In this review, I will take you through my honest experience, from the app’s layout and reading quality to its manga library, pricing plans, supported devices, customer service, and a few areas where it could still improve. Whether you are new to manga or a long-time fan like me, this review will help you decide if MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is the right manga reader app for you.
Why I Tried MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA and My First Take on the App
As someone who reads manga daily, I have used a lot of manga apps over the years. This includes both official and unofficial ones. But none of them was like MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA. This app is one of Japan’s biggest manga publishers. What really made me like this app was that the latest manga chapters and titles are released simultaneously with Japan. Plus, knowing that using the app supports the creators made me want to like it more.
Downloading the MANGA Plus app was easy, as it is available on the Play Store and App Store. On opening it for the first time, I noticed that the app has a clean and neat user interface. The app’s navigation was smooth, and finding my favorite titles was simple, with a search bar and categorized sections. The home screen of the app has top-rated manga series and recently updated titles. This makes it easier for me to find the manga titles I used to read. I liked that there were sections for ongoing series, completed titles, and recommended titles. Plus, the reading experience was seamless. The pages load fast, and I like that I can either swipe or scroll depending on how I want to read. Overall, my first impression was that MANGA Plus is designed with hardcore manga fans in mind, and it is one of the best manga reader apps I have seen.
How Big is Its Manga Library?
I was surprised by its massive and consistently updated manga library. Approximately the app has over 17000 manga chapters. The selection of Manga titles is very impressive, and I found all my favorites in one place. The app has all the top-rated shows, such as Chainsaw Man, Boruto, My Hero Academia, Dandadan, etc. I also discovered some underrated gems that I hadn’t heard much about before. The most important thing that caught my attention was their free reading. You can access the first three chapters of almost every series for free. Plus, the latest three chapters are free to access.
Another thing to mention is that for some highly popular ongoing series like SPY x FAMILY and Kaiju No.8, you can read all chapters once for free. Whether you want to binge on the newest releases, hidden ones, or revisit classics, MANGA Plus offers a a diverse library that covers all those in it.
Free vs Premium – Is It Really Free to Read?
MANGA Plus offers a free tier. For most series, you can read the first three chapters to get a feel for the story and the latest three chapters to stay current. It is perfect if you are just testing out new titles. For some series, you can read the entire series once for free in English.
If you are someone who wants access to every single chapter, from start to finish, and to revisit your favorites whenever you like, that’s where the MANGA Plus MAX subscription comes in. The prices of the plans are listed below.
- Standard Plan – $1.99/month.
- Deluxe Plan – $4.99/month.
The pricing is reasonable, and it is cheaper than most streaming subscriptions. If you are a heavy reader or love revisiting old favorites, the subscription plan is definitely worth subscribing.
MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA Supported Devices – What Worked Best for Me
I have used MANGA Plus on my devices, such as my phone, my tablet, and even my laptop, through the web browser. Overall, the app works smoothly across all the devices. It is lightweight and responsive, and I didn’t run into any crashes or issues during my time using it. The interface fits well on a smaller screen, and swiping through pages felt easy.
MANGA Plus is not available on Smart TVs or streaming devices like Firestick or Apple TV. Even if you try to open the web version on a Smart TV browser, the experience is not that good, and you might face issues while reading the manga. Overall, while the app is functional and smooth on phones, I would recommend using a tablet or desktop browser if you want the most satisfying reading experience.
Is MANGA Plus Safe and Legit?
Yes. MANGA Plus is 100% safe and legitimate. The app is operated by SHUEISHA, the legendary Japanese publisher behind some of the most iconic manga series in the world, such as One Piece, Naruto, My Hero Academia, Bleach, and more. Using MANGA Plus means you are supporting the creators directly. Every time you read through this app, you are helping the authors and artists. That alone makes it reliable. From a technical point of view, the app is very secure. I haven’t encountered any spammy popups or redirects. Even on the free tier, the app feels safe. If you are looking for a free way to read manga legally, MANGA Plus is one of the best options out there.
The Downsides of MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA
As much as I enjoy using MANGA Plus, there are a few things that I don’t like and need improvement.
- There is no offline viewing or download option. You always need an internet connection to read anything.
- The “first three and latest three chapters” model is good for catching up with ongoing series, but if you are someone who likes to binge entire stories from start to finish, you need to go to premium.
- Some manga titles are not available in every country or language, which is quite frustrating.
- There is no simple way to save your spot in a series. Every time I come back to a manga, I have to manually scroll to the last chapter I remember reading. A bookmarking or “continue reading” feature would make the user experience much smoother.
- If you were hoping to read manga on your TV or a streaming device like Firestick, you are out of luck. The web version doesn’t run well on TVs, navigation is not good, and the app is not designed for big screens.
- While you can browse and search titles by name, the discovery tools are basic. It would be great to filter by genre, popularity, or even recently updated titles to help users find new reads easily.
Despite these issues, I still think MANGA Plus offers a good experience. If the SHUEISHA company addresses even a few of these limitations in future updates, it could easily become the top manga-reading app.
Customer Support – My Personal Experience
I ran into a minor issue while using MANGA Plus and sent a request through their contact option. They did get back to me. It took a couple of days, but the reply was valuable, and it solved the problem I was facing with the app. While the support isn’t that fast, it is good to know they are reachable. This gives the whole experience an added layer of trust and reliability. If you ever need to reach out to them, below are the official contact details of MANGA Plus.
- Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
- Address: 2-5-10 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo – 101-0003, Japan.
- Phone Number: +81 80-7936-1570.
My Honest Opinion – Is MANGA Plus Worth Using?
If you are a manga fan who wants to read the new chapters legally and support the creators behind them, then MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is worth checking out. What makes this app stand out is how much value it offers, even without a subscription. You get same-day access to new chapters of top-tier series. If you ever feel like unlocking even more content without any ad restrictions, you can subscribe to the app, and the pricing is affordable. In short, MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is one of the best freemium manga apps available online. Whether you are a casual reader or a hardcore manga lover, this app has every manga title you need.