Orange Inc., an AI localization company, has officially launched the app version of its emaqi e-bookstore service in the United States and Canada on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. This marks a significant step in the company’s mission to make manga more accessible to a global audience. Emaqi, which initially launched as a web-based platform in September 2024, aims to provide manga enthusiasts with a diverse and immersive digital reading experience.
What is emaqi?
Emaqi is a digital manga store that offers a wide variety of genres, catering to both seasoned manga readers and newcomers. The service distinguishes itself through its use of AI-assisted translation technology, which helps to expedite the localization process while maintaining quality. Orange Inc. emphasizes that human translators and editors review and refine the AI-generated translations to ensure the artistic integrity of the original works is preserved.
Shoko Ugaki, CEO & Founder of Orange, stated, “I started this company because I wanted fans around the world to have the same opportunity to enjoy manga culture as we do in Japan. More than 95% of manga published in Japan have never been released in English. We aim to change that by exposing more incredible manga works to overseas audiences.”
Key Features of the emaqi App
The emaqi app is designed with user experience in mind, offering several features that make discovering and reading manga more enjoyable:
Extensive Library: The app boasts over 13,000 manga volumes, spanning around 1,700 series from major Japanese publishers.
Exclusive Titles: Emaqi offers nearly 50 exclusive titles, including Anjo the Mischievous Gal, The Vampire Dies in No Time, and Liverleaf, which can only be found on the platform. Orange Inc. plans to expand this exclusive lineup to 100 never-before-translated manga by the end of 2025.
“Dig” Feature: This novel discovery tool allows users to browse through personalized recommended works with vertical swipes and quickly switch between different titles with horizontal swipes.
Personalized Recommendations: Based on your reading history, the app provides personalized recommendations on the home screen and “Dig” screen.
Personalized Bookshelf: Users can quickly access their reading history, purchased works, and favorite titles in the app.
Automatic Text Enlargement (Coming Soon): A smartphone-optimized reading experience that allows users to adjust text size without interfering with the manga’s speech bubble frames, original art, and expressions.
Free Content: Emaqi offers free content through a “Wait Until Free” system, where readers can unlock one chapter every 23 hours at no cost. Additionally, one-shot titles are available to read for free in their entirety.
Launch Celebration Campaign
To celebrate the launch of the emaqi app, Orange Inc. is hosting a limited-time campaign from May 28, 2025, to July 8, 2025. The campaign includes several offers:
- Free Volumes: Read up to three volumes for free from 10 of VIZ Media’s most popular series, including Naruto, My Hero Academia, and One Piece.
- “Wait Until Free”: Enjoy all emaqi-exclusive translated titles with the “Wait Until Free” model, unlocking one chapter every 23 hours at no cost.
- Coin-Back Rewards: Get 50% coin-back on purchases, up to 25,000 coins per user.
Partnership with Shueisha
Emaqi has established a partnership with Shueisha, a major Japanese publishing company, to localize one-shot manga stories from Shonen Jump+, Shueisha’s manga magazine service. This partnership allows readers to access newly translated stories in English for free, with both emaqi and Shueisha’s MANGA Plus services simultaneously publishing the one-shot manga.
AI-Assisted Translation
Orange Inc. uses AI-assisted translation to enhance efficiency and ensure high-volume, consistent-quality translations. The company leverages AI technology to do the base translation, which is then reviewed and refined by native translators and editors. This approach allows Orange Inc. to increase localization capacity while maintaining the artistic integrity of the original works.
However, Orange Inc. has stated that no more than 10 percent of the content on emaqi will be translated using AI support at launch. The company continues to evaluate and refine its approach for the future, ensuring that human expertise remains a crucial part of the localization process.
Pricing and Availability
Emaqi operates on a pay-per-title model, with in-app purchases available through the App Store and Google Play Store. The price per volume typically ranges from $4.99 to $17.99.
The app is currently available for download on iOS and Android devices in the United States and Canada.
Reception and Competition
The launch of emaqi has generated considerable interest in the manga community. However, some users have expressed concerns about the quality of AI-assisted translations and the user experience of the platform.
User Feedback
Some users have criticized the web-based version of emaqi for its user interface, lack of features, and the quality of AI-translated manga. Some have also pointed out that the page resolution of manga on emaqi is lower compared to other digital platforms.
Competitors
Emaqi faces competition from other digital manga platforms, including:
- MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA: Offers a selection of manga titles, including simultaneous releases of Shonen Jump+ series.
- Azuki: A subscription-based service that offers a wide range of manga titles, with a focus on supporting creators.
- Viz Media: One of the largest manga publishers in North America, offering digital and print releases.
- Kodansha USA: Another major manga publisher, known for titles such as Attack on Titan and Fairy Tail.
- Yen Press: A publisher that focuses on manga and light novels, including titles such as Black Butler and Solo Leveling.
- Amazon Kindle, Bookwalker, and Rakuten Kobo: General e-book stores that also offer a selection of manga titles.
- Shonen Jump and K-Manga: Subscription services that provide access to large libraries of manga for a monthly fee.
- Novelous: A light novel/manga app that also uses AI-assisted translation.
AI in Manga Translation
Emaqi is part of a growing trend of using AI technology to translate manga and light novels. Other companies, such as Shogakukan, are also utilizing AI-assisted translation to increase the output of English-language manga and light novels. While AI can help to expedite the translation process and reduce costs, it is important to ensure that the quality of the translation is maintained.
The Future of emaqi
Orange Inc. plans to continue expanding the emaqi platform, adding more titles, features, and languages. The company aims to release print versions of some of its exclusive titles in the future.
By combining AI technology with human expertise, Orange Inc. hopes to make manga more accessible to a global audience while preserving the artistic integrity of the original works. The launch of the emaqi app is a significant step towards achieving this goal.
