Kodansha’s K MANGA service has announced the addition of Ameko’s romance manga, “Hana-kun Can’t Live without Me” (Himokuzu Hana-kun wa Shinitagari), to its English digital library. The announcement was made on Monday, bringing another anticipated title to the platform for U.S. readers.
About “Hana-kun Can’t Live without Me”
“Hana-kun Can’t Live without Me” is a romance manga penned and illustrated by Ameko. The series first launched on pixiv’s “Palcy” manga app in May 2024. Kodansha released the second compiled book volume of the manga on May 13.
The Story So Far
The narrative centers on Kaede Yoshino, a second-year working adult who finds herself completely burned out by the stresses of her daily life and job. During one of her worst days, a drunken Kaede encounters and takes in a mysterious, cat-like boy named “Hana-kun.” With Hana-kun claiming to have no home, they begin a temporary cohabitation. Unexpectedly, Kaede starts to find comfort and warmth in living with someone. However, a significant event soon reveals a shocking truth about Hana-kun’s true identity, leading to a “deadly romance” between the clingy, good-for-nothing boy and the tender-hearted, overworked girl. The manga is categorized under genres such as Josei, Comedy, Office Workers, Romance, and Slice of Life.
K Manga’s Growing Library
K MANGA, Kodansha’s official manga distribution service, launched in the United States on May 10, 2023, for Android and iOS, with a browser version following shortly after. The platform aims to provide American manga fans with increased accessibility to Kodansha’s extensive catalog, including simulpub chapters of ongoing series.
Upon its launch, K MANGA offered approximately 400 titles, with 70 ongoing manga series. Users can access a limited number of free manga chapters daily, with additional chapters available through a ticket and point-based system. This system allows users to obtain “Normal Tickets” daily for single chapter access to “K MANGA original series” and “Premium Tickets” through login bonuses and advertisements for other titles. Points can also be purchased or earned to unlock chapters, with prices varying by title and chapter.
The service has been expanding its reach, with Kodansha announcing in October 2024 that K MANGA would be available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, bringing its total English series to over 500, with around 100 updated simultaneously with their Japanese releases. This expansion aims to offer official, high-quality translations and a consistent user experience, addressing the discontinuation of simulpubs on other platforms.
“Hana-kun Can’t Live without Me” joins a diverse collection of popular titles on K Manga, which includes series like Blue Lock, Rent-A-Girlfriend, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, and Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro.
