SQUARE ENIX and Anime-Planet have announced a cross-licensing partnership that will bring popular series from Manga UP! to Anime-Planet's reading portal for free. Chapters from titles such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Black Butler, The Apothecary Diaries, etc., will now be available to read for free on Anime-Planet.
“We hope audiences will love the characters and stories our creators have developed and look forward to entertaining them with our works,” said Nobuhiko Muranaka, Director of Square Enix’s Global Publishing Division.
“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Square Enix,” said Kim Cameron, Founder of Anime-Planet. “Comics UP! is one of the leading platforms in the Japanese comics industry, and it’s exciting that our community can now discover and follow new content.”
The UP! Comic app was launched globally in 2022. The app offers users the ability to read the latest releases legally but has a paywall system. Users can read limited free chapters every day and can also earn/buy special currencies called UP, Coins, and XP. The currency required to read paywalled chapters depends on the content. UP points are refreshed twice a day. You can earn XP by doing special tasks (participating in events, subscribing to newsletters) and you get both if you buy Coins, which can only be obtained through purchases.
Anime-Planet is an online anime, manga, light novel, and webtoon tracking database, first launched in 2001. Manga UP! joins Lehzin, J-Novel Club, and MediBang, which also offer free chapters/episodes.
Source: Press release
Featured Image: The Apothecary Diaries, © Matsu Hyuga, Nekokurage/ Square Enix
