Penny-pinching otakus, take note! VIZ has just posted its 100th volume of manga on iTunes, and to celebrate, they’re running a sweet promotion: from now until March 31st, the first volume of every series in the store costs 99 cents. The selection is small but growing; you’ll find brand-new series (Bakuman, Natsume’s Book of Friends, Toriko) as well as long-running hits (Bleach, One Piece, Vampire Knight) and perennial favorites (Dragon Ball). It’s a great, low-risk way to sample new manga — I took advantage of the sale to download the first volumes of Claymore and Rurouni Kenshin, two titles that have been on my to-read list for years.
The VIZ app works well. The image resolution is excellent in both portrait and landscape mode. Navigation is simple and intuitive, as is book buying. (After you set up your account, all purchasing is done within the app.) Better still, books reside on your iPad, not on a VIZ server, making it possible to read your purchases even when you don’t have a wireless connection. The only drawback: you can’t read a book until it’s fully downloaded, a process that can take anywhere from three to ten minutes.
Full sale details below.
IT’S MANGA MADNESS MONTH ON THE iPAD!
To celebrate the release of 100+ volumes through our iPad App in March, ALL Vol. 1′s will be on sale for $0.99 for the entire month! That’s right, get Vol. 1 of NARUTO, BLEACH, VAMPIRE KNIGHT and more for $0.99!
After you’re done shopping, get entered for a chance to win a $50 iTunes gift card by taking our iPad survey. We’ll be announcing more exciting news all month-long so download the latest version of the app now and check it often!
App Updates!
- 100+ volumes ready to download
- Notifications when new volumes of your favorite bookmarked titles are added
- New “FREE” featured tab on homepage
- Bookmarks
- Improved storage
- Updated navigation with ability to browse by series in the “My Manga” library
New Manga Series!
- MeruPuri
- Natsume’s Book of Friends
- Captive Hearts
- Toriko
- Claymore
- More to come soon!
Action! Fantasy! Sci-Fi! Adventure! Romance!
From our newest hit series to the classics you know and love, the best manga in the world is now available on the iPad through the official VIZ Manga app!
Why read manga on your iPad?
It’s easy! It looks great! It’s fast! And you can carry more of it in just one place than ever before so you always have your manga with you on the go!
Why read VIZ manga on your iPad?
VIZ has the top titles, the best characters and the most popular manga of all time including Naruto, Bleach, One Piece and so much more! New to manga? No problem! Every month we provide a number of free previews for you to conveniently download and explore.
Take a look, figure out what you like: you’re only a screen-tap away from fantastic adventures! More titles go up every month so keep checking back in to find out which of your favorites, new and old, are ready to satisfy your manga cravings for instant downloads and rapid reading!
Ooo, I’d like to hear your thoughts on Claymore sometime! If I remember correctly, the first volume had a little trouble finding its legs though.
That’s a good deal for a whole volume, it’s a great way to take a chance on a new series like you did.
VIZ offers a free, one-chapter sample of every series in the iTunes store. I read the Claymore sample, got hooked, and promptly bought the first volume. Once I’ve read a few more volumes, I’ll definitely post a review of some sort — maybe a “Best Manga You’re Not Reading,” perhaps?
Claymore is pretty popular though. If its sales aren’t doing too well, it has to be a One Piece sort of scenario. Oh, the infernos you could start with a “Best Manga You’re Not Buying” column…
All your columns have pretty solid themes. I know you’re trying to get on a tighter schedule lately, but I think you could use a regular slot where you can just BS about whatever you want. Then again, nothing is more depressing than lacking motivation or ideas for whatever you want time.
Agreed! I’m in the middle of a job search, however, so I haven’t had a lot of spare mental energy for manga. Once my schedule settles into a more predictable pattern, that will give me a little more room to be consistent and, when the spirit moves me, spontaneous.
Gaaah! Need iPad now! Such good deals… Sigh. Oh well, I’ll just stick to my paper purism for now.
When you frame it as an ideologically motivated decision, it sounds much better, doesn’t it?