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Orange Inc.'s e-Bookstore Service emaqi Adds Crime and Punishment Manga

AI localization company Orange Inc. revealed on Friday one new manga release for the week of November 8 for its new e-bookstore service "emaqi."

Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance tells the story of Miroku Tachi, a once-promising student-turned-university dropout who now lives the life of a reclusive shut-in, detached from a world that doesn't understand him – at least, that's how Miroku sees it.

Set in modern Japan, this unique spin on Fyodor Dostoevsky's landmark novel explores the psychology of guilt and the duality of human nature as Miroku, who hides a deep-seated inferiority complex behind his raging egotism, hatches a chilling plan that upends his existence.

Brace yourself for a gripping tale that will leave you breathless!

Ochiai launched the manga in Futabasha's Manga Action magazine in January 2007, and ended it in March 2011. Futabasha published 10 compiled book volumes for the manga. JManga previously published the manga in English.

The manga inspired a six-episode live-action series that premiered in April 2012.

Orange launched the emaqi service in the United States and Canada on September 3. The "emaqi" platform featured approximately 6,000 volumes of manga from 13 publishers in its launch, with plans to add at least one new title previously unpublished in English every week. Orange Inc. announced that it has secured translation, publishing, and distribution rights from publishers including Shonengahosha, Futabasha, and Akita Publishing. The company also acquired distribution rights from Kodansha USA Publishing.

The company's partnership with Shueisha to localize one-shot manga from Shonen Jump+ allows readers to read newly translated stories in English several times a week, for free. Both the emaqi and Shueisha's MANGA Plus services are simultaneously publishing the one-shot manga. MANGA Plus had also announced its new program to release all one-shots from the Shonen Jump+ service in English simultaneously.

Readers can create a free account on emaqi and access the platform's wide range of content. Each manga has a detailed synopsis, and sample chapters or previews that are available for readers to try out. Readers can buy individual volumes of a manga title, or subscribe to an ongoing series directly through the platform.

emaqi is web-based, and Orange is considering launching the service as a mobile app next year.

Source: E-mail correspondence