NIUHI Beta 1 Opens Today: KOMODO Launches Beta of Community for Manga Fans and Creators, Free Beta Sign Up Continues

December 10, 2024 — KOMODO today launched its free beta for NIUHI, the upcoming digital community where fans and creators can discover, purchase, sell, and translate indie and blockbuster manga and comics from around the world.

The first wave of beta invites were sent to those who signed up on the NIUHI web site (https://niuhi.app/join). Initially, participants will be able to check out titles from publishers Oni Press and Hobby Japan, as well as talented indie manga creators including Umaika, Ray He, and more as they help test and grow NIUHI. Further invites will be sent on a rolling basis as the beta and title selection expands. Everyone is welcome to sign up.

“Today is an exciting day for KOMODO,” said Ricky Uy, CEO of KOMODO, games publisher, NIUHI creator, and provider of Steam Deck in much of Asia. “We have been building NIUHI for quite some time and look forward to opening it to fans and creators everywhere.”

For fans and enthusiasts, NIUHI will offer an expanding collection of manga and comics – including NIUHI Originals, plus a host of features like the ability to practice a new language by tapping on speech bubbles, and the ability to connect with creators and other fans.

For manga creators, NIUHI will offer global distribution, majority revenue shares, free translations, marketing communication tools, analytics, and more.

"I'm honored to publish multilingual versions of my manga on NIUHI!” said Sineko So, independent manga artist and co-creator of What the Muck: the end of the world. “I really appreciate NIUHI's BubbleTap concept, which allows everyone to enjoy the latest manga while also fostering an interest in learning foreign languages."

NIUHI's innovative translation tools provide readers instant translation functionality. These features enable human-generated translations by both independent and commercial translators, allowing fans to directly support their favorite creators and help spread their works to more people around the world.

The first beta will initially be available in the U.S. and Japan, with more regions to follow soon.

NIUHI is targeted for full release in the first half of 2025.

To learn more about NIUHI, please visit https://niuhi.app/join.

With roots that predate the modern commercial print and digital ages, Manga and Comics are now a multibillion dollar, global entertainment industry that is estimated to grow by over 10 percent per year, according to multiple industry reports.

About KOMODO (https://komodo.jp/)

Based in Tokyo and Honolulu, KOMODO works on products that shape the gaming and manga industries of the future. KOMODO HAWAI'I develops NIUHI and publishes popular titles on PC and game consoles, including OneShot, Pocket Mirror ~ GoldenerTraum, Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S, and the A-Train series of games. Additionally, Tokyo-based KOMODO Co., Ltd. is the official licensed provider of Valve's Steam Deck in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.