While some English manga reading apps have over millions of downloads, there are a handful of smaller apps that attempt to provide alternative options for English fans. Comicle was one of these apps that launched in the United States of America on January 26, 2023. An android app was released that same day and the iOS app launched shortly after on February 1, 2023. The app featured free manga and manhwa comics as well as the option to purchase individual chapters using the in-app currency of “coins.” Various tasks could be completed in the app to earn coins, such as watching ads. Coins could be purchased in bulk at starting with the lowest tier of 100 coins for $0.99USD. A single chapter could be purchased for around 40 coins each. The app was targeted for release in the United States and not available in Japan. The website was just a landing page for the app and did not offer browser-based reading of the series.
The app was developed by Amutus in Japan. Amutus’ primary business in Japan is eBook and manga distribution through their Mecha Comic (Mecha Comi) website and app. In addition to distributing licensed eBooks, they also are a publisher for various titles, including hits that would later get print editions. Their Mecha Comic Creator site also allows artists to self-publish their own original manga titles and potentially be licensed for a wider distribution via Mecha Comics. Their service features a similar payment system based on points to purchase individual chapters or volumes as well as some chapters available for free.
The Comicle app was built to be a platform to expand upon the successful Mecha Comic service from Japan. All of the English exclusive titles on the app came from the Mecha Comic service. These titles have not been released as standalone eBooks and could only be purchased on a per-chapter basis. As these titles were exclusive, they were not released on other competing eBook platforms or other manga reading services with the exception of The Dating Begins at 31. This series was also released as Age 31 First Boyfriend by Amutus as chapter releases on the Global/English Bookwalker site between January and April 2023. This alternate digital edition combined the 30 chapters down to 15 chapters for a complete release.
Below is the list of the 26 exclusive titles available on the Comicle service and the number of chapters released for each in English:
| Title (English) | Author | Japanese Title & Website | # of Chapters | Release Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aoshima-kun is a Bully! | Yu Yoshii | 青島くんはいじわる | 43 | Completed |
| Boyfriend In Training | AKIRA | 僕にオトナの恋を教えて | 30 | Completed |
| Breakthrough Marriage | Murakami Michiko | 突破婚 | 25 | Incomplete (total 50 chapters) |
| Bride in 365 Days: Unexpected Marriage Proposal | Kamuro Ritsuko | 365日前の花嫁〜男友達から強引に求婚されています | 24 | Incomplete (Ongoing Title) |
| Come Over Tonight: Melting Down My Ice Cold Boss | Imeri Tsubakino | 今夜、うちにおいで～冷徹上司の理性が溶けたら | 32 | Incomplete (Ongoing Title) |
| Dating Begins at 31 | Atsuki Nakama | 31歳、初カレ。 | 30 | Completed |
| Divorce is Out of the Question | Megumi Yamaguchi | 離縁は致しかねます! | 95 | Incomplete (total 101 chapters) |
| I Was Doted On By My Favorite Boss | Kiyoka | 推しのち上司、に溺愛されて | 23 | Incomplete (total 51 chapters) |
| I’ll give you my first time | Eri Takashima | 僕のはじめて、キミにあげる | 72 | Incomplete (total 74 chapters) |
| I’ll Set Things Right. Former Gangster Turned Lawyer Itsuki Touya | Saejima Tsuki | ケジメつけさせてもらいます。元ヤン弁護士 東矢斎 | 31 | Incomplete (Ongoing Title) |
| Keep Me Warm Until We Fall In Love | Megumi Yamaguchi | 離縁は致しかねます! | 124 | Completed |
| Little Devil’s Sweet Whisper | Aoharu Yuki | 小悪魔くんの甘い囁き | 96 | Completed |
| Love in Rivalry | Bonara Kida | ライバル婚 | 36 | Completed |
| May-December Couple | Atsuki Nakama | 年の差婚 | 74 | Completed |
| My Charming Neighbor Has a Secret | Ro Shimafuku Natsuko Umezawa | 癒やしのお隣さんには秘密がある | 55 | Completed |
| My Cold Boss and His Hidden Feelings – Minagawa Arc – | Eri Takashima Sayo Shiraishi | 冷たい上司は本音を隠す～さよならの代わりに 皆川編～ | 30 | Completed |
| My Cold Boss and Our Fake Love | Eri Takashima Sayo Shiraishi | 冷たい上司と嘘の恋～さよならの代わりに～ | 30 | Completed |
| My Fake Boyfriend | Kaoruko Miyama (Ruko Miyama) | 偽装カレシに愛されてしまいました | 68 | Incomplete (total 72 chapters) |
| My New Brother Is A Top Idol?! | Manami Tada | 国民的アイドルが弟になったら | 152 | Incomplete (total 166 chapters) |
| Our Secret Meetings | Nakamura Matya Mitsuki Sakai | ヒミツの時間 | 26 | Completed |
| Polaris Illuminating the Night – Forgotten Memories and Lost Love | Mijiko Eyui | 夜を照らすポラリス～なくした記憶と恋の行方～ | 42 | Completed |
| Risky: Revenge Tastes Like Sin | Azusa Tachibana | RISKY～復讐は罪の味～ | 43 | Completed |
| She Looks Lovely When She Cries | RYOKO | 愛しの泣き顔 | 12 | Completed |
| The Crown Prince’s Bride | Shima Kurage Kuma Saburou | 王太子の花嫁 | 32 | Incomplete (Ongoing Title) |
| The Marriage of Faris | Uno Miyazaki | ファリスの結婚 | 16 | Incomplete (Ongoing Title) |
| The War Lord and His Fake Bride | RYOKO | 軍神と偽りの花嫁 | 16 | Incomplete (Ongoing Title) |
The app does not list any specific translators, letterers, editors, or companies who worked on the individual chapters for the Comicle exclusive series. However Amutus does list Aldo Agency Global Co, LTD with as joint investment with Papyless as a overseas distribution company on their official Japanese website. The style for the translation and lettering is very similar to series that Aldo has worked on the past for Renta (who is owned by Papyless), which seems to be a likely source for these English adaptations.
In addition to the exclusive manga available on their app, they partnered with some other publishers to provide titles as well. These other titles are not exclusive to the Comicle app. These other publishing partners include:
- coamix
- FUNGUILD
- harlequin
- Kuaikan Comics
- Lezhin Entertainment
- NCOMIC
- wwwave_comics
Announced on September 19, 2024, Kuaikan Comics removed 126 titles from the app starting on September 30, 2024 at 8:00 PDT. At the time of the announcement all of the titles that were previously purchased would still be accessible in the Comicle app.
However on February 18, 2025 Comicle had announced its plans to discontinue the app entirely. The discontinuation would be a slow roll-out with the following major changes:
- Last day for the “Login Bonus” – February 24, 2025
- Last day for account registration and in-app Coin purchase – February 27, 2025
- Last day to earn in-app Coin rewards – April 17, 2025
- Removal of the app from the App Store and Google Play and using previously purchased coins – April 24, 2025
- Closure of the customer support desk – June 29, 2025
- Complete shutdown of the Comicle service – September 29, 2025
After September 29th, you will be unable to read or view any of the titles in the app, including titles that were previously purchased. There is no offline-reading and there are no refunds for previously purchased titles. These alerts are also displayed inside the app as banner ads as well as on their social media account. Breakthrough Marriage was the last series to receive a chapter update on the Comicle service. Additionally there has been no announcements if these exclusive titles will be released on other manga distribution platforms in the future.
The total lifespan of the app will be 977 days, from the very launch to the last day it was accessible. During this time it failed to make much of an impact or general awareness to the larger English-speaking manga community. While not the definitive source, Anime News Network does not have any articles or database listing for this app. In terms of social media, while the Twitter (X) account was created back in June 2022, a year and a half before launching, they were only able to gain 15 followers during that time. Due to the website not listing the titles directly on the website, it also failed to gather much searchability or discoverability from web searches such as Google. Once the app is completely shut down the history of this app may disappear along with it.
While the Comicle app did not release the ebook versions of the titles, there was a collection of English translated covers for some of the exclusive titles. Below is a portion of those exclusive titles:
