The Surface Manga Reader app landscape had changed a little since I wrote this review of Manga Flow and Manga Tree. My top pick in the original article, Manga Flow, is no longer available. However, there are several new contenders.
This review looks at Manga Tree, Manga Gate, Manga Z, and Manga Bird (Gee, I see a trend!).
These apps have a free, ad-supported version and a paid version that removes ads, unlocks features, and offers faster downloads.
Manga Tree
Manga Tree has changed little since I originally reviewed it. It seems to perform a little faster.
Manga Tree has nice large images that it pulls from 3 scanlation sources. You can change the database used in the upper right corner. You can browse by categories like harem, shonen, slice of life, and others. Manga Tree pulls manga pages on demand instead of downloading them locally. While this saves on storage space (which is important on a Surface Tablet with its limited storage. My 128 Gigabit model was the largest available), it can cause some pages to fail to load.
Manga Tree offers access to KissManga’s database by default. The app also lets you download manga for offline reading.
Navigation is intuitive and responsive with the exception of manga pages. Perhaps it is because I don’t use large swipe gestures, but sometimes the manga pages failed to go to the next page. It sometimes takes multiple swipes. I suspect some of this problem is because Manga Tree doesn’t cache the manga and loads it dynamically. Another small navigation problem is how Manga Tree doesn’t remember the last point you were browsing in lists. When you tap a manga, you are transferred to a details page where you read a short summary and can select a chapter to read. When you press the back button, it takes you to the start of the category you are browsing. If the manga you viewed is deep in the list, it is mildly annoying to try to find where you were.
The ad placement in Manga Tree is annoying in portrait mode. The back buttons are displayed directly underneath the ad, so you more often tap the ad instead of the button.
Manga Gate
Right out of the, uh, gate Manga Gate fails to impress. As you can see from the screen shot, the app failed to load the majority of cover art. Kinda defeats the point of reading manga if you can’t see the art. The interface works identically to Manga Tree. It is more minimalistic and cleaner, but there are few options. You can’t easily force updates or select issues to download. The app does quickly load the selected manga issue.
Once you start reading it is responsive. MangaEden seems to be the primary source. There does not seem to be any way to change this. It provide alphabetical listings but does not allow genre browsing. I like the clean interface, but this app offers far fewer features than Manga Tree and other readers. Manga Gate is essentially a clone of Manga Tree but without the busy background. Like Manga Tree, it fails to remember your browsing position whenever you view a title.
Manga Z
At first look, Manga Z is not impressive. It has a nice search box, a few browse buttons, and a list of manga down the left side. The right is completely empty. Selecting an issue loads on the right with options to favorite, download, or jump to a bookmark. It also tracks what issues you have read. The app is responsive and downloads pages quickly. It lets you select the sources you want to use from the likes of Kiss Manga, MangaEden, and others.
The free version severely limits your ability to search and browse genres. As you can see in the screen shot above, most of the genres are locked. If you search for something it cannot find, it simply won’t load any results. A “can’t find anything” notice would be helpful.
Manga Z is a solid reader despite the genre limitations. The interface is nice for searching and browsing titles. The largest problem with the free version is the limitations on genre search and browsing. Manga Z actually remembers your browsing position when you select a title. This app also departs from the horizontal browsing style. The paned style works well. It is similar to how you would browse a web page. Generally, Manga Z is pretty solid,
Manga Bird
This is a new entry to the manga reader landscape. When you first load Manga Bird, it asks you to select the sources you want to use. This app, unlike all the others, supports multiple languages. It has a slew of features: downloads, bookmarks, favorites, and wish lists. The design is clean and highly responsive. It works similar to the venerable Manga Tree with the way you browse and search.
The manga screens are cool. Not only does it display the usual information, but it also goes as far as displaying artwork from the manga! It also offers manga links to other works by the same author.
At first glance, Manga Bird seems to lack genre browsing. The feature is hidden in the bottom fly out menu and called “categories.” It allows you to filter the titles using multiple categories. In other words, you can select Horror and Mecha genres. However, the feature is only available in catalog mode. You can’t sort this way whenever you are viewing your favorites or read list. Unlike Manga Z, all genres are available in the free version.
I also have to note that ads do not cover up the back buttons. Finally!
Which is the Best?
Manga Gate sucked on my computer. What is the point if you can’t see a manga’s art while browsing? The other entries are solid. Manga Tree, Manga Z, and Manga Bird all do what they were designed to do. Even Manga Gate does if you don’t mind not seeing cover art. Of the readers, Manga Bird is the most polished. The clean interface is fast, responsive, and easy to use. The genre selection is nice even if it is buried and limited to the catalog. It has support for multiple languages and has a lot of features for being a free version.
Manga Bird has its quirks, but of those reviewed, it is the best. The app is nicely designed and puts the manga’s art front and center.
Reading this one year after… I have a Surface 2 and would like to give it a try to this apps. Any further app I should consider? or maybe any update on these two that make one better than the other?
thanks!
I should update the article. Manga Tree is still available. Manga Flow is not. I currently use Manga Z, which works quite well. It grants access to Manga Here, Manga Fox, Kiss Manga, and Manga Eden databases. It also tracks favorites. However, it provides limited genre browsing in the free version. You can only browse Action, Sports, Comedy, Drama, and School Life. Manga Z is not quite as nice as Manga Tree with the browsing interface, but it provides more information about each series.
Thanks for the answer… I’m trying Manga Tree right now and is OK, I only hate that it keeps closing itself if I’m changing between apps. But that’s a Windows RT thing I would say…
Anyway, I’m sticking with it for now.
Cheers.
The nice part is how you can sample most of the apps because they tend to uninstall cleanly. Manga Tree is serviceable at least. I am not sure about the app closing issue. My Surface Pro doesn’t have the issue, but as you say, it might be a “feature” of RT. I’ve tried browsing manga websites using my Surface. Unfortunately, with all the advertising and lack of standard page sizes, it’s a mixed bag. Sometimes pages do not load on the screen properly. Other times, it works well. Manga publishers should release a cheap subscription app that accesses their manga services.