Item: The Manga Works
Rating: 85
Author: Dinsun

Our Site Score

85/100

Kairosoft has done it again with The Manga Works. If you’ve played their other sims, you’ll feel right at home, but the theme here is particularly special. You start as a struggling artist in a tiny room with nothing but a pen and a dream. The progression from drawing one-shot chapters to getting a serialized anime adaptation is incredibly rewarding.

The game strikes a perfect balance between creative choices—like picking your genre and theme—and the cold, hard reality of the publishing industry (deadlines are no joke!). It’s charming, funny, and surprisingly educational about how the manga world works. Watching your 'Artist' grow their stats while managing their stamina is addictive. It's the perfect 'one more turn' game that fits beautifully into short mobile sessions.

Reviewed on: Thu Mar 21 2024

Dinsun Review

Kairosoft has a formula, and they stick to it. If you’ve played one, you’ve played them all, but The Manga Works fits the theme particularly well. The pressure of deadlines and the search for 'ideas' feels like a legitimate simulation of the industry. It’s clean, it’s pixelated, and it doesn't try to be anything it isn't. I appreciate that it’s a premium game without a hundred microtransactions. It’s a bit repetitive after a few hours, but the core loop is satisfying in a quiet, methodical way.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Charming pixel art
Addictive management loop
Fair price point

Classic Kairosoft repetitiveness
Lack of complex end-game content

Technical Report

Performance: Runs perfectly on almost any hardware.

Accessibility:

Audience Fit

Buy if: You enjoy management sims and want a relaxing but engaging loop.

Skip if: You are tired of the Kairosoft pixel-art formula.

Similar Games:

Game Dev Story
Anime Studio Story

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun - 40yo Male, Conservative scoring
Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro
Playtime: 12 hours
Status: Won first major award

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

1140419709

$5.99 4+★4.2 48 reviews

Author : Kairosoft Co.,Ltd

Pubish Date : Fri Aug 05 2016

Last Update Date : Tue Apr 09 2024

Support Languages : English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Thai, Traditional Chinese

Genres :

Version 1.40Tue Apr 09 2024

Fixed minor issues.
It's the manga artist experience you've been waiting for!
Create a manga masterpiece and draw your way into the nation's heart.
Start out as a fledgling manga artist in a small and empty room... Armed with only a single pen, draw the best manga you can and march proudly to the publishers to show off your work.
Ideas are the lifeblood of a manga artist. Go out in search of inspiration and gather plot points, then stuff your manga full of creativity.
Accumulate experience points and use them to train up your drawing, storytelling, and other skills.
When you think you've created a great one-shot, take it to a publisher! If you manage to make the "editor from hell" smile, it might just be the start of a fruitful relationship.
Produce the best manga the world has ever seen, and write your name down in history!
* All game progress is stored on your device. Save data cannot be transferred between devices, nor can it be restored after deleting or reinstalling the app.
Try searching for "Kairosoft" to see all of our games, or visit us at https://kairopark.jp. Be sure to check out both our free-to-play and our paid games!
Follow kairokun2010 on Twitter for the latest Kairosoft news and information.
https://twitter.com/kairokun2010
Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
It's the manga artist experience you've been waiting for!
Create a manga masterpiece and draw your way into the nation's heart.
Start out as a fledgling manga artist in a small and empty room... Armed with only a single pen, draw the best manga you can and march proudly to the publishers to show off your work.
Ideas are the lifeblood of a manga artist. Go out in search of inspiration and gather plot points, then stuff your manga full of creativity.
Accumulate experience points and use them to train up your drawing, storytelling, and other skills.
When you think you've created a great one-shot, take it to a publisher! If you manage to make the "editor from hell" smile, it might just be the start of a fruitful relationship.
Produce the best manga the world has ever seen, and write your name down in history!
* All game progress is stored on your device. Save data cannot be transferred between devices, nor can it be restored after deleting or reinstalling the app.
Try searching for "Kairosoft" to see all of our games, or visit us at https://kairopark.jp. Be sure to check out both our free-to-play and our paid games!
Follow kairokun2010 on Twitter for the latest Kairosoft news and information.
https://twitter.com/kairokun2010

Ratings & Reviews

4.2 out of 5 with 48 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

In The Manga Works, you step into the shoes of an aspiring manga creator. This management simulation by Kairosoft lets you customize your artist's life, from coming up with plot ideas to managing grueling deadlines. Hunt for inspiration, draw masterpieces, and work your way up from a small apartment to a professional studio. Will you create the next global phenomenon?

Features

Classic Kairosoft pixel art charm

Deep artist stat and skill progression

Realistic deadline and publishing mechanics

Unlockable studio upgrades and assistants

Multiple awards and rankings to conquer

Tips

Finding Inspiration

Send your artist out on 'scouting' trips frequently. New locations unlock better themes and plot points, which are essential for creating 5-star manga chapters.

Promotion Videos

The Manga Works (by Kairosoft Co Ltd) Android Gameplay [HD] - YouTube

News on this game

The Manga Works

It's the manga artist experience you've been waiting for! Create a manga masterpiece and draw your way into the nation's heart.

Nintendo - Thu Jun 13 2024

10 Best Kairosoft Games, Ranked

From game development to piracy on the high seas, Kairosoft have a range of titles to keep you entertained.

TheGamer - Wed Dec 13 2023

Manga-Creator Life Simulator App Posted on iPhone/iPad

On April 28, the game developer Kairosoft launched a Japanese iPhone/iPad app that simulates the life of a manga creator. In Wakuwaku!

Anime News Network - Fri Jan 13 2012

Gameplays

Chapter Creation

Mix and match genres and themes. Pairing 'Science Fiction' with 'Robots' might be a safe bet, but experimenting can lead to unexpected 'God-tier' combinations.