Top 5 apps to read comics and manga

These services can help you read your favorite comics and manga at a low cost!

Comics books

If you don’t feel like running out to your nearest bookstore to browse the comic book aisles, webcomic apps are the next best thing. For some, they’re even better than a physical book.

With both free and paid comics, you can view them immediately and save them for later. You also don’t have to worry about the pages getting worn out.

What are the best apps for comics, you ask? Let’s find out!

Top 5 apps to read comics and manga

1. Tapas

Tapas screenshot

You can find heart-wrenching romance, and the scariest horror comics imaginable on Tapas. Read and share comics that you love and explore the top charts to see what’s popular. The comics feed is a constant stream of new content that is updated daily. Subscribe to the ones that you like to save to your favorites or you might miss them.

There are in-app purchases in the form of “ink,” which you use to buy more episodes of a comic. If you spend ink on a comic, it turns into money to support comic creators. Ink ranges from $1.99 for 1,600 units to $50 for 60,000. You can also earn ink by watching in-app ads, or downloading other related gaming apps and playing to a certain level.

2. Webtoon

Webtoon screenshot

Webtoon, or Line Webtoon, is a Korean app that uploads daily comics that have millions of subscribers per comic in a ton of different languages. The app calls itself the largest digital comics publisher in the world. By looking at the exhaustive collection of genres and comics per genre, we’re inclined to believe that.

Featured webtoons are updated weekly, and by purchasing coins, you’re able to access the ‘fast pass’ function and read them early. Post comments and get recommendations from other readers, and check out the staff picks of the week for new additions to your subscription list.

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3. WebComics

WebComics screenshot

To stand out from the rest, WebComics offers all of their comics completely free for the first three days. After that, you can purchase coins to keep reading.

There are a lot of ways to earn more coins instead of purchasing them: checking in daily, inviting friends, watching ads, favoriting comics, and just reading on the app gives you 10 coins every four minutes. WebComics is heavy on the manga style, but there’s something on the app for everyone.

WebComics Download now ►
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4. comiXology

comixology screenshot

One thing that’s different about comiXology is that you can read comics on any device or on the web. The service is less manga and more comic books and graphic novels – you’ll find Marvel and DC here.

You can sign up with a comiXology account or through Amazon. If you buy compatible comics on Amazon you can view them on the comiXology app. The app does have a section for free comics, but in order to read others, you’ll have to purchase them on Amazon. You have a free month of unlimited membership which allows you to read all of comiXology’s catalog. After 30 days, the membership is only $5.99 a month.

comiXology Download free ►
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5. VIZ Manga

viz manga screenshot

Viz Manga has every single title that has been released under the Viz name. Anything you can think of, you can find. Classic Pokémon volumes have all been uploaded and newer manga, like the insanely popular Food Wars! is up to date. Preview the manga or purchase it at market value, and it’s saved to your library forever. If you’re a fan on Shonen Jump, unlock the digital vault with a membership and read more than 10,000 chapters for only $1.99 a month.

Wrapping up

We’re pretty sure that if you’ve got all of these apps in your arsenal, you’re set on comics, graphic novels, and manga for life. Time to get reading!

10 best anime on Hulu

From space cowboys to superheroes in training, these anime are some of the best out there!

Spike Spiegel

Not sure what anime to binge next? Many may not know it, but Hulu has a surprisingly solid library of both new and classic anime, as well as some lesser-known hidden gems. Grab a snack and get comfy. Here’s a list of the best anime you can start streaming on Hulu right now.

The 10 best anime on Hulu

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10. “Noragami”

noragami
Image courtesy Bones

Imagine if you were a god. Sounds perfect, right? Well, in the world of “Noragami,” being a god isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Not all gods are created equal, and Yato dreams of one day becoming as famous as the rest of his all-powerful brethren. In his quest to attain greatness he stumbles across a half-phantom girl named Yato, and a meek teenage boy named Yukine… who also happens to be a living weapon. “Noragami” is a quirky series with a lot of heart, and its original take on Japanese mythology stands out from the crowd.

9. “Assassination Classroom”

assassination classroom
Image courtesy Viz Media

The world only has one year until it’s totally destroyed. The entity behind the apocalypse? A schoolteacher. Well, not exactly a schoolteacher: a strange and tremendously powerful otherworldly being that looks like a weird yellow smiley face with octopus arms. He’s not all bad, though: he gives humanity a chance to avert its grim fate by offering to teach them how to kill him. In addition to teaching his junior high classroom normal subjects like algebra and history, this neon yellow horseman of the apocalypse also schools the kids in the ways of assassination. “Assassination Classroom” has a dark sense of humor and offers a delightfully bizarre ride from start to finish.

8. “Trigun”

trigun
Image courtesy Madhouse

Trigun” is a quirky cyberpunk western that was a major hit when it first arrived stateside in the early 2000s. Our hero is Vash the Stampede, a gunslinger with an astronomical bounty on his head. Pursued by hordes of bounty hunters and an (arguably undeserved) bad reputation, Vash is also shadowed by Meryl and Milly, a pair of insurance agents that try to minimize the damage left in Vash’s wake. In addition to being an accomplished gunfighter, Vash also has a mean case of amnesia, and. as the series progresses, he slowly begins to discover details about his mysterious past.

7. “Black Lagoon”

black lagoon
Image courtesy Madhouse

Mild-mannered businessman Rokuro Okajima goes for the company trip of a lifetime when his ship is hijacked by a group of modern-day, gun-toting pirates. Hung out to dry by corporate management, Rock reluctantly turns to a life of crime himself, joining up with the colorful crew that kidnapped him. Rock joins stone-faced captain Dutch and sharp-tongued Revy and delves into the seedy underworld of the island of Roanapur. Rock and the crew encounter warring gangs, ex-Spetsnaz assassins, mercenaries, and other rogues as the mild-mannered businessman gets in touch with his bad self. Think “Breaking Bad” but with a fair bit more action.

6. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

mobile suit gundam wing
Image courtesy Sunrise

Giant fighting robots? You bet. “Mobile Suit Gundam” is regarded by many as a pioneer in the mecha anime subgenre. First arriving on the scene way back in the ’70s, Gundam has been around in various incarnations since then. Despite the many iterations of the series and its spin-offs, the central plot remains constant: in the future, groups of humans split off from Earth, heading into orbit to form colonies of their own. Eventually, these colonies declare their independence, and a war ensues. Instead of tanks, warriors fight with massive Gundam mech suits. “Mobile Suit Gundam” Wing isn’t the only Gundam series available on Hulu either: several other Gundam spin-offs are available as well.

5. “My Hero Academia”

my hero academia
Image courtesy Bones

In our world, superheroes are the exception, not the rule. Whether it be the X-Men, Spider-Man, or Batman, heroes have to keep their identities secret, and are sometimes feared and reviled by the general populace. “My Hero Academia” turns that trope on its head. In the world of “My Hero Academia,” heroes are the norm, and most people have powers of some kind or another. Everyone, that is, except for Izuku Midorya. One of the minority without powers, Izuku dreams of becoming a hero too, and enrolls in a high school for heroes in training. Izuku and his powerful new friends have to take on supervillains, protect the innocent, and make sure that their homework is turned in on time.

4. “Sailor Moon”

sailor moon
Image courtesy Touei Animation

Middle school student Usagi Tsukino has a lot on her plate. Aside from the usual boy troubles and school stress, she’s also a magical guardian known as Sailor Moon. She’s tasked by a talking cat, Luna, with protecting the world from the monstrous forces of darkness and tracking down the missing Moon Princesses. She does it all without breaking a sweat (or her nails) and is never without a sarcastic remark in the meantime. “Sailor Moon” is a classic anime series that can be surprisingly relatable, and is a must-watch for all ages.

3. “Tokyo Ghoul”

tokyo ghoul
Image courtesy Pierrot

They’re not quite vampires, they’re not quite zombies, but they still thirst for blood… and lots of it. Ghouls are the new problem plaguing mankind, and they look and act totally normal by day. They could be your boss, your brother, your neighbor… but by night, they prowl the streets looking for their next innocent victim to devour. After a near-death experience leaves college student Ken Kaneki an unwilling ghoul, he’s forced into a dark and bloody world that he wants no part of. Fortunately, he manages to find another group of peaceful ghouls, but they’re hunted by the ruthless CCG task force. It soon becomes clear to Kaneki that things aren’t as black and white as he thought: ghouls aren’t all bad, and the CCG can be just as disturbing and inhuman as the monsters they claim to protect the public from.

2. “Psycho-Pass”

psycho pass
Image courtesy Production I.G.

“Psycho-Pass” is a must-watch for any cyberpunk fans. If you liked “Blade Runner,” “I, Robot” or “Detroit: Become Human,” “Psycho-Pass” is the series for you. In the future, crime is nearly nonexistent thanks to a new system of omnipresent supercomputers that can detect unstable individuals and wipe them out before crime ever occurs. Akane Tsunemori is a rookie officer that finds herself paired with the elite Enforcer unit, a squad of dangerous latent criminals that hunt down those deemed to be a threat to society. Things start to unravel when it becomes apparent that a dangerous killer is somehow fooling the system, and Tsunemori and her new friends in the Enforcer unit race to stop the threat.

1. “Cowboy Bebop”

cowboy bebop
Image courtesy Sunrise

Sci-fi meets film noir meets westerns in “Cowboy Bebop.” Bounty hunter Spike Spiegel and his crew make a living tracking down all manner of dangerous rogues across the solar system. The team has to contend with their own shadowy pasts just as much as they do the criminals they’re hunting, and the series effortlessly shifts tones between sarcastic humor and some pretty deep existential musings. “Cowboy Bebop” is a shining example of the best of anime, from the animation, to the voice acting, to the characters, and the soundtrack. It’s widely regarded to be one of the greatest anime series of all time. See you, space cowboy.

Wrapping up

Did we miss anything? Not to worry; Hulu has plenty more anime to devour, no matter what your tastes are. We’ll also be updating this article as Hulu expands its already hefty anime library, so be sure to check back with Softonic to see what’s new.

Best online tools for learning how to draw

Have you always wanted to pick up drawing? These tools can get you started!

Drawing

Kids love drawing and tend to focus on the joy of creation over fretting about their ability to draw a photo-realistic human hand by sight.

As we get older, we often give up on drawing, leaving the creativity to the artists of the world. We come to the conclusion that art skills are something you either have or don’t.

That’s not actually true.

Drawing skills can be learned, at any age, and today, you don’t even have to enroll in your local adult learning center to do so.

Learn to Draw on YouTube

YouTube is the go-to source for learning anything from home improvement tips to putting on makeup. It’s also a great place to learn how to draw for free!

Just like Bob Ross did decades ago, artistic YouTubers walk aspiring creators through video tutorials — and thanks to the power of the internet, you can pause and rewind as needed.

Here are a few channels worth checking out:

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Circle Line School

The Circle Line School’s channel is all about teaching you how to draw optical illusions, perspective drawings, and mastering the human face.

Proko

Stan Prokopenko is a California-based fine artist who will cover everything you need to know to learn drawing from his free YouTube channel. He goes over everything from what kinds of pencils to buy, how to shade lights and darks, and even draw caricatures of your favorite celebs. Who doesn’t want to draw like Taylor Swift and Obama?

Christopher Hart

If you’re more interested in learning to create your own manga, Christopher Hart’s channel will walk you through the steps to create characters that range from the easy to the more detailed.

Darryl Tank

Okay, this guy is insanely good at pencil drawings that look like photos.

His YouTube tutorials cover slightly more advanced techniques like drawing freckles that don’t look like polka dots or really nailing the texture of a basketball.

He’ll also walk you through things like how to draw a realistic sphere — mastering form and shading, and even provides some tips for left-handed folks so they don’t smear their work.

How to Draw with Matt Busch!

learn to draw online

Okay, we don’t totally love this website, but the art lessons are approachable and ultimately, pretty solid.

Lessons are broken down into 11-step tutorials built around teaching newcomers the fundamentals of drawing.

Udemy

Udemy Art

Udemy has a ton of drawing classes that range from beginner to master draftsperson.

At the time of writing, most classes are on sale for $9.99 a pop — some down from $199, like this one which comes with eight hours of video lessons and 19 downloadable resources. If you miss the deal, it seems like they run these promotions fairly regularly — so keep checking back if a course seems a bit steep.

Or, there’s this master class specifically for learning how to draw human features or another aimed at teaching people how to draw cartoons. The point is, there are plenty of skills you can learn — straight from behind the computer screen.

Ink Drawing Techniques: Brush, Nib, and Pen Style

skillshare ink drawing course

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to make amazing ink drawings, this online class from illustrator and School of Visual Arts instructor Yuko Shimizu is worth signing up for with Skillshare.

Skillshare Download Now ►
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Shimizu will not only teach you proper inking techniques, but she’ll also walk you through different types of papers, nibs, brushes, and more.

The class is about 90 minutes, broken into 15 mini lessons making it an approachable entry point into the world of pen and ink. It’s perfect for beginners and pros alike.

Artists Network

artists network streaming

Artists Network is a subscription service that allows you to stream 700+ art workshops that cater to artists at every level.

The site has some free content including mini tutorials like this one that walk you through how to draw animals.  The streaming service itself is $16.66 per month.

step by step animal drawing

You can also sign up for digital courses a la carte if you’d like to explore oil pastels or watercolors.

Wrapping up

There’s no shortage of great art content online. We recommend starting with YouTube, it’s free, and there are tons of channels that cater to specific niche skills, as well as just the basics.

Artweaver Download Now ►
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MANGA Plus provides English versions of new manga

Love manga? This app is perfect for you.

Struggling to find English translations of your favorite manga online is now a thing of the past.

Shueisha, the entertainment section of huge Japanese publisher Shogakukan, has just launched the manga site and app MANGA Plus. You can read the newest manga as they’re published and as of today, you have over 50 different manga series to choose from.

manga plus manga listWe remember having to scour the internet to find current chapters for our favorite manga, and on the off chance that we did find something, ads slowed down the reading experience tremendously. Nostalgia is great and everything, but fortunately, none of those issues are present on the website and the app which run incredibly smoothly. You can enjoy new titles or popular favorites, like One Piece and of course, Naruto.

MANGA Plus Download Now ►
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manga plus latest updatesWhen a new chapter for an ongoing manga is released in Japan, you’ll be able to read it on MANGA Plus. To find out when you can read a new chapter, just click on a title and the date and time of the future releases will be listed. MANGA Plus is available globally, but at the moment titles are only available in English and Spanish. When selecting your preferred language in the app, you’ll be able to see how many titles that have been translated and are ready to read.

manga plus language selectionThere are a ton of awesome manga out there to be read, and we’re definitely going to be checking MANGA Plus first when we’re looking for something new. What is your favorite manga? Let us know!