For decades, manga fans outside Japan have faced a persistent problem: the vast majority of Japanese manga has never received an official translation. While piracy has attempted to fill that gap, it has often done so at the expense of creators and publishers. Tokyo-founded localization startup Orange Inc. believes there is a sustainable alternative—one that combines respect for manga culture with carefully applied technology.
Founded in 2021 by Shoko Ugaki, Orange Inc. was built around a clear mission: “Every manga in every language.” That philosophy is embodied in emaqi, the company’s digital manga platform, which launched in North America with more than 13,000 volumes spanning approximately 1,700 series, including many titles never before officially available in English.
From Fandom to Founding Vision
Orange Inc.’s origins trace back to Ugaki’s lifelong relationship with manga. A self-described otaku, Ugaki grew up surrounded by manga—more than 15,000 volumes in his family home—and continues to read extensively. While anime and games were part of that upbringing, manga remained the core medium that shaped his creative outlook.
A second influence was technology. After joining a mobile game development company in 2013, Ugaki began exploring what he describes as “the technologies that will define the next era.” That search took on new urgency when he discovered just how little of Japan’s manga catalog had been translated.
Industry estimates suggest that only about two percent of Japanese manga titles receive official English releases. According to Orange Inc., many readers turn to piracy not out of preference, but because legal alternatives do not exist.
“Creators pour their lives into their work,” Ugaki said. “If official editions don’t reach readers, manga culture itself is at risk.”
Shoko Ugaki via email
A Human-First Approach to AI Localization
Orange Inc. has drawn attention for its hybrid AI-assisted translation workflow—an approach that Ugaki emphasizes is designed to support, not replace, human professionals.
Each manga chapter moves through an extensive pipeline: preparation and glossary creation, AI base translation, human translation and quality control, AI-assisted retouching, professional typesetting, final review, and publication. At every stage, translators, editors, retouchers, and letterers refine the work to preserve tone, cultural nuance, and authorial intent.
The preparation phase is considered especially critical. Teams analyze character voices, world-building, recurring terminology, and stylistic patterns before translation begins. Shared glossaries and localization guidelines are used to ensure consistency across long-running series.
Orange Inc. also stresses the importance of its multicultural staff, which includes Japanese team members with overseas experience and non-Japanese staff deeply familiar with Japanese language and culture. Multiple rounds of independent quality control are used to reduce bias and catch subtle issues.
AI, Ugaki said, is used strictly for mechanical and repetitive tasks. “It’s about amplification, not replacement,” he noted, adding that human translators remain central to the process.
Addressing Industry Concerns
AI-assisted localization has been met with skepticism across the manga industry, particularly amid concerns about job displacement and ethical use. Ugaki draws a clear distinction between language assistance and AI-generated artwork.
Orange Inc. states that it does not use AI for illustration and that its systems are not trained on copyrighted manga artwork. Its language models are used solely to assist with localization, leaving creative interpretation and final execution to human professionals.
Transparency, Ugaki believes, is essential to maintaining trust. The company has increasingly engaged directly with North American audiences through conventions, interviews, and community outreach. Ugaki relocated to the United States to better understand overseas readership and cultural expectations.
emaqi and a Different Monetization Model
Unlike many digital manga services, emaqi does not rely exclusively on an all-you-can-read subscription model. Instead, it uses a coin-based, pay-per-title system—a choice driven largely by publisher licensing realities.
Many rights holders decline subscription-based distribution, meaning a subscription-only approach would exclude a significant number of titles. The coin model allows emaqi to offer a broader catalog while still supporting creators. A “Wait Until Free” feature also lets readers legally access select chapters over time.
Orange Inc. has indicated that it may explore hybrid models in the future, balancing accessibility, user choice, and creator compensation.
Creators at the Center
Feedback from creators has been a key measure of success for Orange Inc. At events such as Anime Expo, the company has showcased localized works through trailers and sample displays. Some visiting manga creators have expressed surprise and gratitude at seeing overseas fans engage directly with their work.
Beyond publishing, Orange Inc. has invested in cultural initiatives including its Manga Truck project across the United States, donations to UC Berkeley’s East Asian Library, and sponsorship of museum exhibitions highlighting manga as an art form.
Looking Ahead
While emaqi currently focuses on Japanese-to-English releases, Ugaki said Orange Inc. is actively developing multilingual expansion. The company’s long-term goal is to reduce language barriers and allow readers worldwide to experience manga in their native languages.
“If people around the world can read manga as naturally as they do in Japan,” Ugaki said, “then manga can become part of everyday life everywhere.”
Shoko Ugaki via email
Building Trust Beyond Technology
For readers who remain skeptical about AI’s role in manga translation, Ugaki is clear that technology is not the company’s driving force—manga is.
“While AI translation tends to attract attention, our roots lie in loving manga and wanting to deliver it to the world,” Ugaki said. “AI is simply one means toward that end. Human hands complete the key stages, and our stance of prioritizing narrative fidelity and reader experience remains unchanged.”
Rather than focusing on promoting AI itself, Orange Inc. has concentrated its efforts on expanding access to manga that global audiences have never had the opportunity to read. According to Ugaki, building trust takes time, and actions matter more than explanations.
“We want to help more people discover manga’s appeal,” he said, “and contribute to the expansion of manga culture itself.”
Shoko Ugaki via email
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