Comparison

Umizaru vs Kanman Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Umizaru

Experience the acclaimed Japanese comic series "Umizaru" on your iPhone or iPad. Follow the thrilling adventures of Coast Guard officers as they tackle sea disaster accidents. The first volume is available for free, with subsequent volumes offered for purchase.

Highlights
  • Digital comic reader
  • First volume free
  • Purchase subsequent volumes
  • Based on popular manga
  • Features Coast Guard stories
  • Adapted into movies and dramas
Features
Read full description

The familiar work in movies and dramas! The masterpiece, "Umizaru," finally comes up as an iPhone / iPad app! It is the elaborating work by Shuho Sato, who is famous with his works, "Give My Regards to Black Jack" and "Tokko no Shima"! "Umizaru" his first serialization work as well as his representative work! =============== You can enjoy the 1st volume for free! The 2nd volume or later will be offered for a fee. =============== You can readily enjoy the huge hit record original version as movies and dramas in your iPhone / iPad. Please try it at this opportunity! =============== About "Umizaru": =============== It is the story depicting the activity of the Coast Guard officers mainly on sea disaster accidents with the main character, "Daisuke Senzaki," a Coast Guard officer. Some of the incidents and accidents described in the cartoon are the ones, which actually happened. Timely topics at that time, such as the spy ships (such as suspicious boats) incident, have also been incorporated into the story. It was serialized in "Weekly Young Sunday," a young cartoon magazine by Shogakukan from 1999 to 2001. The series has 12 volumes book (Shogakukan Young Sunday Comics). It was become a TV drama twice in NHK. Afterwards, it was picturized by Fuji TV from 2004 to 2012 by a flow: the movie 1 > the TV drama > the movie 2 > the movie 3 > the movie 4. ***************** The Title: Umizaru The Author: Shuho Sato The Site: Manga on Web (http://mangaonweb.con) *****************

About

Kanman Reader

This comic reader helps Chinese language learners immerse themselves in manhua. Easily look up definitions for unfamiliar words by scanning the page, and manage your library of DRM-free comics.

Highlights
  • Supports ZIP, RAR, CBR, CBZ formats
  • Horizontal or vertical scrolling
  • On-page word definition lookup
  • Manhua library management
  • Resume reading from last point
Features
Read full description

Kanman Reader is a comic reader designed for Chinese learners who want a smooth experience when reading Chinese comics (also known as manhua). Upload DRM-free manhua in ZIP/RAR/CBR/CBZ format and start reading to immerse yourself more deeply in the language. If you come across a word you don’t know while reading a manhua on Kanman Reader, you can quickly hold the page to scan it and extract the text. Tapping on a word you don’t recognize will effortlessly pull up the definition for that word. Spend less time trying to look up unfamiliar characters, and spend more time immersing yourself in the Chinese language! Features: - Supports multiple file formats: Manhua can be opened in ZIP/RAR/CBR/CBZ formats - Customizable reading experience: Choose whether you want to flip through manhua horizontally or scroll downwards - Easily look up definitions: Scan manhua to pull up English definitions for unfamiliar Chinese words - Manhua management: Stores previously accessed manhua in a library and lets you easily pick up from where you last left off

Screenshots

Umizaru4 screens
Kanman Reader3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kanman Reader at none against Umizaru's 10. Kanman Reader also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 82%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Umizaru sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Kanman Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Umizaru ships an update every 6 months, Kanman Reader every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Umizaru versus Kanman Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUmizaruKanman Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 months — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB32 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSusumu HoshikawaAkash Cherian

Customer experience

Umizaru

Written reviews34 reviews
Positive82.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.6%

Kanman Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Umizaru

One-time10
  • 海猿 第02巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第03巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第04巻$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 海猿 第05巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第06巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第07巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第08巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第09巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第11巻$1.99
  • 海猿 第12巻$1.99
None

Kanman Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Umizaru free?
Umizaru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kanman Reader free?
Kanman Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Umizaru or Kanman Reader have ads?
Neither Umizaru nor Kanman Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Umizaru or Kanman Reader?
Umizaru ships an update every 6 months, and Kanman Reader every 9 months. Most recently, Umizaru was updated on September 29, 2026 and Kanman Reader on September 15, 2026.

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