Manga Up! Global, Square Enix’s international digital manga service, has announced the addition of Rui Ikeda’s romantic comedy manga, “Why She Loves Scum” (Kanojo ga Kuzu o Aisuru Wake wa), to its growing catalog. The series, which launched in March 2024, is now available to readers worldwide, offering a fresh take on unconventional romance.
Diving into “Why She Loves Scum”
“Why She Loves Scum” introduces readers to Hiro, a character depicted as broke, jobless, and unfaithful. Despite these less-than-desirable traits, the narrative’s twist lies in Mi, who is utterly captivated by him. Mi’s low expectations—Hiro not dumping her within a week, showing up for dates, and remembering her name—paradoxically prevent Hiro from fully embracing his usual “scummy” persona, leading to a humorous exploration of their relationship.
The manga began its serialization on X (formerly Twitter) in March 2024, before transitioning to Gangan pixiv in November 2024. Square Enix released its second compiled volume in May, and the series has already garnered recognition, ranking #6 in the Web Manga category of the Next Manga Awards 2024.
Manga Up! Global’s Evolving Platform
Manga Up! Global first launched in English in July 2022, following its Japanese premiere in 2017. The platform, designed to provide international readers with access to Square Enix titles, initially faced criticism regarding its monetization model, which treated manga chapters like microtransactions, and its extensive censorship, including instances of obscuring knees and elbows.
In response to user feedback, Manga Up! made significant changes. By September 2022, all black bar censorship was replaced with less intrusive methods. Furthermore, in April 2024, the service introduced a monthly subscription tier, the “Vault Pass,” offering access to over 10,000 chapters from more than 200 eligible series for a flat fee of $5 USD a month. This move aimed to make the service more user-friendly and competitive with other digital manga libraries like Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app. The platform also expanded its accessibility in December 2024 with a revamped web version, allowing users to read their favorite series directly from web browsers after creating an account on the mobile app.
With a catalog of over 200 series spanning various genres from romance to dark fantasy, Manga Up! Global continues to add new titles regularly, aiming to provide a diverse reading experience for its global audience. The addition of “Why She Loves Scum” further diversifies its offerings, catering to fans of unique romantic comedies.
