Anashin’s popular shōjo romance manga, How I Met My Soulmate (Unmei no Hito ni Deau Hanashi), will be relocating its serialization from Kodansha’s Dessert magazine to pixiv’s Palcy manga app this October. This move marks a significant shift for the series, which has been a staple in Dessert since its debut in April 2021.
A New Chapter for “How I Met My Soulmate”
The decision to transition How I Met My Soulmate to the Palcy app was announced recently by Kodansha’s Dessert magazine via their official X/Twitter account. This digital migration is set to take place in October, offering readers a new platform to follow the continuing story of Yuuki Honda, a 20-year-old college student searching for her soulmate in Tokyo, who eventually encounters the enigmatic Iori.
The manga has enjoyed a successful run in Dessert magazine, with its chapters collected into seven tankōbon volumes as of June 2025. It even won the Women’s Comic Prize at the 2025 Digital Comic Awards and was nominated for the 49th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōjo category in 2025, underscoring its critical acclaim and popularity. Kodansha USA has also licensed the series for English release, further extending its reach to international audiences.
Understanding the Shift to Digital Platforms
This move reflects a growing trend in the manga industry towards digital distribution and mobile-first reading experiences.
The Role of Dessert Magazine
Dessert is a well-established Japanese shōjo/josei manga magazine published by Kodansha, known for featuring romantic relationships, daily life, and emotional experiences aimed at young women and teenage girls. It has been the home to many popular series, with new chapters typically released around the 24th of each month. While Dessert continues to be a prominent print magazine, the shift of a notable series like How I Met My Soulmate highlights the increasing strategic importance of digital platforms for publishers like Kodansha.
Palcy App: A Growing Digital Hub
The Palcy app, co-developed by Kodansha and pixiv, is a dedicated manga application that allows users to read shōjo and josei manga daily, often providing free chapter tickets and special campaigns. It features original works exclusive to the platform, alongside popular series from Kodansha’s various magazines, including Dessert, Nakayoshi, Friend, and Kiss. The app aims to provide a convenient and accessible way for readers to engage with their favorite manga, offering daily updates and a wide array of titles. The presence of series like Unmei no Hito ni Deau Hanashi (How I Met My Soulmate) on Palcy’s list of notable works available indicates its importance to the platform.
Implications for Readers and the Industry
For fans of How I Met My Soulmate, the transition to the Palcy app means a change in how they access new chapters. While it might require downloading a new application for some, it also offers the convenience of mobile reading and potentially more frequent or flexible chapter releases characteristic of digital platforms.
This shift also underscores the dynamic evolution of manga publication. As digital platforms continue to gain traction, publishers are increasingly leveraging them to reach wider audiences and adapt to modern reading habits. The move of a successful series from a traditional print magazine to a digital app exemplifies this ongoing transformation within the manga industry.
