Kodansha’s K Manga service announced on Monday, September 29, 2025, that it has added Ameko’s romance manga, Hana-kun Can’t Live without Me (original title: Himokuzu Hana-kun wa Shinitagari), to its English-language digital platform. This addition brings a new “deadly romance” to readers, featuring a unique cohabitation story.
A Look at the Story of Hana-kun Can’t Live without Me
The manga introduces readers to Kaede Yoshino, a second-year working adult who finds herself completely burned out by her daily life and job. On one of her worst days, a heavily intoxicated Kaede encounters a mysterious, cat-like boy named Hana-kun under a moonlit sky. When Hana-kun claims he has nowhere to go, Kaede takes him in, leading to a temporary cohabitation arrangement.
Surprisingly, Kaede begins to find comfort and warmth in living with Hana-kun. However, a pivotal event soon reveals a shocking truth about Hana-kun’s identity, leading to him becoming intensely obsessed with Kaede. The series is described as a “clingy, good-for-nothing boy meets a tender-hearted overworked girl in this deadly romance.” It blends genres of shoujo, office workers, psychological, and romance, with elements of comedy and slice of life.
The Creator: Ameko
The manga is both written and illustrated by Ameko (あめこ). Ameko launched the manga on pixiv’s “Palcy” manga app in Japan in May 2024. The series is ongoing, with Kodansha having published the second compiled book volume in Japan on May 13, 2025. Ameko is also known by the pen name Umekoppe and has worked on other titles.
K Manga: Kodansha’s Digital Platform
K Manga is Kodansha’s official manga platform, launched on May 10, 2023, primarily for U.S. readers. The platform’s goal is to increase accessibility for American manga fans by simultaneously releasing the latest chapters of original serialized manga from Kodansha’s weekly and monthly magazines.
Upon its launch, K Manga featured approximately 400 titles, including around 70 ongoing manga series. The service provides official, high-quality translations for its manga series, handled by industry professionals. While the first few chapters of most titles are available for free, K Manga utilizes a Ticket and Point-based system for accessing subsequent chapters. Users receive a free “Normal Ticket” daily and can earn “Premium Tickets” through login bonuses or by watching advertisements. Points can also be purchased or earned and used to unlock chapters, with prices varying by title and chapter. The platform offers a diverse range of genres, including action, thriller, isekai, romance, and fantasy, and features popular titles like Attack on Titan, Blue Lock, and Rent-A-Girlfriend.
The addition of Hana-kun Can’t Live without Me further expands K Manga’s romance offerings, providing English-speaking audiences with direct access to this ongoing series as it continues its serialization in Japan.
