Following the launch of Manga Up! globally, the service drew flack from fans online after it was discovered that My Dress-Up Darling and other titles are censored on the platform.
Some of the censored panels were shared online by Twitter user @politicalawake, and it drew some negative reactions from both series fans and manga readers in general.
While My Dress-Up Darling does have what some would consider sensitive content, the series does not contain actual nudity.
Despite this, the Manga Up! version of the series censors several moments, including Marin Kitagawa’s bikini in chapter 3.
Other moments that were censored include part of chapter 1 which showed Shizuku-tan, along with panels that showed flashes of Marin’s underwear.
This isn’t the only censored title in the service. The replies to the original Tweet feature several series that have censored panels.
While not shared in the thread, titles such as Vermeil in Gold are also censored in Square Enix’s manga service.
So far, the reactions among readers are negative, with criticism shared about how having censored content makes manga look even worse.
Some have also pointed out that while the Manga Up! version of My Dress-Up Darling is censored, the English language volume releases are not.
This means buying volumes is the only way for fans to read the manga legally in English if they want the uncensored version.
Aside from complaints about censorship, there are also negative reactions to the Manga Up! pricing scheme.
Instead of having a paid subscription option like Shonen Jump, Manga Up! has a points-based system that limits users to only reading a few chapters per day.
For readers who want to access more chapters, they will have to purchase coins through the in-app shop. This is confounded by the fact that chapters are split into two halves, making it expensive to read lots of chapters in the long run.
Right now, Square Enix has yet to address the censorship and pricing concerns on the global Manga Up! app.
Related: Did My Dress-Up Darling Just Tease a Season 2 Announcement?
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