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How to read raw manga

“Raw” means the original Japanese scans, before any fan or official translation. Here is what that means, where to find legitimate raws, and how to read them even if you do not know Japanese.

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Press T and every speech bubble is translated where it sits, the art untouched.

What “raw” means

A raw is the untranslated original, the chapter as it ran in Japan. People read raws to keep up with a series the moment it releases, to read something that never got an English version, or to study the language from real material.

Where to find legitimate raws

You do not need a piracy site. Plenty of raws are official, and many are free:

Manga Plus (Shueisha)
Official, free, many Jump titles, available in Japanese and other languages.
Comic Walker (Kadokawa)
Free official chapters from a large Japanese publisher.
Pixiv Comic
Free serialized manga, plenty of it never officially translated.
BookWalker / Kindle Japan
Buy digital volumes to own them and support the creators.

The extension works on whichever of these you are reading, it translates the page you are on.

How to read a raw you cannot fully understand

  1. Open the raw chapter and let it load.
  2. Press T for a full in-place translation, so you never lose the plot.
  3. Hover a bubble to compare the original with the meaning.
  4. Turn on Study mode to add furigana and a native voice, and you are learning while you read.

Translate your next chapter

Free, 200 translations a week. Add it to Chrome, open any manga, manhwa, or manhua page, and press T.

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FAQ

What does “raw” mean?

It is the original, untranslated version of a comic, the same pages that were published in Japan, Korea, or China before any translation.

Where can I read raws legally?

Official apps and stores carry plenty: Manga Plus and Comic Walker offer free official chapters, and BookWalker or Kindle Japan sell digital volumes. The extension translates whichever one you open.

Do I need to know Japanese to read a raw?

No. Press T and the page is translated in place. If you want to learn as you go, Study mode adds furigana and a native voice.

Keep going

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The full workflow
Study Japanese with manga
Read raw and learn
Raw manga sourcebook
More on finding raws
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