Software products
The Concept: A curated, ad-supported section of the platform that offers permanent free access to Volume 1 of major titles, including Attack on Titan. This feature bridges the gap between piracy and purchasing by removing the paywall for the initial entry point of a story.
How it works for the User:
Why this is a "Good" Feature:
User Interface Highlight: A prominent banner on the Volume 1 landing page reads:
"Start the Revolution for Free. Read or Download Vol. 1 legally. No credit card required. Support Hajime Isayama directly by continuing the journey in the Premium Library."
Crunchyroll offers a massive manga library, including Attack on Titan, but only with a subscription. However, they often have 14-day free trials. Sign up, read all 34 volumes during the trial, then cancel. That’s effectively free access to Volume 1 and beyond.
Warning: Crunchyroll does not offer PDF downloads—you read in-browser or in-app. But for the keyword “free,” this works perfectly.
No. Kodansha has never released a free, downloadable PDF of the full volume. Any site offering one is pirating.
Yes. Those sites host unauthorized scans. While reading in a browser is technically less risky than downloading, it’s still piracy and doesn’t support the creator.