“I Can Read English!”—Starting with the Manga You Love: Manga-Based English Learning App Langaku Launches Quiz Ads Featuring Iconic Lines from Popular Titles in Takadanobaba

BLEACH, DEATH NOTE, HUNTER×HUNTER, and NARUTO to be featured in weekly rotation, offering an introduction to “manga × extensive reading in English”

Mantra Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Shonosuke Ishiwatari; hereinafter “Mantra”), provider of the manga-based English learning app Langaku, will run an out-of-home advertising campaign in Takadanobaba from Wednesday, October 28 through Tuesday, November 24, 2026. The campaign turns iconic manga lines into English-language quizzes.

Featuring memorable scenes and lines from BLEACH, DEATH NOTE, HUNTER×HUNTER, and NARUTO, the ads pose the question: “What does this English line mean?”

Because viewers already know the lines in Japanese, the campaign is designed to help them realize that they can understand more English than they might expect—and that they may be able to read it for themselves. Through this experience, viewers can discover the appeal of “manga × extensive reading in English”: developing the ability to read naturally while enjoying a favorite manga series.

Langaku offers a range of learning support features, including one-tap switching between English and Japanese and AI-powered explanations of English expressions. Even users who have struggled to continue learning English in the past can use the manga they love as an accessible starting point for sustained extensive reading.

Creating “I Can Read English!” Moments in Takadanobaba

Takadanobaba is home to numerous universities, vocational schools, and Japanese-language schools, making it a lively neighborhood frequented by students and many others.

Mantra selected the area for this campaign in the hope that commuters and students will encounter English casually through familiar lines from the manga they know and love. The ads communicate that learning English does not have to feel like formal study—it can begin as a natural extension of enjoying a favorite story.

Experience the Feeling of “I Can Read This!” in English Through Iconic Manga Lines

The campaign consists of quiz-style ads featuring memorable scenes from popular manga and the English versions of their iconic lines. Four different designs—featuring BLEACH, DEATH NOTE, HUNTER×HUNTER, and NARUTO—will be displayed in weekly rotation.

Alongside the question “What does this English line mean?”, each ad presents the English version of a familiar manga quote. Because viewers already know the Japanese line, they can more easily infer its meaning the moment they see it in English and experience the feeling that “Maybe I can read this.”

The Japanese answer shown in each ad is also accompanied by playful copy inspired by the world and dialogue of the featured title.

The HUNTER×HUNTER ad, for example, uses the line “Don’t miss the answer!”—a reference to the famous quote “A lesser man would have missed that.” The BLEACH ad features “Check the answer and get stronger in English,” inspired by the line “Don’t use such strong words. They only make you look weak.”

©久保帯人／集英社
©P1998-2024

Langaku Helps Learners Build English Skills Through Extensive Reading with the Manga They Love

The feeling of “I can read this in English” created by the ads can become an ongoing experience in Langaku as users continue reading their favorite manga.

“Extensive reading” is a learning method in which learners read large amounts of English they can understand without excessive effort, gradually developing the ability to comprehend English directly in English. However, many learners find themselves stopping whenever they encounter an unfamiliar word, making it difficult to maintain the habit.

One of manga’s key advantages is that its artwork provides context, making it easier to infer meaning even when unfamiliar words appear. The desire to find out what happens next also provides natural motivation to keep reading.

With Langaku, users can switch between English and Japanese simply by tapping a panel. AI also provides contextual explanations of idioms, slang, and other distinctive English expressions. Users can adjust the ratio of English to Japanese panels to match their proficiency level, allowing them to continue extensive reading without interrupting the flow of the story.

©尾田栄一郎／集英社

Expert Commentary: Why Is Manga-Based Extensive Reading Effective for Learning English?

Comment from Professor Hirotoshi Yagihashi, Faculty of Humanities, Seikei University
“How would that line be expressed in English?”
Motivation is widely considered an important factor in the effectiveness of language learning, and the curiosity inspired by a favorite manga can be a valuable starting point for learning English.
Manga allows learners to connect English expressions with particular situations and emotions, using characters’ facial expressions and the development of the story as clues. The desire to find out what happens next, combined with the sense of achievement that comes from successfully reading something in English, increases motivation and helps learners continue studying.
Extensive reading—continuing to read while enjoying a story without placing too much strain on oneself—increases opportunities to encounter expressions repeatedly across a variety of contexts. This deepens learners’ understanding of what expressions mean and how they are used, while developing the ability to process English more fluently.
Through the stories they love, learners can gradually begin to feel that English is more familiar and accessible. I hope that a single manga line encountered at a station will become the first step toward such a rich learning experience.
Profile

Professor Yagihashi graduated from the Faculty of Letters at Keio University, where he majored in English and American literature, before studying English linguistics at the university’s Graduate School of Letters. His areas of specialization include cognitive linguistics, sociolinguistics, and pragmatics.

After serving as an assistant professor, lecturer, associate professor, and professor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Kyorin University, he is currently a professor in the Faculty of Humanities at Seikei University. He has published numerous books, academic papers, and dictionary contributions.

His professional roles include President of the Japanese Stylistics Society; Board Member and Secretary-General of the Japanese Cognitive Linguistics Association; Council Member and Secretary-General of the Pragmatics Society of Japan; Secretary-General of the Japan Society for Proverb Studies; and Vice Chair of the nonprofit Global Village KOTOBAMURA World Language Museum.

Comment from English Instructor Kumiko
Extensive reading helps build a foundation not only for reading, but also for speaking and listening.
By reading large amounts of English, learners gradually become accustomed to understanding it in its original word order, without rearranging sentences into Japanese word order. This helps them construct sentences using English word order when they speak. When listening, they also become better able to process meaning in the order they hear it, making it easier to keep up with the pace of a conversation.
That said, reading an English-language book from the outset can feel like a major hurdle. For those learners, I recommend Langaku.
Manga lets you learn conversational expressions together with characters’ facial expressions and the situations in which the dialogue takes place. The narration feature helps you connect written words with their pronunciation, while words and phrases you want to remember can be saved with a single tap and reviewed together later.
This allows you to enjoy the story without interrupting your reading flow—and to keep making progress with extensive reading in English.
Profile

Kumiko founded and operated a language school in Canada for ten years. She has taught more than 7,000 students through a wide variety of courses, including IELTS, TOEIC, English grammar, business English, translation, interpreting, and English conversation. She has also trained native English-speaking instructors and developed teaching materials.

Her books include What People Who Learned to Speak English on Their Own Are Doing (Petit Lettre), Self-Studying English Through Manga (Rechange), and Mastering IELTS Speaking: Vocabulary by Topic and Paraphrasing Skills (Asuka Publishing).

Official website: https://nakabayashikumiko.com/

“How Would You Say This Manga Line in English?” Social Media Campaign

Langaku will hold a social media campaign on X. Participants who follow the official Langaku account (@langaku_app) and quote-repost the campaign post with “a manga line they would like to say in English” will be entered into a prize drawing.

Campaign Period

Wednesday, October 28 through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, 2026

How to Enter
  1. Follow Langaku’s official X account (@langaku_app).
  2. Quote-repost the designated campaign post and include a manga line you would like to say in English.
Prizes

Five winners will each receive an Amazon Gift Card worth JPY 1,000.

Important Information
  • Participation is open to those who have not seen the Takadanobaba advertisements.
  • Winners will be contacted by direct message from Langaku’s official X account.
  • Before entering, please ensure that your X settings allow you to receive direct messages from the official account.

OOH Advertising Campaign Overview

Location: Takadanobaba area
Campaign period: Wednesday, October 28 through Tuesday, November 24, 2026
Featured titles:BLEACH, DEATH NOTE, HUNTER×HUNTER, and NARUTO

  • One title will be featured each week in rotation.
  • The campaign’s content and display period are subject to change without prior notice.

About Langaku

A Popular Manga × English Learning App

Langaku is an app that delivers an immersive extensive-reading experience in English through manga.

Users can naturally develop their English skills while enjoying more than 100 popular manga titles in English, including ONE PIECE and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Langaku’s Unique Learning Support Features
  • Switch between English and Japanese simply by tapping a panel.
  • Receive AI-powered, contextual explanations of English idioms and slang.
  • Adjust the ratio of English to Japanese panels based on your English proficiency.
  • Use audio narration and autoplay modes.

Extensive reading is one of the most effective ways to help the brain become accustomed to English. We invite users to try an approach to English learning that does not feel like studying—one in which their skills improve naturally as they enjoy the manga they love.

App Information
About Mantra Inc.

Since its founding in 2020, Mantra Inc. has engaged in the research and development of AI technologies specialized for the entertainment industry. The company provides services including the manga translation platform Mantra Engine and the English learning app Langaku.

Mantra has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the HONGO AI Award (2019), selection for Weekly Toyo Keizai’s “Amazing Venture 100” (2020), the AAMT Nagao Award (2021), the JEITA Venture Award Early Edge Award (2022), the Digital Publishing Award’s Challenge Mind Award (2024), the Grand Prize in the Personal Growth category of Google Play Best of 2025 (2025), and an Excellence Award in the Learning Apps category of the Appliv Best App Award (2025).

Company Overview
  • Company name: Mantra Inc.
  • Representative: Shonosuke Ishiwatari, Representative Director and CEO
  • Address: 2F Sumitomo Fudosan Iidabashi Building, 2-3-21 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0004, Japan
  • Established: January 28, 2020
  • Capital: JPY 1,000,000
  • Business activities: Research and development of machine translation technologies specialized for manga, and provision of translation and English learning services
  • Website:https://mantra.co.jp
Media Contact

Mantra Inc.
PR Representatives: Norimine / Funakoshi
Email: info@mantra.co.jp

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