"I read manga in print, on other apps, or at the library. I want to track what I've read and remember where I left off."
What works today:
- Add any series via tracker search (MAL, AniList, MangaUpdates, Kitsu, Bangumi, Shikimori)
- Track reading progress, scores, start/finish dates, and reading status per tracker
- Authority chapters generated from tracker metadata — see chapter list, mark chapters as read/bookmarked even without a content source. If the tracker knows there are 108 chapters, you get Chapter 1–108 to track your progress through
- Write personal notes on any manga entry (dedicated notes screen per manga)
- Organize into categories with custom names and ordering
- No source needed — the app stores a canonical ID (
al:21) and won't show health warnings for manga that never had chapters - Sync progress back to tracker sites to keep your online profile current
- Backup/restore preserves all tracking data, notes, canonical IDs, and categories
- If you later add a content source, your read progress carries forward — authority chapters merge cleanly with source chapters
"I already have a reading list on MAL/AniList. I want to bring my whole library in without starting from scratch."
What works today:
- Import from MyAnimeList — one tap in Settings → Tracking imports your entire MAL reading list
- Each manga creates a library entry with canonical ID, cover art, and metadata
- Reading status (reading, completed, on hold, dropped, plan to read) transfers with chapter progress
- Authority chapters auto-generated from tracker's total chapter count, with chapters marked as read matching your MAL progress
- Duplicate detection — manga already in your library are skipped
- After import, you can link content sources for any manga you want to read online, or keep tracking-only
What could be built next:
- Import from AniList reading list
- Two-way sync (push new library additions back to tracker)
- Import with volume-level chapter data from richer metadata sources
"I have manga files (CBZ, EPUB, folders) on my device. I want to organize and read them with progress tracking."
What works today:
- Local source imports manga from device storage (CBZ archives, EPUB, folder structures)
- Link local manga to trackers for canonical identity and progress sync
- Organize local manga into categories, add personal notes
- Local sources are excluded from health detection — no false DEAD/DEGRADED warnings
- Health banner hidden for local manga in detail view
- Download chapters for offline reading; downloaded content survives source changes
"I add my own scans or downloads to the local library over time."
What works today:
- Add files to the local source directory; they appear on next library refresh
- Same organization tools as any other manga: categories, notes, tracker links
- Mix local and online manga in the same library with unified filtering and sorting
"I read from online sources and want a smooth reading experience with progress tracking."
What works today:
- Browse and search across installed extension sources
- Track progress via MAL/AniList/MangaUpdates — canonical ID auto-set on tracker bind
- Alternative titles pulled from AniList (romaji, native, synonyms) stored as JSON
- Download chapters for offline reading
- Library filters: downloaded, unread, started, bookmarked, completed status
- Sort by title, chapters, latest update, date added, or unread count
- Display modes: compact grid, comfortable grid, or list — configurable per category
"My source died or I want to switch. I need to move my manga without losing progress."
What works today:
- Automatic health detection during library updates — classifies sources as HEALTHY, DEGRADED, or DEAD
- Visual warnings everywhere: ⚠ badge on library covers, colored source name in detail, warning banner with "Migrate" button
- Notifications: dead/degraded alerts after updates, migration reminder after 3 days dead
- Smart migration search: canonical ID (free, instant) → primary title → alt titles → near-match → deep search, with match confidence percentage
- Library filter to show only dead/degraded manga for batch triage
- Health status and dead_since timestamps survive backup/restore
"I read offline or across devices. I want my reading position to stay synced."
What works today:
- Tracker sync on chapter read — updates MAL/AniList/MangaUpdates automatically
- Reading progress persisted locally per chapter (last page read)
- History tracks when each chapter was read
- Backup/restore captures full state: library, chapters, tracking, history, categories, notes
- Restore on a new device picks up exactly where you left off
"I have a large library and need to keep it tidy."
What works today:
- Categories with custom names, drag-to-reorder, per-category display and sort settings
- Filters: downloaded, unread, started, bookmarked, completed, dead/degraded sources — all combinable as include/exclude
- Sorting: alphabetical, by chapter count, latest update, date added, unread count
- Display modes: compact grid, comfortable grid, list — set globally or per category
- Notes per manga for personal annotations
- Library health banner shows at-a-glance count of manga needing attention
"I want to share my favorites, collections, and recommendations with friends."
What works today:
- Share manga link directly from manga detail screen (shares source URL)
- Share cover image from manga detail
- Backup export with granular options: library entries, categories, chapters, tracking, history, app settings — mix and match
- Backup files are portable
.tachibkformat for sharing between devices
What could be built next:
- Share manga with the user's personal notes included (formatted text or image card)
- Collections — curated, ordered groups of series (beyond categories). Automatic collections ( e.g., "Completed this month"), smart collections (by genre/author/status), and custom hand-picked collections
- Collection notes — add descriptions, commentary, or suggested reading order to collections
- Share collections as formatted lists with notes, custom ordering, and cover art
- Export a collection as a standalone shareable file (subset of library)
"I want to find new series similar to what I already enjoy."
What works today:
- Browse sources with per-source filters (genre, status, popularity)
- Global search across all installed sources simultaneously
- Source-specific popular/latest listings
What could be built next:
- "More like this" recommendations based on linked tracker data (genre, author, similar users)
- Tracker-based discovery: "users who read X also read Y"
- "Like this" button on manga detail to find similar series across sources
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Canonical ID from trackers | ✅ Auto-set on bind |
| Alternative titles (AniList) | ✅ JSON storage, used in search |
| Source health detection | ✅ DEAD/DEGRADED/HEALTHY on update |
| Health UI (banner, badge, color) | ✅ All library + detail views |
| Health notifications | ✅ Post-update + 3-day migration reminder |
| Smart migration search | ✅ 4-tier with confidence % |
| Library health filter | ✅ TriState include/exclude |
| Local/stub source safety | ✅ Excluded from health detection |
| Backup completeness | ✅ Canonical ID, status, dead_since |
| Design tokens | ✅ Consistent spacing system |
| Tracker list import (MAL) | ✅ One-tap import of reading list |
| Authority chapters | ✅ Chapters from tracker metadata for sourceless manga |
| Manga notes | ✅ Upstream feature, fully supported |
| Categories + organization | ✅ Upstream feature, fully supported |
| Tracker sync | ✅ Upstream feature, fully supported |
| Share manga with notes | 📋 Next up |
| Collections (custom, smart, auto) | 📋 Next up |
| Collection notes + sharing | 📋 Next up |
| Recommendations / "like this" | 📋 Planned |
| AniList list import | 📋 Planned |
| Cross-media authority sources | 🔮 Future vision |
145 unit tests. Zero compiler warnings.
The authority-first model isn't limited to manga. The canonical ID system, tracker integration, authority chapters, collections, and sharing features could extend to other media types:
| Media Type | Potential Authority Sources | Tracker Integration |
|---|---|---|
| Light Novels | MAL (already tracks LNs), AniList, NovelUpdates | Reading progress, volumes, chapters |
| Books | MAL (LN overlap), Goodreads, OpenLibrary | Reading status, ratings |
| Anime | MAL, AniList, Kitsu | Episode progress, watch status |
| Games | IGDB, HowLongToBeat, Steam | Play status, completion |
| Movies/TV | TMDB, Trakt, IMDb | Watch status, ratings |
Cross-media collections would enable users to curate multi-format series guides — for example, sharing all .hack media (manga, anime, games, light novels) with personal notes on each entry and a recommended experience order. A single shared collection could include:
- Manga volumes with reading progress
- Anime seasons with episode tracking
- Light novels with chapter progress
- Games with completion status
- User notes explaining the recommended order and why
This builds on the existing architecture: canonical IDs identify entries across sources, authority chapters provide progress tracking without content, and the collection/sharing system provides the presentation layer.
Not currently planned — documenting the vision to guide architectural decisions that keep these doors open.