koharu

What it does

Load a manga page and Koharu finds the speech bubbles, reads the text, erases the original lettering and typesets the translation back in - including vertical Japanese. You can export a layered PSD and fix the lettering by hand afterwards. Images and dialogue stay on your own machine; only the translation step can optionally use a remote model. Installers are provided for Windows, macOS and Linux, and it runs on CPU when no GPU is available.

Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.

Screenshots & visuals

Before you start

• Setup difficultyEasy to start
• Command lineNot required
• API keyNot required
• Sends data onlineNo

Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.

koharu FAQ

Is koharu free?

Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.

Do I need to install anything or write code to use koharu?

You install it like a normal desktop app. No command line involved.

Does koharu work on a phone?

No. It needs a computer.

Can I use koharu commercially?

The licence is Apache-2.0, which permits commercial use. Conditions such as keeping the copyright notice still apply, so read the licence text before shipping it inside something.

How it compares

The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.

"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.

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