Less than a week into 2026, a four-volume AI-generated manga has surged to the top of Japan’s ebook charts. My Dear Wife, Will You Be My Lover? (autotranslated title) is the top seller in Comic CmoA’s young adult category, according to Automaton’s January 6 report. The work, created by Mamaya and published by Studio Zoon, follows a middle-aged husband and his wife as they attempt to rekindle their romantic and sexual connection.
Comic CmoA describes the storefront as the largest ebook shop in the country. The manga’s official store description notes that the images were created using AI-generated imagery. The four-volume series is currently the best-selling title in the site’s young adult section and ranks ninth overall on the platform’s charts as of January 6.
Automaton’s coverage highlights mixed reception from readers: many user reviews describe the manga as boring, with overly wordy dialogue, perceived poor artwork, and copy-pasted character imagery. The sex scenes receive some attention but are described as too infrequent to sustain the romance, contributing to a current rating of about 3.1 stars on the platform.
Industry reaction includes some fan pushback; there are reports of potential boycotts from readers who oppose AI-generated work being offered on Comic CmoA’s storefront. However, the wider sentiment among observers is divided; Kazuaki Ishibashi, a manga author and editor who has worked on Mob Psycho 100 and The World Only God Knows, commented on Twitter that readers don’t seem overly upset by the success of AI-generated manga, while noting concern about the era’s arrival. “Perhaps it’s only the creators themselves who are concerned,” Ishibashi said, adding, “Has this era finally arrived? I expect AI-created work will explode in popularity this year.”
The episode underscores a broader tension in digital publishing and art creation: AI-generated imagery is capable of rapid production and distribution through major storefronts, but it raises questions about creators’ livelihoods, originality, and the future of authorship in manga. As publishers weigh policy and licensing decisions, observers will watch whether AI-assisted projects gain mainstream traction or provoke stronger pushback from artists and fans alike.