Square Enix just announced a collaboration with Mantra, a Tokyo-based AI startup specializing in manga technology, to co-develop a tool called Mantra Engine, and the goal is straightforward: automate one of the most time-consuming steps in manga production before it swallows another 3,000 hours of editorial work this year.
That number isn’t an exaggeration. According to Square Enix’s own press release, their editorial department spends over 3,000 hours annually doing typesetting by hand. That means manually specifying the font type, font size, text style, and exact placement of every single line of dialogue across every single panel of every chapter they publish. It’s invisible work to readers, but it’s a massive chunk of an editor’s year.
Mantra Engine was built to take that off their plate.
What the tool actually does
The Mantra Engine uses image recognition and style estimation technology that Mantra originally developed for its AI manga translation tool. The system analyzes each speech bubble, its shape, the text inside, the character count, the number of lines, and automatically suggests the appropriate font size, style, and placement for that specific bubble.
It even accounts for context. A character’s casual everyday dialogue gets treated differently than a battle cry or an internal monologue, because those typically use different fonts and styles. The tool recognizes those differences and adjusts accordingly.
One thing Square Enix and Mantra are both clear about: Mantra Engine doesn’t generate anything new. It doesn’t touch the artwork, doesn’t modify the manuscript, and doesn’t use the content to train AI models. It only works with what’s already on the page. That distinction matters a lot given how sensitive the conversation around AI in creative industries has gotten.
Square Enix executive Katsuyoshi Matsuura explained the vision behind it: “Our goal is not merely to improve efficiency, but to create an environment where editors can focus more on their core duties, supporting authors’ creative activities, by having AI handle routine tasks.”
The beta test, which covered 1,516 pages inside Square Enix’s own editorial department, came back with a 73% overall satisfaction rate, and every single participant said they’d want to keep using it going forward.
This partnership has deep roots in the industry
This didn’t come out of nowhere. The Mantra Engine project was born directly out of Square Enix’s investment in Mantra back in 2024, and Square Enix wasn’t the only major player putting money into this startup. Shueisha, Shogakukan, Kadokawa, and Square Enix Holdings jointly invested a total of ¥780 million (around $4.9 million) in Mantra, which tells you everything about how seriously the manga industry is taking this company.
Mantra has already proven it can work at scale with major titles. Their translation AI has been used on One Piece and Spy×Family for Shueisha, and on Kengan Omega and Kengan Ashura for Shogakukan. When the publishers behind Dragon Ball and Jujutsu Kaisen are backing your startup, you’ve earned some credibility.
Square Enix is more than Final Fantasy
Most people know Square Enix through Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, or Dragon Quest. But the company has been in the manga publishing business for decades. Their flagship publication is Monthly Shonen Gangan, launched in 1991 and home to titles like Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, and Black Butler. They also run the Gangan Online platform and the global Manga UP! digital app.
With that volume of titles in production, 3,000 hours of annual typesetting work starts to make complete sense, and so does the urgency to solve it.
Beta testing is already wrapped up, and Square Enix has started rolling out the tool internally in phases. Once it’s fully implemented in-house, Mantra and Square Enix plan to offer it as a service to the broader manga industry, which could be a game-changer for smaller publishers who don’t have the editorial bandwidth of a company like Square Enix.
What do you think, is AI handling manga typesetting a smart move or does it make you nervous about where this is all heading? Let us know in the comments!