We're trying something new. Some comics on Sumugi now have dan-maku — short comments that float directly over comic panels as you read them.

Where does dan-maku come from?

The name comes from the Japanese word 弾幕 — literally "bullet curtain." It started on the video platform Niconico in Japan back in 2006. Comments scrolled directly over the video in real time, so even if you were watching something that was uploaded weeks ago, it felt like a room full of people reacting alongside you. Bilibili in China ran with the same idea and made it massive.

Dan-maku are for quick reactions, i.e. "NO WAY", "this panel 😭", "called it" — that kind of thing.

Try it on BrianLS's comics

We're starting small. Right now, dan-maku is live on the comics of BrianLS, one of our earliest and most active creators on the platform.

BrianLS has a range of comics worth checking out:

• Letters from Tomorrow — If you like mysteries, start here.
• Bad Eggs — Comedy and slice-of-life; where the humor comes from characters you actually get to know.
• CosmicGirl Amber Davina — One-shot stories about a teen superhero dealing with the deeply non-heroic parts of life. Find these on the stories page.

How it works

Desktop

• Double-click on a panel — a text input pops up right where you clicked. (You can also click the + button in the top right to enter placement mode, then single-click to place your comment.)
• Type something short and press Enter

Mobile

• Tap the + button in the top right corner
• A text input pops up in the center of the view
• Type your reaction and hit Post

If you don't want to see dan-maku while reading, you can toggle it off at any time.

What's next

We'll be opening dan-maku up to more creators soon based on how this initial run goes. If you're a creator and you're interested, keep an eye out — more to come.

For now, go read BrianLS’ comics and be one of the first to leave a dan-maku on Sumugi.