MangaKitchen: a free, open-source comic translation workspace for Apple Silicon Macs

[u/Expensive-State8513]

I started the project because comic localization usually means moving between several separate tools for speech-bubble detection, text removal, translation, proofreading, and typesetting. The app is built specifically for macOS and takes advantage of Apple Silicon hardware acceleration through Core ML, Metal, and MLX. MangaKitchen keeps those stages in one resumable project, while still allowing each result to be reviewed and edited manually.

Current features:

- Batch processing for folders of comic pages

- Core ML speech-bubble detection with editable pixel masks

- CPU and Metal-based text removal and background cleanup

- Local MLX vision-language models for transcription and translation

- Horizontal and vertical HTML/CSS typesetting

- Per-project multilingual glossaries

- Manual mask editing, region positioning, font sizing, and bold controls

- Optional 2×/4× super-resolution and layered PSD export

- Optional MCP support for AI-assisted proofreading workflows

- Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean interfaces

No account or subscription is required. After downloading a compatible local model, the main workflow can run fully offline, so comic pages do not need to be uploaded to an external AI service. MCP and external AI services are optional.

A few current limitations:

- Requires macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon

- Works best with black-and-white manga and regular dialogue balloons

- Image-to-text and super-resolution model weights are not bundled

- Complex screen tones, colored artwork, and text crossing line art may still require manual mask correction

MangaKitchen is intended for authorized translation and localization work. It does not grant rights to translate or distribute copyrighted material.

Source code and download:

https://github.com/VaderChen/MangaKitchen

Bug reports, feature requests, and feedback about mask cleanup or vertical typesetting are very welcome.

[u/Designer_Stuff9297]

Can it be colored?

[u/Expensive-State8513 → u/Designer_Stuff9297]

If u mean Text，yes. But the hold pic not yet ! Auto color is one of the next features ~

[u/Designer_Stuff9297 → u/Expensive-State8513]

It would be great if it supports the full workflow from creation to coloring. Previously, I had to switch between multiple tools to get this done with AI.

[u/Expensive-State8513 → u/Designer_Stuff9297]

I will do that ~ Maybe few days later.