Where narrative intelligence meets visual harmony — a next-generation frontend for self-hosted visual storytelling ecosystems.

Chōra is a meticulously crafted, browser-based client designed to interface with Suwayomi-compatible media servers. Built not merely as a reader, but as an ambient gateway into the worlds you host, Chōra reimagines the relationship between reader and library. It transforms raw server data into a fluid, cinematic browsing and reading experience — optimized for speed, accessibility, and personal expression.

Named after the ancient Greek concept of a receptive, generative space, Chōra is the blank canvas upon which your curated collections come alive. This is not just a manga reader; it is a semantic layer between your server and your senses.

Most frontends treat the reading experience as a utility — a means to an end. Chōra treats it as a ritual. Every interaction, from the swipe of a page to the transition between library shelves, is designed to be frictionless yet intentional. The interface recedes so the story advances.

We believe that self-hosting should not demand a sacrifice in user experience. Chōra bridges the gap between the power of Suwayomi and the polish of a premium commercial application — without ever compromising your autonomy or privacy.

• Adaptive layout engine that gracefully scales from a pocket-sized phone screen to a 4K monitor.
• Touch-optimized gestures with haptic-feedback simulation for mobile devices.
• Keyboard-shortcut-first navigation for power readers.

• Full localization support for over 18 languages, including right-to-left (RTL) script rendering.
• Dynamic font substitution for CJK, Arabic, and Cyrillic character sets.
• Community-contributed translation packs auto-synced from the server.

• Lazy-loaded chapter pages with predictive pre-fetching based on reading speed.
• Hardware-accelerated canvas rendering for silky-smooth page turns.
• Sub-200ms initial load time on average broadband connections.

• Full support for Suwayomi-Server extension system — browse, install, and update extensions from within Chōra.
• Real-time library synchronization via WebSocket.
• Track reading progress across multiple devices with session persistence.

• Per-series theme profiles (sepia, night mode, paper texture, inverted).
• Custom CSS injection for power users.
• Adjustable gutter spacing, border shadows, and page-fit modes.

• Smart caching with background pre-fetching for planned reading sessions.
• Partial offline support for previously viewed chapters.
• Configurable storage quotas with automatic cache eviction.

• A running instance of Suwayomi-Server (version 0.5.0 or later).
• A modern browser (Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Edge 90+, Safari 15+).

1. Launch your Suwayomi-Server instance and note its URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.42:4567).
2. Open Chōra in your browser.
3. Enter the server URL in the connection dialog. Chōra will auto-detect the API version.
4. Authenticate using your server's credentials or API token.
5. Your library appears instantly. Begin exploring.

Note: Chōra never transmits your server URL or credentials to any third party. All communication remains strictly between your browser and your server.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Browser (Chōra Client)        │
│  ┌───────────┐  ┌───────────────────┐   │
│  │  State     │  │  Rendering        │   │
│  │  Manager   │──│  Engine (Canvas)  │   │
│  └───────────┘  └───────────────────┘   │
│         │                │               │
│         ▼                ▼               │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │      API Abstraction Layer       │    │
│  └──────────────────────────────────┘    │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────┘
                       │ HTTP/WebSocket
                       ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│       Suwayomi-Server (Backend)         │
│  ┌───────────┐  ┌───────────────────┐   │
│  │   DB      │  │  Extension        │   │
│  │   (SQLite)│  │  Manager          │   │
│  └───────────┘  └───────────────────┘   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

The client is a single-page application with a decoupled API layer. This means Chōra can theoretically be adapted to any backend that exposes a similar REST/WebSocket interface — though Suwayomi support is the primary focus.

Chōra introduces the concept of Dynamic Collections — virtual shelves that auto-populate based on rules you define:

• "Recently Updated" — shows series with new chapters in the last 7 days.
• "Unfinished Business" — series with >3 unread chapters.
• "Mood Matches" — based on tags and user-defined weights.

• Display alternative titles, publication status, and user ratings from Anilist/MyAnimeList (via Suwayomi extensions).
• Custom tags and notes that are synced back to the server.

• Smart Fit — automatically adjusts zoom to eliminate letterboxing.
• Color Profile — choose between sRGB, DCI-P3, and monochrome modes.
• Reading Timer — optional overlay with chapter completion ETA.

Chōra’s interface is available in:

Contributions to translation are welcomed via the project's Weblate instance.

• Documentation: Comprehensive guides available in the docs/ folder.
• Discussions: Use the GitHub Discussions tab for feature requests and Q&A.
• Issue Tracker: Report bugs with reproduction steps and browser logs.
• Response Time: Core team aims for initial response within 24 hours on weekdays.

This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file for full terms.

You are free to use, modify, distribute, and sublicense this software, provided the original copyright notice is included.

Chōra is a client-side frontend designed exclusively for use with Suwayomi-Server. It does not:

• Host, store, or serve any copyrighted content.
• Scrape, download, or redistribute media from external sources.
• Bypass any authentication or access controls on your server.

Users are responsible for ensuring that their use of Suwayomi-Server and any extensions complies with applicable laws in their jurisdiction. The Chōra project assumes no liability for misuse of the software.

Built for the self-hosted community, by the self-hosted community.