epub-to-manga

Convert EPUB novels into manga-style EPUBs using a local LLM for scene parsing and Stable Diffusion for image generation.

How it works

1. Reads your EPUB and splits the text into scenes
2. Uses an Ollama LLM to parse each scene — extracting characters, dialogue, mood, and setting
3. Generates a manga-style illustration for each page via Stable Diffusion
4. Adds speech bubbles with character dialogue
5. Packages everything into a new EPUB

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• Ollama running locally
• One of the following Stable Diffusion backends:
  • AUTOMATIC1111 stable-diffusion-webui
  • ComfyUI (recommended for Apple Silicon)
  • InvokeAI

Installation

pip install -r requirements.txt

Pull an Ollama model:

ollama pull llama3

Usage

python3 main.py book.epub
python3 main.py book.epub output.epub
python3 main.py book.epub --layout tiny --model mistral
python3 main.py book.epub --sd-url http://192.168.1.10:7860 --steps 30 --size 512x768
python3 main.py book.epub --dry-run

If no Stable Diffusion backend is running, the tool will detect any local installations and offer to launch or install one for you.

Options

Flag	Default	Description
--layout	normal	normal = 3 scenes/page, tiny = 1 scene/page
--model	llama3	Ollama model for scene parsing
--ollama-url	http://localhost:11434	Ollama API URL
--sd-url	http://127.0.0.1:7860	Stable Diffusion API URL
--sd-path	—	Path to SD install; auto-starts if not running
--steps	20	Diffusion steps per image (higher = better quality)
--style	lineart	lineart = clean outlines, manga = screentone shading
--size	768x1024	Output image dimensions
--workers	2	Parallel image generation workers
--hint	—	Character description, e.g. --hint "Rocky:alien who resembles a rock spider"
--jpeg-quality	85	EPUB image quality (1–95, lower = smaller file)
--dry-run [N]	—	Preview first N prompts without generating images
--verbose / -v	—	Enable debug logging

Configuration

Default URLs and model can be changed in config.py:

OLLAMA_URL = "http://localhost:11434/api/generate"
OLLAMA_MODEL = "llama3"
SD_API_URL = "http://127.0.0.1:7860/sdapi/v1/txt2img"

The tool saves its SD backend path to ~/.epub-to-manga so you don't need --sd-path on subsequent runs.

Resuming

Scene parsing and image generation both support resuming. Parsed scenes are cached to manga-<bookname>.cache.json, and generated page images are saved to <output>_pages/. Re-running the same command will pick up where it left off.

Project structure

epub-to-manga/
├── main.py                  # Entry point
├── config.py                # Default URLs and model
├── requirements.txt
├── core/
│   ├── epub_reader.py       # EPUB text extraction
│   └── scene_splitter.py    # Text → scenes
├── ai/
│   ├── llm_client.py        # Ollama API client
│   ├── scene_parser.py      # Scene → structured JSON
│   └── character_memory.py  # Character tracking across scenes
├── manga/
│   ├── prompt_builder.py    # SD prompt construction
│   ├── panel_layout.py      # Scene grouping into pages
│   └── speech_bubbles.py    # Dialogue overlay rendering
├── image/
│   ├── backend.py           # Backend router (A1111 / ComfyUI)
│   ├── a1111_api.py         # AUTOMATIC1111 API
│   ├── comfy_api.py         # ComfyUI API + workflow builder
│   ├── sd_launcher.py       # SD auto-start and install
│   └── device.py            # Device detection
├── export/
│   └── epub_builder.py      # Output EPUB assembly
└── utils/
    └── naming.py            # Output filename helpers