# kitsu.manga_search

**stable** **Advanced**

Search Kitsu manga.

`GET /v1/kitsu/manga_search`

## What you get

A list of Kitsu results in Onekey's unified shape, in `data` (an array). An empty array is a normal, successful answer and is charged like any other; a source that reports "nothing found" as an error returns a free `404 not_found` instead.

## What it costs

- **Advanced · 5 credits** for a fresh fetch, charged only when it succeeds.
- **Free when served from cache (0.2 credit for a cached response over 100 KB).**
- **Free** if the request is invalid (never charged) or the source fails or reports not found (refunded).

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Default | What it is | Constraints |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `q` | string | yes | (required) | Search query | max 200 chars; must match `[^\x00-\x1f\x7f]{1,200}`; trimmed, repeated spaces collapsed |

## Request

```bash
curl "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/kitsu/manga_search?q=berserk" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/kitsu/manga_search",
    params={"q": "berserk"},
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
body = res.json()

if body["success"]:
    print(body["data"])
else:
    print(body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"])
```

```javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({ q: "berserk" });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.onekey.dev/v1/kitsu/manga_search?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
});
const body = await res.json();

if (body.success) console.log(body.data);
else console.error(body.error.code, body.error.message);
```

## Recorded response

A real Kitsu response, recorded and returned in Onekey's shape. Fields the platform does not provide are `null`.

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "entity": {
        "id": "8",
        "name": "Berserk",
        "description": "His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the El",
        "status": "current",
        "type": "manga",
        "stats": {
          "score": 84.92
        }
      },
      "event": {
        "startDate": "1989-08-25"
      },
      "ext": {
        "popularityRank": 17,
        "chapters": null
      },
      "media": {
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://media.kitsu.app/manga/8/poster_image/small-bdf7be96b4337627856b36e0be0241fb.jpeg"
      }
    },
    {
      "entity": {
        "id": "40812",
        "name": "Boushoku no Berserk",
        "description": "Fate Barbatos has never tasted real power. Born with the magical skill Gluttony, he constantly hungers in a way that can’t be satiated, and has been shunned and looked down upon his entire life. One day, while working as a gatekeeper for a noble family and fighting a trespassing thief, he discovers Gluttony’s true power: when he kills someone, he devours their skills and feeds his gnawing hunger at last. In that grisly realization, Fate is awakened to his true potential. How many lives will he f",
        "status": "current",
        "type": "manga",
        "stats": {
          "score": 69.98
        }
      },
      "event": {
        "startDate": "2018-03-01"
      },
      "ext": {
        "popularityRank": 438,
        "chapters": null
      },
      "media": {
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://media.kitsu.app/manga/poster_images/40812/small.jpg"
      }
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "platform": "kitsu",
    "endpoint": "manga_search",
    "cached": false,
    "stale": false,
    "age_s": 0,
    "fetched_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
    "credits_charged": 5,
    "request_id": "7f3a9c2e5b1d4c8fa2e6d0b9c4f18e37"
  },
  "error": null
}
```

## Field mapping

How this endpoint's source fields become Onekey's [unified schema](https://onekey.dev/docs/schema.md). Fields the source lacks come back as `null`.

| Source path | Onekey field | Transform |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | `entity.id` | - |
| `attributes.canonicalTitle` | `entity.name` | - |
| `attributes.synopsis` | `entity.description` | - |
| `attributes.status` | `entity.status` | - |
| `attributes.subtype` | `entity.type` | - |
| `attributes.startDate` | `event.startDate` | - |
| `attributes.averageRating` | `entity.stats.score` | `toNumber` |
| `attributes.popularityRank` | `ext.popularityRank` | `toNumber` |
| `attributes.posterImage.small` | `media.thumbnailUrl` | `safeUrl` |
| `attributes.chapterCount` | `ext.chapters` | `toNumber` |

## Caching and freshness

- Fresh for about 2 minutes. Repeat calls in that window are served from cache and are free.
- Between 2 minutes and 15 minutes the cached copy is still served instantly and marked `stale: true` while Onekey refreshes it in the background.
- If the source is down when a refresh is needed, the last copy can be served for up to 1 hour more (marked stale).
- A "not found" is remembered for 1 minute and is free.
- The cache is shared across all customers, which is what keeps repeat calls cheap.

## What can go wrong

| Status | Code | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 | `unauthorized` | Check the `x-api-key` header. |
| 402 | `insufficient_credits` | [Add credits](https://onekey.dev/pricing); your balance must cover the price. |
| 404 | `not_found` | Unknown endpoint path. |
| 422 | `invalid_params` | Fix the parameters using the table above. Free. |
| 429 | `rate_limited` | Wait `Retry-After` seconds, then retry. |
| 502 | `upstream_error` | The source failed. Refunded; retry with backoff. |

See [Errors](https://onekey.dev/docs/errors.md) for the full list and retry guidance.

Status: stable (verified against the live source).