Category Archives: Manga

ZOM 100 LIVE ACTION FILM Coming to Netflix | AX 2023 INTERVIEW Coverage

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ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead had its world premiere at VIZ Media’s industry panel at Anime Expo this year. Fans got treated to a sneak peek of Episode 1 with Special guest Kotaro Takata, (ZOM 100 Manga illustrator) & ZOM 100 English cast members Zeno Robinson, Abby Trott, and Laura Post.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is an adaptation of the manga with the same name. The manga is written by Haro Aso (Alice in Borderland) and illustrated by Kotaro Takata. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is now available to stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu and Netflix.

LIVE ACTION ADAPTATION

Additionally, Netflix announced the first teaser trailer of the upcoming, Live-Action adaptation of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead starring Eiji Akaso (Kamen Rider). The film is set to premiere globally on Netflix on Aug 3, 2023.

The film is an adaptation of manga volume 1-3, and like many live action adaptations, the film does not follow the manga exactly. The film’s synopsis is as follows,

Akira Tendo (Eiji Akaso) works at an exploitative company where he suffers endless hours and harassment from his boss. He spends his days feeling more dead than alive. One day, the town is overtaken by zombies and Akira gets excited for he doesn’t need to go to the office anymore rather than facing the fact he has to survive the zombie apocalypse. Akira comes up with a bucket list of 100 things he decided to accomplish before he becomes a zombie and makes his bucket list checked traveling with Shizuka (Mai Shiraishi) and Kencho (Shuntaro Yanagi).

EIJI AKASO INTERVIEW

I had the opportunity to sit down with Eiji Akaso during Anime Expo 2023 and ask him about his experiences while filming the live-action adaptation of Zom 100,

Krystal: This movie is based on a manga, was it hard to portray Akira from a manga in live-action?

Eiji Akaso: If acted as a cartoon character, that would make me a little unnatural as a human, so I want to give Akira a human trait. So I had to be careful with body actions and little subtle facial expressions to show emotion. That’s what I spoke about to Yusuke Ishida (the director) before I began acting.

K: What were some of the challenges that you faced while portraying Akira?

E.A.: There are lots of scenes where I was chased by zombies, which is the worst thing that you can imagine in real life, but Akira had to enjoy being chased by zombies, and I had to always put a smile on my face with zombies behind me. That was difficult because I would be so scared myself If I were chased by a zombies in real life, but Akira on the other hand, enjoyed being chased, so that was a challenge for me.

K: What was it like being on the set of ZOM 100?

E.A.: We filmed the movie in different locations and one place was in Nagoya, Japan, and we had to close the entire road to film the scene where Akira was riding the motorcycle. There’s also like a Red District called Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo, We had to recreate, Kabukicho as the backdrop of the set. It was a huge production every time we filmed the movie, it was a huge production, and that was really impressive.

K: It sounds like this was like a full Hollywood production here; what was one of your favorite scenes that you filmed?

E.A.: I enjoyed every location for the filming, but if I had to choose one, that would be the one we filmed at Kabukicho set, Where Akira went to help Kencho when he was trapped. For that was the scene we began filming from the night to the following morning. The scene had to be filmed at night, so we had to finish before dawn. Because of time constrictions, everybody was so nervous in that situation. However, I really enjoyed making the scene.

K: On the topic of Zombies, Do you have a favorite zombie movie?

E.A.: …Biohazard (Resident Evil)!

K: Any final messages you’d like to leave our readers with?

E.A.: This is a zombie comedy movie that no one could imagine, after seeing this movie, I think everybody will feel so uplifted, and might encourage them to quit a job they don’t like and do what they want to do.

The film is directed by Yusuke Ishida, and stars Eiji Akaso as Akira Tendo, Mai Shiraishi, Shuntaro Yanagi, & Kazuki Kitamura in undisclosed roles.

Make sure to catch the live-action adaptation of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead premiering on Netflix on August 3rd. You can start diving into the zombie-infested world with Akira by reading the manga or streaming the anime available on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix.

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Keisuke Uyama’s bestselling novel “Love Like The Falling Petals” To Receive English Translation

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Author Keisuke Uyama

Keisuke Uyama’s Bestselling Novel Love Like the Falling Petals finally comes to America with its very first English translation. The novel, initially published by Shueisha in 2017, captivated a nation with its exploration of the beauty and pain of young love, as two souls are brought together by fate, only to be torn apart by circumstance.

English Cover by Heikala

The novel became a bestseller in Japan and went on to receive a popular Netflix, live-action movie adaptation of the same name, in 2022. The film was directed by Yoshihiro Fukagawa, written by Tomoko Yoshida, and starring Kento Nakajima and Honoka Matsumoto.

The novel’s English translation is provided by Terry Gallagher, cover by artist Heikala, and variant covers by LAL!ROLE and Cheseely. Its beautiful cover art is the prefect combination to this beautifully written and emotionally charged novel, which is primed to connect with a new international audience.

Interview With Heikala – Love Like The Falling Petals Cover Artist

The novel itself is known for its vibrant colors and its iconic Japanese cherry blossoms. To better explain the artistic process behind the English cover design, we got the opportunity to speak with Tokyo based artist Heikala. Originally from Finland, Heikala works from Tokyo, Japan and this is what they had to say about working on the cover of Keisuke Uyama’s very popular novel,

Krystal: After watching the Netflix series, did that influence the character design on the cover?

Heikala: I think the Netflix film had some effect on the character designs, but while I was reading the book, I also made notes of Misaki’s and Haruto’s characteristics and sketched the characters primarily according to what was written in the story of the two.

K: What was challenging about making the cover for this novel to best convey the story to anyone picking the novel for the first time?

H: I love creating artworks that have an underlying story behind them, so the challenge was to make a piece that somehow conveys the full arc of the story in the book without giving too much away.

K: I noticed that the characters on the cover are not facing the reader; why is that? Is there a special meaning to that?

H: Even when the artwork is super colorful and vibrant, conveying the feeling of budding love, the fact that the characters are facing away gives the artwork a wistful feel to it, a beautiful sadness to the moment.

To learn more about Heikala’s art process, check out their video on coloring the cover,

Support Keisuke Uyama’s Novel

To bring this new English translation of the novel, Media Do International and Clover Press are partnering together with publisher Shueisha for a Kickstarter campaign for the first-ever English publication of the book. The Kickstarter went live earlier this week, and in less than 24 hours, it reached its goal of $2,500. Kickstarter rewards for this project are still available and you can support the novel by pledging here.

Rewards range from the novel with a dust jacket of Heikala cover art to Tote Bags, Plastic Folders, Tenugui Towel & Calendar Prints in addition to variant covers by Cheseely & LAL!ROLE. Additional add-ons are also available!

These are just some of the available rewards

“At Clover Press, we’re all about trying new genres, formats, and ways to get great books that we love into people’s hands,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “Love Like the Falling Petals”is no exception and is a great example of Clover Press’s plans to expand into bringing quality international material to North America.”

Make to sure check out Love Like the Falling Petals on Netflix or the novel, by making a pledge on Kickstarter.

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Yusuke Murata Illustrator of One-Punch Man to release original Anime series – Zaiyuki

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Yusuke Murata, most notably known as the Illustrator of One Punch Man, took to Twitter to tease his newest project, Zaiyuki, an original anime series produced by his animation studio, Village Studio. As fans may remember, Yusuke Murata set up his animation studio while working on One-Punch Man, and he is finally ready for his first production.

In late February, Murata released a teaser video via Twitter showcasing the main characters of Zaiyuki, including character sketches. 

Earlier this week, Murata released “A Part” of Zaiyuki via Twitter in two tweets since the sneak peek video was too long for one tweet alone. According to the Murata’s tweets, he states since ‘A Part’ was completed, he decided to add subtitles and release it to the public.

According to Murata’s Twitter account, the story is based on The Journey to the West with a modern twist. The story centers around a weak Kappa or water sprite boy who gets caught up in turmoil and has to grow up quickly after encountering a group of treasure hunters. 

There has yet to be an official date on when Zaiyuki will be released or how many episodes it will contain; however, with the high-quality work of Murata’s work as an Illustrator, we can expect a high-quality animation and story from this upcoming original animation. We’re definitely in for a treat!

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Kana Ozawa’s “Blue Thermal” Anime Film Debuts on Blu-ray & Digital

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From the renowned animation powerhouse Telecom Animation Film, director Masaki Tachibana and Kana Ozawa, comes a captivating new anime adventure, BLUE THERMAL.

The film is an adaptation of Kana Ozawa’s popular manga series, BLUE THERMAL: Aonagi College Sports Festival Aviation Club, which ran in Shinchosha’s Monthly Comic @Bunch Magazine between April 2015 and November 2017. The series was also published in five book volumes or Tankōbon.

This artful and beautiful coming-of-age movie captures the tension and excitement of a young college student who joins the school’s aviation club flying for the first time, and the beauty and exhilaration of the aerial scenery as seen from the pilot’s seat. The film is directed by Masaki Tachibana, known for Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Princess Principal, and Barakamon.

BLUE THERMAL opened in Japan in March 2022 and will now make its North American home entertainment debut on Blu-ray and digital download from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory on March 14, 2023, following its theatrical release.

Preorder: Blue Thermal

Popular Japanese piano rock band SHE’S performs the film’s theme songs, “Blue Thermal” and “Beautiful Bird”. SHE’S consists of Inoue Ryouma (Vocals), Hirose Shingo (Bass), Hattori Kanta (Guitar) & Kimura Masato (Drums). They have also contributed to the ending theme songs for Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion and Major 2nd anime series.

Meet The Cast

BLUE THERMAL features the Japanese voice talents of Mayu Hotta (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War 2019), Nobunaga Shimazaki (Summer Ghost), Junya Enoki (My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission), and more.

Mayu Hotta as Tamaki Tsuru
Nobunaga Shimazaki as Jun Kuramochi
Junya Enoki as Daisuke Sorachi

The Blu-ray will contain an exciting movie presentation and special bonus content, including an interview with director Tachibana and character profiles. A must-have for anime fans, collectors, and pop-culture enthusiasts, BLUE THERMAL, is available for pre-order now at Amazon.com and will be available in stores and other fine retailers.

Movie Synopsis

“I want to experience a love that sparkles!” Arriving from Nagasaki with her wishful mantra is Tamaki Tsuru, who in high school could think only about volleyball. Things don’t begin well, however, when she looks for an extracurricular club to join and proceeds to immediately ding a glider at aviation club tryouts ending up having to work it off. She is initially disillusioned with campus life. Then Kuramochi, the club leader and glider pilot, takes Tamaki under his wing, and from the moment he takes her up for a flight in a glider, Tamaki becomes a captive of the vast beauty of the skies.

Watch the trailer below!

Preorder “Blue Thermal”

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ABLAZE Publisher Announces Summer 2023 Publications

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ABLAZE’s summer 2023 releases will include Manga, Manhwa & webtoons graphic novels. ABLAZE titles are distributed in print worldwide by Diamond Comic and Diamond Book Distributors. Digital versions of ABLAZE titles are available via most major digital platforms. 

Wakfu Vol. 1: The Quest for the Eliatrope Dofus

The adventures of the Brotherhood of the Tofu continue in a story that directly follows season 2 of the TV series! See the heroes of WAKFU ride again in the brand new manga series written by Tot, the creator of WAKFU & DOFUS, and illustrated by Said Sassine!

The TV series is based on the tactical turn-based MMORPG developed by Ankama Games of the same name. The game is a squeal to Ankama’s previous game, Dofus. The games series has attracted over 40 million+ players worldwide and is especially well-known in France.

As for the TV series, the first season of 26 episodes began airing on 30 October 2008, and new episodes would continue to air into January 2010. The third season of Waku premiered on Netflix worldwide on April 6, 2018, and featured an all-new English cast with Voice actors from Los Angeles. On May 7, 2020, Ankama announced that season 4, intended as the story’s final chapter, is currently in development. A Kickstarter campaign to fund its production was launched on June 8, 2020; the target was reached within an hour after the campaign was started.

Manga Synopsis

Yugo, Ruel, Percedal, Amalia, and Evangelyne are now living their lives, each on their own. The adventurers reunite at Alibert’s for Yugo and Adamai’s birthday, launching this latest saga when a party pooper comes to interrupt the celebrations and forces our friends to set off on the road once again for adventure! Available June 27th

TERROR MAN Vol. 1 by Handong Woo and Kojin Ho

Based on the hit Korean webtoon, this comic offers a complex, compelling story of an unlikely hero who is misunderstood and unappreciated for the good he does.

Written by Handong Woo and illustrated by Kojin Ho, this Manhwa series began serialization on the official Thai Webtoon on December 15, 2016. The series has two seasons, with a third season seemingly on hiatus. Currently, there is no official English release; however, ABLAZE will release a new manhwa series based on the hit Webtoon comic on June 27, 2023.

Manhwa Synopsis

Jungwoo Min has a special ability, one that lets him see when a path leads to a misfortune or disaster. He uses his “Eyes of Misfortune” to spot these unfortunate events and stop them. Disguising himself as a terrorist, he begins using his power to save people from certain danger. This leads him to become feared by the people he is looking to save. Soon he discovers that the more he saves others, the unhappier he becomes. Thus unfolds the story of a hero and his struggle between happiness and despair. And the unfortunate reality of saving the world, even while becoming a supposed terrorist…or TERROR MAN.

CENTAURS Vol. 1 by RYO SUMIYOSHI

CENTAURS delivers a story of adventure and freedom inspired by Japanese mythology and features impressive art and character designs by Sumiyoshi, who created creatures for the bestselling Monster Hunter game series.

Manga Synopsis

Created by Ryo Sumiyoshi, best known for ASHIDAKA: The Iron Hero, this epic fantasy adventure is set in an alternate medieval Japan, where humans co-exist with the mythic half-man/half-horse beasts known as centaurs, or “jinba”. The centaur race was long revered as gods in ancient times; however, with the advent of the Sengoku (warring states) period, humans started to enslave and use them for military purposes due to their speed, stamina, and ability to communicate in human language. Centaurs living in the plains were rapidly subjugated; in contrast, large numbers of centaurs living deep in the mountains were still free due to their relative isolation.

A wild and proud samurai jinba from the mountains named Matsukaze, known as the redheaded rock tiger, is caught while protecting his son. He is traded to a feudal lord and taken to his land. There he meets another centaur named Kohibari, whose village was burned down as a child. He is a tame centaur who had his arms amputated when he was captured and has given up hope of escaping his human captors. If they can get over their differences and work together, they just might be able to return to the wilds as free centaurs. Available July 11th.

All these titles are available for preorder on Amazon.

About ABLAZE Publishing

ABLAZE is based in portland Organ, and according to their official website, The mantra of ABLAZE is quality first, with the goals of giving creators a platform, bringing new voices into the conversation, serving as diverse an audience as possible, and bringing some of the best content from all corners of the globe to readers. ABLAZE currently has published over 80 titles. For more information, visit their official website here.

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Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya Live Action Film | Trailer

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On Thursday, December 1st, Sony and Toei Animation premiered the first trailer for Tomasz Baginski’s live-action Knight of The Zodiac, starring Mackenyu as the protagonist, Seiya.

Mackenyu as Seiya

The film stars Mackenyu as Seiya, Sean Bean as Alman Kido, Famke Janssen as Guraad, Madison Iseman as Sienna & Nick Stahl as Cassius. According to the film’s IMDB page, the film is set to be a live-action remake of the 1986 anime adaptation.

Knight of The Zodiac Live Action Teaser Trailer

Knight of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya Origins

The film is based on the Saint Seiya Anime series, which is adapted from Masami Kurumada’s manga series of the same name. Saint Seiya was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from 1986 to 1990,and according to comipress.com, the manga series has sold well over 25 million copies in Japan as of 2007 and has over 50 million copies in circulation as of 2022, according to Animate Times.

The series was adapted into an anime series in 1986, three months before the first manga volume was published. The anime series was produced more quickly than the manga; therefore, Toei Animation created original stories to fill in the gaps between story arcs. These original stories were not featured in the original manga.

Kurumada’s Highly Influential Series

The Seiya series is considered to be one of the most highly influential anime of the 80s, inspiring other works such as Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Mobile Fighter G Gundam. According to Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy in their published work, The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, Saint Seiya also inspired Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato, Ronin Warriors, and Wild Knights Gulkeeva, all released between the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The series was highly influential that, according to an article by Mark McHarry; Matthew Thorn, a cultural anthropologist and an Associate Professor at the Department of Manga Production at Kyoto Seika University, stated that at the peak of the Seiya popularity, the yaoi genre was also making its way to the top at the same time. The Seiya boom, alongside Captain Tsubasa, largely contributed to popularizing the term “Yaoi” in the late 1980s.

The Saint Seiya Media Franchise

The Saint Seiya manga is composed of three sagas Sanctuary, Poseidon, and Hades. All three sagas were then divided into different story arcs. As previously stated, the original 1986 anime series featured original stories that were not featured in the manga and were only made specifically for the anime series.

The Seiya manga series spawned several spin-offs, including Saint Seiya Episode G by Kurumada, The Lost Canvas by Shiori Teshirogi, Saintia Shō by Chimaki Kuori, and most recently, Dark Wing by Kenji Saito and Shinshu Ueda.

The 1986 anime also spawned a few spin-offs which included three original video animations released from 2002 to 2008. A fifth film, Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter – Overture was released in 2004, followed by Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary in 2014. Novels based on the series were also written between 1988 and 2002. Other media featured video games, musical productions and drama audio CDs. Netflix released an original net animation titled Knight of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya, which premiered in 2019.

The First Attempt at an American Adaptation

Sometime in the 1990s, an American adaptation/remake of the series was set to be produced by Renaissance-Atlantic Entertainment and retitled as Guardians of the Cosmos; apparently Guardians of the Galaxy was already taken. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the show was never aired and was eventually lost to time until Youtuber Ray Mona discovered the pilot in early December 2022.

With all this rich history, the only question in the mind of long-time Seiya fans is, will Hollywood get it right this time? Only time will tell. Film Director Tomasz Baginski is known for his work on The Witcher series, having worked on both the game and the 2019 TV series serving as exclusive producer. Lead star Mackenyu rose to fame with the Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku trilogy and is known in the anime community for portraying Enishi Yukishiro in the Rurouni Kenshin live-action film. Baginski’s Knight of the Zodiac is set to be released in 2023.

For more information and updates on the film, ahead on over to their official YouTube channel.

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Loundraw Interview: SUMMER GHOST – Animation is Film 2022

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Popular illustrator, Loundraw had his debut film premiere during this year’s Anime Expo 2022, & recently during this year’s Animation Is Film festival, we had the opportunity to interview Loundrawabout his debut film, Summer Ghost

The film is produced by Loundraw’s company Flat Studio, with scripts written by Hirotaka Adachi, and music composed by Akira Kosemura, Itoko Toma, Guiano, and Hideya Kojima.

Summer Ghost was released in Japanese theaters on November 12, 2021, by its distributor Avex Pictures. GKIDS and Shout! Factory is set to release the film in North America on November 1, 2022, on Blu-ray and digital platforms. The film is available to preorder via Prime Video.

Loundraw is an Illustrator who made his professional debut in his teens with a cover illustration for Gara Nagata’s Hoshi no Nemuru Mizuumi e -Ai wo Sagashi ni-. He also worked on the covers of various novels, such as Keigo Higashino’s Koi no Gondola and Yoru Sumino’s Kimi no Suizou wo Tabetai.

You can preorder Loundraw’s newest English-translated work Vivy Prototype a light novel by Tappei Nagatsuki & Eiji Umehara, HERE.

Summer Ghost is now available by GKids Films on Blu-ray and Prime Video

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ПЕРЕМОГА: VICTORY FOR UKRAINE – Graphic Novel Anthology | TOKYOPOP

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August 24th, marked the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence (in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence of 1991), and in honor of the occasion, manga publisher, TOKYOPOP is proud to announce, ПЕРЕМОГА (PEREMOHA): VICTORY FOR UKRAINE, a new full-color graphic novel anthology by Ukrainian creators that debuted digitally on August 24th with a print release on September 27th 2022.

You purchase the graphic novel in digital or print format here:

A portion of the proceeds will go to Razom for Ukraine – (“Razom” meaning “together” in Ukrainian), a non-profit Ukrainian-American human rights organization established to give direct support to the people of Ukraine in their pursuit of a democratic society with dignity, justice, and human and civil rights for all.

Sample page, Ep 1

A web landing page for ПЕРЕМОГА (PEREMOHA): VICTORY FOR UKRAINE also has been created by TOKYOPOP, that features a heartfelt, personal message from TOKYOPOP founder, Stu Levy, as well as excerpts and bios for the creators. All that and more here.

About ПЕРЕМОГА (PEREMOHA): VICTORY FOR UKRAINE;

The war comes to readers (for ages 12+) in nine stories that humanize the conflict in Ukraine in a unique and emotionally lasting way with a focus on the heroism of the Ukrainian people and military in the face of overwhelming forces. Witness the struggles of brave defenders in cities like Kiev, Mariupol, Kherson, and Snake Island, and how the utter insanity and irony of the war is told from the standpoint of a looted Ukrainian washing machine, and a humble farm tractor that wants to steal Russian tanks.

What if your family, your hometown, your entire way of living were threatened by force? That’s what the people of Ukraine faced when Putin’s Russian army invaded their sovereign land, displacing millions of refugees and causing an international crisis threatening democracy across the globe. But the Ukrainian people refused to cave – and these 9 stories weave the greater tale of their resistance – and fight for Victory!

The stories in PEREMOHA: VICTORY FOR UKRAINE include:

Episode 1: The Ghost of Kiev – the now legendary story of an invincible ace Ukrainian fighter pilot – the Ghost of Kyiv – a man who protected hundreds of thousands of Kyivans, their children and homes during the first 30 hours of a massive attack on the city when he shot down 6 Russian planes

Episode 2: The Witch – Witches hold a distinct and storied place in Ukrainian culture. Witness how Russian soldiers bent on terrorizing the civilian population find more than they bargain for when they meet a vengeful Ukrainian witch on a deserted road.

Episode 3: Azov-Stal – This story is about the Azov regiment, the marines, border guards and policemen; who held out against incredible odds in the long-suffering city on the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov; about the people who became hostages of the bloodthirsty military machine of the Russians.

Episode 4: Looters – The looting of the Russian army and the ironic fate of a Ukrainian washing machine

Episode 5: Zmiinyi Island 13 –The now iconic battle for Snake Island, where a band of brave Ukrainian solders defied the Russian navy and the proclaimed the legendary phrase that the world now knows – “Russian Warship F…ck Yourself.”

Episode 6: Throughout the Centuries – Ordinary Ukrainians take up arms against the Russian army using ancient earthen ramparts called the Snake Walls, built during the time of Kyivan Rus by Princes Volodymyr the Great and Yaroslav the Wise in the 9th and 10th Centuries to defend their lands from attacks from the southeast by nomadic tribes. In WW2, they were part of the defense lines against the Nazis and today they have helped to slow down and menace the advance of the invading Russian army.

Episode 7: Brave Little Tractor – An inspiring about an unlikely hero – a brave Ukrainian farm tractor that steals Russian army tanks

Episode 8: Cyber Kherson – An inspiring story of a new breed of Ukrainian rebels using technology to continue the struggle for democracy under brutal Russian occupation in the city of Kherson, located near Crimea and the eastern Donbas region.

Episode 9: The Price of Victory – How ordinary people in Ukraine went to war to defend their home, families, freedom, and fight for the right to live in their own free country and determine their own futures.

“VICTORY FOR UKRAINE grew out of tremendous upheaval caused by the invasion and my personal experience hosting some displaced families at my home in Berlin where I now reside,” says Stu Levy, Founder/CEO of TOKYOPOP.

Stu Levy – Founder and CEO of Tokyopop

Levy continues, “As I learned more about what was happening, we connected with the talented Ukrainian creators, artists and writers that brought the book to life. These stories are vignettes, originally created and published to inspire the people of Ukraine, but they will leave a lasting impression on readers around the world. The stories are steeped in the realities of the war but depicted in a very relatable way. We invite readers to discover this book and to stand for victory and freedom with the people of Ukraine.”

You can purchase the digital copy or preorder the print version below,

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ABLAZE Announces New Manga Series BLITZ – Set In Tense World of Competitive Chess Featuring Garry Kasparov

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Published in Shonen Jump, BLITZ is a new shonen manga that immerses readers into the “game of kings,” where intuition and mental agility are precious assets on the way to victory! Chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion, Garry Kasparov, makes his manga debut in the series!

Written by Cédric Biscay (ASTROBOY REBOOT, Shenmue III) and Harumo Sanazaki (Yawareta Princess, Egekai ni Ai wa Moete, Manga Grimm Douwa) with artwork by Daitaro Nishihara (The Magical Cat Ghee).

The series is written by Cédric Biscay, who produced the return of the Shenmue saga in 2019 and the upcoming reboot of the Astroboy anime series, which is currently in production with Miraculous Ladybug creator, Thomas Astruc as director.

The series is also co-written by prolific Japanese manga-ka Harumo Sanazaki, her works have been published in more than 130 manga including The Phantom of the Opera, Yawareta Princess, Egekai ni Ai wa Moete, and Manga Grimm Douwa: Sharaku – Shinsetsu Onna Eshi

The series is illustrated by Daitaro Nishihara who began as a manga-ka in the magazine Monthly Shonen Jump. From 2001, several of his series were pre-published in the magazine Korokoro Comic (Shôgakukan), notably Pokémon 6 – Jirachi: The Genius of Wishes.

Harumo Sanazaki
Daitaro Nishihara

Chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov is featured in the manga and served as a consultant to the series. For those unfamiliar with the world of competitive chess, Garry Kasparov became, at the age of 12, chess champion of the USSR’s under-18 age group. Then, at 17, he won the Under-20 World Chess Champion title. In 1985, at 22, Kasparov gained international notoriety as the youngest World Chess Champion in history.

He defended his title five times, including a series of legendary matches against his great rival Anatoly Karpov. Kasparov broke Bobby Fischer’s record in 1990, and his own record remained undefeated until 2013. His famous matches against IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer in 1996-97 played a vital role in integrating artificial intelligence into the world of chess.

Each volume of BLITZ will contain chess strategy tips and a chess lexicon to turn every reader into a chess master!

BLITZ will be available in-print and digitally in North America, Australia, and the UK. ABLAZE titles are distributed in-print by Diamond Comic and Diamond Book Distributors. Vol. 1 will be available in comic shops on September 14th, and bookstores on September 27th.  The manga is currently available for preorder:

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Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator, Kazuki Takahashi Passes Away At 60

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Kazuki Takahashi, (Kazuo Takahashi), was found dead off the coast of Nago city in the Okinawa Prefecture by The Japan Coast Guard. As reported by NHK and ANN, on Wednesday around 10:30 AM, The Japan Coast Guard was alerted that a body was seen drifting from the coast off the resort city of Nago by a person on a boat.

Kazuki Takahashi at the MAGIC 2019 opening ceremony
Photo Soruce

According to NHK, A firefighter rushed to the scene and rescued the man but was later confirmed dead. Reportedly, Takahashi was wearing snorkeling equipment, and was visiting Okinawa alone. The Japan Coast Guard has also reported that Takahashi’s body has no visible scratches on his body, but there is an active investigation to find out the manner of death.

Screenshot from NHK “人気漫画「遊☆戯☆王」作者 高橋和希さん 沖縄 名護で死去” News Segment | Soruce

Takahashi created the most notable and popular anime franchises of all time, Yugioh! Takahashi’s career began in 1990 having his first manga, Tokiō no taka (Fighting Hawk) published in 1990, followed by Tennenshoku Danji Buray (天然色男児BURAY), from 1991 to 1992. In 1996, Takahashi created Yugioh! which led to the creation of the Yugioh Trading Card Game. From its inspection, Takahashi has continued to supervise the creation of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga since the end of the original manga’s run, from 1996 through 2004.

Background: Promo for YuGiOh! Anime OVA by Toei animation | Left: YuGiOh! Vol.1 Manga | Right: Deck of YuGiOh! Cards

To this day YuGiOh! has been seen, watched, read and played by millions of fans through the world, making it one of the most internationally notible, anime franchises of all time. In 2015, Takahashi received the Inkpot award from Comic-Con International for his outstanding contributions to comicbooks, animation and fandom.

Kazuki Takahashi with his Inkpot award from Comic-Con International

Recently, Takahashi collaborated with Marvel to illustrate Marvel’s Secret Reverse Marvel Comics, which was released in the U.S. on June 14th of this year (Orignally released in Japan on, 02-04-2020).

Marvel’s Secret Reverse Paperback – June 14, 2022