Category Archives: Manga

Tokyopop reveals the gripping BL murder mystery manga series, “Love Murder Basketball”

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Mark your calendars for November 28th as manga publish TOKYOPOP presents LOVE MURDER BASKETBALL, a gripping BL release. This captivating story unravels a tense cat-and-mouse murder mystery against the backdrop of professional sports. Brace yourself for a gritty and thrilling experience like no other.

Preorder Here

The upcoming series will be released through TOKYOPOP’s LoveLove imprint, showcasing an enticing collaboration between author Kurutta Hito and the talented artist Tsunderuuu. LOVE MURDER BASKETBALL is based on the popular OEL (Original English Language) webtoon that captured the hearts of over 360 million readers and amassed an impressive following of 45K subscribers. The print edition by TOKYOPOP will also be available in digital format, ensuring a wider reach for this captivating story; available for the first time completely uncensored! Get ready for a thrilling and immersive experience with LOVE MURDER BASKETBALL!

Love Murder Basketball Synopsis

As the son of one of the most infamous Yakuza bosses in Japan, Shoto Tanaka’s life is anything but ordinary. Then, he meets the most popular athlete in Japan, Goro Nakamura. Goro is used to putting on a show for the public, and since he comes from a family of wealth and notoriety, he is frequently in the limelight. Shoto, like many others, is captivated by Goro’s icy charisma.

What Shoto doesn’t yet know is that Goro is also the infamous “Animosity Serial Killer.” In what ways will Goro and Shoto’s profound devotion to each other and their conflicting ideologies impact their complex relationship and those around them?

This bloody BL thriller is for mature readers (18+) who enjoy dark psychological themes, suspense, and a side of horror with their romance.

Kurutta Hito | Author Comments

“Goro, one of the main characters, is of Japanese and Melanesia-African American heritage,” explains Hito. “His heritage is an important part of his narrative, and I wanted to explore what it’s like to be a multicultural kid growing up in a homogeneous culture.”

Hito continues, “During the early stages of the creation of his character, I had a distinct notion that he should be unlike anyone else in the BL community. I wanted him to be unique. I was also aware that it would not be easy to do. Every character in this series brings a smile to my face, and I sincerely hope that readers will develop the same sentiments regarding any of the characters that ultimately win their hearts. There is a character for everyone. Your readership of Love Murder basketball is appreciated.”

You can follow Kurutta Hiro and his work at https://x.com/KuruttaH, and illustrator Tsunderuuu at, https://x.com/tsunderuuu.

Love Murder Basketball is set to be released on November 28th; PREORDER HERE

*UPDATE:
The article has been updated on 11/5/2023 at 1:20 a.m. at Hiro’s request. Newly revised author quote regarding “Love Murder Basketball.”

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THE BOY AND THE HERON | English Trailer

Masaaki Ninomiya’s Horror Masterpiece GANNIBAL Manga Series Now Available on Kickstarter | ABLAZE!

Blue Eye Samurai Premieres at AIFF 2023 | NETFLIX

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Kodansha Launches New Series ‘KATANA Beast’ Simultaneously in Japan & U.S.

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New series KATANA Beast by Akimine Kamijyo, known for creating “Samurai Deeper Kyo” and “Code: Breaker”, is scheduled to be launched concurrently in Japan and the United States. The English version of KATANA Beast is now accessible on the K MANGA service as a simulpub title. You read the newest addition to the K MANGA service here.

(C) 2023 KODANSHA LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

KATANA Beats Synposis

The Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Pig. These twelve tribes, each boasting their own special powers, battled for hegemony over the nation until the Emperor, tired of these endless wars, instead proposed a “festival”—5v5 proxy battles for which each tribe must send a “beast blade” to fight on their behalf. Princess Ibusuki of the Rabbit tribe, the weakest clan of all, was searching for her own champion to whom she could entrust the fate of her people when she came upon Hijimaru of the legendary Lion tribe. Little did she know that this encounter would mark the beginning of something far greater! Welcome to the fantastical tale of the zodiac struggle!

What is K MANGA?

K MANGA is a digital, manga distributing platform created by KODANSHA. The company distributes simulpub titles in English with notable ones including A Sign of Affection, DEAD ROCK, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Clayman Revenge, Tune In to the Midnight Heart, and Chihiro-kun Only Has Eyes for Me. Before the end of 2023, K MANGA will have added over 100 additional titles to its service since its launch in May. K MANGA plans to continually add even more titles to its service for readers to enjoy.

To learn more about K MANGA and how to use it, please visit their official at https://kmanga.kodansha.com/ or download their app. iOS | Android

Screenshot of K MANGA’s homepage. (C) 2023 KODANSHA LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Akimine Kamijyo

Akimine Kamijyo is known for her work creating the manga series “Samurai Deeper Kyo” and “Code: Breaker,” both of which have been published in North America. “Samurai Deeper Kyo” was adapted into an anime in 2002, while “Code: Breaker” received an anime adaptation in 2012.

In a message to K MANGA readers, Kamijyo said,

“Inspired by the twelve zodiac signs which have been passed down since ancient times in Japan, this is a story about the main character, Hijimaru, and the twelve tribes. The ‘Festival’ where the beasts will fight each other with their lives by the blade is about to begin! I hope everyone in America enjoys it at the same time as Japan! Thank you!”

– Akimine Kamijyo via press release

Read KATANA Beats on K MANGA, now available!

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Masaaki Ninomiya’s Horror Masterpiece GANNIBAL Manga Series Now Available on Kickstarter | ABLAZE!

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The Highly Anticipated English Language Debut of the International Bestselling Series That Inspired The Popular Disney+/Hulu Live Action Heads to Kickstarter Just in Time for Halloween.

Comics and graphic novels publisher ABLAZE, is launching a Kickstarter campaign for the highly anticipated English debut of GANNIBAL, a modern-day horror manga by Masaaki Ninomiya.

This bestselling 13-volume series, originally published in Japan by Nihon Bungeisha, has gained immense popularity worldwide, with translations in several countries including, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Brazil, Korea, and Thailand. Now, English-speaking audiences can look forward to its release through a limited edition hardcover version available on Kickstarter. Show your support for the project by visiting the Kickstarter page.

GANNIBAL, is a thrilling suspense manga series, has been adapted into a live-action TV show directed by Shinzo Katayama, known for the J-horror film “Missing.” The series is currently streaming on Disney+/Hulu and features an ensemble cast including Yuya Yagira, Sho Kasamatsu, and Riho Yoshioka.

ABLAZE describes the story,

The story centers around Daigo Agawa, a law enforcement officer who is stationed in the secluded mountain village of Kuge. Initially greeted with warmth by the villagers, Daigo embarks on a journey to unravel the village’s eerie enigma after the discovery of an elderly woman’s lifeless body. Gradually, suspicions arise within Daigo, hinting at the villagers’ possible implication in the sinister practice of cannibalism.

Rich Young, co-founder of ABLAZE said of the manga series,

GANNIBAL is a powerful and truly scary story, [. . .] Horror manga is renowned for its deeply affecting stories and GANNIBAL will definitely stay with readers long after the first reading.”

 Rich Young, co-founder of ABLAZE Via Press Release

Masaaki Ninomiya is a renowned manga artist from Tokyo, Japan. Despite his relatively short career, he has garnered critical acclaim that has propelled him to achieve global recognition. Ninomiya has received an honorable mention at the 68th Chiba Tetsuya Award for his outstanding work “Revoltech Taniguchi.” Additionally, he was awarded the Second Grand Prize in THE GATE contest for his remarkable comic, “Domestic Bliss.” In 2016, Ninomiya published his first serialized manga story titled “Chousou no Babel,” and the serialization of his manga “Gannibal” began three years later in 2018. To date the Gannibal collections have sold more than 3 million copies in Japan. Gannibal will be his English language debut.
FOLLOW ON TWITTER / X: https://twitter.com/enewtivojjrjqpo

ABLAZE provided us with a four page preview:

Masaaki Ninomiya will be receiving royalties from the reward tiers for this campaign. Your support of this campaign will benefit him directly. For more information on the Kickstarter project, please visit the official Kickstarter page.

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Isaki Uta’s Highly Anticipated Doujinshi Collection | Exclusive Interview

Isaki Uta’s Highly Anticipated Doujinshi Collection | Exclusive Interview

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Isaki Uta is a talented manga artist renowned for their captivating artwork and captivating storytelling. They have gained recognition for their masterpiece, Mine-kun is Asexual, which fans have warmly received worldwide.

Isaki Uta’s stories explore personal identity and the challenges of navigating a society that may not readily accept or even understand those who are “different.” In addition to their commercial manga works, such as Is Love The Solution? published by Kodansha, Uta has also created remarkable doujinshi, including titles like Leaper and Silkscreen. Their unique storytelling style and LGBTQ+-focused narratives have made them a beloved figure in the manga community.

Irodori Comics has recently announced the launch of the Kickstarter campaign for “Isaki Uta: The Lost & Found Collection” showcasing the remarkable works of Isaki Uta. Published in the United States by Kodansha, Isaki Uta’s stories delve into individuals’ complex journeys and personal struggles as they explore and embrace their gender and sexual identities.

This collection allows a broader audience to appreciate the artistic brilliance and emotional depth of Isaki Uta’s writing and art.

The Kickstarter launch page for “Isaki Uta: The Lost & Found Collection” is now available. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to delve into four of Isaki Uta’s most acclaimed stories by visiting the official Kickstarter page. Story synopsis are as follows,

Mine-kun is Asexual

(Preview below)

In “Mine-kun is Asexual,” Mine doesn’t like sexual intimacy in a relationship. He can kiss a girl, but it’s not something he wants to do if he can help it. But Murai loves him so much that she’s willing to overlook the fact that she can’t hold his hand; that she can’t cuddle up next to him when they watch movies together; that she can’t fall in love with him the way that she hopes to be loved in return. In the eyes of those around them, is this even a relationship that’s meant to last, or is it a train wreck just waiting to happen?

Leaper

Leapers—individuals who were born on February 29th that age at a rate four times slower than that of a normal person and can live for over 300 years. Mio Aono is one of these leapers and like many, experiences all the emotions that come with living beyond the normal, mortal lifespan. This story won an honorable mention in the Monthly Afternoon Magazine Manga Competition and jumpstarted Isaki Uta’s career! Originally published in 2008, this landmark work has been updated and re-released as a doujinshi and localized in English for fans to enjoy.

Mermaid in the Bottle

Takeru has always felt like another cog in the wheel of corporate society, but things take a strange turn when he and his sister discover a mermaid inside a cosmetic lotion bottle. Memories of childhood; a brother and sister separated in the aftermath of a failed marriage; corporate money disappearing off the ledgers… Mermaid in the Bottle is Isaki Uta’s tour-de-force first foray into self-publishing and features a unique story looking into the bitter-sweet relationship of a brother and sister with a shared, troubled past.

Silkscreen

A girl falls in love and devotes herself to them, but they don’t conform to her expectations, perhaps because she looks at them through a blurry curtain. Silkscreen touches on a bittersweet romance between a lesbian and a genderqueer individual, who later comes out as a trans man. Those familiar with Isaki Uta’s previous works like Mermaid In The Bottle, Leaper and Mine-kun is Asexual, will know that the author has a unique style of storytelling that leaves a lot to the reader’s interpretation. Silkscreen is a bittersweet story that briefly explores the concepts of identity, rejection, and acceptance.

“Isaki Uta’s works are gems in the world of Japanese LGBTQ＋ comics,[. . .] The relationships between characters aren’t cookie cutter and show the rawness and intensity of discovering one’s sexuality and gender identity. It makes queer individuals like myself feel seen and that these kinds of stories are worth telling.” 

– ITSUKI, Irodori Comics Translator via Press Release

Isaki Uta added,

“I put my heart and soul into drawing these stories, so I hope you enjoy them!”

Isaki Uta via Press Release

TO GO NEXT PAGE FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ISAKI UTA

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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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