Tag Archives: kodansha

NYCC 2025: Kodansha Unveils New Print Licenses

Announced at New York Comic Con 2025 — Kodansha revealed to manga fans in-person and online more print manga licenses arriving in Fall 2026.

Kodansha unveils even more details from their Fall 2026 print publishing lineup by revealing a range of upcoming debuts including: a new high quality art book from The Ghost in the Shell creator with Shirow Masamune: Artworks in the Shell; new all-ages titles like the feline focused Cells at Work! spinoff, Cells at Work! Cat, and the magical creature fantasy adventure, When a Dragon Calls; exciting romance stories like the sci-fi rom-com, My Husband is a Doomsday Weapon; beautiful BL like the K-Pop omegaverse drama, Comeback After Fate; and more!

Masamune Shirow: Artwork in the Shell

By Masamune Shirow
JP Title: 士郎正宗の世界展 公式原画集 SHIROW MASAMUNE ARTWORKS IN THE SHELL (Shirow Masamune no Sekai-ten – Koushiki Genga-shu)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 18+

Artworks in the Shell is the capstone to any collection focused on Shirow Masamune, covering his more than 40-year career from Dominion and The Ghost in the Shell through Appleseed, Intron Depot, and more!

At 288 pages and nearly a foot long, this hardcover collection is the most spectacular presentation ever of the stunning range of Shirow’s color works, tracing his techniques from all-analog through dozens of early digital tools up to the present day. Assembled for a blockbuster career retrospective exhibition in Tokyo last year, this exhaustive collection of color work by Japan’s master of cyberpunk includes dozens of rare, uncollected pieces, including two exquisite double-folded gatefold artworks.

Masamune Shirow: Artwork in the Shell

Cells at Work! Picture Books

By Kumi Makimura
Original work by Akane Shimizu 
JP Title: 絵本 はたらく細胞 (Ehon Hataraku Saibo)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: All Ages 10+

The mega-hit anime and best-selling manga is now an edutainment picture book series! Red Blood Cell, White Blood Cell (Neutrophil), and their team guide young readers on an exciting behind-the-scenes exploration of all the hard work going on to keep the human body healthy. Adorable characters, diagrams, and simple language help make the scientific adventure fun.

Titles in the series:

  • Cells at Work! Picture Book 1: The Great Bacteria Vs. White Blood Cell Battle!
  • Cells at Work! Picture Book 2: The Dastardly Duo of Flu and Food Poisoning!
  • Cells at Work! Picture Book 3: I’m Not Scared of Shots!
  • Cells at Work! Picture Book 4: Just a Cold? Just a Bump?
  • Cells at Work! Picture Book 5: Busy, Busy Gut Bug Buddies!
Cells at Work! Picture Books

Cells at Work! Cat

Original story by Choco Aozora
Art by Meku Kaire
Supervised by Akane Shimizu
JP Title: はたらく細胞 猫 (Hataraku Saibo Neko)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: All Ages​ 10+

Red Blood Cell, White Blood Cell (Neutrophil), and their team put on their cat ears as they work, day and night to fight the invaders big and small to make sure these feline friends are happy, healthy, purring machines! Explore the action taking place inside a cat’s body, in Cells at Work! style, while also seeing the perspective from the humans who provide a home and tender loving care.

Cells at Work! Cat

YuM Cat

By Shirimoto
JP Title: ンめねこ (Nmeneko)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 10+

YuM Cat (Nmeneko) is a cat who just wants to enjoy the yummier things in life. But some things that look tasty can be deceiving, and sometimes you need to get a little creative to satiate a craving! Thankfully, YuM Cat’s got a trusty sidekick to help with the trickier slices of life! 

This full-color, mostly wordless manga, based on the popular mascot character created by illustrator Shirimoto, which gained popularity on X (Twitter), was recently adapted into a short-form anime series starring Han Megumi and Hiro Shimono.

Perfect for cute cat fans (and foodies!) of any age!

YuM Cat

When a Dragon Calls

Original Story by Sachiko Kashiwaba
Art by Renji Asai
Character Design by Miho Satake
JP Title: 竜が呼んだ娘 (Ryu ga Yonda Musume)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 10+

A fantastical adventure based on the hit fantasy novel that will sweep you off your feet!

Ten-year-old Mia lives with her aunt in the poor, secluded, so-called “Criminals’ Village” where the only way out is to be called by a dragon and carried off to a new life. One day, the unassuming Mia is chosen for this honor and whisked away on dragon-back to the royal palace, a dazzling world filled with witches, dragon-riding knights, and a centuries-long curse she must somehow find a way to lift.

Perfect for young readers and fans of Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away! 

When a Dragon Calls

Erin the Beast Player

Original story by Nahoko Uehashi
Art by Itoe Takemoto
JP Title: 獣の奏者  (Kemono no Souja)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 10+

Coming to print for the first time in all-new omnibus editions!

Erin loves her modest but happy life with her mother, a gifted beast doctor who cares for the fearsome giant serpents that the kingdom’s warriors ride into battle. But their world is turned upside down when the entire stable of the prized serpents dies overnight, and Erin’s mother is saddled with the blame. Before she knows it, ten-year-old Erin is cast off in a faraway land where she must learn to survive with only her mother’s words and the kindness of strangers to guide her. 

A sumptuous manga adaptation of the hit fantasy novel series, perfect for fans of Witch Hat Atelier, Mushishi, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind!

Erin the Beast Player

My Husband is a Doomsday Weapon

By Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara
JP Title: 旦那様は終末兵器 (Danna-sama wa Shuumatsu Heiki)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 13+

The first ever post-apocalyptic hard sci-fi human/android romance?!

A young scientist working to restore a civilization destroyed centuries ago by cataclysmic war unearths a devastatingly powerful doomsday weapon—which saves her from a marauding robot, then promptly transforms into human guise, identifying her as its new master. Thanks to the input from a romance novel, this handsome anthropomorphic weapon dedicates itself body and soul to our heroine, who in turn realizes that this may be the answer to her total inability to interact with human men…

Packed with humor and sterling artwork, this series fuses the visual storytelling techniques of shojo manga with effortlessly natural and precise science fiction worldbuilding to create something totally unique—and genuinely romantic!

My Husband is a Doomsday Weapon

You Might As Well Be the One

By Megumu Seto
JP Title: いっそあなたがトドメを刺して (Isso Anata ga Todome wo Sashite)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 16+

“I want you to never stop smiling.” Ichika, a college student, just wants to have a normal romance for once, yet because of her flashy appearance, she is often misunderstood. Not ready to give up on a romantic encounter, Ichika joins a drinking party and meets a kind boy named Kosei. They immediately click and Ichika has a great time talking to him about their mutual interests and other things, and she finds herself falling for him after he tells her that he likes her for who she is. However, he has a secret…?!

You Might As Well Be the One

A Love Too Captivating

By Mia Sorahana
JP Title: たまらないのは恋なのか (Tamaranai no wa Koi na no ka)
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 16+

The eagerly-awaited BL is finally here!

Misuzu never goes looking for fights—they just always come to him. But when he sees the local punks trying to start trouble with his classmate, honor-student Kitahara, he can’t help himself from stepping in. Ever since, Kitahara has been following Misuzu everywhere, trying to get to know this so-called bully who is actually much sweeter than he seems. All Misuzu wants is to be left alone…at first. But soon, something begins to blossom between the two—something that may just prove too captivating to resist.

A must-read for fans of My Summer of You and Sasaki and Miyano!

A Love Too Captivating

Comeback After Fate

By Anji Seina
JP Title: カムバック・アフター・フェイト
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 18+

The steamy K-Pop omegaverse BL manga you’ve been waiting for!

Eli’s boy band VINKS has just made their big debut—and as the youngest in the group, far from having everything handed to him as an alpha, he has to work twice as hard! One day, he participates in a session with Lee Suyoung from the top-ranked, all-alpha group α-code. For Eli, a longtime fan, it’s a dream come true. But what’s this sweet smell coming from Suyoung? Before he knows it, Eli’s mouth is heading for Suyoung’s nape… It’s only one month until α-code’s big comeback. What will they do, now that Eli knows Suyoung’s secret?

Comeback After Fate

Gachiakuta Dumpster Box Set

By Kei Urana
Graffiti Design by Hideyoshi Andou
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 16+

Volumes 1-10 of the original manga in a graffiti-covered, dumpster-shaped box set. Bonus item: cotton tote bag made from recycled material.

A young boy is framed for murder and cast off the edge of a floating city into the abyss, where he grapples with the monsters that the elite high above would rather forget. The more the rich glitter, the higher the price paid by the poor…

Now a hit anime running through December 2025!

Gachiakuta Dumpster Box Set

GlobalComix Continues its Expansion with Magma Comix, Marvel, Chispa Comics, and DC

GlobalComix

GlobalComix has spent 2025 focusing on growth and expanding the publishers available on the digital comic platform.

Earlier this year, IDW Publishing, Kodansha, and Archie Comics joined the platform, and expanded its offerings when it comes to manga. In the past month, GlobalComix has announced the addition of DC Comics, Chispa Comics, Marvel, and now Magma Comix.

In September, DC Comics went day-and-date as well as adding back catalog releases, more than 30,000 individual issues, volumes, and collected editions.

Chispa Comics followed in late September, bringing six series to the platform with more to come including GlobalComix-first exclusives.

On October 15, Marvel comics to the digital platform as part of the GlobalComix Gold membership which is available for $6.99/month or $69/year. eekly new releases will also be offered for individual purchase, with exclusive discounts for Gold members. Hundreds of Marvel comics will be available for Gold members with day-and-date releases starting on the 15th available for individual purchases with exclusive members-only discounts.

Today, Magma Comix and GlobalComix have announced an exclusive vertical scroll edition of The Pedestrian.

The Pedestrian has quickly established itself as one of the standout titles of 2025. Recognized by peers and fans alike, earlier this year, the series was nominated for “Best New Series” at the Eisner Awards, and has also been nominated for the prestigious Ringo Award for “Best Series”, with the Ringo Awards ceremony taking place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Baltimore Comic-Con in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Pedestrian is the first vertical scroll original that GlobalComix is producing in partnership with Magma Comix. This collaboration represents a new chapter for both companies, combining Magma’s bold, creator-driven storytelling with GlobalComix’s innovative publishing formats to deliver a reading experience tailored for modern audiences.

Anime NYC 2025: Kodansha Announces New Print Manga for the Fall

Announced at Anime NYC 2025—Kodansha revealed to manga fans in-person and online updates for more print manga licenses arriving Fall 2026.

The first look at Kodansha’s Fall 2026 new print licenses includes a spotlight on the award-winning mangaka Yuna Hirasawa. Two Fall print debuts from Hirasawa will include the Eisner Award-winning memoir manga My Journey to Her, as well as a new all-ages fantasy vet adventure, Luca, the Dragon Vet. And in a surprise reveal for long-time fans, the 2000’s indie-rock, coming-of-age saga BECK will return to print in a new 2-in-1 paperback omnibus edition.

My Journey To Her

By Yuna Hirasawa
JP Title: 僕が私になるために
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 13+

In this standalone manga, trans author Yuna Hirasawa shares her experience living with gender dysphoria, as well as her trip from Japan to Thailand for her gender-affirming surgery in 2015. She covers topics like coming out to family and the loneliness of traveling to a new place—all while illustrating the legal and medical processes of her own transition.

After graduating from university, Yuna spent several years going through the motions and working an office job. Until one day, while in pursuit of an essential missing piece of her life, she receives a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, which opens up new doors for her. As she takes on medical treatments and tries out new makeup and outfits, she sees just how lonely and difficult the process of transitioning can be. But in 2015, when Yuna travels to Thailand for her gender-affirming surgery, the support of her siblings, new strangers, and documenting her experience through manga helps her begin to heal in more ways than one. Told in an honest and, at times, humorous tone, this memoir is a blend of manga and detailed prose that does not shy away from sensitive topics, such as suicidal ideation, transphobia, and the simultaneously harrowing, yet joyous, experience of gender-affirming surgery.

Read the 1st chapter of the digital edition here.

My Journey To Her

Luca the Dragon Vet

By Yuna Hirasawa
JP Title: 竜医のルカ
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 8+

Luca was raised in a world where people can fly—to travel, work, or war—on the backs of dragons, and she knows what she wants to be: a dragon vet! Standing in her way are stringent admissions rules, impossibly difficult classes, and a notorious family name… A magical medical drama full of adventure and intrigue from the creator of My Journey to Her, perfect for younger and older fans of Witch Hat Atelier and The Apothecary Diaries!

Luca the Dragon Vet

BECK Omnibus

By Harold Sakuishi
JP Title: BECK 新装版
Debut Date: Fall 2026
Rated: 16+

The ultimate rock-and-roll shonen manga returns, with an all-new translation, in a premium 2-in-1 paperback omnibus featuring new cover illustrations! Experience the beloved story of a boy who dreams of stardom, a band that won’t stay down, and the music world’s strangest-looking dog. More than 400 pages of manga per volume! 

Fourteen-year-old Yukio Tanaka is one heck of a boring guy. He has no hobbies, weak taste in music, and only a small vestige of a personality. His shy and somewhat neurotic personality makes him his own worst enemy. Little does he know that his life will be forever changed when he meets rocker Ryusuke Minami, an unpredictable sixteen-year-old with a cool dog named Beck. Ryusuke has just returned to Japan from America, and when he inspires Yukio to get into music, the two begin a journey through the world of rock ’n’ roll dreams! Lace up your Docs and head to the mosh pit-Harold Sakuishi’s manga series that spawned the hit anime is back!

Read the 1st chapter of the digital edition here.

BECK Omnibus

Kodansha House Announces Legendary Creator Lineup Featuring Atsushi Ohkubo, Fujita, and Suu Morishita

Kodansha House

Kodansha House has announced its creator lineup featuring the most celebrated names in manga: Atsushi Ohkubo, Fujita, and Suu Morishita will make rare U.S. appearances with Q&A sessions and signings at Kodansha House in October.

All Kodansha House programming is free to attend, but tickets are required. The date for creator ticket appearances will be announced in the coming weeks. Follow Kodansha House on social media or at kodanshahouse.com and sign up for newsletters for first access when tickets go live.

FEATURED CREATORS

Atsushi Ohkubo, author of Fire Force

Atsushi Ohkubo is a prolific artist best known for his work on the smash-hit manga Fire Force, source of the popular anime series. He has also lent his design and art skills to video games such as Lord of Vermillion, Bravely Default, and Bravely Second: End Layer. With a career spanning over two decades, his body of work speaks for itself.Ohkubo will pull the curtain back on the making of his popular series and let audiences into the world of Shinra Kusakable, third-generation pyrokinetic youth and hero of Fire Force.

Fujita, author of Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

In 2014, Fujita posted the first online pages of Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku. The work quickly gained traction and by 2015 began appearing in print through Ichijinsha. Today, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku has over 10 million copies in circulation, and has spawned multiple adaptations including an anime series and a live-action film. Fujita will reflect on the journey of this manga series from an amateur web project to professional scale, and the fun of writing and illustrating a romantic comedy.

Suu Morishita, author of Sign of Affection

Considered one of the most successful shojo manga creators of the last decade, Suu Morishita is known for Shortcake Cake, Like a Butterfly, and especially A Sign of Affection. Now in its twelfth volume, this popular series follows Yuki Itose, a student who experiences her quiet world as vibrant, where youth and love shine. A Sign of Affection has also been adapted into an anime series and a stage musical. Morishita will delve into the origins of A Sign of Affection, the process of writing and accurately representing a deaf character, and more.

Kodansha House opens to the public on October 4th at 210 Lafayette Street in SoHo and runs through October 19th, welcoming manga lovers Tuesdays to Sundays, 12pm to 9pm. The pop-up experience celebrates the world of manga and the communities, featuring interactive exhibits, hands-on workshops, movie screenings, special creator appearances, and many more! Designed as a space to connect, create, and celebrate, Kodansha House invites fans to step inside the stories they love.

SDCC 2025: Kodansha Reveals New Premium Editions and Upcoming Series

Announced at Comic-Con International San Diego 2025—Kodansha revealed to manga fans in-person and online updates to the Kodansha Print Club program as well as more print manga licenses arriving Spring 2026.

Kodansha kicked off their announcements with a surprise update on the Kodansha Print Club program, where they announced that volumes 2 of Blade Girl, Teppu, and Love, That’s an Understatement will be available for purchase in print starting August 2025.

Then, moving onto the Spring 2026 slate of new print manga licenses, Kodansha unveiled new premium editions of fan-favorite series Witch Hat Atelier and Attack on Titan. Also announced were all-new series, ranging from action-packed apocalypse fighting sagas like DRAGON CIRCUS, to taut thrillers about relationships that are too-good-to-be-true, like Whoever You Are, I Love You, and even a new chapter in the perennial cozy kitten series with Chi’s Sweet France. 

See below for details on the full slate of debuts coming soon in print and digital from Kodansha.

Kodansha Print Club Update:

With many thanks to the patience of fans eagerly waiting for more information on this experimental program, Kodansha is proud to announce that volumes 2 of Blade Girl, Teppu, and Love, That’s an Understatement, will be available to purchase online and through select physical retailers on August 5, 2025. Pre-orders will begin as soon as next week, so check with your favorite retailer or bookstore for availability.

Kodansha Print Club Update

Premium Editions:

Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition

By Kamome Shirahama
JP Title: とんがり帽子のアトリエ
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 10+

This deluxe, keepsake-quality hardcover edition includes three volumes of the acclaimed fantasy manga on which the enchanting anime was based. Experience the beautiful tale of a young witch who discovers her creativity and faces down a dangerous and thrilling world with her friends by her side in these extra-large books, printed on premium paper with intricate gold foil covers and exclusive bonus content.

Includes Witch Hat Atelier Vols. 1–3.

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem!

The new Grimoire Edition is a gold-foiled hardcover of nearly 600 pages each, including color pages and bonus content and presenting this magical epic in a special large size.

Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition

Blue Lock Omnibus

Story by Muneyuki Kaneshiro; Art by Yusuke Nomura
JP Title: ブルーロック
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

The manga that became a worldwide sports action phenomenon returns in a new 3-in-1 omnibus edition featuring sculpted embossed covers!

A mad young coach gathers soccer players from across the country to compete in a series of bizarre challenges in a high-tech colosseum he calls Blue Lock. It’s a no-balls-barred battle to become Japan’s next top striker, in this Squid Game–meets–World Cup manga, now a global hit anime with two explosive seasons!

Blue Lock Omnibus

Attack on Titan Definitive Hardcover Collection

By Hajime Isayama
JP Title: 進撃の巨人 特装合本版
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

The global manga hit returns in a massive new deluxe edition, including three volumes in one hardcover book featuring faux leather cover, gold foil stamping, library-style binding, and color pages that aren’t even included in the Japanese edition!

For eons, humans ruled the natural world. But a century ago, everything changed when the Titans appeared. Giant, grotesque parodies of the human form, these monsters consumed all but a few thousand human beings, who took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren yearns to explore the world beyond the wall. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when a Titan finally knocks a hole in the wall, and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction.

Attack on Titan Definitive Hardcover Collection

Action & Adventure:

DRAGON CIRCUS

Story by Eiichi Shimizu, Illustrated by Tomohiro Shimoguchi
JP Title: DRAGON CIRCUS
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

DEATH TO ALL DRAGONS!

The sudden appearance of massive monsters known as “Dragons” throws the world into chaos. The New United Nations, created as a response to the threat, puts together a team known as the Dragonslayers, including (among others) a vampire, an android, a witch, the animated remains of the legendary ogre Shuten Doji, and….a little girl?! Ace pilot Momo may still be in grade school, but she just might have the skills to save humankind.

Taut action, propulsive storytelling, and sly humor take this seinen action series to new heights and unexpected places!

On the fateful day the dragons first appeared, Dr. Abe’s beloved died in the initial onslaught. Now he has created an android in his own image: the DS-08 “Shikigami,” part of the NUN (New United Nations)’s top secret project to counter this monstrous invasion. In addition to the Shikigami, this team of “Dragonslayers” is comprised of members of the many races that have up till now lived in obscurity: elves, dwarves, witches, vampires, and more… As the team assembles to fight off the massive and mysterious creatures that now menace humanity, however, one member stands apart from the rest: Momo Agatsuma, the young daughter of an NUN scientist and ace pilot par excellence. Together this motley crew must fend off the greatest threat the world has ever faced…!

DRAGON CIRCUS

Stella Must Die

Story by Yasunori Mitsunaga; Art by Ine Ohtaka 
JP Title: 絶対死なないステラ姫
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

From the acclaimed creator of Princess Resurrection and Time Stop Hero comes the darkly comical tale of a princess with a most curious self-defense mechanism… Parasyte meets Cinderella in this zany fantasy manga about a princess who just won’t seem to die!

After losing her father, the king of Hillvalley, Princess Stella is thrown into the middle of a succession crisis. Her stepsister Illusia wastes no time in trying to assassinate Stella and seize the throne, but all her attempts mysteriously go awry. Little does anyone know that the young princess has a hidden protector…in the most unlikely of places!

Stella Must Die

Magical Karina

By Coyuri Tono
JP Title: まじかるカリナ
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

We all know transforming into a magical girl can help destroy the forces of evil. But can it help a high schooler who’s just lost the person who raised her through the stages of grief? A poignant and funny action manga that applies the trappings of Sailor Moon to the universal experience of elder care and decline; death without closure; and finding a will to carry on.

Just this morning, Karina was sitting at the breakfast table, cleaning up the miso soup her grandmother dropped on the floor. Now, she’s being called out to class to go to the hospital and see her grandma’s body…with a piece of seaweed still stuck to her uniform. She still finds time to make it to her hourly job at a family restaurant, but on the way home, she sees a glittering, elephant-like creature floating in the sky… And a teenage boy appears to push her out of the way of its attack! Death is stalking Karina’s town in a form that only she can see, and this boy gives her two choices: Die or transform and fight! She can scarcely follow what he’s saying, but her clothes do change, and the staff she finds herself holding has enough heft to do some serious damage… But is there space in Karina’s life for getting revenge for her grandma and fighting magical monsters when she’s already stretched to her limit?

Magical Karina

Crime & Drama:

Whoever You Are, I Love You

By Keiku Hagiwara
JP Title: きみが誰でも愛してる
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

Evil lurks beneath the most beautiful surfaces…

Temp worker Yuki Sato is ready to settle down with the perfect man she met on a dating app—until she discovers her fiancé may not be who he seems. When the beguiling Shun Majima confronts her with the details of the mysterious death of his brother Kosuke, Yuki finds herself torn between the man she thinks she loves and the handsome stranger whose revelations threaten to upend her life completely.

A world of digital deceit gives way to very real danger in this tense romantic crime thriller.

Despite being unmarried at 32, Yuki Sato is happy—she enjoys temping as a greeter, and more importantly, she’s engaged to a handsome, successful man she met on a dating app…until Shun Majima walks into her life and blows it up. 

Does her fiancé seem too good to be true because he is? And was he really involved in the death of Shun’s brother? As Yuki’s life slowly starts to unravel, she finds herself drawn into the seedy underbelly of Tokyo, caught in a web of lies and manipulation. She and Shun join forces to uncover the truth, but will they be able to do so before it’s too late…?

Whoever You Are, I Love You

That’s Not Love

By Peko Watanabe
JP Title: 恋じゃねえから
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 18+

Two female friends from middle school reunite as adults in this hard-hitting and personal drama manga. What begins as idle reminiscing leads to painful revelations as they heal the reopened wounds of their past in this highly-anticipated first print release from the creator of 1122: For a Happy Marriage.

Drawing on real events and the Japanese #MeToo movement and Watanabe’s own reflections on friendship and womanhood, That’s Not Love won a place on the industry insider poll Kono Manga ga Sugoi! as one of the best manga of the year.

Forty-year-old Akane attends the opening of a new art exhibit by her former cram school teacher, Mr. Imai, who has now become a sculptor. Akane notices that Mr. Imai’s new sculpture bears a striking resemblance to her middle school best friend, Yukari, who she remembers suddenly transferred out of the school. It even has a distinct scar that Yukari shared with Akane privately. Wondering what this could mean, Akane reaches out to her old friend, and learns that there was something else going on when they were children that she only partly understood. Was Yukari just a muse? Or something with more upsetting implications?

That's Not Love

Lonely Deaths Lie Thick as Snow

Story by Hajime Inoryu, Illustrated by Shota Ito
JP Title: 降り積もれ孤独な死よ
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

The shocking, gritty new seinen crime thriller from the team behind bestselling manga My Dearest Self With Malice Aforethought. A unique blend of cinematic art and realistic storytelling undergirds the terrifying mysteries and wild reversals of this dark police procedural, which will appeal to older readers of crime novels and graphic fiction far beyond the usual manga audience.

A routine call regarding a burglary at an empty mansion leads cocky young police detective Jin Saeki to a gruesome and shocking discovery. The corpses of 13 children, along with the presence of a strange symbol, spur a manhunt for Juzo Haikawa, the mysterious absentee owner of the house. So begins an investigation (and an obsession) that will take Jin all over Japan and into the darkest recesses of both the past and the human soul.

Lonely Deaths Lie Thick as Snow

Cozy & Comforting:

Cat-Life Balance

By Akari Otokawa
JP Title: 黒根さんはニャーと鳴かない
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

In this office romance manga with a feline twist, a people-pleaser teetering on the edge of burnout discovers his antisocial coworker’s secret: She only smiles when she’s playing with stray cats! Now he’s got a choice: Keep up the façade and keep saying “yes” to every extra task and happy hour, or risk his perfect work image to sneak off for some simple, frisky fun?

Fans of Sweat & Soap and Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You will love this new series from the creator of Cells at Work! Lady.

Everyone at work loves Mamoru, because Mamoru never says no. Replacing lightbulbs, carrying boxes, taking over an impossible client from a retiring colleague… He’ll do it all, and it’s earned him the nickname “Prince of the Office.” This glittering extrovert’s opposite at work is Kurone, a quiet woman in another department who soaks up her boss’s senseless mood swings with a blank stoicism. After one particularly long day, Mamoru is thrilled to be walking home alone, sipping a beer (because all his colleagues went drinking and left him to work overtime), when he encounters something strange: The usually glum Kurone is in the park, gleefully playing with stray cats. This secret seems silly, but it brings Kurone joy. It’s the start of an unlikely relationship that will lead Mamoru to start reflecting on his life and who he really wants to share it with. Is work really all there is, or can he strike a balance with the help of these fluffy new friends–and a human who might become something more?

Cat-Life Balance

Hitting Rewind With You

By Hanamaru Kira
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

Two college students desperate to live out the high school glory days they never had fall for each other in this silly and sweet romcom manga! This fun and escapist (non-)age gap romance is brimming with youthful nostalgia and perfect for fans of My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv 999 and In the Clear Moonlit Dusk.

Wakaba Kayano is a 20-year-old college student who was too busy studying in high school to experience the quintessential personal milestones of her teenage years, like going on an afterschool date. In a moment of desperation, she goes out on Halloween in her old high school uniform in an effort to take back some of those heart-fluttering experiences she never had, and in doing encounters Fumito, a boy clad in the quintessential high school boy uniform. Whisked away on the date of her dreams, she panics when forced to reveal her true age–only to find out that Fumito is in college, too!

Hitting Rewind With You

Anime Expo 2025: Kodansha Reveals New Manga Licenses

Announced at Anime Expo 2025—Kodansha unveiled a tremendous roster of their latest print licenses arriving in stores and online, Spring 2026. These new debuts include brand new series like Omori, the dark yet dreamy adventure based on the popular video game, Wicked Spot, a modern magical fantasy about a witch influencer, Kirio’s Fan Club, the odd ball romantic rivalry comedy, as well as fan-requested modern manga classics like MARS 30th Anniversary Edition, Shugo Chara! 20th Anniversary Edition, and even a premium The Ghost in the Shell Legacy Edition Manga Box Set.

All this and more mark today’s print title announcements, which will be available starting Spring 2026 at physical and online book vendors.

Shugo Chara! 20th Anniversary Edition

By PEACH-PIT
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

Relive the magic of self-discovery with Amu Hinamori and friends in a refreshed edition of this classic magical-girl manga, featuring new covers, updated translation, and a beautiful color art gallery.

Amu Hinamori is known among her fellow elementary students as a “cool girl” with a spiky personality, but behind closed doors, she’s actually extremely shy and wishes she could be brave enough to embrace her feminine, cutesy side. Her wish is granted in the form of three character eggs that hatch into Guardian Characters—mysterious entities that not only encourage her to achieve her potential but can even power her up by granting special abilities. Together with the student council, Amu must use her newfound powers to stop the evil forces feeding on the darkness in people’s hearts…

Shugo Chara! 20th Anniversary Edition

Shugo Chara! Jewel Joker

By PEACH-PIT
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 8+

The magical girl classic finally continues with this sequel manga to Shugo Chara! Amu Hinamori, the Joker Guardian, is a middle schooler now—back with friends and rivals old and new.

Sugar and spice, and everything nice—that may be what girls are made of, but Amu Hinamori is so much cooler, especially now that she’s left behind her days at Seiyo Elementary and became a middle schooler! After transferring to Arcana Academy on a special assignment, her role as the Joker Guardian is to intervene in a crisis that is causing students to lose hope and confidence in themselves. But she has another, more important secret mission: to retrieve the all-powerful, mysterious Arcana Jewels.

Shugo Chara! Jewel Joker

MARS 30th Anniversary Edition

By Fuyumi Soryo
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

The unforgettable classic shojo manga about two young people against the world who overcome their pain by relying on each other returns, in a glittering metallic hardcover with all-new cover illustrations and translation!
Kira’s life has been marked by pain. Gang violence took her father when she was young, and her mother’s remarriage only inflicted even more appalling scars. She has no trust left to offer the world, so when a ravishingly handsome boy asks her for directions one day, she draws a map and hands it to him without a word. On the other side of the map is one of her drawings, which catches the eye of the boy, a motorcyclist and professional model named Rei. When the two end up in the same class, an outrageous incident will bind them together—Rei promising to model for Kira, in exchange for more of her art. But Rei has also suffered a family tragedy that has worn down his temper to a short, flashing fuse. Can these two damaged souls with nowhere else to turn heal each other, or will they burn themselves out first?

Upon its release in English in 2002, MARS quickly became one of the best-selling shojo manga of all time, on par with Nana. But this beloved classic has been out of print for decades—until now. Kodansha is bringing MARS back for its 35th anniversary with an all-new translation in collectible, 2-in-1 hardcovers featuring glittering metallic covers and new cover illustrations from creator Fuyumi Soryo.

The new edition will be complete in 8 volumes.

MARS 30th Anniversary Edition

The Ghost in the Shell Legacy Edition Manga Box Set

By Shirow Masamune
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 18+

Every page of the defining work of modern cyberpunk returns in an ultimate, uncensored edition that matches the final Japanese manga, packaged in a box set featuring two brand-new illustrations by creator Shirow Masamune, 11 exclusive posters, and a set of multicolored Fuchikoma robot stickers.

Since debuting in Japan in 1989 and in the West as a monthly comics series in 1995, Shirow Masamune’s manga The Ghost in the Shell has become the type species of cyberpunk, with its brain jacks, neural chips, military drones, and optical camo setting the visual standard that would be followed by The Matrix, while its blend of white-hot procedural action and eager intellectual curiosity about the shape of the near future bridged the noir-tinged, American cyberpunk of the 1980s and the globalized, metaphysical stimulation overload that would characterize much of the science fiction of the 21st century.

For decades, the English and Japanese editions of this masterpiece have never quite matched each other. That finally changes with the Legacy Edition, which restores the pages that had been edited in the original The Ghost in the Shell manga. The set also includes the acclaimed Deluxe Edition localization of The Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human Error Processor and The Ghost in the Shell 2.0: Man-Machine Interface. All three are reproduced in a high-quality hardcover, right-to-left manga format, with all the pages included in the latest version currently in print in Japan.

Also included:
A premium slipcase featuring two brand-new illustrations by original author Shirow Masamune, created specifically for this box.

One new piece and ten posters from the rare, limited-edition 1997 Cyberdelics box set, never before released in English, reproduced in new versions featuring a staggering range of special print effects, including etched metallic paper, vinyl stock, and holographic spot gloss.

The new, 10-inch-wide posters come rolled (not folded) and packed in a rigid box inside the slipcase for added protection.

A set of multicolored Fuchikoma robot stickers, also from Cyberdelics.

A double-sided poster with Shirow-sensei’s explanation of his artistic process and the poster art, never before translated into English.

The Ghost in the Shell Legacy Edition Manga Box Set

GALAXIAS

By Ao Hatesaka
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

A country girl longing for adventure and a kid with a dragon tail set off on a rip-roaring adventure in this hot new fantasy shonen manga perfect for fans of One Piece, Soul Eater, Fairy Tail, and Gachiakuta.

In a distant corner of the Laniakea Kingdom, humans live alongside powerful beings with strange tails known as dragonfolk. A girl named Jio, whose father has forbidden her from leaving the remote island where they live, yearns to escape the confines of this quiet countryside and explore the world. Everything changes in the moment when Jio meets the mysterious Nereid, who claims to have lost all his memories. The revelations keep coming, as Jio realizes that her father kept her hidden because the whole world is hunting her, setting Jio and Nereid on a path to find the world’s most intrepid explorer, Yuri Holst. Could this living legend be the solution to Jio’s problems? Strange lands and uncharted waters await… Let the grand adventure begin!

GALAXIAS

OMORI

By OMOCAT and Nui Konoito
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

Teenage Sunny, a nonverbal shut-in (or hikikomori) dealing with the death of his older sister, leaves the house for the first time in years when his old friend Kel appears suddenly on his doorstep. At the same time, Sunny’s dream-world alter ego Omori embarks on a quest with Kel and their friends Aubrey and Hero to search for Basil, a missing member of their group. Together the party must navigate the perils of this strange world, as well as their complicated feelings and repressed memories, to move forward and find what they’ve lost…!

OMORI

Fruit of the Underworld

By Aya Kanno
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

One Bite and You Can Never Go Back

Ever since the day Seiji climbed down a creepy dark well as a kid to retrieve a wayward ball and picked up an odd-looking pomegranate, he’s had to dodge an unending stream of near-fatal “accidents” that push everyone around him away—except for his best friend Haru. But all that changes when their high school bus crashes, killing everybody on board but Seiji. Suddenly, rumors from his childhood about that fateful well reaching into the depths of the underworld take on a whole new light, and Seiji is launched into an epic adventure to save his friend—and his own soul.
The journey into the underworld of Greek legend as never seen before begins in this darkly thrilling action-adventure, perfect for fans of Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and Bleach!

Fruit of the Underworld

Wicked Spot

By Sal Jiang
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

Selfies + Spells = Wickedly Sweet Seduction!

After spending over a century hiding in the shadows, powerful sorceress Sadako stumbles upon the dazzling world of social media and decides to post her way into her first real contact with humanity. She soon becomes an internet sensation, attracting a huge following of doting fans—and shocks them all by announcing she is a witch. The big reveal turns one follower called Hanako, a lonely young woman with seemingly inhuman strength and a curious resistance to magic, into a dedicated hater, and inadvertently sends them both on a whirlwind adventure beyond their wildest dreams!

From popular yuri author Sal Jiang comes a fun, sexy, and free-spirited tale of modern-day magic!

Wicked Spot

Drawing From Your Memory

By Shiki Kawabata
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

A poignant and funny time-skip manga about grief, art, and love, like Orange meets Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, from the creator behind the Netflix miniseries Switched. Complete in five volumes.

Mahoro Haruta is a manga artist whose first series became a huge bestseller. Her publisher expects her sophomore effort to be even better. There’s just one problem: Mahoro has no idea what to draw next, because she plagiarized the story that skyrocketed her to stardom from a high school classmate named Yukishima, who shared a few precious months with Mahoro in the school’s manga club before passing away and leaving her his notebook filled with all his story ideas. When, after a strange encounter, Mahoro wakes up ten years in the past—around the time of her first meeting with Yukishima—she realizes this could be her chance to redeem herself, erase her regrets, and maybe even save Yukishima’s life…

Drawing From Your Memory

Love at First Memory

By Narumi Hasegaki
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

An heiress battling amnesia must piece together which of her four suitors ultimately stole her heart in this upbeat, self-aware reverse harem romcom manga from the creator of Boss Bride Days!

Mia Takanashi, heiress to the famed Takanashi Group, has had the world at her feet since birth. With the future of the company to think about, deciding on a marriage partner early would have its advantages. However, just as Mia set her heart on one of several charming suitors, amnesia from a freak car accident sets her back to square one! Four wildly different boys appear before her, claiming to be her intended fiancé, but which one of them did Mia ultimately choose? She may just have to fall in love all over again to find out!

Love at First Memory

Kirio Fan Club

By Chikyu no Osakana Ponchan
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

What would you do if your crush had ear-splitting farts?

For Aimi and Nami, the answer is to cry tears of joy for being able to pinpoint at a distance the object of their affections, Kirio, from a single toot. These are the kinds of deep, philosophical questions the two friends/rivals in romance pose to each other to prove their love for this boy who hardly seems to know they exist. That won’t stop them from conducting nightly rituals to entice him into their dreams, though, or listing out what exactly they like about him, down to the very last organ. But when push comes to shove, will they choose their hilarious friendship over a shot at love?

Get ready for a rip-roaring romcom about the friendship behind what is fair in love and war! A must-read for fans of Nichijou and City!

Kirio Fan Club

Hitting Rewind With You

By Hanamaru Kira
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 13+

Two college students desperate to live out the high school glory days they never had fall for each other in this silly and sweet romcom manga! This fun and escapist (non-)age gap romance is brimming with youthful nostalgia and perfect for fans of My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv 999 and In the Clear Moonlit Dusk.

Wakaba Kayano is a 20-year-old college student who was too busy studying in high school to experience the quintessential personal milestones of her teenage years, like going on an afterschool date. In a moment of desperation, she goes out on Halloween in her old high school uniform in an effort to take back some of those heart-fluttering experiences she never had, and in doing encounters Fumito, a boy clad in the quintessential high school boy uniform. Whisked away on the date of her dreams, she panics when forced to reveal her true age–only to find out that Fumito is in college, too!

Hitting Rewind With You

Love Out on a Limb

By Yoko Nogiri
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

From the acclaimed shojo creator of Those Not-So-Sweet Boys, Love in Focus, and That Wolf-Boy Is Mine! comes a new high school manga filled with taboo thoughts and curiosities. This love triangle is not so simple!

After her divorced parents remarry, Yui returns to her hometown for the first time in eight years. She has not seen her older brother, Hayato, during that time, so she is amazed to see how popular and grown-up he has become. She also bumps into her childhood friend, Ritsu, who she remembers as a crybaby, and almost doesn’t recognize him. Now living with her brother again, she can’t help but notice her heart fluttering with each interaction. Does this mean she might like him?! Knowing how taboo these thoughts are, Ritsu suggests he and Yui date as a way to nip her feelings for Hayato in the bud. Yet this family tree may not actually be as simple as it seems…

Love Out on a Limb

Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiancé Can Twist in the Wind

By Jun Hareta, Original Story by Yahiro Arase
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

Who needs love? I’m perfectly fine on my own!

Noble young lady Nicole has had her heart broken more times than she can count. Her fiancé Keios is so devoted to Princess Caroline, his childhood friend and the unrivalled belle of their aristocratic academy, that he seems to forget Nicole even exists. But no longer. Tired of waiting around and conforming to Keios’ needs, Nicole makes a most liberating decision: I’ll give up on love and go it alone. Her arranged marriage may be unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy her own life, right? Emboldened and excited, Nicole begins to shine as she never had before—so brightly, in fact, that even the clueless Keios can’t help but notice…

Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiancé Can Twist in the Wind

Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money)

By Sometime Suoh
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

How far would you go to save your family? Clarice is of noble birth, but her father is choking on debts, and her sick sister needs treatment or she’ll die. There’s only one thing to do: marry the Dark Knight, a terrifying beast-like warrior who always appears in armor. But could it be that, underneath the Dark Knight’s armor, she (!!) is really something very different? Don’t miss this new enemies-to-lovers(?) dark fantasy rom-com yuri manga!

Clarice’s younger sister is her whole world. In a world of monsters, born into a noble family that’s gone broke, there’s nothing Clarice wouldn’t do for her. So when she gets sick, and there’s only one way to save her, Clarice doesn’t blink! She agrees to an arranged marriage with the Dark Knight, a ferocious warrior who goes everywhere in magical armor—even their wedding! Afterward, Clarice is ready to consummate the marriage and charm her new spouse into paying to save her sister’s life. There’s just one problem: The Dark Knight won’t let her into the bedroom! And Clarice finally finds out why…she’s secretly a woman! With female knights forbidden, the Knight seriously lacking in social graces, a household full of servants scared out of their wits, and monster fights breaking out constantly, Clarice realizes that this wedding of convenience is going to be more inconvenient than she bargained for!

Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money)

Voices in the Sea Foam

By Kotaro
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

Can true love break a curse crossing lifetimes?

For years, Aito thought he was just a normal kid—until the day he fell in love with a boy at school. Suddenly, a flood of memories come rushing back, reminding him of his first life as the tragic little mermaid who risked everything for her prince, only to fade away into foam. But memories aren’t all that Aito inherits, as a mysterious power wrenches away his ability to speak or stand before his crush without agonizing pain. Ever since, Aito has sworn off love in self-defense, but a fateful encounter with his charming college classmate Toru might just irrevocably shake up his world…

Voices in the Sea Foam

Blue Summer Haze

By Dondon
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

A baseball diamond, a love triangle, and two catchers with their eyes on the same pitcher bring the heat in this baseball BL perfect for fans of Nagisa Furuya and Ema Toyama!

Makoto’s favorite childhood memories are of playing baseball with his best friend and former teammate Shuusuke, the catcher of his baseball team. When Shuusuke suddenly moves away, Makoto is left devastated, but clings to the promise of the two of them someday reuniting at Koshien Stadium. Now in high school, Makoto is the star pitcher of his high school’s baseball team, and he and Hokuto, the team’s catcher, are an all-star duo. But one day, Shuusuke suddenly transfers to Makoto’s school, and now baseball isn’t the only thing on the boys’ minds under the scorching heat of the baseball diamond…

Blue Summer Haze

What If I Said, “I Love You”?

By Kumosoku
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

A friends to lovers, first love BL, perfect for fans of My Summer of You, My Ultramarine Sky, and Love on the Horizon!

Kazuho and Tokio have been best friends since elementary school. As the years went on, Kazuho realized his feelings for Tokio were more than just friends, and he began pulling away from Tokio, desperate to keep his feelings a secret. While once close enough to give each other piggyback rides, the two boys, now high school students, pass each other in the hallway as the distance grows between them. But when Kazuho can’t keep his feelings hidden from Tokio any longer, will the two friends only continue to drift apart, or will it be the start to them experiencing the feelings of first love together?

What If I Said, "I Love You"?

Smells Like Green Spirit

By Saburo Nagai
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

Peeking in Pandora’s box is not for the faint of heart.

Viciously bullied for being gay, junior high schooler Mishima struggles to belong in his hopelessly rural hometown. In fact, the only time he really feels alive is when he dolls himself up with a stolen tube of his single-mother’s lipstick. But that pocket of joy is forever changed when he loses the lipstick, only to find soccer team ace Kirino, one of Mishima’s worst tormenters, trying it on in secret on their school roof. So begins a bittersweet summer of searching for a place where the two can be their true selves, but Pandora’s box is not always so easily opened…

Smells Like Green Spirit

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm

By Jil Hashikura
Debut Date: Spring 2026
Rated: 16+

A former yakuza falls fast and hard for the delicate florist who sets him on the right path in this quirky and heartfelt BL manga!

Kaoru Mitsuya has all but given up on living a meaningful life. Ensnared at a young age by the temptations of organized crime, he has neither a penny to his name nor anything he holds truly dear. It is at this lowest point that he encounters Yuichiro Shirouzu—a delicately beautiful florist with a secret or two hidden beneath his kind demeanor. When Yuichiro offers Kaoru a job at his nighttime flower shop, it marks a turning point for Kaoru, both in how he lives his life, and whom he wishes to spend it with…

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm

KODANSHA and Concacaf Join Forces Bringing together Anime and Football

Blue Lock Concacaf

KODANSHA and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), have announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration featuring the critically acclaimed manga and anime series Blue Lock.

This marks Concacaf’s inaugural partnership with a Japanese Manga (Comic) and Anime (Animated Series), uniting two global passions through a shared spirit of competition, ambition, and teamwork. Through this distinct alliance, fans across the Americas will experience exclusive original content, limited-edition merchandise, and crossover activations that blend the intensity of international football with the storytelling power of Japanese animation. Blue Lock, based on the award-winning manga created by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura, follows the intense journey of Japan’s top strikers as they battle in a high-stakes training program to become the ultimate forward. With themes of ambition, competition, and teamwork, Blue Lock resonates deeply with global football culture, making it the perfect fit for this groundbreaking collaboration.

Launching in mid-2025 and running through 2026 leading up to the World Cup, the multi-phase collaboration will include:

  • Special events during key CONCACAF tournaments
  • Limited edition BLUE LOCK x CONCACAF merchandise
  • Cross-platform campaigns across anime, manga, and football fan communities

Artworks Entertainment, a key licensing and brand strategy partner, is overseeing implementation of the project across the Americas and other key markets.

ComiXology Vets launch Neon Ichiban, a New Digital Comics and Manga Platform featuring Marvel, DC, and more!

Neon Ichiban

ComiXology veterans and comic publisher DSTLRY founders David Steinberger and Chip Mosher have a new digital comics and manga venture, Neon Ichiban. Designed to transform how fans, creators, and publishers connect on a unified platform, Neon Ichiban sets a new standard for discovering, buying, reading, and collecting digital comics and manga. Neon Ichiban is a new online destination for global fans’ weekly comics fix, offering same day as print digital releases with an extensive backlist from all participating publishers.

The launch will include new weekly frontlist releases, iconic comics and manga runs from publishing giants including DC and Marvel Comics. Marvel Comics and DC will showcase extensive digital catalogs alongside additional launch publishers including Dark Horse Comics, DSTLRY, Kodansha, Oni Press, and Vault Comics, establishing Neon Ichiban as a one-stop-shop for global fans’ digital comics and manga needs. More participating publishers will be announced at a later date.

Digital comics fan have bemoaning the state of comiXology after its purchase by Amazon and have wanted competition, well here it is with major publishers at launch and more to come. Ichiban in Japanese translates to “number one,” “first,” or “best.” With that name, and their previous success, there’s a good chance this new platform easily reaches that position.

To celebrate the announcement, Neon Ichiban is offering fans who sign up for a pre-launch account here an exclusive, free digital collectible comic at launch.

WHAT MAKES NEON ICHIBAN DIFFERENT:

  • All-In-One Digital Platform: NEON ICHIBAN serves readers and collectors simultaneously, offering same-day-as-print comics, manga, collections, and graphic novels. Single issues come in always-available standard editions alongside limited-edition variants and sketch covers for collecting.
  • Customers in Control: NEON ICHIBAN gives you seamless digital control—read your comics online or offline, and download a local copy when publisher enabled. Purchases can also unlock exclusive on-and-offline perks.
  • Signed & Sketched Collectibles: With participating publishers, readers can turn their owned digital issues into one-of-a-kind collectibles with digital signatures and Remarques from top creators. These unique items can be treasured or resold with provenance intact.
  • Secondary Marketplace: Fans can buy and sell owned digital comics and collectibles from participating publishers, adding tangible value to digital purchases. Resales benefit publishers and creators.

For more information on Neon Ichiban and to keep up with the vast catalog of frontlist and backlist titles, with more content added weekly, sign up here.

Kodansha announces Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Deluxe Edition Announced for Fall 2025

Hot on the heels a new Gundam anime premiere, Kodansha has announced they will be publishing their best-selling Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin series—the stunning manga by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, adapting the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam anime story by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate—in a new, intricately designed, premium hardcover Deluxe edition arriving Fall 2025.

Highlighting the artistry of the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga, the Deluxe edition will feature a faux leather debossed cover with larger 7.5”x10” trim size, and quality printing of the interior color and black and white pages that fans have come to know and love from Kodansha’s Deluxe editions. The Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Deluxe Vol. 1 will be available later this year, will be distributed by Penguin Random House, and available where print manga is sold.

It is the year Universal Century 0079, in a space colony the Earth Federation is storing and testing a new piloted robot for use in the battle against the Principality of Zeon. The experimental RX-78 Gundam mobile suit is scheduled to be transported to Federation command in Jaburo, deep within the Brazilian jungles. Unfortunately, before the transporter would arrive, the Federation would come under attack from Zeon. With few resources available against the Zeon’s most mobile mechs, Federation forces strike back using their new weapon, the mobile suit Gundam.

Caught in the crossfire is a young teen named Amuro Ray. Not willing to see innocent people die like this, Amuro crawls into the cockpit of the closest machine around him. Whether it be a tank, jeep or jet, he was going to use it to help stop this slaughter. And what he happened to slide into was another Gundam. Having never operated a machine like this, what are the chances he can do anything to repel an experienced squad of mech-piloting invaders? 

Kodansha Announces Plans to Publish the Magnolia: FAIRY TAIL Complete Illustrations Hardcover Art Book

Kodansha has announced plans to publish an English edition of Magnolia: FAIRY TAIL Complete Illustrations—a large-format, hardcover, FAIRY TAIL art book capturing series artwork from its entire run as well as new illustrations by the prolific mangaka, Hiro Mashima.

The ultimate, full-color art book for fans of the best-selling fantasy epic, Magnolia: FAIRY TAIL Complete Illustrations includes a whopping 470 illustrations from throughout FAIRY TAIL’s 11-year, 63-volume run. All your favorite characters are here: Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Erza, Juvia, Happy, and dozens more! As the story continues in sequel series FAIRY TAIL: 100 Years Quest, with new anime and video games, the franchise has never been stronger, but, shockingly, this is the first FAIRY TAIL art book to get an English release. Get fired up and show your guild pride by adding Magnolia to your shelf—or pick up a copy for the Dragon Slayer in your life!

In the world of FAIRY TAIL: Cute girl wizard Lucy wants to join the FAIRY TAIL, a club for the most powerful wizards. But instead her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. Natsu’s not your typical hero—he gets motion sickness, eats like a pig, and his best friend is a talking cat. With friends like this, is Lucy better off with her enemies?

Magnolia: FAIRY TAIL Complete Illustrations
« Older Entries Recent Entries »