The Kodansha Countdown Giveaway Returns with Free Volume 1s all December

The Kodansha Countdown giveaway returns, offering 31 days of FREE digital manga, exclusively on kodansha.localhost/!

As we enter the final month of 2024, Kodansha wants to give manga fans a gift every day in December with the return of the Kodansha Countdown—a manga giveaway event where we offer a new, free volume 1 each day until December 31, 2024.

Just as before, this special giveaway will only be offered on kodansha.localhost/, and exclusively for Kodansha Readers. This offer begins Sunday, December 1 with a new free volume 1 available each day for 24 hrs.

Sign up for a free Kodansha Reader account today to make sure you get access to each new free volume 1 revealed every day in December!

You can also check our social media accounts on X, Facebook, and Instagram to see what the new, free manga of the day is during the month-long Kodansha Countdown Giveaway!

See below for instructions on how to claim your free Kodansha Countdown Giveaway digital manga:


How to Claim Your Free Digital Volume 1s in December

  1. Starting December 1, 2024, log into or sign up for a free Kodansha Reader account
  2. Visit the series page for the day’s free volume 1
  3. Hit the “Add to Library” button.
  4. Congratulations, you've claimed your free Kodansha Countdown manga! Go to the "Library" section from the top menu and access the volume from "Your Bookshelf" on kodansha.localhost/.
  5. Enjoy your manga!

Restrictions:
Each new free volume of manga will be available starting at 12:00 AM PST / 3:00AM EST exclusively on kodansha.localhost/. Each day’s free volume of manga will be available until 11:59 PM PST / 2:59 AM EST. Each free volume of manga will only be free to purchase on that day and will not be free any other day, so be sure to log in and add the free manga to your Library that same day.

If you encounter any issues claiming your Kodansha Countdown free manga, reach out to [email protected].


Free Kodansha Countdown digital manga of the day: 

  • Kodansha Countdown begins Sunday, Deceber 1, 2024

Find the Perfect Manga Present with Kodansha’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

Cut down your holiday gift list with tons of manga gift recommendations!

If you’ve started your holiday gift shopping and are still coming up empty with gifts ideas, why not give the gift of manga!

Whether you’re looking for that perfect story for fans of anime, wholesome tales, romantic stories, or even someone who’s never read a manga before, we’ve compiled a number of recommendations (along with chapter 1 previews) to get you started, and help you become this year’s best gift giver.

All the titles listed below are available at all major book retailers as well as digital retailers for select titles.


MANGA FOR ANIME FANS:

A Sign of Affection Omnibus
By suu Morishita

Yuki, who’s always been deaf, is used to communicating with sign language and her phone. But she’s not used to English, so when a tourist from overseas asks for directions, she nearly panics…until a handsome stranger steps in to help. His name is Itsuomi, and it turns out he’s a friend of a friend. A charismatic globetrotter, Itsuomi speaks three languages, but he’s never had a deaf friend. The two feel drawn to each other and plan a date on a romantic winter’s night…but Yuki’s friend is afraid that she might be setting herself up to get hurt. Could this be something real? Or will these feelings melt away with the snow?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of A Sign of Affection


Attack on Titan
By Hajime Isayama

A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors 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 Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Attack on Titan


Blue Lock
By Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura

After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Blue Lock


Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN
By Hajime Yatate, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Yoshiyuki Tomino

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.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN


MF Ghost
By Shuichi Shigeno

Second season of the MF Ghost anime currently streaming on Crunchyroll!

The author of Initial D has roared back onto the track with another hit! In a near future where cars have mostly switched over to sustainable power, combustion engine racing is a rarity. The MFG is the last major race for this dying breed, and half-Japanese Kanata Rivington has come back to try his luck. But that’s not all he’s come to Japan to do…he’s searching for his father, too. Can even the ambitious Kanata accomplish all he’s set out to do?

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of MF Ghost


MANGA FOR BOOKSHELF CURATORS:

Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set
By Katsuhiro Otomo

An all-new, complete 35th anniversary hardcover box set of one of the most acclaimed and influential comics of all time, with the original Japanese art and right-to-left reading format for the first time! The science-fiction epic that changed anime and manga forever is presented in six beautiful hardcover volumes, plus the hardcover Akira Club art book and an exclusive patch with the iconic pill design.

In 1982, Kodansha published the first chapter of Akira, a dystopian saga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city recovering from thermonuclear attack where the streets have been ceded to motorcycle gangs and the rich and powerful run dangerous experiments on destructive, supernatural powers that they cannot control. In 1988, the manga was adapted into what was at the time the most expensive animated film ever made, which brought Akira’s influence out of the manga world and onto the global stage. Today, it remains a touchstone for artists, writers, filmmakers, and fans, retaining all the brutal impact and narrative intensity it had when Otomo first unleashed it onto the world.

Rated: 18+

Learn more about the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set


Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
By Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba

Debuts: December 24, 2024

A massive cultural phenomenon, made even bigger by the hit anime based on it. To this day,“Ashita no Joe” remains one of the most important manga of all time, and now it will finally see the light of day in English for the first time!

A young drifter named Joe Yabuki wanders through the slums of Tokyo, but when the local ruffians try to give him a hard time he teaches them a rough lesson with his fists. The spectacle sparks a gleam in the eye of an old drunk who happens to be watching—Danpei Tange, a failed boxer and former coach who sees something special in the boy. He pleads with Joe to train with him off, but the cocky young fighter brushes him. Later, though, when Joe is arrested and put in a juvenile detention facility, he realizes that he’s going to need to hone his raw fighting skills if he wants to survive. Thus is born a partnership that might just take Joe all the way to the top…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow


Blue Lock: Episode Nagi 1 + Exclusive Q Posket Figure
By Kota Sannomiya, Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura

Score big with this bundle including volume 1 of the manga spinoff Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, plus an exclusive Q Posket figure of the reluctant prodigy Seishiro Nagi himself. The perfect gift for the Blue Lock fanatic in your life–especially if that’s yourself!

Second-year high school student Reo Mikage wants nothing more than to escape his illustrious family’s shadow by becoming a soccer star and winning the World Cup. The only thing that’s missing is a talented diamond in the rough who can help him achieve his dream. That’s when he sets his sights on Seishiro Nagi, a notorious slacker whose quick reflexes are the only hint of athletic ability. Can Reo find the switch to awaken the beast inside Nagi?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Blue Lock: Episode Nagi 


Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi Collection) Manga Box Set
By Naoko Takeuchi

The Sailor Guardians awaken in this box set of the everlasting masterpiece, featuring 6 volumes of manga, 16 art cards, and a premium holographic box!

Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she’s never gotten good grades, and, well, she’s a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon!

Rated: 13+

Learn more about the Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi Collection) Manga Box Set


Vinland Saga Deluxe
By Makoto Yukimura

The beloved action epic that inspired the hit anime returns, in premium collector’s hardcovers! Includes volumes 1-3 of the Japanese edition of Vinland Saga and new bonus content.

As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band’s leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery… the land Leif called Vinland.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Vinland Saga


MANGA FOR VALUE HUNTERS:

Ajin: Demi-Human Complete
By Gamon Sakurai

The breathless nightmare trip Ajin: Demi-Human, finally available in omnibus format. A thriller that just keeps on getting better and deeper.

For high schooler Kei—and for at least forty-six others—immortality comes as the nastiest surprise ever. Sadly for Kei, but refreshingly for the reader, such a feat doesn’t make him a superhero. In the eyes of both the general public and governments, he’s a rare specimen who needs to be hunted down and handed over to scientists to be experimented on for life—a demi-human who must die a thousand deaths for the benefit of humanity.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Ajin: Demi-Human


Attack on Titan Colossal Edition
By Hajime Isayama

This volume includes Vol. 1-5 of Attack on Titan in an extra-large 7×10.5-inch size, with 15 COLOR PAGES never published in any other book—not even in Japan!

A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors 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 Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Attack on Titan


Fire Force Omnibus
By Atsushi Ohkubo

Dive feet-first into the world of devil-fighting firefighters with this 3-in-1 omnibus edition of the hit manga from the creator of Soul Eater! Blaze past the anime, 600 large-sized pages at a time.

In the year 198 of the Solar Era, the city of Tokyo is plagued by a deadly phenomenon: spontaneous human combustion! The only ones who can stop it are the Fire Force, a team of specialized firefighters. Shinra, a young man blessed with the ability to ignite his feet and travel at the speed of a rocket, wants nothing more than to be a hero, and knows that this is the place for him! He joins the company at Special Fire Cathedral 8, a team tasked with discovering the source of this strange epidemic. But many obstacles stand in their way, and there are secrets haunting Shinra’s past…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Fire Force


Initial D Omnibus
By Shuichi Shigeno

Relive Takumi Fujiwara’s journey from tofu delivery boy to street-racing legend in an all-new, large-sized, 2-in-1 print edition of the series that made Japanese street racing into a worldwide phenomenon.

Takumi Fujiwara spends a lot of time behind the wheel. His tofu delivery job sends him racing down the treacherous roads of Mount Akina, and without even realizing it, Takumi has mastered racing techniques that take most drivers a lifetime to learn. Of course, none of his friends realize this. They’re all too busy watching the Akina Speed Stars, the local street racing team. When the legendary Red Suns show up to challenge the Speed Stars, the rival team obsesses over a phantom car, the Trueno Eight-Six, seen racing through the mountain roads. Who is the driver, and will they take on the dangerous challenge?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Initial D


The Fable Omnibus
By Katsuhisa Minami

Omnibus edition includes Vol. 1-2. Anime season 1 streaming on Crunchyroll!

One hitman is feared above all in Japan: the killing machine known as “The Fable.” But is he really a tough guy or more of a…weirdo? After a particularly lucrative spree necessitates a break from his life of crime, the Fable faces his hardest assignment ever: living as a normal guy, with a cover story, an apartment, and a pet parrot!

Rated: 18+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Fable


MANGA FOR BOOK READERS LOOKING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW:

Confession
By Kaiji Kawaguchi and Nobuyuki Fukumoto

Debuts: December 17, 2024

Stranded in a blizzard atop a treacherous ridge, badly injured, and quickly bleeding out, Ishikura knows he is about to die. But before he does, he decides to unburden his soul by telling his companion Asai a dark secret that has been weighing on him for years. No sooner do the words cross Ishikura’s lips, however, than Asai stumbles upon the shelter they’d been searching for—only to realize his friend’s confession has changed everything—and the brutal elements may no longer be the deadliest threat around.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Confession


Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu Collector’s Edition
By Junji Ito

Master of horror Junji Ito turns his twisted eye on his own life in this comedic graphic memoir about becoming a cat owner, now reissued in a deluxe hardcover featuring an exclusive interivew with Ito and a NEW cover illustration by the author that GLOWS IN THE DARK!

Reigning king of horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hissterical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know…his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow–Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purrsuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu


River’s Edge
By Kyoko Okazaki

From renowned author Kyoko Okazaki, the creator of Helter Skelter and Pink, comes a story of adolescence filled with friendship, drama, and the intertwined relationships of six high school friends. Cover designed by Eisner Award-winning artist Becky Cloonan!

At the edge of the city not far from the sea, a field of goldenrod sways in the breeze, its veil of amber flowers obscuring secrets underneath. Old bones and forgotten memories rest in silence, waiting for someone to dig them up. This is where the lives of six young men and women intertwine in ways both tragic and extraordinary. Decaying secrets are revealed as they forge friendships from pain, find betrayal in pleasure, and stare into the face of death itself—in a field of gold by a stagnant river, under the smoke-filled skies

Rated: 18+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of River’s Edge


The Drops of God
By Shu Okimoto and Tadashi Agi

Inspiration for the Emmy-nominated Apple+ live-action drama, Drops of God!

The award-winning comic about wine that has been a hit not just all over Asia but also in France! Learn about legendary bottles as well as affordable secrets while enjoying a page-turner that’s not about superheroes but people with jobs to keep. When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who in a snub went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines whose impressions the will describes in flowing terms…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Drops of God


The Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled
By Shirow Masamune

All of Shirow Masamune’s original The Ghost in the Shell manga in one massive hardcover make this the ultimate collector’s edition of the ultimate cyberpunk classic. Contains The Ghost in the Shell 1, 1.5, and 2 for over 800 pages of manga.

The award-winning comic about wine that has been a hit not just all over Asia but also in France! Learn about legendary bottles as well as affordable secrets while enjoying a page-turner that’s not about superheroes but people with jobs to keep. When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who in a snub went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines whose impressions the will describes in flowing terms…

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Ghost in the Shell


MANGA FOR COZY / WHOLESOME READERS:

Chi’s Sweet Home Box Set
By Konami Kanata

Chi’s Sweet Home, a multiple New York Times Best Seller, now bundled up in a purrfect box set which includes all 4 volumes of the series! And no Chi box set would be complete without sweet bonus items inside! Bring this cute set home today!

Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Separated from the warmth and protection of her mother, Chi feels distraught. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park meadow, when she is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada family apartment…where pets are strictly not permitted.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Chi’s Sweet Home


Medalist
By TSURUMAIKADA

Read five volumes of Medalist in print and 10 volumes available digitally. 

Inori is a little girl who dreams of becoming a figure skater. Yet, the obstacles to this dream feel insurmountable: Inori’s already “too old” (she’s 11); she’s always had trouble at school; and, worst of all, her older sister’s skating dreams ended in failure, so her mother is dead set against putting her other daughter through a similar experience. Still, the rink is the only place Inori can be herself, and she’s out on the ice when a fateful meeting takes place. Tsukasa, a frustrated coach on the edge of giving up competitive skating himself, will join Inori to form an unstoppable duo powered by hard work, transcendent joy, and an unshakeable belief that they can prove everyone wrong.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Medalist


Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
By Keigo Maki

Shikimori and Izumi are high school sweethearts. They hold hands walking home from school, they flirt in the halls, they tease each other. But Shikimori knows what she wants, and how to get it, and she can turn from cutie to cool in an instant.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie


That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside
By Hishiwo Miyazawa, Hishiwo Miyazawa and Kumagae

Sick of his job and the city, Yohei “Kuma” Sakuma has a grand plan—to start anew in the countryside and live off the land. Thing is, he hasn’t told his wife yet, nor does he know the first thing about growing rice. Between crooked houses, swarms of bugs, and grueling work under the sun, the city slicker Kuma and his wife Miyu get a crash course in country life. But at the end of the day, with beer in hand as they take in the sights, they begin to understand that country life can be real hard, but real good.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside


Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen
By Hiromi Sato, Kamome Shirahama and Kamome Shirahama

Includes a variety of real sweet and savory recipes with step-by-step instructions.

Witch Hat Atelier is back in this culinary spinoff that lets readers try their hand at recreating a variety of sumptuous recipes. This time, the magic is in the kitchen as Qifrey and the gang whip up everything from sizzling stews to crackling croquettes. Ideal for both existing fans of the main series and newcomers looking for an easily “disgestible” introduction to the world of Witch Hat.

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen


MANGA FOR READERS OF ALL AGES:

Cardcaptor Sakura Collector’s Edition
By CLAMP

Cardcaptor Sakura brought a generation of readers to manga, and now it’s back in a definitive collector’s edition!

Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the all-time classics of the magical-girl genre, and the Collector’s Edition will be the definitive version of the story, for both long-time fans and readers new to the story. The adventures of the plucky Sakura Kinomoto are as adorably thrilling as ever, as she tracks down the magical Clow Cards and plunges headlong into a world of sorcery beyond anything she could’ve imagined.

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Cardcaptor Sakura


Lovely Muco!
By Takayuki Mizushina

In the beautiful mountains of Akita stands GLASS STUDIO amato, run by Mr. Komatsu and the shiny-nosed dog who loves him—MUCO!!

Muco dreams of the day when Mr. Komatsu will become a dog, too, but in the meantime she spends her days chewing up towels, jumping in the pond, and inventing new games…all called “Komatsu”!

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Lovely Muco!


Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
By Koma Warita, Riku Tsuchida, Toei Animation, and ZAG

Return to Paris with Marinette and Adrian in the manga of the beloved animated series, now streaming on Netflix and Disney+!

Marinette is your typical high school student: cheery and a little clumsy. Not so typical? She can transform into a superhero! As the confident, masked Ladybug, Marinette guards the streets of the City of Lights alongside Cat Noir, another superhero who, unbeknownst to Marinette, is her classmate Adrian, and her crush! Adrian doesn’t know who Ladybug is, either, but he’s crushing on her, too. Supervillains, school, and criss-crossed crushes? As if being a teenager and a crime fighting superhero wasn’t enough!

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir


Penguin & House
By Akiho Ieda

Pen is a penguin. His favorite things are pancakes and fastidious household upkeep. Pen lives in the city with his friend Hayakawa, a human. They can’t communicate in words, so the only way for Pen to express his love is by doing laundry and getting good deals at the supermarket. This is a chronicle of their life together–let it snuggle on your shelf next to A Man and His Cat or Way of the Househusband!

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Penguin & House


Witch Hat Atelier
By Kamome Shirahama

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 to become a witch…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…

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier


MANGA FOR ROMANTICS:

A Condition Called Love
By Megumi Morino

Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first-year who has always been ambivalent about love, preferring instead to have a lively life with her family and friends. So when she sees her schoolmate, Hananoi-kun, sitting in the snow after a messy, public breakup, she thinks nothing of offering to share her umbrella. But when he asks her out in the middle of her classroom the next day, she can’t help but feel that her life is about to change in a big way…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier


Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You.
By Haruka Mitsui

Love in the time of COVID-19? This new series pits the the crushes, nostalgia, and friendship of shojo manga against a crushing pandemic. Can it be that a determined high school girl is more resilient than anyone expected? Guaranteed to delight fans of popular romance comics like Komi Can’t Communicate and Skip and Loafer.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You.


Love, That’s an Understatement
By Fujimomo

Spare eraser? Check. Extra folding umbrella? Check. First aid kit? Check. Cool and collected high school student Risa Amakawa has something in her heavy bag for every situation, and the last thing she needs—or knows how to ask for—is anyone’s help. When she saves a beat-up delinquent in the park one rainy evening, she refuses any sort of repayment. But it turns out that saving the notorious Zen Ohira buys her the attention of some unsavory characters. As Zen keeps swooping in to help her out of one pickle after another, her feelings about relying on anyone but herself—and her feelings toward Zen—slowly begin to change… A new romcom from the author of Lovesick Ellie!

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Love, That’s an Understatement


Sweat and Soap
By Kintetsu Yamada

Asako’s living her dream, working at the toiletry maker Liliadrop. Little do her coworkers know, the reason she loves the company so much is that she’s ashamed of her body odor, and their soap is the only thing that does the trick. So when the company’s lead product developer, a perfuming genius, approaches her in the lobby and wonders what “that smell” is, she’s terrified… but could it be… that he likes it? And, even more surprising to Asako… does she like him?

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Sweat and Soap


The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
By Saka Mikami

Two rival schools stand next door to each other: one for elite ladies, one for good-for-nothing boys. But one of those boys might just be a naturally chivalrous diamond in the rough, and one of those girls might be a little more open-minded than is proper…

This cute and twisty manga spin on Romeo and Juliet is the latest hit in Japan, coming to print from a successful digital-first release!

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Sweat and Soap


MANGA FOR FANTASY EXPLORERS:

Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For!
By Mokuba Matsu, Pukyunosuke, and Shikiso Utsuzawa

Ever since she was a child, Eliane has been the saint and protector of the Kingdom of Belkheim, warding off monsters and ensuring bountiful harvests with her prayers. But when a pretender saint beguiles the foolish prince—to whom she is engaged—into believing she is nothing but a fraud, he calls off the marriage and banishes her from the kingdom. Homeless and penniless but free to chart her own course for the first time in her life, Eliane decides to make for the neighboring kingdom, where she hopes to blend in as a commoner and lead a quiet life…but a chance encounter on the road will totally upend her modest plans.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For!


Nina the Starry Bride
By RIKACHI

Nina had a rough start to life, orphaned and stealing to survive, only to be abducted for her unusual lapis lazuli eyes. But to her surprise, her captor, Prince Azure, ordained that she would live the life of a princess…specifically, that of the recently deceased princess-priestess, Alisha, who had her same eyes. Despite her changing fortune, Nina won’t give up her old life without a fight. Azure might just be the one to finally match her wits, but how much can she trust him? And can she stop the feelings budding in her heart, knowing she must eventually marry another…?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Nina the Starry Bride


That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Box Set
By Fuse, Mitz Vah and Taiki Kawakami

Can a single slime build the ideal society? Find the answer in this deluxe set of the hit isekai adventure manga, containing Vol. 1-6 in a premium box, plus an exclusive set of puffy stickers!

Mikami’s middle age hasn’t gone as he planned: He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job, and he was abruptly stabbed to death in the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new world straight out of a fantasy RPG, he’s disappointed but not exactly surprised to find that he’s facing down a dragon, not as a knight or a wizard but as a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero, and maybe even build a country where the rejects and outcasts can find a place to belong…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime


The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor
By Bekio, Ii Oshikawa and Mitsuya Fuji

As a young boy, Prince Alexei was rescued from certain death by a strange woman with the appearance of a monster. The two of them spent blissful years in the forest, but tragedy struck after his former life caught up with him. Now a young man, Alexei has taken the throne, becoming a cold-hearted emperor intent with no interest in finding love.
Little does he know, the person who saved him has been reborn as the daughter of a duke—a taciturn young lady named Eleonora. Soon enough, fate throws them together at the imperial court, but can Alexei overcome his jaded past to see what is right in front of him?

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor


To Your Eternity
By Yoshitoki Oima

A new manga from the creator of the acclaimed A Silent Voice, featuring intimate, emotional drama and an epic story spanning time and space, To Your Eternity is a totally unique and moving manga about death, life, reincarnation, and the nature of love.

A lonely boy wandering the Arctic regions of North America meets a wolf, and the two become fast friends, depending on each other to survive the harsh environment. But the boy has a history, and the wolf is more than meets the eye as well…

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of To Your Eternity


MANGA FOR LGBTQ+ FOLKS:

Boys Run the Riot
By Keito Gaku

High schooler Ryo knows he’s transgender, but he doesn’t have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can’t tell his best friend, who he’s secretly got a crush on, and he can’t tell his mom, who’s constantly asking why Ryo “dresses like a boy.” He certainly can’t tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully… The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he’s wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees someone he didn’t expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At last, Ryo has someone he can open up to—and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Boys Run the Riot


I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup
By Kurano

“Cocoa” has made three best friends in her monthly meetup group, where girls get together every month to quell their sweet tooths by meeting up at the cutest and trendiest new dessert cafes. Cocoa is in it for the sweets—really!—but she’s also harboring a few secrets: Not only does Cocoa have a crush on another one of the girls in the group, Opera, but she’s actually a guy named Satoshi who’s been cross-dressing in order to attend the all-girl group! During one meetup, things come to a head when Opera discovers that Cocoa is cross-dressing—and to Cocoa’s surprise, Opera confesses that he is too! But Cocoa realizes that his attraction to Opera is more than clothing-deep, and as the two grow closer, they’ll learn more about each other—and their own selves—than they could have ever imagined.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup


Is Love the Answer
By Uta Isaki

A poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman coming into her own as she discovers her identity as aromantic asexual. A complete story in a single volume, from the creator of Mine-kun is Asexual.

When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just “hasn’t met the one yet,” but Chika has doubts…It’s only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside—asexual—and she’s not the only one. After years of wondering if love was the answer, Chika realizes that the answer she long sought may not exist at all—and that that’s perfectly normal.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Is Love the Answer


The Moon on a Rainy Night
By Kuzushiro

One rainy night, Saki is rushing to a piano lesson when she crashes into a beautiful, long-haired girl, dropping her sheet music in the process. Saki stutters an apology, but the girl simply hands back her sheet music and leaves without a word. Saki begins her first day of high school the following morning, only to find the stranger from the night before sitting at the desk next to hers. She learns that the girl’s name is Kanon and that she is not quite completely deaf, but very hard of hearing. Though Kanon needs to be close to people to read their lips, she tends to push people away with her icy demeanor. Through one kind gesture, Saki slowly begins breaking down the walls around Kanon, even as she feels something new blossoming within her.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Moon on a Rainy Night


Twilight Out of Focus
By jyanome

Film enthusiast Mao Tsuchiya and his lone wolf roommate Hisashi Otomo make three promises:

  1. That Mao will never tell anyone that Hisashi is gay and has a boyfriend,
  2. That Hisashi will never approach Mao “in that way,” and
  3. That they’ll respect each other’s “private time.”

The second-years’ ground rules should ensure a peaceful life together in their dorm, but reality is never as simple as it seems in the movies, and some things are not so easily promised…

Rated: 18+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Twilight Out of Focus


Find the Perfect Manga with Kodansha’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

Cut down your holiday gift list with tons of manga gift recommendations!

If you’ve started your holiday gift shopping and are still coming up empty with gifts ideas, why not give the gift of manga!

Whether you’re looking for that perfect story for fans of anime, wholesome tales, romantic stories, or even someone who’s never read a manga before, we’ve compiled a number of recommendations (along with chapter 1 previews) to get you started, and help you become this year’s best gift giver.

All the titles listed below are available at all major book retailers as well as digital retailers for select titles.


MANGA FOR ANIME FANS:

A Sign of Affection Omnibus
By suu Morishita

Yuki, who’s always been deaf, is used to communicating with sign language and her phone. But she’s not used to English, so when a tourist from overseas asks for directions, she nearly panics…until a handsome stranger steps in to help. His name is Itsuomi, and it turns out he’s a friend of a friend. A charismatic globetrotter, Itsuomi speaks three languages, but he’s never had a deaf friend. The two feel drawn to each other and plan a date on a romantic winter’s night…but Yuki’s friend is afraid that she might be setting herself up to get hurt. Could this be something real? Or will these feelings melt away with the snow?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of A Sign of Affection


Attack on Titan
By Hajime Isayama

A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors 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 Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Attack on Titan


Blue Lock
By Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura

After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Blue Lock


Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN
By Hajime Yatate, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Yoshiyuki Tomino

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.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN


MF Ghost
By Shuichi Shigeno

Second season of the MF Ghost anime currently streaming on Crunchyroll!

The author of Initial D has roared back onto the track with another hit! In a near future where cars have mostly switched over to sustainable power, combustion engine racing is a rarity. The MFG is the last major race for this dying breed, and half-Japanese Kanata Rivington has come back to try his luck. But that’s not all he’s come to Japan to do…he’s searching for his father, too. Can even the ambitious Kanata accomplish all he’s set out to do?

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of MF Ghost


MANGA FOR BOOKSHELF CURATORS:

Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set
By Katsuhiro Otomo

An all-new, complete 35th anniversary hardcover box set of one of the most acclaimed and influential comics of all time, with the original Japanese art and right-to-left reading format for the first time! The science-fiction epic that changed anime and manga forever is presented in six beautiful hardcover volumes, plus the hardcover Akira Club art book and an exclusive patch with the iconic pill design.

In 1982, Kodansha published the first chapter of Akira, a dystopian saga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city recovering from thermonuclear attack where the streets have been ceded to motorcycle gangs and the rich and powerful run dangerous experiments on destructive, supernatural powers that they cannot control. In 1988, the manga was adapted into what was at the time the most expensive animated film ever made, which brought Akira’s influence out of the manga world and onto the global stage. Today, it remains a touchstone for artists, writers, filmmakers, and fans, retaining all the brutal impact and narrative intensity it had when Otomo first unleashed it onto the world.

Rated: 18+

Learn more about the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set


Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
By Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba

Debuts: December 24, 2024

A massive cultural phenomenon, made even bigger by the hit anime based on it. To this day,“Ashita no Joe” remains one of the most important manga of all time, and now it will finally see the light of day in English for the first time!

A young drifter named Joe Yabuki wanders through the slums of Tokyo, but when the local ruffians try to give him a hard time he teaches them a rough lesson with his fists. The spectacle sparks a gleam in the eye of an old drunk who happens to be watching—Danpei Tange, a failed boxer and former coach who sees something special in the boy. He pleads with Joe to train with him off, but the cocky young fighter brushes him. Later, though, when Joe is arrested and put in a juvenile detention facility, he realizes that he’s going to need to hone his raw fighting skills if he wants to survive. Thus is born a partnership that might just take Joe all the way to the top…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow


Blue Lock: Episode Nagi 1 + Exclusive Q Posket Figure
By Kota Sannomiya, Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura

Score big with this bundle including volume 1 of the manga spinoff Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, plus an exclusive Q Posket figure of the reluctant prodigy Seishiro Nagi himself. The perfect gift for the Blue Lock fanatic in your life–especially if that’s yourself!

Second-year high school student Reo Mikage wants nothing more than to escape his illustrious family’s shadow by becoming a soccer star and winning the World Cup. The only thing that’s missing is a talented diamond in the rough who can help him achieve his dream. That’s when he sets his sights on Seishiro Nagi, a notorious slacker whose quick reflexes are the only hint of athletic ability. Can Reo find the switch to awaken the beast inside Nagi?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Blue Lock: Episode Nagi 


Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi Collection) Manga Box Set
By Naoko Takeuchi

The Sailor Guardians awaken in this box set of the everlasting masterpiece, featuring 6 volumes of manga, 16 art cards, and a premium holographic box!

Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she’s never gotten good grades, and, well, she’s a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon!

Rated: 13+

Learn more about the Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi Collection) Manga Box Set


Vinland Saga Deluxe
By Makoto Yukimura

The beloved action epic that inspired the hit anime returns, in premium collector’s hardcovers! Includes volumes 1-3 of the Japanese edition of Vinland Saga and new bonus content.

As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band’s leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery… the land Leif called Vinland.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Vinland Saga


MANGA FOR VALUE HUNTERS:

Ajin: Demi-Human Complete
By Gamon Sakurai

The breathless nightmare trip Ajin: Demi-Human, finally available in omnibus format. A thriller that just keeps on getting better and deeper.

For high schooler Kei—and for at least forty-six others—immortality comes as the nastiest surprise ever. Sadly for Kei, but refreshingly for the reader, such a feat doesn’t make him a superhero. In the eyes of both the general public and governments, he’s a rare specimen who needs to be hunted down and handed over to scientists to be experimented on for life—a demi-human who must die a thousand deaths for the benefit of humanity.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Ajin: Demi-Human


Attack on Titan Colossal Edition
By Hajime Isayama

This volume includes Vol. 1-5 of Attack on Titan in an extra-large 7×10.5-inch size, with 15 COLOR PAGES never published in any other book—not even in Japan!

A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors 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 Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Attack on Titan


Fire Force Omnibus
By Atsushi Ohkubo

Dive feet-first into the world of devil-fighting firefighters with this 3-in-1 omnibus edition of the hit manga from the creator of Soul Eater! Blaze past the anime, 600 large-sized pages at a time.

In the year 198 of the Solar Era, the city of Tokyo is plagued by a deadly phenomenon: spontaneous human combustion! The only ones who can stop it are the Fire Force, a team of specialized firefighters. Shinra, a young man blessed with the ability to ignite his feet and travel at the speed of a rocket, wants nothing more than to be a hero, and knows that this is the place for him! He joins the company at Special Fire Cathedral 8, a team tasked with discovering the source of this strange epidemic. But many obstacles stand in their way, and there are secrets haunting Shinra’s past…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Fire Force


Initial D Omnibus
By Shuichi Shigeno

Relive Takumi Fujiwara’s journey from tofu delivery boy to street-racing legend in an all-new, large-sized, 2-in-1 print edition of the series that made Japanese street racing into a worldwide phenomenon.

Takumi Fujiwara spends a lot of time behind the wheel. His tofu delivery job sends him racing down the treacherous roads of Mount Akina, and without even realizing it, Takumi has mastered racing techniques that take most drivers a lifetime to learn. Of course, none of his friends realize this. They’re all too busy watching the Akina Speed Stars, the local street racing team. When the legendary Red Suns show up to challenge the Speed Stars, the rival team obsesses over a phantom car, the Trueno Eight-Six, seen racing through the mountain roads. Who is the driver, and will they take on the dangerous challenge?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Initial D


The Fable Omnibus
By Katsuhisa Minami

Omnibus edition includes Vol. 1-2. Anime season 1 streaming on Crunchyroll!

One hitman is feared above all in Japan: the killing machine known as “The Fable.” But is he really a tough guy or more of a…weirdo? After a particularly lucrative spree necessitates a break from his life of crime, the Fable faces his hardest assignment ever: living as a normal guy, with a cover story, an apartment, and a pet parrot!

Rated: 18+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Fable


MANGA FOR BOOK READERS LOOKING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW:

Confession
By Kaiji Kawaguchi and Nobuyuki Fukumoto

Debuts: December 17, 2024

Stranded in a blizzard atop a treacherous ridge, badly injured, and quickly bleeding out, Ishikura knows he is about to die. But before he does, he decides to unburden his soul by telling his companion Asai a dark secret that has been weighing on him for years. No sooner do the words cross Ishikura’s lips, however, than Asai stumbles upon the shelter they’d been searching for—only to realize his friend’s confession has changed everything—and the brutal elements may no longer be the deadliest threat around.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Confession


Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu Collector’s Edition
By Junji Ito

Master of horror Junji Ito turns his twisted eye on his own life in this comedic graphic memoir about becoming a cat owner, now reissued in a deluxe hardcover featuring an exclusive interivew with Ito and a NEW cover illustration by the author that GLOWS IN THE DARK!

Reigning king of horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hissterical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know…his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow–Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purrsuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu


River’s Edge
By Kyoko Okazaki

From renowned author Kyoko Okazaki, the creator of Helter Skelter and Pink, comes a story of adolescence filled with friendship, drama, and the intertwined relationships of six high school friends. Cover designed by Eisner Award-winning artist Becky Cloonan!

At the edge of the city not far from the sea, a field of goldenrod sways in the breeze, its veil of amber flowers obscuring secrets underneath. Old bones and forgotten memories rest in silence, waiting for someone to dig them up. This is where the lives of six young men and women intertwine in ways both tragic and extraordinary. Decaying secrets are revealed as they forge friendships from pain, find betrayal in pleasure, and stare into the face of death itself—in a field of gold by a stagnant river, under the smoke-filled skies

Rated: 18+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of River’s Edge


The Drops of God
By Shu Okimoto and Tadashi Agi

Inspiration for the Emmy-nominated Apple+ live-action drama, Drops of God!

The award-winning comic about wine that has been a hit not just all over Asia but also in France! Learn about legendary bottles as well as affordable secrets while enjoying a page-turner that’s not about superheroes but people with jobs to keep. When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who in a snub went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines whose impressions the will describes in flowing terms…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Drops of God


The Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled
By Shirow Masamune

All of Shirow Masamune’s original The Ghost in the Shell manga in one massive hardcover make this the ultimate collector’s edition of the ultimate cyberpunk classic. Contains The Ghost in the Shell 1, 1.5, and 2 for over 800 pages of manga.

The award-winning comic about wine that has been a hit not just all over Asia but also in France! Learn about legendary bottles as well as affordable secrets while enjoying a page-turner that’s not about superheroes but people with jobs to keep. When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who in a snub went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines whose impressions the will describes in flowing terms…

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Ghost in the Shell


MANGA FOR COZY / WHOLESOME READERS:

Chi’s Sweet Home Box Set
By Konami Kanata

Chi’s Sweet Home, a multiple New York Times Best Seller, now bundled up in a purrfect box set which includes all 4 volumes of the series! And no Chi box set would be complete without sweet bonus items inside! Bring this cute set home today!

Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Separated from the warmth and protection of her mother, Chi feels distraught. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park meadow, when she is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada family apartment…where pets are strictly not permitted.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Chi’s Sweet Home


Medalist
By TSURUMAIKADA

Read five volumes of Medalist in print and 10 volumes available digitally. 

Inori is a little girl who dreams of becoming a figure skater. Yet, the obstacles to this dream feel insurmountable: Inori’s already “too old” (she’s 11); she’s always had trouble at school; and, worst of all, her older sister’s skating dreams ended in failure, so her mother is dead set against putting her other daughter through a similar experience. Still, the rink is the only place Inori can be herself, and she’s out on the ice when a fateful meeting takes place. Tsukasa, a frustrated coach on the edge of giving up competitive skating himself, will join Inori to form an unstoppable duo powered by hard work, transcendent joy, and an unshakeable belief that they can prove everyone wrong.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Medalist


Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
By Keigo Maki

Shikimori and Izumi are high school sweethearts. They hold hands walking home from school, they flirt in the halls, they tease each other. But Shikimori knows what she wants, and how to get it, and she can turn from cutie to cool in an instant.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie


That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside
By Hishiwo Miyazawa, Hishiwo Miyazawa and Kumagae

Sick of his job and the city, Yohei “Kuma” Sakuma has a grand plan—to start anew in the countryside and live off the land. Thing is, he hasn’t told his wife yet, nor does he know the first thing about growing rice. Between crooked houses, swarms of bugs, and grueling work under the sun, the city slicker Kuma and his wife Miyu get a crash course in country life. But at the end of the day, with beer in hand as they take in the sights, they begin to understand that country life can be real hard, but real good.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside


Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen
By Hiromi Sato, Kamome Shirahama and Kamome Shirahama

Includes a variety of real sweet and savory recipes with step-by-step instructions.

Witch Hat Atelier is back in this culinary spinoff that lets readers try their hand at recreating a variety of sumptuous recipes. This time, the magic is in the kitchen as Qifrey and the gang whip up everything from sizzling stews to crackling croquettes. Ideal for both existing fans of the main series and newcomers looking for an easily “disgestible” introduction to the world of Witch Hat.

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen


MANGA FOR READERS OF ALL AGES:

Cardcaptor Sakura Collector’s Edition
By CLAMP

Cardcaptor Sakura brought a generation of readers to manga, and now it’s back in a definitive collector’s edition!

Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the all-time classics of the magical-girl genre, and the Collector’s Edition will be the definitive version of the story, for both long-time fans and readers new to the story. The adventures of the plucky Sakura Kinomoto are as adorably thrilling as ever, as she tracks down the magical Clow Cards and plunges headlong into a world of sorcery beyond anything she could’ve imagined.

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Cardcaptor Sakura


Lovely Muco!
By Takayuki Mizushina

In the beautiful mountains of Akita stands GLASS STUDIO amato, run by Mr. Komatsu and the shiny-nosed dog who loves him—MUCO!!

Muco dreams of the day when Mr. Komatsu will become a dog, too, but in the meantime she spends her days chewing up towels, jumping in the pond, and inventing new games…all called “Komatsu”!

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Lovely Muco!


Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
By Koma Warita, Riku Tsuchida, Toei Animation, and ZAG

Return to Paris with Marinette and Adrian in the manga of the beloved animated series, now streaming on Netflix and Disney+!

Marinette is your typical high school student: cheery and a little clumsy. Not so typical? She can transform into a superhero! As the confident, masked Ladybug, Marinette guards the streets of the City of Lights alongside Cat Noir, another superhero who, unbeknownst to Marinette, is her classmate Adrian, and her crush! Adrian doesn’t know who Ladybug is, either, but he’s crushing on her, too. Supervillains, school, and criss-crossed crushes? As if being a teenager and a crime fighting superhero wasn’t enough!

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir


Penguin & House
By Akiho Ieda

Pen is a penguin. His favorite things are pancakes and fastidious household upkeep. Pen lives in the city with his friend Hayakawa, a human. They can’t communicate in words, so the only way for Pen to express his love is by doing laundry and getting good deals at the supermarket. This is a chronicle of their life together–let it snuggle on your shelf next to A Man and His Cat or Way of the Househusband!

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Penguin & House


Witch Hat Atelier
By Kamome Shirahama

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 to become a witch…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…

Rated: 10+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier


MANGA FOR ROMANTICS:

A Condition Called Love
By Megumi Morino

Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first-year who has always been ambivalent about love, preferring instead to have a lively life with her family and friends. So when she sees her schoolmate, Hananoi-kun, sitting in the snow after a messy, public breakup, she thinks nothing of offering to share her umbrella. But when he asks her out in the middle of her classroom the next day, she can’t help but feel that her life is about to change in a big way…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier


Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You.
By Haruka Mitsui

Love in the time of COVID-19? This new series pits the the crushes, nostalgia, and friendship of shojo manga against a crushing pandemic. Can it be that a determined high school girl is more resilient than anyone expected? Guaranteed to delight fans of popular romance comics like Komi Can’t Communicate and Skip and Loafer.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You.


Love, That’s an Understatement
By Fujimomo

Spare eraser? Check. Extra folding umbrella? Check. First aid kit? Check. Cool and collected high school student Risa Amakawa has something in her heavy bag for every situation, and the last thing she needs—or knows how to ask for—is anyone’s help. When she saves a beat-up delinquent in the park one rainy evening, she refuses any sort of repayment. But it turns out that saving the notorious Zen Ohira buys her the attention of some unsavory characters. As Zen keeps swooping in to help her out of one pickle after another, her feelings about relying on anyone but herself—and her feelings toward Zen—slowly begin to change… A new romcom from the author of Lovesick Ellie!

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Love, That’s an Understatement


Sweat and Soap
By Kintetsu Yamada

Asako’s living her dream, working at the toiletry maker Liliadrop. Little do her coworkers know, the reason she loves the company so much is that she’s ashamed of her body odor, and their soap is the only thing that does the trick. So when the company’s lead product developer, a perfuming genius, approaches her in the lobby and wonders what “that smell” is, she’s terrified… but could it be… that he likes it? And, even more surprising to Asako… does she like him?

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Sweat and Soap


The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
By Saka Mikami

Two rival schools stand next door to each other: one for elite ladies, one for good-for-nothing boys. But one of those boys might just be a naturally chivalrous diamond in the rough, and one of those girls might be a little more open-minded than is proper…

This cute and twisty manga spin on Romeo and Juliet is the latest hit in Japan, coming to print from a successful digital-first release!

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Sweat and Soap


MANGA FOR FANTASY EXPLORERS:

Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For!
By Mokuba Matsu, Pukyunosuke, and Shikiso Utsuzawa

Ever since she was a child, Eliane has been the saint and protector of the Kingdom of Belkheim, warding off monsters and ensuring bountiful harvests with her prayers. But when a pretender saint beguiles the foolish prince—to whom she is engaged—into believing she is nothing but a fraud, he calls off the marriage and banishes her from the kingdom. Homeless and penniless but free to chart her own course for the first time in her life, Eliane decides to make for the neighboring kingdom, where she hopes to blend in as a commoner and lead a quiet life…but a chance encounter on the road will totally upend her modest plans.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For!


Nina the Starry Bride
By RIKACHI

Nina had a rough start to life, orphaned and stealing to survive, only to be abducted for her unusual lapis lazuli eyes. But to her surprise, her captor, Prince Azure, ordained that she would live the life of a princess…specifically, that of the recently deceased princess-priestess, Alisha, who had her same eyes. Despite her changing fortune, Nina won’t give up her old life without a fight. Azure might just be the one to finally match her wits, but how much can she trust him? And can she stop the feelings budding in her heart, knowing she must eventually marry another…?

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Nina the Starry Bride


That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Box Set
By Fuse, Mitz Vah and Taiki Kawakami

Can a single slime build the ideal society? Find the answer in this deluxe set of the hit isekai adventure manga, containing Vol. 1-6 in a premium box, plus an exclusive set of puffy stickers!

Mikami’s middle age hasn’t gone as he planned: He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job, and he was abruptly stabbed to death in the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new world straight out of a fantasy RPG, he’s disappointed but not exactly surprised to find that he’s facing down a dragon, not as a knight or a wizard but as a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero, and maybe even build a country where the rejects and outcasts can find a place to belong…

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime


The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor
By Bekio, Ii Oshikawa and Mitsuya Fuji

As a young boy, Prince Alexei was rescued from certain death by a strange woman with the appearance of a monster. The two of them spent blissful years in the forest, but tragedy struck after his former life caught up with him. Now a young man, Alexei has taken the throne, becoming a cold-hearted emperor intent with no interest in finding love.
Little does he know, the person who saved him has been reborn as the daughter of a duke—a taciturn young lady named Eleonora. Soon enough, fate throws them together at the imperial court, but can Alexei overcome his jaded past to see what is right in front of him?

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor


To Your Eternity
By Yoshitoki Oima

A new manga from the creator of the acclaimed A Silent Voice, featuring intimate, emotional drama and an epic story spanning time and space, To Your Eternity is a totally unique and moving manga about death, life, reincarnation, and the nature of love.

A lonely boy wandering the Arctic regions of North America meets a wolf, and the two become fast friends, depending on each other to survive the harsh environment. But the boy has a history, and the wolf is more than meets the eye as well…

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of To Your Eternity


MANGA FOR LGBTQ+ FOLKS:

Boys Run the Riot
By Keito Gaku

High schooler Ryo knows he’s transgender, but he doesn’t have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can’t tell his best friend, who he’s secretly got a crush on, and he can’t tell his mom, who’s constantly asking why Ryo “dresses like a boy.” He certainly can’t tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully… The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he’s wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees someone he didn’t expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At last, Ryo has someone he can open up to—and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world.

Rated: 13+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Boys Run the Riot


I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup
By Kurano

“Cocoa” has made three best friends in her monthly meetup group, where girls get together every month to quell their sweet tooths by meeting up at the cutest and trendiest new dessert cafes. Cocoa is in it for the sweets—really!—but she’s also harboring a few secrets: Not only does Cocoa have a crush on another one of the girls in the group, Opera, but she’s actually a guy named Satoshi who’s been cross-dressing in order to attend the all-girl group! During one meetup, things come to a head when Opera discovers that Cocoa is cross-dressing—and to Cocoa’s surprise, Opera confesses that he is too! But Cocoa realizes that his attraction to Opera is more than clothing-deep, and as the two grow closer, they’ll learn more about each other—and their own selves—than they could have ever imagined.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup


Is Love the Answer
By Uta Isaki

A poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman coming into her own as she discovers her identity as aromantic asexual. A complete story in a single volume, from the creator of Mine-kun is Asexual.

When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just “hasn’t met the one yet,” but Chika has doubts…It’s only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside—asexual—and she’s not the only one. After years of wondering if love was the answer, Chika realizes that the answer she long sought may not exist at all—and that that’s perfectly normal.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Is Love the Answer


The Moon on a Rainy Night
By Kuzushiro

One rainy night, Saki is rushing to a piano lesson when she crashes into a beautiful, long-haired girl, dropping her sheet music in the process. Saki stutters an apology, but the girl simply hands back her sheet music and leaves without a word. Saki begins her first day of high school the following morning, only to find the stranger from the night before sitting at the desk next to hers. She learns that the girl’s name is Kanon and that she is not quite completely deaf, but very hard of hearing. Though Kanon needs to be close to people to read their lips, she tends to push people away with her icy demeanor. Through one kind gesture, Saki slowly begins breaking down the walls around Kanon, even as she feels something new blossoming within her.

Rated: 16+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Moon on a Rainy Night


Twilight Out of Focus
By jyanome

Film enthusiast Mao Tsuchiya and his lone wolf roommate Hisashi Otomo make three promises:

  1. That Mao will never tell anyone that Hisashi is gay and has a boyfriend,
  2. That Hisashi will never approach Mao “in that way,” and
  3. That they’ll respect each other’s “private time.”

The second-years’ ground rules should ensure a peaceful life together in their dorm, but reality is never as simple as it seems in the movies, and some things are not so easily promised…

Rated: 18+

Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Twilight Out of Focus


Get FREE Volume 1s during the Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sale

FREE Volume 1s & Up to 50% off additional on select fan-favorite series!

We’re giving fans the an amazing opportunity to start some of Kodansha’s most popular, classic and fan-favorite series at an amazing discount during our, Black Friday / Cyber Monday digital manga sale!

From action-packed adventures across fantasy and sci-fi settings to esoteric and musical odysseys, manga fans can take advantage of volume 1s starting at $.99 and up to 50% off additional volume to keep binge reading at an affordable price. Save on series like:

Attack on Titan, The award-winning and New York Times-bestselling series chronicling humanity’s stand against canabalistic titans in this dark fantasy epic.

Battle Angel Alita, Kishiro’s post-apocalyptic science fiction story about an amnesiac cyborg named Alita.

Beck, Harold Sakuishi’s wildly addictive indie rock ’n’ roll epic that redefined music in manga for a generation.

Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima’s fantastical series following the rowdy wizards of the Fairy Tail guild as they take on epic quests, face powerful foes, and forge unbreakable bonds of friendship. 

And more!

Sale Ends Monday, December 2nd, 2024! 

Take advantage of these tantalizing discounts by purchasing on kodansha.localhost/ or by visiting any of our participating digital manga vendors: 

Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble Nook
Bookwalker
Google Play
Apple Books
Kobo
MyAnimeList
Mangamo
and more! 

Curious to learn more about what’s on sale during the Black Friday / Cyber Monday digital manga sale? Take a look below for details on all the discounted series part of this sale!


Attack on Titan
By Hajime Isayama

In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what’s left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything. Winner of the 2011 Kodansha Manga Award (Shonen) and nominated for the prestigious Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize for 2012.

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of Attack on Titan


Battle Angel Alita
By Yukito Kishiro

In a dump in the lawless settlement of Scrapyard, far beneath the mysterious space city of Zalem, disgraced cyber-doctor Daisuke Ido makes a strange find: the detached head of a cyborg woman who has lost all her memories. He names her Alita and equips her with a powerful new body, the Berserker. While Alita remembers no details of her former life, a moment of desperation reawakens in her nerves the legendary school of martial arts known as Panzer Kunst. In a place where there is no justice but what people make for themselves, Alita decides to become a hunter-killer, tracking down and taking out those who prey on the weak. But can she hold onto her humanity as she begins to revel in her own bloodlust?

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of Battle Angel Alita


BECK
By Harold Sakuishi

Fourteen-year-old Yukio Tanaka is one heck of a boring guy. He has no hobbies, a 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 highly addictive manga series that spawned the hit anime is back at last!

Rated: 16+ 

Read a FREE preview of BECK


Chihayafuru
By Yuki Suetsugu

Chihaya is a girl in the sixth grade, still not old enough to even know the meaning of the word zeal. But one day, she meets Arata, a transfer student from rural Fukui prefecture. Though docile and quiet, he has an unexpected skill: his ability to play competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game. Chihaya is struck by his obsession with the game, along with his ability to pick out the right card and swipe it away before any of his opponents. However, Arata is transfixed by her as well, all because of her unbelievable natural talent for the game. Don’t miss the first volume in this story of adolescent lives and emotions playing out in the most dramatic of ways.

Rated: 13+

Read a FREE preview of Chihayafuru


FAIRY TAIL
By Hiro Mashima

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?

Rated: 13+

Read a FREE preview of FAIRY TAIL


Mushishi
By Yuki Urushibara

Some live in the deep darkness behind your eyelids. Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. They are known as mushicreatures that came into being shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze. They still exist parallel to our own lives and can only be seen by a select few. As a mushishi, Ginko is one of the few who are aware of their existense, and this young man with a sardonic smile roams from place to place with the knowledge and skill to aid those unwittingly affected by mushi.

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of Mushishi


See below for the full list of Black Friday / Cyber Monday series on sale now until

Medalist, Volume 1 Misprint Exchange Program

Hello to all Kodansha manga readers and fans of the figure-skating manga, Medalist by TSURUMAIKADA.

In late October 2024, it was brought to our attention that Medalist, Volume 1 contained a printing error that affected the first print run. If you have an affected copy, Kodansha USA wants to replace your copy with a corrected version, free of charge.

How to know if your Medalist, volume 1 copy is affected: 

Medalist, Volume 1 (LINK): 

First, look to see if your version of Medalist, Volume 1 contains the “1st Printing” colophon page, as seen below. The colophon page will be the very last page of the book before the back cover:

Medalist, Volume 1, 1st printing colophon

Next, go to chapter 2, page 114-115. The photo below captures the printing error as seen in the affected books:

Page 115 on the left is the printing error

The page on the left has been printed out of order and should actually be part of the page 48-49 spread. If you compare the photo above to the digital edition of Medalist, Volume 1 below, you can see the difference:

Page 48-49 spread from Medalist, Volume 1 Digital Edition

Once you’ve confirmed that you have an affected print edition of Medalist, Volume 1, please follow the steps below to request your replacement book: 

How to get a replacement copy of Medalist, volume 1: 

  1. Visit and complete the Medalist, Volume 1 Replacement Request Form. This includes filling out all necessary information—including your email, name, address, and phone number. You will also need to take a photo of the colophon page for your affected book and submit it as part of this form. 
  2. Once submitted, a Kodansha customer service representative will reach out to you to confirm your submission, then a new corrected book will be shipped soon after.
  3. Please wait 1-2 weeks for this updated version of Medalist, Volume 1 to arrive.

If you have any additional questions about Medalist, Volume 1, you can reach out to us through the Kodansha Support Center

We appreciate your understanding as we work to fix this error and thank you for your continued support of Kodansha manga. 

 

Gather Your Party & Get 50% off Select Series During the Dungeon Diving Digital Sale!

Save up to 50% off fantasy & sci-fi action / adventure series like The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Basilisk, EDENS ZERO & more!

Team up with friends, dawn on your best equipment, and plunge into epic tales of daring quests with the Dungeon Diving digital manga sale!

From monster battles in dungeon depths, to hidden treasures in the stars, and epic parties forming to take on the world, manga fans can save up to 50% off exciting series like:

The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon, a hilarious mix of action and comedy about a demon with humble aspirations who claims he’s just average—but his hidden powers say otherwise.

Pumpkin Scissors, a military action manga set in a war-torn world, following the courageous members of the Imperial Army’s Section III—nicknamed “Pumpkin Scissors”

The Heroic Legend of Arslan, A historical fantasy with political intrigue in a richly woven tale of heroism and destiny from Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist!

EDENS ZERO, is a space-fantasy adventure following the vast cosmos adventures, facing space pirates, and powerful enemies, and uncovering epic secrets on their quest to find the legendary

APOSIMZ, a science-fiction epic from acclaimed mangaka Tsutomu Nihei, the creator and artist behind BLAME! and Knights of Sidonia

Sale Ends Monday, November 25th, 2024! 

Take advantage of these tantalizing discounts by purchasing on kodansha.localhost/ or by visiting any of our participating digital manga vendors: 

Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble Nook
Bookwalker
Google Play
Apple Books
Kobo
MyAnimeList
Mangamo
and more! 

Curious to learn more about what’s on sale during the Dungeon Diving digital manga sale? Take a look below for details on five recommended series!


The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon!
By Konekoneko, Shiroichi Amaui, and Tamagonokimia

Now that he has reached 20 years of age, self-proclaimed mediocre demon Chrono Alkon is eager to begin his mandatory year of schooling in the Demon King’s castle. It’s his dream to spend the year having fun and making friends, but when he gets a shocking result in his class designation test, that dream is put in jeopardy. To make things even more difficult, Chrono is from a small remote village and has little sense of what is considered “normal” at school. As the resident country bumpkin, he finds himself facing maddening misunderstandings and unexpected adventures. Will this “mediocre” demon ever have the peaceful school life he’s always wanted, or will he be derailed by the demons who understand him better than he understands himself?

Rated: 13+

Read a FREE preview of The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon!


Basilisk
By Futaro Yamada

The Iga clan and the Kouga clan have been sworn enemies for more than four hundred years. Only the Hanzo Hattori truce has kept the two families from all-out war. Now, under the order of Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, the truce has finally been dissolved. Ten ninja from each clan must fight to the death in order to determine who will be the next Tokugawa Shogun. The surviving clan will rule for the next thousand years. But not all the clan members are in agreement. Oboro of the Iga clan and Gennosuke of the Kouga clan have fallen deeply in love. Now these star-crossed lovers have been pitted against each other. Can their romance conquer a centuries-old rivalry? Or is their love destined to end in death?

Rated: 18+

Read a FREE preview of Basilisk


The Heroic Legend of Arslan
By Hiromu Arakawa and Yoshiki Tanaka

Historical fantasy from Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist!
In the prosperous kingdom of Pars lies the Royal Capital of Ecbatana, a city of splendor and wonder, ruled by the undefeated and fearsome King Andragoras. Arslan is the young and curious prince of Pars who, despite his best efforts, doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be a proper king like his father. At the age of 14, Arslan goes to his first battle and loses everything as the blood-soaked mist of war gives way to scorching flames, bringing him to face the demise of his once glorious kingdom. However, it is Arslan’s destiny to be a ruler, and despite the trials that face him, he must now embark on a journey to reclaim his fallen kingdom.

Rated: 13+ 

Read a FREE preview of The Heroic Legend of Arslan


EDENS ZERO
By Hiro Mashima

At Granbell Kingdom, an abandoned amusement park, Shiki has lived his entire life among machines. But one day, Rebecca and her cat companion Happy appear at the park’s front gates. Little do these newcomers know that this is the first human contact Granbell has had in a hundred years! As Shiki stumbles his way into making new friends, his former neighbors stir at an opportunity for a robo-rebellion…And when his old homeland becomes too dangerous, Shiki must join Rebecca and Happy on their spaceship and escape into the boundless cosmos.

Rated: 13+

Read a FREE preview of EDENS ZERO


APOSIMZ
By Tsutomu Nihei

This story takes place on the frigid, massive artificial planet known as Aposimz. Eo, Biko and Etherow, residents of the White Diamond Beam, are in the middle of combat training when suddenly a girl appears, Rebedoan Empire soldiers in hot pursuit. The girl asks for their help in keeping safe a “code” and seven mysterious “bullets.” This chance encounter marks a major shift in the fate of the entire planet…

Rated: 13+

Read a FREE preview of APOSIMZ


See below for the full list of Dungeon Diving series on sale now until 11/25/24:

Anime Announcement: The Moon on a Rainy Night

The Moon on a Rainy Night anime announced. And to be streamed worldwide.

The Moon on a Rainy Night © Kuzushiro/Kodansha Ltd.

The manga The Moon on a Rainy Night by Kuzushiro, which has five volumes out in English from Kodansha USA, will be adapted into an anime series and streamed in various countries worldwide!

The sixth volume in English will be released on December 17, 2024.

Also revealed for the first time ever is Japanese logo for The Moon in a Rainy Night anime as seen in the headline image of this post.

Read a free chapter preview here: The Moon on a Rainy Night

About The Moon on a Rainy Night:
One rainy night, Saki is rushing to a piano lesson when she crashes into a beautiful, long-haired girl, dropping her sheet music in the process. Saki stutters an apology, but the girl simply hands back her sheet music and leaves without a word. Saki begins her first day of high school the following morning, only to find the stranger from the night before sitting at the desk next to hers. She learns that the girl’s name is Kanon and that she is not quite completely deaf, but very hard of hearing. Though Kanon needs to be close to people to read their lips, she tends to push people away with her icy demeanor. Through one kind gesture, Saki slowly begins breaking down the walls around Kanon, even as she feels something new blossoming within her.

 

 

Celebrate Unlikely Love with 99¢ digital volume 1s

Get $.99 volume 1s & up to 50% off additional volumes of series like Love After World Domination, That Wolf Boy is Mine & more!

From opposites-attract pairs to love blooming in the most unusual places, dive into manga stories where the love finds its way against all odds, during the Unlikely Love digital manga sale

Get started on heartwarming tales of love overcoming obstacles with volume 1s starting at $.99 for series like:

Love After World Domination, the secret romance between Fudo, a hero leader, and Desumi, a villainess, as they hilariously balance their epic battles with their forbidden love.

How to Treat a Lady Knight Right, a delightful romance about a fierce lady knight who meets her match in a kindhearted, determined adventurer.

A Kiss With a Cat, a magical romance where a high school girl, finds herself falling for a mysterious boy—only to discover he transforms into a cat with every kiss.

Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In, a raunchy coming-of-age romcom manga with a bizarre, blabbermouth twist!

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches a supernatural rom-com where a delinquent discovers a body-swapping kiss unlocks a mystery of seven witches with unique powers at his school & more!

Looking for more unexpected romances? Take up to 50% off additional digital volumes and keep saving on more series like, Beauty and the Beast of Paradise LostThis Vampire Won’t Give Up!Nighttime for Just Us Two & more!

Sale Ends Monday, November 18th, 2024! 

Take advantage of these scary good series on sale by purchasing on kodansha.localhost/ or by visiting any of our participating digital manga vendors: 

Bookwalker
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
Google Play
Apple Books
Kobo
MyAnimeList
Mangamo
and more! 

Curious about what’s available during the Unlikely Love digital manga sale? Take a look below for details on five recommended series!


 

Love After World Domination
By Hiroshi Noda and Takahiro Wakamatsu

There are two sides to every coin…light vs. dark, good vs. evil, love vs. hate. Sometimes the line between the two grows thin…and it’s so, so easy to cross. So it’s no surprise that Fudo Aikawa, A.K.A. Red Gelato of the Gelato Five and hero to all people, just may have happened to fall for the villainess and member of the shadow organization Gekko, Desumi Magahara! But when opposites like these attract, there’s more than a few obstacles to their love…! What’s a pair like this to do?

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of Love After World Domination


Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
By Miki Yoshikawa

Class troublemaker Ryu Yamada is already having a bad day when he stumbles down a staircase along with star student Urara Shiraishi. When he wakes up, he realizes they have switched bodies-and that Ryu has the power to trade places with anyone just by kissing them! After figuring out the workings behind this new and amazing ability, Ryu and Urara take full advantage of the situation to improve their lives. But with such an oddly amazing power, just how long will Ryu and Urara be able to keep their secret under wraps?

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches


How to Treat a Lady Knight Right
By Kengo Matsumoto

Leo Cornelia has dedicated her entire life to the battlefield. There is no demon she can’t slay, no challenge she can’t handle—at least, not until that confounding halfwit mage Foolie Dent confesses his love to her. Nothing feels farther from her than long-discarded notions of femininity and romance, but this annoying but dependable new friend might just be the key to opening the heart she closed long ago.

Rated: 16+ 

Read a FREE preview of How to Treat a Lady Knight Right


Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In
By Yu Yoshidamaru

Ogami-san has been keeping a dirty little secret from her peers at school: Puberty has emptied her mind of everything but perverted fantasies! For the sake of leading an ordinary school life, she pulls out all the stops to keep her mental wild side under wraps. But when she literally reaches a hand out to Yaginuma-kun, a cute but mysterious boy in her class, her innermost thoughts just come spilling out! All she wants is to get to know him (and his body) better, but she can’t do that without the risk of exposing her true self. What’s a girl to do?!

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In


A Kiss with a Cat
By Miko Senri

Erina loves cats more than anything, even though she looks like the haughty-princess type who could have any guy she wants. But even with his cat-like name, she can’t stand her aloof classmate, Nekoyama-kun. But when she rescues a hurt kitty in her yard and gives it a perfect, snuggly kiss…she suddenly finds a very human Nekoyama-kun in her room? What gives?!

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of A Kiss with a Cat


See below for the full list of Unlikely Love series on sale now until 11/18/24:

Cozy up with some Animal Friends manga now up to 50% off

Enjoy 50% off manga featuring furry, feathery, and finned friends!

Whether you love tales of loyal pets, wild creatures, or magical animal friends, there’s a Kodansha manga here to warm your heart during the Animal Friends digital manga sale! 

For a limited time manga fans can save up to 50% off animal adventures like Crocodile Baron, a story of a refined, suit-wearing crocodile with a passion for gourmet food and adventure; The Darwin Incident, the award-winning thriller about a teen human-chimpanzee hybrid caught in the middle of an eco-terror war, Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu, a hilarious yet eerie autobiographical manga about horror master Junji Ito adjusting to life with cats; Chi’s Sweet Home, the adorable manga about a curious kitten named Chi who finds a new family, and more!

Sale Ends Monday, November 11th, 2024! 

Take advantage of these tantalizing discounts by purchasing on kodansha.localhost/ or by visiting any of our participating digital manga vendors: 

Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble Nook
Bookwalker
Google Play
Apple Books
Kobo
MyAnimeList
Mangamo
and more! 

Curious to learn more about what’s on sale during the Animal Friends digital manga sale? Take a look below for details on five recommended series!


Crocodile Baron
By Takuya Okada

Whether you love animals, love to eat out, love nobility or love the book One Stormy Night, your cravings will certainly be satisfied. The gourmet manga that you thought didn’t exist and actually didn’t, has now been created! With delightfully drawn talking-animal characters, Crocodile Baron demonstrates the absolute importance of good taste and that sometimes it takes an animal to show us how to be truly civilized!

Rated: 13+

Read a FREE preview of Crocodile Baron


Chi’s Sweet Home
By Konami Kanata

Chi is a michievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Seperated from the warmth and protection of her mother, feels distraught. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park meadow., when she is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada family apartment…where pets are strictly not permitted.

Rated: 10+

Read a FREE preview of Chi’s Sweet Home


Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu
By Junji Ito

Master of Japanese horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hissterical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his fiancée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know…his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow—Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purrsuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends.

Rated: 13+ 

Read a FREE preview of Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu


My Master Has No Tail
By TNSK

Mameda is a tanuki who was born in the wrong era – all she wants is to trick humans, but that age of tanuki shenanigans is over. But one woman, a rakugo master named Bunko, shows Mameda it’s still possible to cast magic on humans…only with words, not illusions. Mameda is determined to become Bunko’s apprentice, but can she convince the stoic master to take her on…?

Rated: 13+

Read a FREE preview of My Master Has No Tail


The Darwin Incident
By Shun Umezawa

The Animal Liberation Alliance, an eco-terrorist organization, rescues a pregnant chimpanzee from an animal testing lab—only for it to give birth to a half-human, half-chimpanzee “humanzee” named Charlie! Fifteen years later, Charlie’s human foster parents are finally ready to send him to a normal high school, where he makes his first friend: a human girl named Lucy. In the meantime, however, the ALA’s stance has become ever more extreme, and now they’re here to drag Charlie into their terrorist plot…

Rated: 16+

Read a FREE preview of The Darwin Incident


See below for the full list of Animal Friends series on sale now until 11/11/24:

Interview: Thunder 3 Editor Dan Joseph Takes Us Through the Breach of this Multiverse Saga

Find out about the multiverse-jumping action adventure, Thunder 3, directly from Kodansha USA’s English-edition editor, Dan Joseph!

If you’re in the mood for an exciting action / adventure, with stunning art that pushes the boundries of the manga medium, look no futher than the sci-fi epic, Thunder 3 by Yuki Ikeda!

To celebrate the series debut in print and digital on November 5, 2024, we sat down with the English-edition Editor, Dan Joseph to ask about this universe jumping epic and unveil some secrets about this story and how the debut volume came to life. 

Read below for our no-spoiler, inside look at Thunder 3!


Ivan: Hi! My name is Ivan Salazar, the senior marketing director at Kodansha USA. And I’m here with the Thunder 3 Editor, Dan Joseph.

Dan: Hi, I’m Dan Joseph. I’m a Senior Editor here at Kodansha USA. 

Ivan: So, Dan, could you tell us briefly about your position as a Senior Editor and your history with Manga?

Dan: My position involves editing Japanese translations of manga into English. For every book that comes across my desk, I do a side-by-side. I check every panel and just make sure that we’re putting out absolutely the best English-language content we can. And I’ve been doing that for coming up on about five years now, I think. And I got into manga in the 80s when there wasn’t very much available in English. So, a lot of the stuff was coming out through, for instance, First Comics was releasing Lone Wolf and Cub in square-bound, individual issues, and Epic started doing AKIRA in the full-color edition. That was my introduction to it. Only the classics. There wasn’t enough of a market to kind of branch out from there. And since then, as the market has expanded, my taste and palate have expanded as well, while also engaging with it on a totally different level.

Ivan: One of the newest titles you’re editing is Thunder 3 by Yuki Ikeda. Could you give us the elevator pitch for it?

Dan: Three ordinary middle school boys from a crudely drawn manga world find themselves transported to a photo-realistic world, which is under attack by alien forces. And the laws of physics are different there, so they discover that they have the superpowers required to help that world defend itself.

Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.
Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.

Ivan: So, when Thunder 3 first came to Kodansha USA for localization, were you excited to edit the series?

Dan: I was! I’m a lifelong science fiction fan—that’s a big part of my reading and just my life in general. So, getting a book like this, with such a unique sci-fi premise was really exciting for me. It’s obvious at a glance that the contrast in art styles is such a huge part of what makes this book special. And it’s doing something that sci-fi can’t do in any other medium. You couldn’t do this on the prose page, so it’s really exploiting the unique properties of the comics medium to do this really cool sci-fi premise. It made me feel excited the same way seeing Who Framed Roger Rabbit did when it first came out—that the medium is being used in sort of a new way.

And it’s just a great sci-fi piece on top of that. Both on the realistic side—the mechs and stuff look fantastic—and both art styles are great. They work well together, and it’s just a really cool concept, so I was excited right off the bat.

Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.
Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.

Ivan: And I know you mentioned that Thunder 3 is definitely a big sci-fi story—in terms of the fact that it jumps to a different universe and also uses different art styles to indicate that. Do you think that this is a story that can appeal to more than sci-fi fans?

Dan: Absolutely. These kids are very normal middle school kids. So they don’t get chocolate on Valentine’s Day. The protagonist is annoyed by his little sister—who actually also gets transported to the other world, which is why they go after her, so she’s having her own adventure. So, I think it’s got elements of a lot of different kinds of stories including shonen, seinen action, and this big sci-fi thing happening in the background. So, it’s got a little bit of something for everyone, I think.

Ivan: So, because these kids really are just jumping universes, especially in a visually obvious way, how is Thunder 3 similar to other multiverse stories or even isekai stories?

Dan: It’s just these two worlds, so far, so more Stargate than Everything Everywhere All at Once, or Time Bandits—just to date myself a little bit. But the contrast—stemming from the art style and also from what’s happening in these two worlds—is so stark that you really, immediately, get that feeling of different worlds. And the art does such a good job of setting the two universes apart, even though the same people live in them, the same places exist in them. It still feels like two different universes, which I think is a really interesting way to do it.

I mentioned Stargate, where aliens come from another planet or plane of existence. In a lot of those stories, the threat is external, but in Thunder 3, they go to their own world, albeit somewhat different, and there’s this external threat that they have to deal with. So, I think the story does ground it in our reality in a nice way while still having that sort of multiversal feel.

Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.
Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.

Ivan: So Dan, whlie you were editing Thunder 3—and without spoiling anything—was there anything that really surprised you about this story?

Dan: If you look at the cover, it has this very sort of Saturday morning cartoon action vibe, which it’s doing intentionally. It’s kind of a send-up of that, which I think works really well. But I was surprised by how much heart the story has. It gets deep into some of the more difficult, emotional ramifications of this alien invasion. In volume two, there’s a sort of bottle episode, that’s actually really intense and moving. And then it spreads out from there. There’s a cute sidekick, there’s serious action with sci-fi superpowers, and cool tech. And it keeps throwing new elements into the story. So it’s much more than just,”kids go through portal to another universe.” I think Thunder 3 will keep surprising us, all of us.

Ivan: Even in the first chapter we are introduced to a lot of interesting story elements: From seeing the aliens we counter, in the new dimension, to “hearing” some of the alien language—presented in a kind “alien text” fashion that we can still read— to the way the art changes styles really highlighting where the kids come from versus where the world that they inhabit when they jump dimensions. As the manga editor, was it challenging to play with all these different elements and still give the best representation of this manga in English versus the original Japanese version of Thunder 3?

Dan: Yeah, there were a lot of interesting challenges with this from a production and translation standpoint. You mentioned the alien speech. The way it was done in the Japanese was that it was rendered, essentially illegibly, with the Japanese translation underneath it. So what we ended up doing was scrubbing out the Japanese from pages, and instead of replacing that with English, we found a new alien font, that’s just this side of legible and gives it that kind of distance from our everyday reality. But you can also just read the dialogue in the dialogue box. We spent a long time searching for exactly the right font for that. And I like to think we found it. 

There’s not a ton of dialogue in this book. There’s a lot of action which means a lot of sound effects, a lot of big two-page spreads. So there’s a lot of work for the letterer to make sure that the sound effects look good, that they fit correctly in the panels and mirror the feel of the original Japanese version. And for the content of the sound effect itself, I actually went back and forth a lot with the wonderful translator, Cat Anderson, about what is the sound of an alien spacecraft hovering over Tokyo. What’s the sound of a superpowered middle schooler jumping two miles into the air? So, we actually collaborated a lot on that, which doesn’t always happen. So, that was a challenging but really nice part of working on this book.

Ivan: So, are there any other thoughts you have on Thunder 3 that you’d like to impart to the fans?

Dan: I think this book is just a really fun read for anyone. It’s relatively breezy, but there’s plenty there for even the most seasoned sci-fi veterans. Anyone can pick this up and enjoy the story. And I think there’s someone for everyone to project themselves onto and go on this adventure. I hope that people will see what a sort of unique and fun book this is and take this journey through the multiverse with all of us.

Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.
Thunder 3 © Yuki Ikeda/Kodansha Ltd.

Curious for more information about Thunder 3? check out the series info and free chapter 1 preview below:

Thunder 3
By Yuki Ikeda

Debut Date: November 5, 2024

Three ordinary schoolboys come into possession of a DVD that supposedly opens a gateway to a parallel universe, but when their backs are turned Pyontaro’s little sister Futaba passes through and gets kidnapped by the aliens that have overrun that version of Earth! Discovering that their cartoonish bodies make them supermen in the hyper-realistic parallel universe, the boys set out to rescue Futaba.

Rated: 13+

Preview the FREE first chapter of Thunder 3