Kodansha ends it’s devilishly good month of haunting manga spotlights with the mysteries and thrillers that keep us awake at night piecing together the clues of conspiracy, intrigue and murder. Piece together the clues and get to the bottom of the Haunting Manga: Mysteries & Thrillers sale with select digital manga up to 50% off!
Find some spooky good savings and take up to 50% off digital manga featuring brain-teasing enigmas during the Haunting Manga: Mysteries & Thrillers digital sale! To see all the discounted series being offered right now, visit one of our participating digital vendors: Bookwalker, Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, izneo, MyAnimeList and more!
Sale Ends Monday, October 31th!
Curious about this sale but don’t know where to start? Try the FREE 1st chapter of the featured monster-in-disguise romance manga, PTSD Radio!
Still looking to browse more manga at a discount? See below for the full list of scary series on sale during the Haunting Manga: Mysteries & Thrillers digital sale!
HAJIME ISAYAMA, CREATOR OF GLOBAL POP CULTURE PHENOMENON, ATTACK ON TITAN MAKES FIRST U.S. APPEARANCE AT ANIME NYC JAPANESE POP CULTURE FESTIVAL
Isayama’s “Attack On Titan” Comic Has Sold Over 100 Million Copies In Print Worldwide
Javits Center (655 W. 34th Street at 11th Avenue)
Anime NYC Powered By Crunchyroll and Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC today announced Japanese manga creator mega star Hajime Isayama will meet fans and media for the first time in North America this November at the upcoming Anime NYC festival. Isayama’s Attack on Titan is one of the most popular manga series of all time and has created a $500 million media empire spanning manga, anime, live-action movies, stage plays, video games, and merchandise.
Running November 18-20, 2022 in New York’s Javits Center (655 W. 34th Street at 11th Avenue), Anime NYC brings over 50, 000 passionate fans together with leading creators and companies from the heart of the Japanese entertainment world. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, in addition to Isayama, Anime NYC will play host to Japanese guests of honor including Shuko Murase (Director, Gundam Hathaway), Setsuo Ito (Voice Actor, Mob Psycho 100), and Yoko Shimomura (Composer, FINAL FANTASY XV). Beyond Kodansha, major Japanese entertainment companies including Aniplex, Bandai, Crunchyroll, GKIDS, HIDIVE, VIZ Media, and Yen Press will showcase what’s currently hot from Japan to dedicated fans at the fete.
The 36-year-old Hajime Isayama launched his Attack on Titan in 2009, and it concluded after 34 volumes in 2021. A dark and gripping tale of humanity in a war with grotesque giants known as Titans, Attack on Titan has been praised by fans and critics alike for its combination of intense action and horror together with political intrigue and intricate world-building. The New York Times best-selling saga has sold over 100 million copies in print, and the series has won numerous awards across Japan and the US including the Kodansha Manga Award, Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, and Harvey Award. The anime based on this smash manga success will continue its final season in 2023.
“This is it—Hajime Isayama in his first U.S. appearance, and it’s going to be at Anime NYC,” said Alvin Lu, President & CEO of Kodansha USA Publishing. “After more than ten years of publishing Attack on Titan, we are very, very excited to help host Isayama-sensei and to see him meet the fans that have loved and supported this amazing pop-culture phenomenon throughout the years. This will be an Anime NYC to remember.”
“Attack on Titan changed the world,” said Anime NYC Event Director Peter Tatara. “It told a startling story unlike anything else in Japanese or American entertainment and led to a new generation falling in love with Japanese comics and dedicating their hearts to Isayama’s incredible characters. We’re now absolutely honored to play host to Hajime Isayama and give his American fans their very first opportunity to meet the legendary creator.”
Hajime Isayama will conduct a rare signing for fans on Friday, November 18 at Anime NYC, and he will then appear on Anime NYC’s Main Stage on Saturday, November 19 for a talk about his masterpiece. Details on tickets for his signing and Main Stage session will be announced in early November. He will also be available for limited media interviews.
Kodansha will host a booth all three days of Anime NYC featuring a special Attack on Titan activation. Find them at Anime NYC at booth #1530.
Limited badges for Anime NYC are available at animenyc.com. To learn the latest about Hajime Isayama and upcoming Anime NYC guests, follow the event on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
About Hajime Isayama Born in Oita, Japan in 1986, Hajime Isayama’s debut work, orz, received the 81st Weekly Shonen Magazine Rookie Award in 2008, and debuted at Magazine Special. He started serializing Attack on Titan in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. A global sensation, Attack on Titan received the 35th Kodansha Manga Award.
About Attack on Titan 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. Attack on Titan is the award-winning and New York Times-bestselling series that is the manga hit of the decade! Spawning the monster hit Anime television series of the same name, Attack on Titan has become a pop culture sensation. For more, visit kodansha.localhost/series/attack-on-titan/.
About Anime NYC Powered By Crunchyroll Anime NYC powered by Crunchyroll is New York City’s anime convention! A showcase of the best of Japanese pop culture in the biggest city in America, Anime NYC brings anime fans and publishers together for three days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan. The next event takes place November 18-20, 2022 in New York’s Javits Center, and we invite you to join over 50, 000 fans for a celebration of Japanese animation, manga, cosplay, fashion, food, games, toys, and more in the heart of NYC! For more, visit animenyc.com.
We’re starting the countdown to the end of the Halloween season but until then we’ll continue our scary manga celebration with this week’s spotlight on Haunting Manga: Supernatural Sagas!
Right now manga fans looking for tales of the extraordinary can take up to 50% off such spectacular series as the featured supernatural mystery / thriller, In/Spectre (anime streaming on Crunchyroll); the fan-favorite fighting spirits battle manga, Shaman King (anime streaming on Netflix); the tense disaster / survivor series, Dragon Head; and even the manga adaptation of the critically acclaimed anime film, Weathering With You.
Find some spooky good savings on digital manga featuring deadly dalliances during the Haunting Manga: Supernatural Sagas digital sale! To see all the discounts being offered right now, visit one of our participating digital vendors: Bookwalker, Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, izneo, MyAnimeList and more!
Sale Ends Monday, October 24th!
Still looking to browse more manga at a discount? See below for the full list of scary series on sale during the Haunting Manga: Supernatural Sagas digital sale!
Celebrating Hit Manga Turned Anime with the Manga Animated Sale!
We’re kicking off a brand new series of digital sales celebrating fan-favorite manga that’s made the jump to anime with the Manga Animated digital sale spotlight! And we could think of no better series to start with than the heart-pounding, last-man-standing soccer saga, BLUE LOCK by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura. Get a jump on this series and read beyond the anime with vol. 1 only 99¢and additional volumes up to 50% off! But hurry the buzzer will be up on this sale before you know it!
Sale Ends Thursday, October 20
Learn about BLUE LOCK: 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?
It’s easier than ever to start the fan-favorite “game of death” sports manga BLUE LOCK during the Manga Animated digital sale just visit one of our participating digital vendors to get your discount:
Kodansha continues its month-long Halloween celebration with romance stories to DIE for during the Haunting Manga: Deadly Romance sale discounting select series full dangerous affairs and chilling love stories up to 50% off all digital volumes!
Right now save on series like Kaori Yuki’s dark reimagining of the classic beauty-meets-beast saga, Beauty and the Best of Paradise Lost; Shuzo Oshimi’s twisted psychological thriller romance, Flowers of Evil; the deadly virus love story; Can You Just Die, My Darling, and more! All priced at a discount to make your heart burst!
Find some spooky good savings on digital manga featuring deadly dalliances during the Haunting Manga: Deadly Romance digital sale! To see all the discounts being offered right now, visit one of our participating digital vendors: Bookwalker, Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, izneo, MyAnimeList and more!
Sale Ends Monday, October 17th!
Curious about this sale but don’t know where to start? Try the FREE 1st chapter of the featured monster-in-disguise romance manga, Sachi’s Monstrous Appetite!
Still looking to browse more manga at a discount? See below for the full list of scary series on sale during the Haunting Manga: Deadly Romace digital sale!
Rare In-Person Appearance From Attack on Titan Creator Hajime Isayama See Below For Info on Panels, Giveaways, AnimeNYC Exclusive Merch & more!
As announced in October, Kodansha USA is proud to present Hajime Isayama – creator of the global pop culture phenomenon, Attack on Titan – in his first U.S. appearance at Anime NYC. And with him arrive a slew of events, panels, exclusive merch and more! For details on the amazing Attack on Titan events and offerings fans will find this amazing anime/manga event – read below! Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see the creator of Attack on Titan live and in person!
About Hajime Isayama
The 36-year-old Hajime Isayama launched his Attack on Titan in 2009, and it concluded after 34 volumes in 2021. A dark and gripping tale of humanity in a war with grotesque giants known as Titans, Attack on Titan has been praised by fans and critics alike for its combination of intense action and horror together with political intrigue and intricate world-building. The New York Times best-selling saga has sold over 100 million copies in print, and the series has won numerous awards across Japan and the US including the Kodansha Manga Award, Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, and Harvey Award. The anime based on this smash manga success will continue its final season in 2023.
About Attack on Titan
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. Attack on Titan is the award-winning and New York Times-bestselling series that is the manga hit of the decade! Spawning the monster hit Anime television series of the same name, Attack on Titan has become a pop culture sensation. For more, visit kodansha.localhost/attack-on-titan/.
Where to Find Hajime Isayama at Anime NYC
Kodansha Presents Hajime IsayamaPanel When: Saturday, November 19 – 2:15 PM ET Where: Special Events Hall
Kodansha USA is proud to present Hajime Isayama – the creator of the global smash hit Attack on Titan – for the first time in the U.S.! Sure to be a wide-ranging and memorable panel, join Hajime Isayama, along with panelists, Ben Applegate (Director, Publishing Services, Penguin Random House), Tiff TJ Ferentini (Editor, Penguin Random House), Misaki Kido (Translator, Kodansha USA), and a surprise special guest, as they discuss and explore all things manga, art, life and, of course, Attack on Titan! First 2000 in-person attendees will receive a special commemorative gift! An exclusive Attack on Titan bandana produced by AMBRO Manufacturing.
Kodansha USA Booth #1530 – Photo Booth & Thank You Message Wall
Visit the Kodansha USA Booth #1530 to create a number of special Attack on Titan memories! First you can take a photo of yourself alongside Captain Levi, Eren, Mikasa and Armin as they excitedly experience New York. Email yourself a digital copy and get a print version as souvenir in this photo booth that features that Anime NYC exlusive art drawn by Hajime Isayama himself for the Event.
Also be sure to leave a special “thank you” post-it note for Hajime Isayama on our Message Wall behind the Kodansha booth. Share your #AOTMemories and send a heart-felt message to Isayama-sensei!
Kodansha USA would like to give thanks to Japan Foundation New York for their support and contribution in bringing the Kodansha booth at Anime NYC to life.
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Kinokuniya Booth #240 – Anime NYC Exclusive Merch
Looking to take home the Anime NYC Exclusive Attack on Titan art home in more ways than one? In a special partnership with Kinokuniya you can get purchase posters, totes, t-shirts and hoodies all featuring the all-new art created by Hajime Isayama special for this event! For prices and availability be sure to visit the Kinokuniya booth #240. Supplies are limited and each item will be sold first-come-first-served.
This event-exclusive Attack on Titan merch will also be available for sale through Anime NYC Booth #2222 in limited quantities, giving fans more opportunities to get these soon-to-be hard to find Attack on Titan memorabilia!
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Crunchyroll Booth #248 – Photo-op in the Yeager Family Basement
Immerse yourself fully in the world of Attack on Titan by visiting the life-sized replica of the cryptic Yeager family basement and take a photo to add to your #AOTMemories at Anime NYC!
Can’t make it to Anime NYC but still want to get a memento from Isayama-sensei’s visit to the U.S.? Kodansha USA has secured a few Anime NYC exclusive Attack on Titan posters, signed by Hajime Isayama himself, for 3 lucky fans! For instructions on how you can enter to win this exclusive poster visit this survey entry form!
Whether you live in the Big Apple or are just visiting at the same time as Anime NYC. Keep an eye out around the city as you might see special advertisements all around New York City!
Special adverts featuring Hajime Isayama’s art from key moments in the Attack on Titan manga will be located on the E, M, F, R, 4 and 7 subway lines, as well as near the Times Square & 42 st Subway Station. And above ground keep an eye out for Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan art featured on posters put up around Hells Kitchen, Midtown, and the Chelsea neighborhoods. You may even see this art driving around the tops of taxis in the same neighborhoods!
Where To See Kodansha USA at Anime NYC
What’s New Kodansha USA?: New Licenses Announced!Panel When: Sunday, November 20 – 12:15 PM ET Where: Panel Room 2 (1E13)
Kodansha USA – publisher of such fan-favorite manga as Tokyo Revengers, BLUE LOCK, To Your Eternity & more – invite manga fans to exclusive sneak peek at new & upcoming manga licenses great for fans of all interests! Join manga experts, Ivan Salazar (Kodansha USA), Ben Applegate (Penguin Random House) and Tomo Tran (Kodansha USA), as they reveal the latest and greatest manga coming from Kodansha USA, along with extended previews, hilarious commentary, recommendations for what to read next, and even some free giveaways! It’s a panel no manga fan can miss!
The World of Attack on Titan Digital Sale!
To celebrate the momentous visit of Hajime Isayama to Anime NYC, Kodansha is offering titanic discounts on stories from all corners of Isayama-sensei’s creative universe with the the World of Attack on Titan digital sale!
This month Kodansha is celebrating the Halloween season by discounting tons of horror-filled manga all month long! And this celebration of all things spoopy starts with the Haunting Manga: Creature Feature sale discounting select series full of monstrous adventures up to 50% off all digital volumes!
Right now save on series like cute-yet-terrifying alien-invasion epic, Dolly Kill Kill (illustrated by Blue Lock artist, Yusuke Nomura!); the monster vs. witch battle manga, The Witch and the Beast; the charming spirit-tenant comedy; Elegant Yokai Apartment Life; the body-horror sci-fi classic, Parasyte (live-action K-drama coming to Netflix 2023), and more!
Find some spooky good savings on digital manga featuring creatures of all kinds during the Haunting Manga: Creature Feature digital sale! To see all the discounts being offered right now, visit one of our participating digital vendors: Bookwalker, Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, izneo, MyAnimeList and more!
Sale Ends Monday, October 10th!
Curious about this sale but don’t know where to start? Try the FREE 1st chapter of the featured sci-fi body horror battle manga, Gleipnir!
Still looking to browse more manga at a discount? See below for the full list of scary series on sale during the Haunting Manga: Creature Feature digital sale!
Fanatical & Kodansha USA Launch Manga Bundle Offer Perfect for New Manga Fans
Get over $850 worth of digital manga from series like SHAMAN KING, FAIRY TAIL, Vinland Saga, Fire Force & more for only $20. Ends 10/31
Kodansha USA and Fanatical – a leading global platform specializing in the sales and creative promotion of digital games, as well as entertainment & technology media – are teaming up for a special digital bundle offer perfect for anyone looking to dive deep into the world of manga with the Manga Masters Fanatical Bundle! Right now, Fanatical is offering a bundle worth over $850 of some of Kodansha’s most exciting series from such manga masters as Hiro Mashima (FAIRY TAIL, RAVE MASTER), Hiroyuki Takei (SHAMAN KING), Tsutomu Nihei (APOSIMZ, BLAME!), Masamune Shirow (The Ghost in the Shell) and more, all for $20! This amazing offer will be available all month long until October 31, 2022.
Pick Your Tier: Fanatical makes it easy to dip your toe or dive right in to the Manga Masters Fanatical Bundle by offering three separate tiers unlocking more and more manga with each level. For $1 sample the first volume of such fan-favorite and anime-inspiring manga like Ajin: Demi-Human, SHAMAN KING and Vinland Saga and more. For $10 try even more series like PTSD Radio, Fire Force, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, in addition to more volumes of series from the $1 tier. Or for the biggest deal try the $20 tier to get 76 volumes of Kodansha manga to kick off your budding digital library collection! All digital manga in this bundle are available in DRM-free EPUB and PDF downloads.
See below for details on all the the digital volumes fans can expect at the $1,$10,& $20 tiers of the Manga Masters Fanatical Bundle:
Get vol. 1 for 99¢ and take up to 50% off subsequent volumes!
For this Throwback Thursday we’re giving a special discount to the anime-inspiring time-bending reincarnation epic To Your Eternity by Yoshitoki Oima. Already a fan-favorite anime with 1 season streaming on Crunchyroll, To Your Eternity, chronicles the life of an immortal being as they traverse time connecting with, caring for, AND losing friends along the way. For a limited time fans can take advantage of the Throwback Thursday digital sale to start this epic series for only 99¢ for volume 1 and up to 50% off additional volumes after that! Catch up before the new season begins this fall!
Learn about To Your Eternity: 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.par par 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 …
To dive into the To Your Eternity Throwback Thursday digital sale and start this epic series at a deep discount just visit one of our participating digital vendors: Bookwalker, Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Nook, izneo, MyAnimeList and more!
Curious but want to see more? Check out the FREE 1st chapter preview below!
All of October’s debuting digital manga series will be available upon release across all our participating digital vendors, including Bookwalker, Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play, Nook, Kobo, izneo, MyAnimeList and more!
OCTOBER 2022 DIGITAL DEBUTS
Raised by the Demon Kings! By Kosuke Iijima
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Death Castle, the seat of power in the Demon World, is home to three demon kings…and a toddler?! The High Demon King, Death Mask, and his co-rulers Demon King Giant Rock and Demon King Dark Knight find that though they command powerful legions of evil, they aren’t immune to a child’s cries…and so the sweet, innocent human child Maris will grow up under their care! After all, how hard can raising a child be…?
When Hayato’s grandmother passed, he planned to sell her rundown café on the shore—not realizing that it was also home to five young women who call themselves her family?! Their desperation to keep the café open convinces Hayato to give it a shot…but even their best intentions might not be enough to make it work! And can he even work with these five unruly women? No matter what, he’s got his work cut out for him! A fun new romcom by the author of Fuuka and Suzuka!
It’s been two years since the infamous Unabara Tournament, but things aren’t over for Iori Sengoku—in fact, he’s received a summons from the Tokugawa Shogunate. He’s to join in battle against the Shogunate’s top martial artists to determine the strongest of the lot. Not only that, he’s accompanied by the sword-crazy Ran Ichinose. No matter what, this is an adventure you won’t want to miss—the thrilling sequel to Gamaran!
The wait is over! Part 2 of Kodansha’s exclusive Fujita on Wotakoi Finale interview is now available to read below or if you would like to experience this entire interview in one video check out the Kodansha YouTube page to see a special video covering all the topics of this interview in a singular multi-media experience fans of Wotakoi are sure to love!
Once again we must give a big thanks to our interview translator, Sawa Matsueda Savage. And English-language series editor, Vanessa Tenazas for their help on this interview.
(Please note that since we transcribed an audio recording of an interview with Fujita-sensei, some comments come from Wotakoi’s Editor, Suzuki are mixed into the answers.)
On Hobbies – What is Fujita’s personal otaku genre?
Fujita: I like video games, and I play fun, low-key ones like Animal Crossing and Pokémon. The types of games I like are ones I can enjoy in my own time, that I’m free to play as I like by myself.
Recently, I’ve also been into TRPGs (tabletop role-playing games). The Cthulhu TRPGs have surged in popularity in the past decade or so with more people playing them, and it became a trend to stream playthrough videos on YouTube. I happened to watch a really fun one that got me intrigued and I played it with my family, and that’s how I got into it.
I generally like creating characters and letting them act out stories, and while creating a manga out of that takes a lot of time and energy, a table talk game is less taxing and great for some casual fun. I think TRPGs are unique in that they let me create characters and play with them in ways that aren’t possible in manga.
Asides from games, I like horror-related content. Recently when I work, I’ve been playing videos in the background where YouTubers go to some haunted location or professional horror storytellers tell spooky stories. I’m very intrigued by the emotion of fear, and I find it curious and impressive that being scared can also be entertaining.
I think that the emotion of being scared and being entertained might involve a similar evoking process, just in different colors. A well-crafted story is of course scary, but also makes you go,“Huh. That’s really neat.” Everyone is capable of fear, and the same goes for enjoying something. Because I draw manga, I have a habit of dissecting the fear I feel to figure out what gave rise to that emotion. I break down the elements to arrive at a reason that makes sense to me, like “maybe it’s scary because this part of the story is told in this kind of tone.” When I listen to these stories, half of me does it in the spirit of research, hoping to translate that method somehow into my own manga, and the other half just wants to enjoy being scared as a regular member of the audience.
On Wotakoi’s Ending – What were the challenges of wrapping up a series?
Fujita: I wasn’t conflicted about finishing the series. It went as far as it would go, and I thought it was time to wrap it up. I felt the story couldn’t go on without having Narumi face her inner conflict about hiding her otaku ways, and if I kept waiting to pursue that storyline, I was worried that it wouldn’t be clear what the story was about anymore… Over the six or seven years working on the series, a gradual rift began to grow between the readership and the character I had originally intended Narumi to be. So time was running out to give closure to the story of Narumi wanting to hide being an otaku, which is what I had set out to do in the first place. Closet otaku are already becoming a minority, and once it becomes normal for most to think they have no reason to hide their otakuness, I figured it would be really difficult to present a story that would be convincing to my readers. Looking back, I just barely made it in time for the story to be relatable, so I think the timing was good.
Personal Thoughts – Did Fujita get to draw the ending they wanted?
Fujita: In finishing the series, I put a crazy amount of thought into the last two episodes or so. I had to wrap up all the stuff about Narumi’s relationship with Hirotaka, but also figure out how to fit that into her own inner conflict, as well as how Hirotaka should get involved in Narumi’s personal struggle. I may be the one who came up with Wotakoi, but throughout the series my editor Suzuki-san helped make the adjustments it needed, so the two of us discussed what would make the most sense for Narumi and Hirotaka’s characters. We had ideas that would have been fine if it wasn’t the finale, but we definitely wanted to aim higher because it was going to be a special episode. I knew we couldn’t compromise. We ended up going with an idea that was completely different from my initial plan.
Suzuki: Compared to when the series began, society’s ideas on otaku have changed so much, haven’t they?
A positive interpretation is that Wotakoi may have had some influence, with the suggestion that it’s okay to be more open about otaku inclinations. And now people are becoming a lot more open about it than we ever expected.
Fujita: I first thought about retuning to the usual energy and banter at the end, but as I was working, it started getting emotionally touching. I didn’t want the kind of heartfelt ending that screams,“This is the finale!” which was why I meant to end on a busy, comical note… [laughs]
Suzuki: Well, I thought it had the feel of their usual style while still having Narumi overcome her inner problem, and I felt like it ended in keeping with the series. I also thought the individual characters really got a chance to shine in the final volume’s book-only episodes in a way that makes you want to see more. I really liked the one about Ko changing the way she calls Naoya.
Fujita: Those were meant as bonus treat for the fans!
Suzuki: The book-only episodes weren’t the only treat. You didn’t hold back with the cover of the artbook, either.
Fujita:I drew all the lovey-dovey situations I had refrained from drawing before.
On What’s Next – What does Fujita want to do next? Are they working on anything new?
Suzuki: We can’t really talk much about this, but we have been discussing things.
Fujita: I’m at the stage of preparing my next move.
Suzuki: I think it’s going to be something that surprises everyone in a good way, so I hope it leaves people in awe.
Words to the fans of Wotakoi
Fujita: I can’t thank you enough for supporting me from so far away, and I hope to see you again in some way or the other!
On Characters – Fujita Tells us why they love each character
Narumi Momose
Narumi was the easiest to work with because I didn’t have to worry about how to portray her. She also functioned to ease the tension in any situation. She would make everyone smile just by being there. Narumi is the heroine, but I wanted her to be a kind of hero who saved Hirotaka. At the very end though, I got to make Hirotaka the one who saves his hero Narumi, so I’m glad I managed to guide the story there.
Hirotaka Nifuji
Hirotaka is actually meant to be the heroine. So I was really careful about how I portrayed him, and many of the times my editor turned down a storyboard, it had to do with how I presented Hirotaka. We had discussions that went like,“If you make him smile here, it might make the rarity of him smiling less special.”
Taro Kabakura
I worked with Kabakura thinking it was okay if he was something of a jerk. When I came up with material for Kabakura, it would be him making a verbal attack with something rude or selfish in an argument with Hanako. I didn’t mind if he came across as awful or a jerk depending on how you looked at it, but I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t clearly in the wrong. I wanted the fights between Kabakura and Hanako to be quarrels stemming from a difference in values. I sought advice from a lot of people about how to keep that balanced in terms of whether Kabakura’s way of thinking made sense in certain scenes. Kabakura was the second easiest to work with after Narumi, so I enjoyed drawing him. His character was great for throwing curveballs.
Hanako Koyanagi
She was a good senpai around Narumi—older, reliable, cool, and composed. But she acts like a kid around Kabakura, and I wanted to show that contrast. Some characters can be insensitive around the people they’re comfortable with, and I wanted that for the Kaba-Hana couple, where they end up looking like a husband-and-wife comedy act from the outside. I had never created a female character like Hanako, so I wasn’t sure if I would grow to like her in the beginning. One thing that can be said for both Kabakura and Hanako is that they both like to act cool.
I suppose this is my opportunity to say that I come up with the characters for Hanako’s cosplay based on what I think she might choose, so although sometimes people say that those must be my favorite characters, that’s not always the case!
Naoya Nifuji
I really didn’t know what to do with Naoya until later on in the series. He was so innocent that I felt like I was drawing a mythical creature I’d never seen before. Kind of like a unicorn that people say exists, but no one’s ever seen. I personally identify the least with Naoya’s personality traits. At the beginning, I had a really hard time using Naoya because his character ran solely on being innocent, blissfully oblivious, and pure, and that wasn’t much to work with. But by introducing Ko, I decided that I wanted him to provide Ko with emotional support, or in other words, be Ko’s source of light*. That’s how Naoya’s role as a character materialized. Without Ko, he really would have just been there for Hirotaka to tell him he sucks at video games.
*The kanji character for “Ko” means “light” in Japanese.
Ko Sakuragi
When I proposed Ko’s character design, I almost had to redo it at first because she “looked too much like a boy.” But I pushed it through with the promise that she would get cuter as the series progressed. I thought she was cute, and I didn’t want to change her to fit in better with society’s idea of cuteness. Juxtaposed with Naoya, I was particular about not making them look like they would work together, so I couldn’t agree to make pre-transformation Ko look cuter. I wanted Ko to be an otaku with no love for herself who gets pulled up by Naoya. Naoya is a radiant “Light type” to a ridiculous degree, so although I felt bad for Ko, I figured she needed to start from a ridiculously low place. But people with low self-esteem like her tend to be really kind. They get hurt easily, so they’re careful about not hurting people, and they’re very observant of others. So I think of all these characters, Ko is the kindest of all.
This concludes Kodansha’s exclusive interview with Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku series creator Fujita, detailing their thoughts and feelings around the manga, adaptation, it’s finale and more.
Fans who still need to get their copy of the final volume can find where to buy their copy on kodansha.localhost/. And remember that there are still exclusive variant editions of the final volume at Barnes and Noble!
Wotakoifans can also experience Parts 1 and 2 of this special interview in a uniquely crafted video full of art from the series, as well as a process sketch segment of the exclusive AX 2022 art by Fujita
Stating Volumes for Select Series as Low as $1.99 Each! Select Additional Volumes Up To 50% Off
We’re continuing our month-long celebration of completed series by giving manga fans the opportunity to binge bite-sized and long-running series at a deep discount during the Binge Worthy Blowout! See below to discover what new series are part of this massive sale!
Right now short and sweet series like the hilariously romantic Practice Makes Perfect, and Heroine for Hire have volume 1s at $1.99. Mid-length series series like the action-packed Battle Angel Alita, and Mardock Scramble see volumes 1 & 2 priced at $1.99. And long-running series like the EPIC All-Rounder Meguru, and Knights of Sidonia see volumes 1, 2 & 3 priced at $1.99. On top of that take up to 50% off select additional volumes from each series!
Take advantage of this great deal letting you digitally binge manga to your heart’s content during the Binge Worthy Blowout digital sale! To see all the discounts being offered right now, visit one of our participating digital vendors: Bookwalker, Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, izneo, MyAnimeList and more!
Sale Ends Monday, September 26th!
Curious about this sale but don’t know where to start? Try the FREE 1st chapter of the featured bad teacher comedy, GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka!
Still looking for more recommendations? See below for recommendations on short, mid-length, and longer Kodansha manga series to binge on!
