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Battle Angel Alita is back at last—now on comiXology Originals

Posted on | New Release | Partners

She's back! The iconic science-fiction manga Battle Angel Alita is back at last in an all-new translation from Kodansha Comics and comiXology Originals.

Long after being out of print, Yukito Kishiro’s iconic and popular manga series is available starting May 24 for the first time in nearly a decade, with a stunning new translation of the first three volumes available exclusively as a digital release from Kodansha Comics via comiXology Originals.

Kishiro’s post-apocalyptic science-fiction story about an amnesiac cyborg named Alita has thrilled international audiences since it was originally published in 1990. James Cameron is currently producing a live-action adaptation of the acclaimed title.

“Thank you for waiting,” wrote Battle Angel Alita’s legendary creator, Yukito Kishiro. “With the new translation, Battle Angel Alita is updated to be as authentic as it is in the original Japanese edition. Please enjoy!”

Read all of Chapter 1 right here:

[reader chapter_id=”14548″]

The digital exclusive release of Battle Angel Alita volumes 1-3 is available for free with a comiXology Unlimited membership, or for $10.99 per volume on comiXology or Kindle. Each volume is available in comiXology’s Guided View, allowing fans to cinematically read from panel-to-panel at their own pace. The entire series will be released as part of the comiXology Originals program this year, with Volumes 4-6 debuting in August and the concluding volumes 6-9 appearing in October.

Although the new translations of Battle Angel Alita are only available as digital editions for now, readers looking for print editions of the new versions can look forward to Kodansha Comics releasing premium hardcover Deluxe Editions starting November 2017.

About Yukito Kishiro

Regarded as one of the finest action illustrators in global comics, Yukito Kishiro is best known for creating the cyberpunk manga Battle Angel Alita. When he was only 17, Kishiro was nominated for Japanese publisher Shogakukan’s Best New Comic award. Creator of other popular manga titles, Kishiro is known for his strong characters, original settings, and intricate, lifelike artwork.

Media: Download a PDF version of the official press release here.

New Romance Manga: 3 digital debut titles

Posted on | New Release

Kodansha Comics announced today a trio of new shojo manga series—including brand-new works by the creators of past hit series—to add to its growing list of digital-first manga releases.


May 16 will see the debuts of Aoba-kun’s Confessions, the latest from hit creator Ema Toyama (Missions of Love) about a loner girl and her strange job at a “listening house”.

Drowning Love: a turbulent tale of teen angst captured in George Asakura's (A Perfect Day for Love Letters) arresting visuals.

Our Precious Conversations: the latest rom-com about awkward communication from Robico (My Little Monster).  

Volume 1s of all three titles go on sale May 16 on all of Kodansha’s digital retail channels. For free previews of Chapter 1s, click on the above links. 

To celebrate the works of Ema Toyama and Robico, Kodansha Comics is also holding a week-long “Fresh Start with New Romance Manga” sale on all its digital book channels—BookWalker, comiXology, Google Play, iBooks, Kindle, Kobo, and nook—with all volumes of My Little Monster and Missions of Love on sale for 40% off. The sale ends May 22.

In addition, May 30 will see 2 more shojo manga titles debut, with an edgier flavor: the modern goth Kasane by Daruma Matsuura and the otaku-normal rom-com Real Girl by Mao Nanami!

Media: To download a PDF press kit, click here.

ERRATA: Attack on Titan Choose Your Path Adventure

Posted on | General

ERRATA pages 188-189: The editorial staff of Kodansha Comics regrets the following errors that appeared in the first printing of Attack on Titan Choose Your Path Adventure: Year 850: Last Stand at Wall Rose, which contains the following errors on page 188, introduced during the book's editorial process:

• Section 233 was omitted.
• Section 234 contained the text that should have been numbered 233.
• The correct text for section 234 was omitted.

The following is the corrected text for pages 188 and 189, which will also appear in future printings of this book.

For a PDF of the corrected page layout of pages 188-189 click on this link.

● 233
You’ve survived the battle in the hellish streets of Trost District, and now you withdraw.

You and several of the other trainees fall back to the rear, to safety.

At last you’re in a safe place, full of Garrison soldiers. You…

Are with Eren (Go to 194)
Are not with Eren (Go to 110)

● 234
Let’s go get him, you say to them.

If he was swallowed whole by the Titan, it might still be possible to rescue him. And with Mikasa’s skill…

Armin’s eyes widen at your words. You start to ask him what kind of Titan it was, what exactly happened, but Mikasa taps you on the shoulder.

“Forget it. If it were possible to save him, Armin would have done it.”

(Increase your Affinity with Mikasa and your Affinity with Armin by 1 each, then go to 117.)

● 235
You shout. Whether Mikasa hears you or not, you can’t tell.

But she rises and takes a blade in her hand. You doubt she can best the Titan, but she isn’t going to give up, either. She’s a strong woman.

Even as you admire her, a Titan the size of a four-story building is coming relentlessly closer.

She sees it and takes her stance… (Go to 174)

● 236
Outside, you see numerous Titan corpses.

This is what happens when Titans fight each other. Even on a battlefield full of the enemy, this is the first time you’ve seen so many fallen Titans in one place…

Did that Titan take out all these others single-handedly?

At the moment, the Titan has lost both its arms, but it sinks its teeth into two other Titans, kicks them, refuses to stop fighting. It seems to have regenerative abilities like other Titans, but it looks like its powers just can’t keep up…

“If we could understand what that Titan is…” somebody murmurs.

You agree…but it doesn’t look like you’ll have the chance.

The mysterious Titan topples the last of the nearby enemies, then sinks to its knees, exhausted. (Go to 282)

● 237

You ask around the guard unit in hopes of getting news about other members of the 104th Training Corps.

You learn that many of your classmates are dead, or missing in action.

(If you did not already know about the fate of Squad 34, mark Eren Yeager and Squad 34 dead.)

You think of Eren and his companions, so full of spirit.

Mikasa was so close to him. What will she think when she finds out? (Go to 252)

Enter the #MyClockworkPlanet Contest! Thru May 15

Posted on | Giveaways

Calling all Clockwork Planet and No Game No Life fans!

Kodansha Comics is happy to announce we're running a contest in collaboration with Yen Press, perfect for fans of Clockwork Planet and NGNL! 

We want to see how you would live in a Clockwork Planet. It doesn't have to be as intricate as Marie's compass, but what daily routines, machines, or even clothes would you change to make your life more efficient, fun, or easier? From May 8-15, show us a drawing or photo of an invention you'd make, and tell us why you think it would be a great invention. Kodansha Comics and the Clockwork Planet manga team in Japan will pick the three best entries, who will have a chance to win the following:

Third Place Volumes 1-3 of Clockwork Planet (published by Kodansha Comics)
Second Place Volumes 1-3 of Clockwork Planet + Volumes 1-5 of the No Game No Life light novel (published by Yen Press)
First Place (Grand Prize) Volumes 1-3 of Clockwork Planet + Volumes 1-5 of the No Game No Life light novel + an exclusive shikishi drawn by Clockwork Planet artist KURO!

Show us just how creative and inventive you can get! Send all contest entries to [email protected] with your name and the subject #MyClockworkPlanet Contest Entry—and be sure to share your ideas on social media as well by tagging us, Yen Press, and by using the hashtag #MyClockworkPlanet.

So start thinking about #MyClockworkPlanet, and we can't wait to see your ideas!

Vertical x Kodansha Comics digital manga sale—up to 50% off thru May 15

Posted on | Sales

This would be a good time to good time to check out what's flying over at Vertical Comics,  our sister manga company with a distinctively styled lineup of manga titles from the very fresh Flying Witch and Devils' Line to immaculately presented classics like BLAME!  and Chi's Sweet Home. 

As the digital distributor of many of Vertical's titles, we here at Kodansha Comics thought we'd give you a special push to go Vertical. For this week only, all Vertical Comics digital titles are marked up to 50% off at our digital retail partners—BookWalker, comiXology, Google Play, iBooks, Kindle, Kobo, and nook! You can read free entire Chapter 1 previews of all titles at the cover links.

The Vertical x Kodansha Comics Digital Sale — May 9-15

5 Centimeters per Second
Ajin: Demi Human
BLAME! Academy and So On
BLAME!
Chi's Sweet Home
Devils' Line
Drops of God
Drops of God New World
Flying Witch
From the New World
Knights of Sidonia
Mysterious Girlfriend X
The Flowers of Evil
the gods lie.
To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts
Witchcraft Works

— Discover more new manga and deals, stay tuned to kodanshacomics.com —

Attack on Titan volume 21 is now on sale

Posted on | Sales

As the new season of the Attack on Titan anime kicks into high gear, you're probably getting curious about what happens next. Well, you know you can always jump ahead by reading the original manga! Here's a few ways you can enjoy Attack on Titan—the manga—from Kodansha Comics:

Books!

Yeah, Attack on Titan volume 21 hit streets on April 25. The book is available now in both physical and digital editions. 

Simulpub!

Didja know that you can read the story of Attack on Titan beyond what's collected into the graphic novel editions? With simulpub chapters, you can read up to the latest chapter that just came out in Japan—which as of right now would be Chapter #92—available on comiXology and Kindle.

The Manga App!

… and you can read the entire series of Attack on Titan on our Attack on Titan Manga App! It's a great way to stay on top of the newest simulpub chapters and graphic novels. 

For more information about Attack on Titan, stay tuned to kodanshacomics.com!

Wave, Listen to Me! volume 3 + simulpub on sale 4/24

Posted on | Sales

Hey, listen to me! If you haven't gotten hip to one of the breakout digital manga series of the year so far—Wave, Listen to Me! the latest from manga legend Hiroaki Samura (Blade of the Immortal, Die Wergelder)—this is the perfect (as in simultaneous) time to do so!

Not only does volume 3 go on sale today (April 24) at all of our digital book channels (including BookWalker and comiXology), but we're also debuting every chapter that follows as simulpubs on Kindle and comiXology—with each chapter going for only 99-cents! Since Chapter 29 appears on newsstands in Japan right now you'll be oh-so-of-the-moment with the newest manga series that's both one of our digital bestsellers and is all the talk in Japan (where it ranked #6 in 2016's This Manga is Amazing! poll).

Here's a free look at Samura-sensei's breathtaking art in all of Chapter 1:

[reader chapter_id=”12201″]

A departure for the action-oriented Samura, Wave, Listen to Me1 turns its attention to modern life in the big city, as a despondent young woman inadvertently finds herself the host of a hit talk-radio show. The stage is Sapporo, Hokkaido. One night, our heroine, Minare Koda, spills her heartbroken woes to a radio station worker she meets while out drinking one night. The next day, she hears a recording of her pitiful grumbling being played live over the air. Minare storms into the station in a rage, only to then be duped by the station director into doing an impromptu talk show explaining her harsh dialogue. With just one recording, the many eccentric facets of Minare's life begin to pull every which direction as she falls ever deeper into the world of radio.

 

 

4/25 Digital-first debuts: Days and Tsuredure Children

Posted on | New Release

 

School life is awesome with new digital-first manga! The ramp-up of our very well-received line of digital-first manga continues with the highly anticipated debut of Tsuyoshi Yasuda’s school-soccer manga Days (the anime adaptation of which recently streamed to great acclaim on Crunchyroll) and Toshiya Wakabayashi’s surprising webcomic-turned-hit Tsuredure Children.

Volume 1s of both titles are now available for preorder and go on sale Tuesday April 25 at all of Kodansha’s digital retail channels: BookWalker, comiXology, Google Play, Kindle, Kobo, and nook. Free Chapter 1 previews at the cover-links:

Days by Tsuyoshi Yasuda From Tsuyoshi Yasuda (Over Drive) comes the most exciting soccer manga in the world! During his last spring break before starting high school, Tsukushi Tsukamoto meets Jin Kazama, who invites him to a pick-up soccer game. Their chance meeting, and his first-ever experience with soccer, move kind-hearted, timid Tsukushi to enroll in his new high school's soccer club, which is among the strongest in all of Japan. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, there's something amazing hidden inside Tsukushi's heart … and through his trials and tribulations in the soccer club, it's beginning to blossom!

Tsuredure Children by Toshiya Wakabayashi This manga is for those of you who just can't seem to say,”I love you.” Toshiya Wakabayashi's acclaimed school-romance is jam-packed with frustration, embarrassment, and awkwardness! Heavily revised and with never-before-seen chapters, this omnibus edition of the popular 4-panel web comic offers an experience you can't find in the online version!

And don't forget to check out our April 11 digital-first debuts (if you haven't already):

Domestic Girlfriend Kei Sasuga’s racy romancer is a breakout hit in Japan about a high schooler with a bad teacher-crush whose home life gets rather complicated when his dad gets remarried and he finds out who his new step-siblings are!

GTO Paradise Lost Toru Fujisawa brings us up-to-date on the latest adventures of Great Teacher Onizuka, the classic manga character who took the world by storm when he gave up his gang life for a new one as a classroom legend. The newest chapter starts off with Onizuka’s life … in prison!

Media: Read the official press release here.

Spring 2017 Manga to Anime Guide: #KCAnimeClub

Posted on | Events

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Spring is here and with that comes new anime—and this season features the return of a megahit and an exciting adaption of a new Kodansha Comics manga! Here’s your cheat sheet for what and where to watch this season.

We also invite you to watch anime with us! This season’s Kodansha Comics Anime Club title is Clockwork Planet. All you have to do is jump on Twitter every Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and follow our livetweet or share your own reactions to the episode using #KCAnimeClub.


© Yuu Kamiya, Tsubaki Himana, Kodansha／”CLOCKWORK PLANET” Production committee. All rights reserved.

Clockwork Planet
MANGA Volume 1 available in digital and print
ANIME Streaming on Crunchyroll every Thursday

Naoto’s a high school dropout and brilliant amateur tinkerer. He lives in a world that has been so over-exploited that the entire surface has become one vast machine. When a box crashes into his home containing a female automaton named RyuZU, it’s a harbinger of change that will rock the entire globe and give Naoto his chance to be a hero. Together with the genius clockmaker Marie, Naoto and RyuZU must work to repair their clockwork planet—and maybe disrupt the world order in the process!


Read along with Season 2: volume 9 of the manga is where Season 2 of the anime starts off.

Attack on Titan — Season 2
MANGA Volumes 1-20 available in digital and print
ANIME Streaming on Crunchyroll every Saturday

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. The highly anticipated Season 2 brings back Eren and the Survey Corps, and the mystery and danger will only deepen …

With a bestselling manga, a hit anime, and spinoffs in the story’s universe, Attack on Titan has become a pop culture sensation. The long-awaited Second 2 is just the latest exciting entry in this beloved series!

Go deeper into the universe of Attack on Titan—click on the links for free Chapter 1 previews and purchase info:

 

Kodansha Comics Spring Cleaning Sale! Selected digital manga up to 50% off!

Posted on | Sales

 

Achoo!

You know it's time for spring cleaning when allergies kick in. Here at Kodansha Comics, we're kicking up some dust in our digital library, putting selected digital manga series on sale up to 50% off across all of our e-book retail partners: BookWalker, comiXology, Google Play, iBooks, Kindle, Kobo, and nook. 

So what's on sale? Go rummage for yourself and find what appeals to you! But hurry—the Spring Cleaning Sale is one week only from April 18 to April 24. Happy hunting!

 

 

Digital-first manga up to 50% off thru 4/17; Domestic Girlfriend, GTO releasing 4/11

Posted on | Sales

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Update April 11: Kodansha Comics announced today it is continuing to expand its growing list of well-received digital-first manga titles with the series debuts of GTO Paradise Lost, Toru Fujisawa’s sequel to his beloved manga classic Great Teacher Onizuka, and Domestic Girlfriend (Japanese title Domestic na kanojo), Kei Sasuga’s love-triangle romancer that’s a top requested title by Western fans—and a bestseller in Japan. Volume 1s of both titles go on sale today April 11 on all of Kodansha’s digital retail channels.

 

Media: read our press release here.

Did you know? In the past few months Kodansha Comics has launched over a dozen new digital-first manga series in order to offer a more diverse and robust library of manga in English. If you haven't kept up with our announcements, here's a great way to get started and explore!

Now we're offering our full list of digital-first series on sale up to 45% off across all Kodansha Comics digital book channels: BookWalker, comiXology, Google Play, iBooks, Kindle, Kobo, and nook. Sale ends 4/17. 

Digital publishing provides us a way to publish official translations of titles from underrepresented genres or that lack a major anime adaptation—it's a way for us to explore, too. So we're definitely interested in what you like and don't like—let us know either way! 

Kodansha Comics Digital-First Manga Sale (April 4-17) 

Sports Manga
Ace of Diamond volume 1
All-Rounder Meguru volume 1
Giant Killing volume 1

Shojo/Slice of Life Manga
A Springtime with Ninjas volume 1, 2
Chihayafuru volume 1
Descending Stories volume 1
The Full-Time Wife Escapist volume 1
House of the Sun volumes 1 and 2
Peach Heaven volume 1
Tokyo Tarareba Girls volume 1
Wave, Listen to Me! volumes 1 and 2

Fantasy/Science-Fiction/Dark Fantasy Manga
Altair: A Record of Battles volume 1
BLAME! Academy and So On (stand alone volume)
Deathtopia volume 1
Hozuki’s Coolheadedness volume 1
Museum volume 1

Click on the cover for a Chapter 1 preview

                

There's more to come! We've got more digital-first manga announcements right around the corner. So stay tuned to kodanshacomics.com!