Japan Sinks 2020 Producer Nori Ueki Reveals Details About Story

Masaaki Yuasa's highly anticipated anime adaptation of Sakyō Komatsu's Japan Sinks (Nihon Chinbotsu) science-fiction novel is set to premiere on Netflix worldwide in July 9. The online manga subscription app Mangamo will host the anime's official manga adaptation the same day. In preparation for the upcoming manga series' debut, producer Nori Ueki (DEVILMAN crybaby, live-action Rurouni Kenshin) discussed why the story is so relevant right now and the appreciation for "normal life."

Mangamo describes the manga:

In this sci-fi disaster manga, catastrophic earthquakes devastate Japan and one family's resolve is tested on a journey of survival through the sinking archipelago as the disastrous shifting of a fault in the Japan Trench places the country in danger of being swallowed by the sea.

Mangamo, Comicsmart, and Avex partnered to create the manga. Mangamo co-founder and head of business development and content partnerships Yusuke Sasano said, "The Japan Sinks: 2020 original manga on Mangamo reimagines the Netflix anime through a different lens that we hope will spark the imaginations of people around the world." Mangamo co-founder and manga producer Nori Ueki added, "To produce the Japan Sinks: 2020 manga as well as the anime, I drew inspiration from the legendary original Japan Sinks novel to explore new and different story arcs and characters."

Mangamo is a mobile manga subscription service that gives readers ad-free unlimited access to legally licensed and professionally localized titles. The app launched in the U.S. and Canada on April 15 for iOS devices. A subscription costs US$4.99 per month.

The app includes manga that have not received previous releases in English. Between April and June, Mangamo will feature more than 300 titles and 1,000 manga volumes. These manga include Attack on Titan, Somali and the Forest Spirit, Fire Force, Arte, Dropkick on My Devil!, Akatsuki Babies, Reset Game, and Daily Meteor Strike.

The app uploads chapters daily. Users can read manga on the app from left to right or by scrolling vertically, and the app features a customized reader.

Executives from Hulu, Crunchyroll, Netflix, VIZ and other companies created Mangamo. Mangamo currently partners with 11 publishers including Kodansha, Comicsmart, TOPPAN, and North Star Pictures.

Thank you to Mangamo for the video content