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Wakako Zake, Arte, Kamakura Monogatari, OL Visual Kei Manga Launch Digitally in English

Several e-book publishers — including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Rakuten Kobo — released the first volumes of Ryohei Saigan's Kamakura Monogatari, Chie Shinkyū's Wakako-zake, Kumi Kanatsu's OL Visual Kei, and Kei Ōkubo's Arte digitally on Tuesday. While the releases are listed with each manga's respective Japanese publisher, their listings on Barnes & Noble show that the manga are "sold by" Media Do.

The first chapters of all the manga are available for free as samplers on some of the platforms.

Media Do describes Kamakura Monogatari:

Kamakura Monogatari follows the mystery writer Masakazu Isshiki and his young bride, Akiko, on their heart-warming life in Kamakura--but it's not all fun and games! Masakazu and Akiko get caught up in a series of mysterious events on right after another that require all their wits and sleuthing skills to solve. Full of mysteries and romance, this charming story was chosen as the grand prize winner in the 2015 Manga Translation Battle, and was even turned into a movie in 2017!

Saigan launched the manga in Futabasha's Manga Action magazine in 1984, before moving it to Futabasha's Manga Town magazine in 2000, where it has been running ever since. Futabasha published the manga's 34th compiled book volume in July 2017. The manga inspired a live-action film adaptation titled Destiny - Kamakura Monogatari, which opened in Japan last December.

Media Do describes Wakako-zake:

Wakako Murasaki, 26, lives to eat. She was born with a taste for alcohol and good food, so every night she searches for a good place to enjoy her meals alone. Perhaps she will sit next to you tonight? These popular shorts featuring the solo heavy drinker have been successfully turned into an anime and a drama!

Shinkyū started the manga in North Stars Pictures and Tokuma Shoten's Monthly Comic Zenon magazine in 2011. Tokuma Shoten shipped the manga's 11th compiled book volume on August 20.

The manga inspired a 12-episode series of three-minute anime shorts, starring Miyuki Sawashiro, which premiered in July 2015, and Crunchyroll streamed the anime series as it aired. The manga is also inspiring a live-action series starring Rina Takeda. The first 12-episode live-action television season aired in January-March 2015, and the second and third 12-episode seasons premiered in January 2016 and April 2017, respectively. Crunchyroll streamed the second season as it aired, and added the first season in April 2016. The show is returning for a fourth season.

Media Do describes OL Visual Kei:

Mae Sakuradamon lives a meager life in order to become a beauty while working as an OL. She does liposuction on her butt and gets saline breast implants, all to get Ryutaro Sekiguchi, the guy she likes to notice her… This is a plastic surgery comedy manga! It became the hit TV drama starring Suzuki Sayana.

The manga launched in Weekly Josei in 1999, and Shufu to Seikatsu Sha published the manga's first volume in 2000 and the 20th and final volume in 2004. The manga inspired two live-action series beginning in 2000.

Media Do describes Arte:

16th century Firenze, Italy. One girl, One ARTistic ambition!The birthplace of the renaissance era, where art is thriving. In one small corner of this vast city, one sheltered girl's journey begins. She dreams of becoming an artist, an impossible career for a girl born into a noble family. In those days, art was an exclusively male profession, with woman facing strong discrimination. In spite of these challenges, Arte perseveres with hard work and a positive attitude!

Ōkubo launched the manga in Monthly Comic Zenon in October 2013, and Tokuma Shoten published the manga's ninth compiled book volume on July 20.

North Stars Pictures and Tokuma Shoten has digitally published 17 chapters of the manga in English in its Silent Manga Audition web manga magazine.

Thanks to Morgan for the news tip.

Source: Barnes & Noble (link 2, link 3), Amazon via @TheOASG