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Kodansha Comics Delays Digital Releases of Shaman King Manga, Spinoffs
posted on by Alex Mateo
Kodansha Comics announced on Monday that it is delaying the digital releases of Hiroyuki Takei's Shaman King manga and four Shaman King spinoff manga: Shaman King: Zero, Shaman King Flowers, Shaman King: Super Star, and Shaman King: Red Crimson. The company stated that it is delaying the main series "to give Shaman King the production quality it deserves and its fans the best manga experience." The company is also delaying the spinoffs "so that fans can get the complete experience of Shaman King without fear of spoilers or narrative confusion."
The Shaman King manga was scheduled to launch digitally on Tuesday. The four spinoff manga were slated to launch digitally in August. Kodansha Comics plans to announce new release dates shortly.
Kodansha Comics revealed that these delays will not affect its planned physical release of Takei's Shaman King manga series. The company will publish the manga in 11 three-in-one omnibus print editions between 2021-2022. The first two volumes will launch simultaneously in spring 2021.
Comixology Originals and Kodansha USA Publishing will publish all of Takei's Shaman King manga series digitally in English. Volumes 33, 34, and 35 will appear for the first time in English along with the first 32 volumes on Amazon's Kindle Store and Comixology's store, as well as the Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Comixology Unlimited subscription services. The new release of the manga series will feature new cover art by Takei.
Kodansha USA Publishing and Comixology Originals describe the series:
In the world of Shaman King, shamans possess mysterious powers that allow them to commune with gods, spirits, and even the dead…and Manta Oyamada's about to learn all about them, because his class just welcomed a new transfer student: Yoh Asakura, a boy from way off in Izumo…and a shaman in training!
The manga series is inspiring a new anime series that will adapt all 35 volumes of the manga's new complete edition, which Kodansha started publishing in print volumes in Japan on June 17.
Shaman King debuted in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1998. The series abruptly ended in 2004, although a reprinting of the manga revealed a "true ending" in 2009.Viz Media published 32 volumes of the original Shaman King manga from 2003 to 2011, but it no longer holds the license to the manga. Shueisha originally held the rights to the manga in Japan.
Source: Press release
