Kodansha to Add New Series Debuts, Simulpub Titles, and More to K Manga, Plus Free Chapters on Select Titles for Halloween Starting October 20th
Over 70 new titles will be added to K MANGA before the end of the year, including two new series which are planned to launch simultaneously in Japan, as well as even more regular simulpub titles.
Tokyo, Japan (October 20, 2023) - Kodansha Ltd. has announced today that it will add two new series debuts in Japan and the US at the same time to its K MANGA service, including Code:Breaker creator Akimine Kamijyo's new manga titled KATANA Beast. Kodansha plans to add 74 titles to K MANGA before the end of the year, with more information to be announced. New simulpub titles will include Versus (One-Punch Man creator ONE, bose, and Kyoutarou Azuma), and Tank Chair (Manabu Yashiro). Starting October 20th through October 31st, K MANGA will also run a Halloween campaign with free chapters available for select titles.
(All dates correspond to 12:00AM Japan Standard Time.)
New Simultaneous Debut in Japan and the US Series & Simulpub Titles to K MANGA:
Title: I Got My Wish and Reincarnated as the Villainess (Last Boss)!
Creators: Original Story by Ryousuke Hata, Manga by Rei Nakajima, Character Design by Hitoha Ushio, Organized by Maruborou Akai
Date: October 20th
Synopsis: A sickly girl named Elizabeth has been reincarnated as an otome game villainess! She begins her life anew, blissfully unaware that her fate is to be killed by the heroes. She might enjoy a healthy life now, but will she be able to turn fate on its head?!
Comment from Rei Nakajima: “I am very happy to be able to present to you the English version of this series that my colleagues and I have worked so hard on. I hope you enjoy it.”
Title: KATANA Beast
Creator: Akimine Kamijyo
Date: November 1st
Synopsis: The Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Pig. These twelve tribes, each boasting their own special powers, battled for hegemony over the nation until the Emperor, tired of these endless wars, instead proposed a "festival"—5v5 proxy battles for which each tribe must send a "beastblade" to fight on their behalf. Princess Ibusuki of the Rabbit tribe, the weakest clan of all, was searching for her own champion to whom she could entrust the fate of her people when she came upon Hijimaru of the legendary Lion tribe. Little did she know that this encounter would mark the beginning of something far greater! Welcome to the fantastical tale of the zodiac struggle!
Comment from Akimine Kamijyo: “Inspired by the twelve zodiac signs which have been passed down since ancient times in Japan, this is a story about the main character, Hijimaru, and the twelve tribes. The ‘Festival’ where the beasts will fight each other with their lives by the blade is about to begin! I hope everyone in America enjoys it at the same time as Japan! Thank you!”
New Simulpub Titles to K MANGA:
Title: Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
Creator: Asuka Konishi
Date: October 25th
Synopsis: Yoshino grew up the sheltered yakuza princess of the largest crime family in Osaka, the Somei. Due to her resting bitch face and dangerous family, no man has ever approached her. When her grandfather signs a truce with the Tokyo-based Miyama crime family, he offers her up as a truce bride to the Miyama leader's grandson! Kirishima Miyama is popular, charming, and seems totally normal. But behind his smile is a violent sadomasochist who thirsts for her dominance even more when she impresses him with her moxie! Even though she knows how bad yakuza can be, she's stunned by Miyama's viciousness. She can't turn him down with the East-West peace treaty on the line…so instead she steels herself to play ball!
Comment from Asuka Konishi: “Raise wa Tanin ga Ii is a manga that depicts a fairly niche culture in Japan, so I thought that it may not be interesting for most people overseas. Although it is entertainment, there are many depictions of crime, so if you feel that it is not suitable for you, please feel free to stay away from this manga to maintain peace of mind. And I am truly grateful to those who always support me. Thanks to all of you, I can continue my work. Thank you to everyone reading this.”
Title: All My Neighbors are Convinced the Female Knight from My Rice Field Is My Wife
Creators: Manga by Otoha Saori, Story by Renkinou, Character Design by Kaito Shibano
Date: October 27th
Synopsis: Jin Mita lives as a farmer in a small town in the countryside. One morning, he discovers a female knight collapsed in his rice paddy. Her name is Seraphim, and it appears that she has come from another world. She knows nothing about how this world works and has nowhere to go. Unable to just ignore her plight, Jin suggests that she live with him, leading to his neighbors believing that she's his wife! Farm work under the sun, and meals made with fresh ingredients...this is the start of a story about living a relaxing life with a female knight in the countryside!
Comment from Otoha Saori: “This work is a manga depicting the quiet life of the main character, who is a farmer, and the heroine, a female knight from another world, living comfortably in the Japanese countryside. There's a lot of Japanese culture and beautiful scenery, so I hope you'll read it!”
Title: The Great Queen Victoria Winner Ostwen Has Arrived!
Creators: Manga by Hajime Shinjo, Story by Matsuri Kuragezaki
Date: November 10th
Synopsis: Lady Victoria Winner is about to have her engagement to Prince Frederic called off. Any other noble lady would cry or lash out, but not Victoria. Instead, she decides that she will simply not allow it. Whether it be broken engagements, assassination attempts, or plots against her from the nobility, there is nothing that the great Victoria cannot overcome! Welcome to the most majestic of romcoms!
Title: Versus
Creators: Story by ONE, Manga by Kyoutarou Azuma, Organized by bose
Date: November 25th
Synopsis: The Demons are the human's natural enemy. For several hundred years, they've tortured and toyed with the human race... The world is under the reign of The Great Demon King and his 47 Demon Lords. While humans lived in fear, 47 heroes were picked from across the world to dispose of the Demon King's Army. Now, with humanity's fate on the line, the final battle against the demons is about to begin...
Comment from ONE: “I'm glad you are reading this! I really hope you enjoy it.”
Comment from Kyoutarou Azuma: “I will do my best to draw good artwork every month!”
Comment from bose: “I hope that this unusual new type of battle manga will become a big hit across the ocean!”
Title: Tank Chair
Creator: Manabu Yashiro
Date: To Be Announced
Synopsis: Nagi Taira was the strongest assassin until he fell into a coma protecting his younger sister from a bullet. However, his unique physical constitution allows him to regain consciousness for a short time when “intent to kill” is directed toward him.
Now begins Nagi's “rehabilitation”! He will fight powerful targets in his custom wheelchair until he achieves a full awakening!
The talented Manabu Yashiro brings you this most sinister antihero's violent, action-packed tale!!
Comment from Manabu Yashiro: “I have always loved American comics, especially those that feature heroes who wear masks. Tank Chair is a completely new ‘hero comic’ that I drew in the Japanese manga style. I hope you enjoy it!"
Title: Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!
Creators: Manga by Chika Mizube, Story by Kanata Hoshi, Character Design by Peperon
Date: To Be Announced
Synopsis: Melphiera is an earl's daughter who's shunned by most of the nobility, thanks to rumors about her proclivity for monster-based cuisine. When she attends a party in hopes of finding someone to wed, she's attacked by a vicious monster—only to be saved by Aristide of Galbraith, feared as the “Blood-Mad Duke.” He begins to take a liking to Melphiera…and before long, he's even interested in the “hobby” she never dared to tell anyone else! Love, battle, and great cuisine await in this romantic fantasy!
Title: Invincible Card Summoner: A Demon-Slaying F Rank Adventurer
Creators: Story by Kazuaki Kuwano, Manga by Ichiba Sugawara, Character Design by Rean
Date: To Be Announced
Synopsis: Kanata sits in an empty classroom playing card games on his phone…until an earthquake traps him in an otherworldly dungeon ruled by a demon! But there, he discovers that he can summon the 300 cards from the game and invoke their powers! Can he fight his way to freedom with his card gaming skills?!
Halloween Campaign:
To help readers discover new stories, K MANGA will run a Halloween campaign from October 20th to October 31st. The following horror titles will have free chapters available for a limited time during the campaign:
As the Gods Will The Second Series - 23 free chapters
Starving Anonymous - 24 free chapters
Fort of Apocalypse - 11 free chapters
Since its launch in May 2023, K MANGA has distributed hundreds of manga titles in English with notable titles such as Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Spirit!, Heavenly Delusion, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord, In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, Lightning and Romance, Skip and Loafer, and Space Brothers.
K MANGA also distributes simulpub titles in English with notable ones including A Sign of Affection, DEAD ROCK, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Clayman Revenge, Tune In to the Midnight Heart, and Chihiro-kun Only Has Eyes for Me. Before the end of the year, K MANGA will have added over 100 additional titles to its service since its launch in May. K MANGA plans to continually add even more titles to its service for readers to enjoy.
About K MANGA
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1637040002
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kodansha.kmanga
Website: https://kmanga.kodansha.com/
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/KMANGA_KODANSHA
About Kodansha
KODANSHA Ltd. is Japan's leading publishing house based in Tokyo, having delivered stories into ready hands across the globe with a wide variety of content from manga to novels, fashion magazines, news journals, and picture books for children, as well as TV anime, movies, series, and video games since 1909 in the spirit of “Inspire Impossible Stories.” KODANSHA is globally recognized as the licensor of some of the world's most loved manga IPs, such as AKIRA, Attack on Titan, and Ghost in the Shell. Their digital book platform, MAGAPOKE was launched in July 2015 and to date has been downloaded nearly 20 million times. For more information, visit:
www.kodansha.com/
