The List
Summer 2020 Manga Announcements We're Excited For
by Stephanie Donaldson & Jacki Jing,
The last fortnight has been a very exciting time in the otaku community, with game, manga, light novel and anime announcements coming left, right and center. It's clear there's a whole heap of otaku goodness to look forward to in 2021 and beyond. But let's take a moment to sift through the candy pile and focus on manga announcements. Fan favourite authors returning with new series, stories that are out of this world and romances that make your heart ache - let's look at what manga licenses have grabbed our attention!
Dungeon Toilet (licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment)
We've seen characters summoned to fantasy worlds to defeat ‘big bads’, save kingdoms and claim the title of the strongest of them all. And now we have a hero of a much more humble calling. Dungeon Toilet by Roots follows a hero who is on a mission to find the one true porcelain throne. To achieve his goal, he'll travel to unknown lands, meet unusual creatures and use unique materials to create the perfect toilet. We gotta respect a hero who's got his priorities right! Seven Seas Entertainment has acquired the license to this rather peculiar tale. Volume 1 is set to be released in April 2021, and the third, final volume in July 2021. This has definitely caught our interest, and we're keen to plunge into it. Will the hero revolutionize the toilet or will it all go down the drain?
Mieruko-chan (licensed by Yen Press)
You wake up one day able to see horrible monsters that no one else can. If this was a movie, you'd join some demon slaying squad and be a hero, but this is real life, so, what do you do? If you answer, ‘pretend nothing ever happened’ -- you'd be the same as high schooler Miko. Mieruko-chan by Tomoki Izumi follows Miko, who tries to maintain her everyday life after awakening her sixth sense, by promptly ignoring every demon that appears before her. Despite the series being relatively new, it's gained quite the following worldwide. Many fans enjoy the series' interesting blend of horror and gag comedy. Yen Press will be licensing this series, but no word on when volume 1 will be released. Let's keep our eyes open for Mieruko-chan's spooky release!
Donuts Under a Crescent Moon (licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment)
If this whimsical title doesn't catch your attention, the art certainly will. Donuts Under a Crescent Moon is a yuri manga by Shio Usui. The story follows Hinako Ohno who tries to appear “normal” to her co-workers by focusing on makeup, fashion and boys. But on the inside, she's filled with self-doubt. But a meeting with a new co-worker, Asahi Satōh, could change all that. What starts off as a friendship, slowly builds itself into something more. We're looking forward to seeing how this mature, workplace romance will blossom. Donuts Under a Crescent Moon is Usui's first manga series, their other works have been oneshots. It's rare for an author's first serial work to be licensed, so we'll also be keeping an eye on the future of this clearly talented author! Seven Seas Entertainment will be releasing the first volume of this love story in February 2021, hopefully in time for Valentine's Day!
Under Ninja (licensed by Denpa Books)
Many manga readers would have at least heard of Kengo Hanazawa's I am a Hero, if not checked it out. In his latest work, we're stepping away from the zombies and jumping into the world of a modern ninja. Not much of the plot has been revealed, except that it follows a NEET Ninja (not a phrase we thought we'd ever use) whose latest mission is to infiltrate a high school. While the series is as secretive as its subject matter, with Hanazawa it's sure to be an exciting read! In late March, NHK's imagine-nation announced that the manga would be licensed in the United States, Italy, China and some other countries. However, they did not confirm which US publisher has picked it up. But now we know that Denpa is that lucky publisher! We can expect Under Ninja to release in Summer 2021. Don't let this one sneak past you!
Summer of You (licensed by Kodansha Comics)
Described as perfect for fans of I Hear the Sunspot, Summer of You appears to be another gorgeous story in the BL genre. The series focuses on the slow-burn romance of two high school boys who bond over their shared love of movies. Chiharu Saeki and Wataru Toda spend their summer together watching films and going on pilgrimages to filming sites. But as the summer goes on, mutual romantic feelings begin to grow. Let's be honest, a license of one of Nagisa Furuya's works is long overdue. Furuya crafts emotional, coming-of-age stories that pull at the heartstrings. That combined with their art style, well, it's a no brainer. Let's hope that this is the first announcement of many! Kodansha Comics has acquired the license to Summer of You, it will be available in digital and print form in Spring 2021. Don't miss it!
With so much going on in the world now, it's great to see that the manga industry has no intention of slowing down. The manga we've looked at today are just a very small selection of the exciting announcements from the last few weeks. It's fantastic to see how many upcoming stories will soon be released and ready for fans to jump into!
Now to last week's poll, we asked you what anime you'd love to see a reboot of, here are the results!
This week, tell us what manga license announcement you're pumped for! Vote by clicking the link!
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