VERTICAL – serie

Tsutomu Nihei, master of the mysterious architectural monolith, brings his genius to bear on the fantasy genre for the first time. Having established himself with hit series like Blame! and Knights of Sidonia, he has now created a gritty, dark fantasy world and populated it with evil sorcerors and unique undead horrors. The ingenuous farmboy Yuva must accompany a contingent of knights through the increasingly dangerous floors of massive tower on the way to rescue the princess, Nihei bringing his unique sensibility to bear on a crumbling world of malformed creatures, wounded soldiers, and labyrinthine darkness.An evil necromancer slays the king and carries off his daughter, secreting her in the legendary Dragon Tower. To save the princess, her steadfast Royal Guard assays the stronghold, but the way is blocked by powerful eldritch creatures… So, to supplement their forces in the face of mounting casualties, they press ordinary folks from the surrounding villages into service—including Yuva, a sturdy young farmboy with a strong back but no experience in battle, and only a battered old helm and wooden shield to protect him.Master of science fiction Tsutomu Nihei (Blame!, Knights of Sidonia) turns his unique storytelling voice and architectural eye to fantasy for the first time, offering a dark, gritty tale of swords and sorcery, bravery and adventure, great heroes and ultimate evil. Gird your loins, heft your blade, and enter the Dragon Tower.

From the renowed artist Boichi comes a gorgeous and shocking hard-boiled sci-fi classic!"Boichi crafts a smart futuristic thriller with an interesting premise and delivers it with skill. Recommended." - Otaku USAWhen you develop emotions, will you fall in love with me?Nothing can change Mai’s feelings for Origin—not even the revelation that he’s a robot. After a narrow escape from a deadly foe, they go on the run together, Origin pledging to protect Mai no matter the cost. But even in the snowy reaches of Hokkaido, their pursuers are hot on their trail—!!

Tastiest Festival Ever It’s day one of the Harvest Festival, the survival game-slash-rank promotion exam that pits first-years against each other! But while it’s off to the races for the Misfit Class demons, who waste no time raking in the points, Iruma...settles in for a tasty supper?!

"Flying Witch emphasizes that while actual magic is nice, there is ultimately magic in everything." --Anime News NetworkThe Host with the Most Preparations for the Great Sabbath, a worldwide witchy event held once every twenty years, have kicked into full gear, and to Makoto’s delight, Aomori is on the list of candidate host cities. She, Akane, and Maria try to amplify its appeal to the judges who have come to tour the city—only to be blindsided by a very sneaky sabotage campaign. It also comes to light that a missed milestone has put Chinatsu in dicey spiritual territory. Now, it’s up to Makoto to save her soul!

Highly-acclaimed manga author Shuzo Oshimi brings his critical cinematic eye to this original one-shot, a dark, intriguing prologue to director Eisuke Naito's newly-released horror film Toxic Daughter. The story follows friends Yua and Koudai who decide to save their delinquent classmate Chi, only to find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness that seems to haunt everything she touches.From the minds of Shuzo Oshimi, highly-acclaimed author of Blood on the Tracks and The Flowers of Evil, and director Eisuke Naito comes a chilling manga-movie collaboration You can’t hide your darkness from ChiIt’s been years since Chi, a mysterious outcast and borderline dropout, and her childhood friend Yua last spoke. One day, Chi shows up to school with a handful of dead bugs and starts a commotion that gives Yua’s classmate, golden boy Kodai, an idea: he’s going to bring Chi back into the fold, and he needs Yua’s help to do it. But good intentions can lead to bad places, and the darkness in Chi may be more dangerous than they ever imagined.

From the renowed artist Boichi comes a gorgeous and shocking hard-boiled sci-fi classic!"Boichi crafts a smart futuristic thriller with an interesting premise and delivers it with skill. Recommended." - Otaku USAFather, this world isn'’t beautiful in the slightest.The death of Mai Hirose has finally awakened selfhood and emotion within Origin—but all he feels is endless sorrow and a consuming, fiery rage.Hell-bent on exacting vengeance for the woman he had sworn to protect, Origin infiltrates the underground hideout where his robot siblings await, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake…!

IT’S ALL-OUT WAR Glib high schooler Kei has discovered to his horror that death is just a repeatable event for him—and that humanity has no mercy for a demi-human. When more of their kind come out of the woodworks…their morals vary, to say the least.The breathless nightmare trip Ajin: Demi-Human, finally available in omnibus format. A thriller that just keeps on getting better and deeper.

Gamon Sakurai's hit dark fantasy series now in a new omnibus format! "Ajin is an action-packed, supernatural thriller - and there are some scenes of some seriously bad-ass action - while underneath, it tackles issues of society, discrimination, and of course, mortality." - KotakuTHE ENEMY IS BOREDOM Another action-packed installment treats the reader to a bit of demi-human ringleader Sato’s backstory before cascading into a bravura battle of guns and wits. Coldblooded hero Kei knows uncannily well what makes his adversary tick—and begins to prove his match.The breathless nightmare trip Ajin: Demi-Human, finally available in omnibus format. A thriller that just keeps on getting better and deeper.

A seminal work of horror from 1993, this classic from the author of Dragon Head is finally appearing in English for the first time. Incorporating elements of psychological horror and urban legend, and credited with introducing the idea of stalking to Japan, Mochizuki's early masterpiece remains just as terrifying as it was when it first appeared over 30 years ago.Hiroshi Mori is an ordinary college student leading an unremarkable life, until one day the doorbell rings…This 1993 horror classic from Minetaro Mochizuki (Dragon Head) plays on urban legends to exploit our fear of the seemingly mundane world around us, and is credited with introducing the concept of stalking to Japan. Finally appearing in English for the first time, Hauntress remains just as terrifying as it was when it first showed up on our doorstep over 30 years ago.

Amidst the anxieties of preparing for his final year in high school, film club cameraman Mao plucks up his courage and asks his boyfriend Hisashi to take a big step forward in their relationship. But what seemed like a great idea at first leads to a whole series of other questions that leave Mao at a loss and the two at a crossroads. And just when they most need some quality time together, Mao and Hisashi are forced to split up for a school field trip that threatens to disrupt their connection—and attracts unexpected attention from a clandestine figure lurking in the shadows. 18+

The original light novel series of the popular isekai manga with an anime adaptation now on Crunchyroll!Reincarnated in an alternate world, Haruto Zenfis is living the dream as a carefree shut-in…at the royal magic academy. Things aren’t going exactly to plan, but what’s wrong with a little hiccup?Just as he’s finally getting settled into his days of sleeping in, watching anime, and enjoying his little sister Char’s company, a school-wide magic competition begins.It’s just a school event—no biggie, right? Wrong!Here we have yet another mysterious transfer student situation, and they’re already getting way too chummy with Char!Meanwhile, the final showdown between mother and son is looming…Check out volume six of Am I ­Actually the Strongest? featuring more monsters, more magical girls, and a giant shiny new toy!

Ryota Sato finds himself transported to a world where everything drops from monsters in dungeons. Armed with his unique skill and reliable friends in the Ryota Family, he saves the day! But suddenly, a new Family Member appears before him who can power up Ryota’s abilities!

"There’s a lot to like here as we watch two dorky leads get to know one another and learn to enjoy life in an environment that’s safely away from all the hardships they’ve faced in the past.  9/10" - Anime UK News“You are the only person in the whole world who can curb me!”Powerful sorcerer Allen and his crew arrive at his old stomping grounds, the Athena Magical Academy, only to find it in the throes of a fierce battle for campus dominance—and Charlotte’s little sister Natalia at the very center of it all! While Allen joins the fray and kicks things up by several naughty notches, Charlotte goes undercover as his assistant to get closer to Natalia. But just as their plan to bring peace to the academy and reunite the two sisters hits a critical juncture, Natalia vanishes into thin air!

A massive cultural phenomenon, made even bigger by the hit anime based on it. To this day, "Ashita no Joe" remains one of the most important manga of all time, and now it will finally see the light of day in English for the first time!BACK ACROSS THE BRIDGE OF TEARSAfter a stunning clash between Rikiishi’s finely honed skill and Joe’s raw, unbridled gift, both are released from Toko Reformatory—but Joe has a lot of catching up to do. His rival is already making waves on the pro circuit, and while Rikiishi has expensive, state-of-the-art training facilities, Joe has nothing but a makeshift gym down by the river. Danpei inspires him to dream of walking back across the so-called bridge of tears and into the limelight, but when the old pug’s reputation catches up with him, it looks like Joe might be shut out of the pros forever…

A massive cultural phenomenon, made even bigger by the hit anime based on it. To this day, "Ashita no Joe" remains one of the most important manga of all time, and now it will finally see the light of day in English for the first time!RIVALRY GIVES WAY TO OBSESSIONJoe's cunning and intuition have forced open the door to the pro career he feared might be locked away forever, his showdown with Rikiishi now tantalizing within reach...but he'll have to fight his way through rookie-of-the-year Wolf Kanagushi first! Reckoning with the fact that instinct alone—even the instincts of a natural-born boxer—may not be enough to carry the day, Joe gets serious about his training. But Rikiishi is serious too—deadly serious. How far will these two go to settle the score...?Hitmaker Asao Takamori was arguably the biggest manga author of his day, while Tetsuya Chiba, winner of innumerable awards, was recently given the prestigious Order of Culture by the Japanese government, the first manga artist ever to receive that honor.

From Kaori Ozaki, author of the gods lie. and Mermaid Prince, comes another poignant exploration of love, family, and belonging.After leaving her isolating life in Tokyo, 34-year-old Nichiko returns to her remote island hometown for her estranged alcoholic father’s final days. There she meets Chimaki, an eccentric young man who stirs up old memories—and feelings Nichiko had all but decided she no longer deserved. But despite his puppy-like enthusiasm for life, Chimaki’s almost obsessive need to help those around him seems to be compensating for an unspeakable past...

Can Mitsuha collect 80,000 gold coins so she can live a leisurely retirement!? The anticipated anime now streaming!Just as business in the New World is starting to look stable, Mitsuha learns that something hostile is afoot in the Kingdom of Vanel… They’re on the brink of war!All of her hard work will go to waste if she doesn’t do something to stop her enemy from gaining too much power.Time to get busy! Training the Zeglusian navy, planning a maritime warfare tactic… How will Mitsuha use her world-jumping ability to solve the crisis?Meanwhile, our busy heroine has no idea of the tension running between…Beatrice and Colette?! Behold, the (fabricated) miracles of the Goddess!

The Suzume saga reaches its climax in this thrilling adaptation of the worldwide blockbuster hit by Makoto Shinkai, director of 5 Centimeters per Second and Your Name!Suzume and Souta catch up to the capricious god Daijin after chasing him all over Japan, only to find that the earthquake-inducing Worm he was meant to seal away has broken free of its final binds. As certain disaster threatens to decimate Tokyo, Souta asks Suzume to help him make the ultimate sacrifice and take Daijin’s place in the Ever-After. Now, desperate to save Souta from an eternity in the cold, Suzume sets off on one last trip back to the site of her greatest tragedy in hopes of digging up memories that could provide the key to rescuing Souta—and to the door to her destiny.

"A story that is by turns sweet, fascinating, and bitter, seasoned with all of the skill of a talented author and worth your time." - Anime News NetworkFrom the James Tripee Award Winning author, Fumi Yoshinaga, comes a casual romance between two 40-year-old men and the many meals they share together.The big day is finally here: Gilbert and Kohinata are groomed up and ready to profess their love for each other before the most important people in their lives. But amidst the glitz and the gorgeous feast at this luxury wedding, it’s Shiro who leaves everyone speechless when his toast takes a totally unexpected turn. And while this fresh beginning may be welcome, other changes to the neighborhood rock Shiro and Kenji’s world—and their daily diet—and kick off the shaky start to a whole new era.

Off to the Harvest After completing grueling training regimes under their elite instructors, the Misfit Class demons are revamped and ready to take on their next exam: a netherworldly trial of survival. Let the Harvest Festival begin!!

The hit light novel series with over 30 million online views in Japan, now with an anime to premiere in 2024!Ars Louvent, petty lord and former Japanese businessman, hasn’t been reincarnated into the easiest of circumstances. He’s not much of a strategist and certainly isn’t a fighter, but he does have one trick up his sleeve: a skill called Appraisal, which he uses to gather a host of capable retainers from all walks of life to aid and protect him!Thanks largely to the skills and efforts of his retainers, Ars has proven himself a force to be reckoned with and racked up a fair share of achievements. The more he displays his power, however, the more his foes come to fear it, and one of them has cooked up a truly fiendish scheme to do away with the young count once and for all. Ars soon finds himself on the wrong end of a killer’s blade, kicking off a life-or-death race to save him. The time has come for House Louvent’s retainers to face their greatest crisis yet!

An amazing blend of art styles combine with hard-SF elements and meta-comedy to create a comic truly unlike any other!Not long after Segami witnesses the self-defense forces launch a suicide attack against the aliens in a desperate act of defiance, he receives news from his mother that steels his resolve to fight as well. With the Small Three in tow, Segami joins the insurrection group rebellion, and sets out ahead of his miniature comrades to take part in the Shibuya operation—a guerrilla attack against the invaders! Meanwhile, Futaba awakens from her slumber aboard the alien ship, only to find herself surrounded by armed soldiers who attack her without warning, forcing her to confront the alien menace at last!

Seamlessly mixing secret agent-type action with slice-of-life vignettes and fish-out-of-water comedy, "Shimazaki in the Land of Peace" is the charming alternate history political thriller you never knew you were dying to read. Utterly unique, with stunning artwork, this hit series promises to keep the thrills and surprises coming even as it warms even the coldest heart.Shingo Shimazaki, kidnapped as a child and forced to become a covert operative for the terrorist League for Economic Liberation, is trying to leave his life of violence behind—but the LEL has other ideas. After a bloody skirmish, Shimazaki makes it home wounded but alive. Returning to the smaller yet no less significant battles of everyday life brings its own challenges, however, along with a succession of firsts: shopping for clothes, raising a puppy, becoming a mascot for the local shopping district…?!