On the first day of Anime Expo Lite, we were first introduced to the VIZ Media Industry Panel which featured the English voice actresses for Naruto, Boruto, and Sakura Maile Flanagan, Kate Higgins, and Amanda C. Miller along with a Q&A segment.
VIZ Media also featured many exciting announcements including new reveals for both digital and print manga titles scheduled for Spring 2021. Some of which included a new Junji Ito collection, a new Dr. Stone reboot manga and more.
Additional details on the new VIZ Media titles announced can be found below.
New Manga Titles
Dr. Stone Reboot: Byakuya by Boichi and Riichirou Inagaki
Synopsis:
Join Senku’s father Byakuya on his adventure in space as the world turns to stone! One fateful day, all of humanity turned to stone. Luckily, Byakuya and a group of astronauts were able to escape the petrification process. Can they get back to earth and save humanity?!
Asadora! by Naoki Urasawa
Synopsis:
It’s 2020 and Tokyo is on fire! A large, mysterious creature rampages through the city destroying everything in its path. Cut to 1959. We meet a spunky young girl, Asa. As one of 11 siblings, Asa is constantly forgotten. Most people can’t even remember her name. So, when she is kidnapped for ransom (by a guy who mistakes her for a doctor’s kid), no one bats an eye—not even when a typhoon hits! Now Asa and her kidnapper must work together to survive the brutal storm. But there’s more to her kidnapper and this storm than meets the eye.
Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book by nodoka
Synopsis:
An illustrated guide to Japanese style! Building a wardrobe is expensive and time-consuming…but it doesn’t have to be! Looking good is easier than ever, and all it takes is a little bit of care. Buying a few simple items in basic colors that you can mix and match in a variety of ways will take you far. This comic book guide to fashion will show you how to introduce a Japanese flourish into your wardrobe with easy tutorials, suggestions for wardrobe essentials, and styling tips on pulling it all together!
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata
Synopsis:
Surviving a zombie apocalypse beats being a wage slave any day! After spending years slaving away for a soul-crushing company, Akira’s life has lost its luster. He lives in a trash-filled apartment, his pay is abysmal, and he can’t even muster up the nerve to confess his love to his beautiful co-worker. But when a zombie apocalypse ravages his town, it gives him the push he needs to live for himself. Now Akira’s on a mission to complete all 100 items on his bucket list before he…well, kicks the bucket.
Beast Complex By Paru Itagaki
Synopsis:
These short stories are the precursors to BEASTARS and are very much in the same style and set in the same world. Any fan would like them, and they also stand on their own. There is one super dark BDSM story in typical BEASTARS style (a wolf eats a camel’s hand on a date). It’s not always clear what the symbolic meaning of these violent incidents are, but basically, like the series BEASTARS, the stories deal with prejudice, alienation, discrimination, identity, diversity, primal impulses vs. civilization and self control. Thought provoking and beautifully illustrated. For readers: Seven short stories that set the scene for the best-selling BEASTARS series! In these seven stories, a menagerie of carnivores and herbivores face challenges based on their differences and try to find common ground.
Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito
Synopsis:
An innocent love becomes a bloody hell in another superb collection by master of horror Junji Ito. Ryusuke returns to the town he once lived in because rumors are swirling about girls killing themselves after encountering a bewitchingly handsome young man. Harboring his own secret from time spent in this town, Ryusuke attempts to capture the beautiful boy and close the case, but… Starting with the strikingly bloody “Lovesickness,” this volume collects ten stories showcasing horror master Junji Ito in peak form, including “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings” and “The Rib Woman.
Call of the Night By Kotoyama
Synopsis:
A vampire romantic comedy through a male point of view brimming with teenage angst. The high school protagonist is clueless about his feelings and desires. There’s a lot of “What is this I’m feeling? Why is my heart beating fast? Why do I miss her? Am I attracted to her? Is this love? No way! Waggghhhh!” The female vampire is super confident and assertive which is fun. Plus she wears short shorts. And there’s an innocent female human who’s also interested in our hero to act as a foil for her. It’s silly, funny, cute, and ridiculous. For readers: Antisocial, dorky boy seeks fun-loving, sexy vampire for blood-sucking and transforming into her minion. One night, sleepless Yamori slips out of his home to walk the streets of his town. Life after dark is a revelation! Especially when he meets flirtatious Nanakusa… She’s a lot more fun to share the night with than old drunks on park benches. When she invites him to spend the night at her place in an abandoned building, he’s stoked! But then he awakens to kisses on his neck with a little too much bite to them…
The King’s Beast by Rei Tōma
Synopsis:
In this kingdom, Ajin are considered no better than beasts. The men are sent to war, the women serve in brothels. Those who are lucky enough to live to old age spend their last years doing degrading, menial work. Boys who show signs of magical ability must serve the imperial family in the palace. Rangetsu’s twin brother is sent to the palace to serve the Prince Tenyou, but he only lasts a short time before he is murdered. Rumors say his master was the one who aimed the blade, and Rangetsu decides to puts aside her femaleness in order seek revenge. After years of excelling on the battlefield, she has finally found her way to Prince Tenyou’s side. But he isn’t what she expected, and the webs of intrigue in the palace is more tangled and venomous than she imagined. Can Rangetsu find her vengeance before she too falls prey to palace plots, and will her inconvenient feelings for the Prince Tenyou be a hindrance or a help?
What do you think of these new titles? What’s your favorite manga from VIZ Media? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.