Ki-oon, the publishing house whose reputation is well established, has some good surprises in store for this first quarter of 2021. Whether you prefer Seinen, Shojo or Manhwa, you should be able to find your happiness!
My Broken Mariko
My Broken Mariko, by HIRAKO Waka, is a seinen focused on drama and slice of life. The series will consist of only one volume available from January 28 .
When Tomoyo learns on the news of her friend Mariko's death, she can't believe her ears. Yet they had seen each other the week before, without anything to suggest such a tragedy. Mariko, with a broken youth, who had boundless admiration for him and who probably committed suicide… Tomoyo does not contain her rage: she must find a way to pay a last tribute worthy of the name to her only confidante. No question of letting the violent father of the girl take matters into his own hands! Upset and confused, she rushes to his house, steals the funeral urn and, despite the blows, screams the angry words that Mariko has kept inside her all these years! With the precious ashes under his arm, Tomoyo embarks on a frantic race, in search of the ideal place to disperse… but also salvation, for her friend as for herself.
The Apothecary's Notebooks T01 and T02
The Apothecary's Notebooks is a series written by Hyuga Natsu, Nanao Ikki and drawn by Nekokurage. In Japan, the series currently has 7 volumes published by Square Enix. In France, volume 1 will be available from January 21, 2021. Volume 2, meanwhile, will be published on March 04, 2021.
At 17, Mao Mao had a complicated life. Trained at an early age by an apothecary from the pleasure district, she finds herself kidnapped and sold as a servant in the women's quarter of the imperial palace! Surrounded by high walls, it is cut off from the outside world. In order to survive in this luxury prison teeming with conspiracies and dirty tricks, the girl tries to hide her knowledge to blend in. But when the suspicious deaths of newborn princes stir the court, his passion for poisons takes over. She observes, investigates… and find the solution! By wanting to do well, here she is spotted … Jinshi, a handsome and calculating high-ranking official, guesses her talent and promotes her as the personal taster of one of the emperor's favorites. In the middle of this nest of snakes, the slightest misstep can be fatal!
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds, the famous work of H. G. Wells is adapted by Sai IHARA and Hitotsu YOKOSHIMA. This is probably one of the most anticipated novelties of this beginning of the year. It will be necessary to wait until February 04, 2021 to be able to discover this new version.
In 1901, the daily life of the small English town of Mayberry was turned upside down by an incredible event: a huge metal cylinder crashed nearby… However, a few days earlier, an unusual glow had been observed on Mars. No doubt, the object comes from the red planet! The population rushes to examine it and eagerly awaits the opening of what appears to be a spaceship. A sprawling creature appears at the top… and attacks the crowd by destroying everything in its path! The next day, other Martians land and attack the countryside from the top of huge tripod robots. Human weapons are no match for the invader… There is only one way to survive: escape!
Outsiders T01
Outsiders is a shojo by KANOU Akira. Currently being published in Japan, the first volume will be available on February 18 in France.
Ema is a high school student full of energy and resources. When her older sister doesn't give any news, she sets out on her trail in the middle of the night… to find her fainted in the arms of a vampire in the middle of a fight against a werewolf! Spotted, she is knocked out and carried away by the bloodsucker. But his kidnapper is none other than Tamaki, a collaborator of his sister! Even more surprising, the one he was confronting is both his employee and his protégé, Taiga… The two supernatural creatures coexist in hiding, even though their nature destines them to destroy each other. How can they live well together? For centuries, the vampire has used his power of amnesia to hide their identity and blend into human society. Strangely, his technique does not work on the girl… She agrees to keep their secret, but is determined to keep an eye on them!
Bastard
Bastard is originally a Korean webcomic. The latter will be one of the first works to integrate the new collection of the Ki-oon publisher, Toon. In addition, the series, by Carnby KIM and Youngchan HWANG, will consist of 5 volumes. The first volume will be available on March 14, 2021 at a price of €15.
Around Jin High School, the disappearances of women are multiplying… The young boy lives in an upscale neighborhood thanks to the success of his father, CEO.G. of a large company. One might think that he has everything to be happy, but the teenager suffers from the absence of his mother and a lonely life. His only reference point is his father: always ready to help others, he is known for his charitable actions. However, his friendly airs conceal a serial killer with limitless cruelty… It is he who hides behind the disappearances! And Jin is in a good position to know this, since he has been playing the role of bait for years to ensure his own survival! His mission? Lure the victims and knock them out with sledgehammers before handing them over to their executioner… But when the next designated target is the new student in his class, the only one who has ever been interested in him, it is the click. For the first time, he decides to rebel: who will come out alive from this implacable father-son duel?
The One Who Haunted the Darkness
The One Who Haunted the Darkness is an adaptation of Lovecraft's famous novel by Tanabe Gô. This seinen will be available from 04 March 2021.
In the city of Providence, the young writer Robert Blake seems fascinated by a strange abandoned church. As he finally ventures into this perverted place of worship, he discovers the Necronomicon, a cursed work of black magic, and unwittingly invokes evil forces that are beyond comprehension… During the First World War, an escaped officer was lost at sea. Exhausted, he faints in his boat and, when he wakes up, realizes that he has run aground on a disturbing island, covered as far as the eye can see with carcasses of sea beasts…
Ragnagna and I T01
Finally, we will introduce you to Ragnagna and me, a slice-of-life seinen that will address an amazing theme, the menstrual cycle through small stories. Currently, 4 volumes are being published in Japan. In France, Volume 1 will be published on March 18, 2021.
Puncture of blood, punch in the bowels, chloroform effect: when Ragnagna arrives, she never does in lace. His arrival is as feared as his prolonged absence can worry … She knows that she is hated and, yet, she fulfills her monthly mission with unfailing professionalism! Ragnagna has always been a part of women's lives and, against all odds, she may well be their best ally. Tensions in the couple, stress at work, fight against evil … like a heroine of the shadows, Ragnagna is always on the side of women because, despite everything, she understands them better than anyone. But do you really know her? It shares a good part of our existence, so we might as well learn to tame it!
Did any of these series catch your attention? While waiting for their upcoming releases, we invite you to discover a series already available at ki-oon, Dead Company!
