NYCC 2024: Kodansha Reveals new print and digital manga licenses

As announced at New York Comic Con 2024, Kodansha revealed their latest slate of new manga coming to print in Fall 2025, including manga for younger readers like Sheeta’s Little Big World, suspense thrillers like Nezumi’s First Love, an emotional spectrum of BL titles like My Instructor Won’t Yield and Shoot Juliet Down, as well as an upcoming Witch Hat Atelier box set, and new editions of AKIRA. 

Not only that, Kodansha also unveiled new publishing initiatives for the soccer-centric hit Blue Lock and the wine-focused drama The Drops of God. 

Further, Kodansha announced an upcoming translation of Totto-chan, The Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel, the long-awaited second installment to Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Guinness World Record-breaking memoir which won over the hearts of more than 25 millions readers worldwide.

And debuting digitally across the next two months: As the Gods Will, a pulse-pounding game-of-death saga (from Blue Lock writer Muneyuki Kaneshiro) and India Calling Me Now, a heart-warming travel and self discovery drama.

Titles announced for print will be available starting Fall 2025 at physical and online book vendors like Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon, and more, while November 2024 digital debuts will be available upon release across all participating vendors.

NEW & NOTABLE PRINT ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Kodansha to publish new volumes of Blue Lock every month starting July 2025

Accelerating toward the goal! 

The smash hit soccer action series is going monthly!

Starting in July 2025, Kodansha will release one print volume of Blue Lock every month until Kodansha is caught up with the Japanese release.

Hit wine-focused manga The Drops of God returns to print

Due to popular demand and on the heels of the fan-favorite Apple+ live-action drama, The Drops of God manga by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto returns to store shelves with Kodansha’s original 2-in-1 omnibus editions being reprinted.

A wine critic and his rival brother must compete against each other to determine who will inherit their father’s estate—a wine collection featuring 13 heaven blessed wines.

‘Drops of God’ live action series was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2024 International Emmy Awards. Apple TV announced season 2!

Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition of Koji Suzuki’s Ring Arrives November 2024

Perfect for horror fans and aficionados, Barnes & Noble is partnering with Kodansha to release an exclusive variant edition of Koji Suzuki’s chilling hit novel, Ring!

• Features all new art with a striking throwback mock VHS cover
• Contains sprayed page edges to mimic TV static
• Each copy comes with an insert of the original Ring cover with a printed Koji Suzuki signature

Totto-chan The Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel (Novel)

By Tetsuko Kuroyanagi 
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 16+

Over forty years ago, Japanese pop culture icon Testuko Kuroyanagi ended her childhood memoir shortly after her beloved school, Tomoe Gakuen, burned down beneath the American air raids of WWII. At last, she returns to continue little Totto’s tale, beginning with her family’s frantic effort to escape Tokyo and the worst of the war. Told with the same disarming charm that enamored over 25 million readers worldwide, this sequel invites us to see the harsh realities of war through the eyes of an ever-curious child who finds wonder in the darkest of places, and trace her path to becoming a trailblazing actress and philanthropist who forever changed the landscape of Japanese entertainment. 

NEW & UPCOMING DIGITAL LICENSES:

As the Gods Will

Story by Muneyuki Kaneshiro
Art by Akeji Fujimura
Debut Date: November 12, 2024
Rated: 18+

Deep down inside, high school student Shun Takahata craves for some excitement in his boring life…but his teacher’s head randomly exploding isn’t exactly what he had in mind. And when some of his classmates suddenly suffer the same fate, he begins to realize he’s been thrust into a series of deadly supernatural children’s games. Shun and fellow survivors are completely in the dark, not knowing who’s responsible, why it’s happening, or when it will end. To have any hope of unraveling the mystery behind the gruesome games, they’ll first have to outlast the games…and each other.

India Calling Me Now 

By Terako Shima
Debut Date: December 10, 2024
Rated: 13+

After years of struggling to get her work published, 28-year old manga artist Natsume is on the brink of giving up. When her boyfriend gets transferred to India and asks her to come, she takes it as a sign to finally let go of the dreams she’d pursued her whole life. But when she arrives and realizes that he sees her as little more than a dutiful future housewife, she dumps him on the spot and finds herself all alone in an unfamiliar land. Through her encounters with the resilient and radiant women she meets there, Natsume slowly finds the strength to follow her dreams once again.

FALL 2025 NEW PRINT LICENSES:

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: IruMafia Edition

By Hiroja 
Original Series by Osamu Nishi
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 13+

Get ready to meet the lovable cast of Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun as you’ve never seen them before!

In this brand-new spinoff of the runaway hit series, Iruma is a dirt-poor but unfailingly cheerful young boy who grows up in a ruthless city slum. One day, Iruma gives an injured old man his last loaf of bread and nurses the stranger back to health—only to find out that the elder gent is none other than Don Sullivan, head of the Babyl Mafia! Soon after, Don Sullivan comes back, whisks Iruma away, and begs the boy to become his grandson. And just like that, Iruma begins his new life as the next in line to lead a gigantic gang of—dare we say—demonic mafiosos!

Sheeta’s Little Big World

By Yuki Kamba
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 8+

Sheeta and Nala live happily inside a hollowed-out log with their fellow “littlefolk,” who stand no taller than a blade of grass. When Nala runs off one day to investigate a mysterious smoke signal, Sheeta must summon all his wit and courage as he sets off in pursuit. Rats, ants, weasels, giants… The wide world is full of dangers, but the plucky Sheeta will stop at nothing to find his friend. A charming new adventure manga for young readers and teens alike.

A Curtain Call for You

Story by Shiho Satou
Art by Kiki Emoda
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 13+

Shy, mousy Sakura Akutsu is content to keep her adventures confined to the pages of her notebook—until the brash, outgoing new transfer student Tsubame Hiiragi gets her hands on it, that is. The two secretly share the stories Sakura spins, but soon that secret proves too big to keep, and Tsubame whisks Sakura into a glittering world she could never have imagined!

As Sakura learns to be confident in who she is and ignore what others think, Tsubame learns to go below the surface and dig deep for emotional truths that may have eluded her… Together they’ll learn about art, love, truth, and most of all, the theater…!

This creative and emotionally rich series uses every visual tool available to express the confusion and elation of adolescence.

You Can’t Bluff the Sharp-Eyed Sister

Story by Natsu Hyuuga
Art by Yo Asami
Character Designs by Chiho Shinishi
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 13+

In a sleepy countryside church, Chloe plays the part of a prim and naïve novice, studying to become a priestess. But when night falls, she sneaks out in disguise to win big money at cards!

Despite her best efforts, word gets around, and one day a handsome young holy knight named Heraldo—known as a rising star in the capital—arrives to enlist her help. A murder two years ago threatens the stability of the kingdom, and Heraldo thinks this card shark in sister’s clothes can solve it using her Gift—the rare blessing that allows someone to use magic. Little does Heraldo know, there’s nothing supernatural about Chloe’s winning streak. She’s just got a quick wit, and sharp eyes! Will that be enough to survive the den of devils that is the royal palace?

The new fantasy mystery manga from the creator of The Apothecary Diaries!


My Instructor Won’t Yield

By Deme Kingyobachi
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 16+

A quirky, sweet BL romance that’ll have you turning the page at full throttle!

Chiba’s kind manner, clear guidance, and pretty face easily make him the favorite instructor of every female student at the driving school where he works. But, while he’ll play up his charms to get good reviews, Chiba is diligent about politely—but firmly—rejecting any romantic gestures or advances that may come his way. His well-crafted persona is put to the test when he is matched with the mysterious Yaotome, a new student gaining a reputation of his own as the “Sharp-Suited Prince.” Despite his cool looks and demeanor, Yaotome can hardly compose himself when Chiba begins their lesson. Is it just nerves, or is there something more to it…?

Shoot Juliet Down

By Komachi Katsura
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 18+

Love is a brutal battle between vanity and desire.

Amidst the dark glamor of host club Velvet Kiss, Juri—also called Juliet—commands a vice-like grip on the number one position. Impressed by this poker-faced beauty’s supreme reign, newbie and number-two host Akatsuki decides he must learn Juliet’s secrets—and shoot him down from the top of the pack. But Akatsuki’s first up-close taste of Juliet’s intoxicating charm leaves him craving more than he’d expected. And as he may soon learn, some secrets are better left in their bottles, and the bullet that shoots through one heart might take out more than it bargained for…

Nezumi’s First Love

By Riku Oseto
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 16+

Here’s the sweet, bloody yakuza love story we’ve all been waiting for! Nezumi was raised by the mob to be an emotionless killing machine, but a chance encounter in an arcade leads to a romance at total odds with everything she’s known. Equal parts ultraviolence and kawaii, Nezumi’s First Love turns both the hitman and love comedy genres on their heads!

Before You Go Extinct

Story by Takashi Ushiroyato
Art by Kanato Abiko
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 16+

A darkly comic look at the meaning and meaninglessness of life, through the eyes of various adorable and occasionally psychopathic species facing extinction.

A humble rock is at the center of this transmigratory tale of two souls who take the form of penguins, otters, crows, and more as they learn about the the value of culture, the beauty of play in the face of capitalist pressure to produce and reproduce, and the power of love in the face of total annihilation.

FALL 2025 BOX SETS & NEW EDITIONS:

Witch Hat Atelier Manga Box Set 1

By Kamome Shirahama
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 13+

Can’t get enough of Witch Hat Atelier? See where the magic began in this manga box set containing the first six volumes of the manga that inspired the hit anime, plus an exclusive set of art cards!

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows witches are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling witch. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem…

AKIRA Hardcover Collection

By Katsuhiro Otomo
Debut Date: Fall 2025
Rated: 18+

One of the most acclaimed and influential comics of all time, with the original Japanese art and right-to-left reading format, now available in single-volume, collectible hardcovers!

Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA, the dystopian, science fiction epic that changed anime and manga forever, returns in six beautiful hardcover collector’s edition volumes perfect for longtime fans and manga aficionados alike. Whether you’re a cult fan or are looking to dive into the world of Neo-Tokyo for the first time, there’s no better way to experience AKIRA than with these beautiful new hardcover editions, featuring the original Japanese art and right-to-left reading format.

Welcome to Neo-Tokyo, a city built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by a blast of unknown origin that triggered World War III, whose streets have been ceded to motorcycle gangs and the rich and powerful run dangerous experiments on destructive, supernatural powers that they cannot control. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that leveled Tokyo. At the core of the agency’s motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as Akira.

Source: Graphic Policy