Short Reads
The story of a girl called Ichiko, who lives alone in a forest. Each chapter features a dish or meal scavenged or harvested from Ichiko's surroundings in rural Komori ("little forest"). While there are no wild flights of fancy as in Witches or Hanashippanashi, the organic linework and majesty of nature featured within tap into that same source of magic. Little Forest is a very acquired taste on its own, but just another piece of the stunning tapestry Daisuke Igarashi continues to weave today. (Source: MU)
Fourty-eight-year-old salaryman Hiroshi Nakahara accidentally takes the wrong train to Tokyo after a business trip in Kyoto. He decides to accept his situation and sit back when he learns that the train is headed toward his hometown in Kurayoshi. As he walks the streets of his childhood neighborhood, Hiroshi realizes how significantly the place has changed in the 20 years since his mother died. While visiting her grave in the Genzen Temple, he is transported back into the body of his 14-year-old self. Retaining the memories and wisdom of his middle-aged mind, he is now an eighth grader in junior high school. Hiroshi's regained youth enables him to escape the reality of being an adult man with a wife and two daughters. Unaware how to return to his original time, he begins to relive his adolescence. During his time travel, Hiroshi attempts to uncover the reasons for his father's abandonment of the family in hopes of understanding him and his actions. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Aspiring little sorceress Ran Uruma feels frustrated as she frantically searches for her favorite pair of shoes. Despite her being just an elementary school child, those particular shoes allow her to transform into the body of an adult. Ran teems with magical potential but has yet to learn how to control it. Knowing this, her beast sorcerer brother Jin hides the shoes until she completes cleaning their house. Ran's mother Shizuka is one of the most powerful sorceresses to exist and must live far from home to look after the city. Head of their family and of all sorcerers, Zen is also often away attending business and has to leave Jin in charge of the household. Ran can be quite difficult to handle, and only a single pair of eyes is not enough to keep tabs on her every mischief. With the freedom she gets while no one's restricting her, Ran explores the magical abilities that drive her toward many fascinating adventures. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Part 1: Hiroshima, 1955. Ten years after the city was consumed by a scorching flash of light, a woman's soul is still deeply shaken by the earth-shattering explosion that devastated her home and changed her life forever... A family from Hiroshima struggles to come to terms with their survival of the atomic bombing of their city. The protagonist is Minami Hirano, about 20 years of age. Part 2: Set some decades later, the niece of Minami Hirano is bewildered by her father's mysterious disappearances. She and a friend follow him to discover what he is doing. The main theme of this is historic manga concerns the question what impact the war and the atomic bombing had on the most vulnerable. Fumiyo Kôno examines this question in her outstanding book—an award-winning, widely-discussed masterpiece!
On a visit to a city in the far west of Asia, a British girl named Nicola falls in love. The object of her affection is Mimar, a man who works at the city's bazaar—yet despite her attempts, he turns her down. Upon returning home to England, the ache of her unrequited love festers. After years spent obtaining wealth, fame, and the Secret of the World, Nicola returns to the bazaar to exact her deadly revenge upon Mimar and those he holds dearest. (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)
Fire Candy is about a future where most of humanity has lost the ability to reproduce normally. This has brought about the existence of "halves," people born from the genetic material of both humans and animals.
Fable is a legendary hitman who has completed numerous jobs for a variety of clients. After concluding his latest assignment, the number of people he has recently killed becomes too high, and Fable is ordered by his boss to lay low for a year. He is suggested that having to adapt to life as an ordinary citizen might prove a valuable experience for his future work. Fable is to be accompanied by the woman who acts as his driver, and the two will assume new identities as siblings. However, their boss warns them that they will both face a deadly punishment if Fable kills anyone during his time off. Thus begins Akira and Youko Satou's joint one-year sabbatical from the underworld. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
It's a collection of very short and mostly atmospheric stories dealing with urban legends, ghosts and superstitions all organized around a specific theme (school, visitors etc.). Some are just two pages long.
Junichi Naruse, an average guy with a passion for art, decides to pursue drawing and painting again. Upon doing so, he meets and falls in love with Megumi Hamura. After they start dating and eventually make the decision to live together, Junichi visits a real estate office. However, while attempting to save a child during a robbery, he is shot in the head. Regaining consciousness a month after the incident, Junichi's miraculous recovery is made possible by receiving a brain transplant from an unknown donor. As time passes, Junichi notices drastic changes to his personality, affecting his relationships as he struggles to maintain them. Gradually approaching the brink of insanity, he attempts to figure out the cause by determining who the donor is before losing sight of his own identity forever. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Ruka's dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans' fish. (Source: VIZ Media)
Mayo is the five dollar assassin who asks only five dollars for a killing. He is asked to kill the mother of a 12 year old prostitute, Shion, but leaves her alive out of pity. This event starts a chain of events which will shake the Asian economies to the core. (Source: ANN)
Although abandoned as a puppy, Happy now finds himself fit as a fiddle in the care of Miku's family. He plays with the youngster, goes on walks with the effusive Father, and munches on yummy food prepared by Mother. As such, there is no doubt that he is having the time of his life. Unfortunately, when Father develops a chronic disease, the strong familial bonds in the household slowly deteriorate. Little by little, the family grows more disjointed—until there is no one but Happy and Father left. Unable to earn a living in his condition, Father resolves himself and his dog to one aim: to travel to the far south. There may come ups and downs in their adventures, but Happy will always remain man's best friend. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Masterless samurai Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled and loyal swordsman, but his naïve, diffident nature has time and again caused him to be let go by the lords who have employed him. Hungry and desperate, he becomes a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a gang called "Five Leaves." Although disturbed by the gang's sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi's motivations are not what they seem. And despite his misgivings, the deeper he's drawn into the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated by these devious, mysterious outlaws. (Source: Sigikki)
A squid-like creature, known as a Happian, leaves his home planet with the desire to spread happiness across the universe. He lands on Earth, but quickly finds himself in danger of captivity by its inhabitants. Fortunately, he is found by an unsmiling little girl named Shizuka Kuze, who feeds him and names him Takopii. Feeling indebted, Takopii decides to do everything in his power to bring a smile to her face. The task is easier said than done, however. Shizuka is bullied by her classmates, she does not have a father, and her mother is never home—though the gravity of these issues flies over the naive Takopii's head. Even so, Shizuka does have one source of happiness: her dog Chappy. The connection Shizuka and Chappy share only increases Takopii's desire to make the girl smile. While Takopii's attempts to lift Shizuka's spirits lead to unintended consequences, he is determined to take things into his own tentacles, test his understanding of human beings, and achieve his goal of spreading happiness. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Every day in Japan, 2500 people die due to any number of causes. Do you think you'll be one of the ones to die? No, of course not. Do you think you'll win the lottery? You'd like to think so, we all would. But Sumida is different. He wants the status quo to remain in every way; live a normal life, get a normal job, have normal kids, never to be anyone fortunate or unfortunate, content in normalcy. Anyone who doesn't agree is foolish, doomed to live their life scraping up a mountain that they can never conquer, fated to die in despair wishing things had been better. When his mother kicks his father out of the house and onto the streets, he thinks he'll be fine. When his mother leaves him to live with her boyfriend, he makes the best of it. When he realizes that he's no longer average, he strives to make his life worthwhile the only way he knows how. When the demons in the back of his mind speak to him, he tries his best to ignore them. (Source: MU)
Novelist Shun Mizorogi is content with the mundaneness of his life that came along with his pseudo-celebrity status. However, it all comes crumbling down when it is revealed that a young woman, Aki Fujino, had called him moments before plunging to her death. When Mizorogi is summoned by the police to confirm the identity of the mangled corpse, he is informed of the existence of Sakura Miki—a spitting image of Aki and allegedly her identical twin sister—about whom little is known. But as the nature of Mizorogi and Aki's relationship comes to light, his latest book "Utsubora" brings about a troublesome public controversy. The unraveling of lies and deceit binds the fate of several people involved in this unsavory affair. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Gon, a tiny dinosaur with a huge attitude, has adventures as he travels through forests and rivers, swims with fish and even flies with birds. Gon and his animal friends communicate without speaking, with Gon giving the occasional bite to teach a bully a lesson. (Source: ANN)
The death of a boy's parents has interrupted his life. Years later, he is detached from the world around him. A motorcyclist comes along with a deep sound that may help him. Will he be able to start his life anew? (Source: Omanga)
The year is 1949. Japan had been defeated in World War II and was occupied by Allied Forces consisting of American, Australian, British, Indian and New Zealander troops. A young woman meets a young man. Both have lost everything because of the war. Tome Kano, a barmaid, and Katsuya Ranzaki, a wealthy investor. The two are fed up with their lives and want to live "real lives" for once. Katsuya's starting up an all-girls baseball team with Tome on it allows them to do this. In this dramatic story, the dreams of a nation come alive. Through the determination and strength of Katsuya and Tome, girls baseball becomes a sensation, and Tome a superstar. (Source: MU)
The story takes place in 1940 Germany under the Nazi regime, when SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler commanded a top secret mission in Wewelsburg, under the Führer. (Source: ANN)
Yuki Tachibana, a withdrawn first grader, is convinced that the fourth floor of his school is home to supernatural creatures that few kids (and no adults) can see and he's worried about a recent influx of new, less friendly creatures and about his ability to perceive the true shape of things waning as he gets older. Most of the other kids mock Yuki, who they think is crazy due to his strange pronouncements and peculiar actions, and, aside from the creatures he sees, his only social interactions are with the school's kindly and open-minded caretaker, a new transfer student named Makoto Suzuki who's allocated the desk next to his and an enigmatic boy named IQ who always wears a box over his head. (Source: MU)
This world is broken, so are humans. Shuu is one of them. He's a talented sniper who keeps a broken android, named Alice. Together they live like hermits and make living by exterminating caravan robbers, until one day the woman that Shuu saved invites him to live in a commune. (Source: Illuminati-Manga)
In a dystopian nation, a public prosperity law like no other is in effect: The National Welfare Act, in which citizens between the ages of 18-24 are selected to die for their country. Twenty-four hours before a nanocapsule carries out their death, the chosen receive notifications called "Ikigami" from government messengers. The government gives only one ostensible reason for the act’s purpose—to spread the value of life. Kengo Fujimoto is a newly instated Ikigami messenger who is indecisive on his stance of the act. Curbing his hesitation to avoid the watchful eye of the national police, Kengo decides that delivering the Ikigami will help shape his opinion. Ikigami follows how people act knowing that their final hours are upon them. Whether committing acts of kindness or crimes of passion, the chosen's actions have profound impacts on those around them, and it will ultimately lead Kengo to his decision. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
"Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows. This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence. So what are mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a "Mushishi," Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world's hierarchy of life. Ginko relentlessly chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer. It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
In a world ravaged by war, a young boy walks down a lonely road in the aftermath of his mother's death. Along his journey, he witnesses military tanks, dead bodies, and his beloved city in ruins. With eyes clouded by anguish, he pushes himself to keep moving forward. One morning, he meets a girl in an abandoned bus where he spent the night. Moments after their encounter, the area turns into a battlefield, and the pair escapes into a long abandoned lane. The two strangers decide to walk together to the end of the road, thus beginning a companionship that will ignite new hope inside their shriveled hearts. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Long ago, there was a god of light and a god of darkness. While those devoted to the god of light experienced happiness and good fortune, the god of darkness would play tricks on the people and steal their joy. And so, as the legend goes, the god of light decided to punish him by turning him into a monster. Enraged by this, the god of darkness wielded his punishment as a curse in order to inflict suffering upon others. Because of his actions, he was banished to the Outside, where he and his monstrous children are to remain for eternity, while those from the Inside must never come in contact with someone from the Outside, lest they be cursed with a hideous form. A little girl named Shiva, an Insider, is found by an Outsider she comes to know as Sensei. Though they cannot touch, Sensei cares for Shiva as best he can, and together they live a moderately happy life. But soon, Shiva not only finds herself in danger from the Outside, but from her own kind as well. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
The utopian metropolis of Zalem soars high in the skies, its presence dominating the horizon. Beneath it is the noxious underbelly known as The Scrapyard, where the city stockpiles all of its waste. Living amongst the vast heaps of garbage are humans and cyborgs, surviving by any means necessary. Daisuke Ido, a doctor specializing in cyborg repairs, finds the head of a young female cyborg while scavenging a pile of old android parts. Proceeding to build her a new body, he names her Gally. Upon activation, Gally does not seem to remember anything about her past life. Nonetheless, she does not seem to mind as long as she stays by Ido’s side. However, she soon discovers that Ido has a side job as a hunter-warrior, a bounty hunter working for The Scrapyard’s government. Despite Ido’s warning, she decides to become one herself, awakening her forgotten knowledge of fighting techniques. Equipped with newfound strength, Gally is determined to fight through the alleys of The Scrapyard and beyond, retrieving fragments from her past to rediscover her true identity. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
When you look up at the sky, what do you see? A blue sky? Freedom? A hopeful future? The people of Tokyo see none of these. Instead, an ominous alien mothership looms overhead, engulfing the city skyscape. Three years ago, they came. The arrival of the "Invaders" sparked the greatest war humanity had ever faced—one that threatened to end the world. The Japanese government scrambled to fight the Invaders. Weapons were mass-produced, sparking controversy and pacifist movements. That day, everything changed. And yet, nothing has changed. Kadode Koyama and Ouran Nakagawa live their final days like they always have: going to school, playing with friends, and doing what any carefree high school girls would do. As they grow up, they come to learn what it truly means to be an adult, in a world where adults seem to be demons who only deceive and destroy. They come to learn the real threat to humanity is not the Invaders, but humanity itself. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
In a surreal world of abundant wonders, Gil is a workshop town specialized in mechanical craftsmanship, boasting the largest population in the land of Piril. People lead simple lives with little to no advancement in technology, worshipping Marie, a mechanical Goddess who keeps vigil of Piril from the sky. Daughter of the top mechanical artisan of Gil, Pipi is a cheerful and popular young girl. She likes her childhood friend, Kai, who has an extraordinary ability to hear sounds inaudible to the human ear. He is the only one in town who can listen to Marie's "music." The soothing sounds that come from her are said to retain the peace and harmony of the land. Kai's affection for Marie deepens as he continues to experience these sounds and see visions of himself through her eyes. Exploring the fantasy world of Kai and Pipi, Marie no Kanaderu Ongaku tackles concepts of religion, technology, and what it truly means to be happy. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Set in fictional Rome, slaves, criminals, orphans, and monsters fight in the Colosseum. Losing means death. Winning means you live for another day. Fin, a talented gladiator, was raised and trained by the last living wyvern. Yet fate and the emperor are cruel to the two.
Set in the future, the plot follows Zouichi Kanoe and his AI companion Fuyu Kanoe, whose luminous form is integrated into the system of his motorcycle. They are agents sent by Toha Heavy Industries to retrieve humans with the ability to resist and transmute the N5S infection, which is spreading across the world, turning humans into "Drones"; disfigured, zombie-like beings. (Source: Wikipedia)
As a conclusion to his serialized work Resonance, mangaka Chikara Nagai plans to kill off Lin, one of the most important characters, in an unexpected turn of events according to the popular view. Following a session of mostly negative feedback from his editor, Nagai faces yet another sleepless night drawing the last few panels of his manga. In drowsiness, he discovers a furious Lin escaping after stealing the manga spread where he dies. Before Nagai can process anything, he gets sucked into the world of his own creation and finds himself amid a fight scene between the heroine, Satoko Miura, and the villain, "The Masque." Unable to distinguish between dream and reality, Nagai works with Satoko to search for an alternate ending to the manga, so he can find an exit and return to the real world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
At the Star Kids Home, a combination group home/orphanage, a disparate group of children struggle with both the everyday issues of growing up and those specific to abandoned or orphaned children. Their one avenue of escape is the Sunny, a junked car that sits a little ways from the home. In the Sunny they can travel the world, go into space, or just find a refuge from the troubles of their world. (Source: ANN)
In a world where all feeling is artificial and where everyone is a potential drug addict, nothing has really changed: the excess is near at hand and very few substances are considered dangerous and put under a strict control by a hygiene office, which has full power on the drug addicts, who are in extreme conditions. The main character is Kabu, a little peddler and heavy addicted. Used to any kind of hallucinogenic trip, he is able to feel the happiness through the ecstasy of the drug, while on the same time hypocritically hating those who gave birth to that society which has forced him to the excess. After an overdose caused by mixing two incompatible drugs, he spends his days looking for stimulants until he encounters an enigmatic man who offers him a new kind of illegal substance: Ultra Heaven. From that moment his incredible journey begins, where dream and reality are fused in an undivided world, causing him hysterical or joyful reactions and unrestrained pains. But what really is Ultra Heaven and who's really behind it? And who is the guru who is promoting the meditation as a powerful way to influence the whole universe surrounding us? With the help of a special amplifier helmet, Kabu starts a trip into the deep and hidden layers of his conscience, diving into a nightmare he would never discover... (Source: MU)
In the winter of 1967, a 20-year-old man returns home from his travels aboard a ferry, where a chance encounter forever alters his perception of the world around him. While relaxing in the cabin, he is approached by a beautiful yet enigmatic girl who introduces herself as Emanon; later that evening, the pair accompany each other to dinner. After seeing the man read a science fiction novel, Emanon offers to tell him her life story, saying that he doesn't have to believe it unless he wants to. And much to the man's surprise, she proceeds to inform him that her memory dates back over three billion years, to the very moment when life first appeared on Earth. Omoide Emanon tells the extraordinary tale of a girl who serves as the planet's witness—an inheritor of genetic memory that has been passed down her maternal line since the beginning of life itself. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Accepting only the comfort of her headphones, high school student Hikaru Takabe spends her time isolated from her classmates. However, her life takes a new turn when she meets a powerful intergalactic being named Horizon. As a result of the surreal incident leading to their encounter, Horizon must stay within Hikaru's body, much to her chagrin. Now armed with Horizon's powers of spatial manipulation, Hikaru is dragged into the mission that brought it to Earth: to destroy Maelstrom, a lifeform whose instinctive purpose is to kill every living being on whatever planet it finds itself on. For Hikaru, this not only involves partaking in an evolutionary game of cat and mouse, but also taking the first steps out of her shell. [Written by MAL Rewrite] Included one-shot: Volume 4: Hikikomori Headphone Girl (pilot)
Ooba Youzou is a troubled soul incapable of revealing his true self to others. A weak constitution and the lingering trauma from some abuse administered by a relative forces him to uphold a facade of hollow jocularity since high school. (Source: MU)
They wanted to die for their own reasons. Juri Mutou is the daughter of a once-famous pianist whose career came to an end after giving birth to her. After a traumatic event she experienced as a teenager, Juri has attempted suicide three times and has come to hate her mother. With her life clouded due to a dark past, her aunt Monica, a member of the clergy, invites her to visit a convict sentenced to death. Yuu is a death row inmate charged with murdering three people, leading to many attempts at ending his own life within his jail cell. He frequently receives letters from Monica, who hopes to help him, but sees this as an act of pity. But when Yuu decides to meet Monica to say that he wants her to stop sending letters, he encounters Juri, a meeting that would change both of their lives. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
A science-fiction thriller set in a powerfully imagined multicultural future landscape that resembles the current Middle East. No.5 battles against the forces of the Rainbow Council. In a world that has become 70% harsh desert, the Rainbow Council of the International Peace Keeping Forces, a team of super-powered global security guardians, have a growing crisis on their hands. No.5, one of their own and known within the council as their top marksman, has left his post and gone rogue. It's up to the other guardians to track him down—but No.5, with his mysterious companion, Matroshka, won't go down without a fight. (Source: VIZ Media)
Private detective Reiji Akiba has a theory about those awkward moments and weird coincidences we all encounter in life. They are actually encounters with the dead; it's their way of sending us a message. But you may not want to open such strange mail from beyond—not unless you can see the ghostly attachment like Akiba can, and not unless you carry a gun that can kill what isn't alive like Akiba's aptly named Kagutsuchi—the tool between God and earth—digging a divine grave to lay to rest the evil dead. (Source: Dark Horse Comics)
Abara is set in a dystopian world, filled with large structures. The story revolves around creatures known as Gaunas, those who can shape bone like armor and weaponry around themselves by transforming. The transformation begins around the spine and then shapes layered armor. The story focuses on one such Gauna known as Kudou Denji, though he uses Itou Denji as a fake name earlier. (Source: Wikipedia) Included one-shot: Volume 2: Digimortal (two parts)
This dark and intense drama is set in a boy's high school where Kujo becomes the official leader of a gang. Kujo must constantly defend his position by playing a dangerous rooftop game with the other boys vying for his position. This manga has also been made into a film which has shown in various festivals throughout the world. (Source: MU)
In an enormous steel labyrinth riddled with horrifying creatures, humanity is forced to isolate itself in small enclaves while living in constant fear of its annihilation. In this dystopia, only a strange young man known as Killy is brave enough to traverse its unforgiving territories. Possessing superhuman strength and a rare Graviton Beam Emitter, Killy fights off bloodthirsty beasts and other fiendish forces in his desperate search for a human with the Net Terminal Gene—genetic information that holds the potential to restore the corrupt world. The dark world of Blame! follows Killy as he meets new people, sheds more blood, and draws closer to finding the Net Terminal Gene. Through these exploits, the true nature of the world is slowly pieced together. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
The world’s largest luxury ship 'Blue Heaven' saves a wrecked ship out at sea. At the captain’s command, the ship is searched, and 2 male survivors are rescued. On the ship, there are signs of horrible bloodshed. One of the rescued men, of unknown nationality, loses himself among the ship’s passengers and starts randomly slaughtering the patrons and staff. What is his motive?! (Source: Hawks & Omanga) Included one-shots: Volume 3: 69, Route 69
From time immemorial to the age of space colonization, there is one legend that has stayed unchanged in every history book—the tale of the immortal bird Phoenix. A being whose blood is said to grant eternal life or wisdom, the radiant figure ensures the continuation of sentient life in the universe as it oversees human civilizations and their development. Yet, mankind remains a slave to its habits; from happiness and sorrow, to wrath and love, a myriad of emotions continue to play an integral part of human life. Simultaneously, time and time again, certain beliefs and agendas persist over the centuries to disturb the fragile equilibrium of the world's preordained nature and principles. It appears that fate, with its dynamic variables, can manifest itself in many ways—and oftentimes exhibits a bizarre sense of humor. [Written by MAL Rewrite] Note: This is an incomplete series due to Tezuka's death.
A twisted old man, gifted with extrasensory powers, silently holds sway over an entire block of apartments. The occupants are puppets for him to control. Life is his to give...and to take. But suddenly there is a new voice in his head, and before he knows it, a young girl with her own battery of psychic abilities has arrived to challenge him! Soon, the sprawling complex becomes a battleground between two minds possessing incredible, unimaginable power. (Source: Dark Horse)
This collection is an amalgamation of work reflecting Hiroki Endo's philosophy and his outstanding ability to draw and to tell stories. Volume 1 1. Karasu to Shoujo to Yakuza (The Crows, the Girl and the Yakuza) 2. Kitto Kawaii Onnanoko dakara (Because You're Definitely a Cute Girl) 3. Kamisama nante Shinjiteinai Bokura no Tame ni (For Those of Us Who Don't Believe in God) Volume 2 1. Hang 2. Joshikousei 2000 (High School Girl 2000) 3-4. Platform 5. Boys Don't Cry
Freesia is set in an alternative Japanese society that is at war, and has passed a law legalizing retaliatory killings. If somebody kills your loved one, you are legally sanctioned to kill, or hire someone to kill, the victimizer. The manga is set around a character who works for a firm that specializes in these retaliatory killings. (Source: OneManga)
Orphaned on the mean streets of Treasure Town, lost boys Black and White must mug, steal and fight to survive. Around them moves a world of corruption and loneliness, small-time crooks and neurotic police officers, and a band of sadistic yakuza who have plans for their once-fair city. Can they rise above their environment? Surreal manga influenced by European comics.
In ancient times, the King of Paroh is savagely murdered with his wife and servants in his castle by mercenaries from the Gohra army. Only his children, Prince Remus and his twin sister Princess Linda, managed to escape during the massacre in the surrounding forest. Quickly caught up by bloodthirsty murderers, they are saved by a strange-warrior with the face of a leopard. Suffering from amnesia, the mysterious savior only remembers his name: Guin. Twins explain him their situation and decide to help Guin hoping to learn more about its origins. On their way, they meet some allies including a young girl from an ape-people, a mage and a mercenary by the name of Isht Van. The small group will rally the tribes Sem and legendary giants, the Lagons, to expel the invaders and to avenge the massacre committed by Gohra. (Source: MangaTraders)
