It’s been a few years since New York Anime Fest was completely absorbed by New York Comic Con, and posts from those in attendance this year painted an even more under-the-rug picture of the anime/manga content. It was a shame, but not a big surprise. That said, manga publishers didn’t shy away from the spotlight even if it was a little restricted, and you know what that means – new licenses!
Though I was sad that another year of NYCC has passed without my presence, I was thrilled to see all the news that came from it. For me, the biggest news came from Kodansha Comics who answered some of my very recent prayers with this first batch of titles:
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall – Satoshi Shiki & Ryō Suzukaze
Attack on Titan: Junior High – Saki Nakagawa
Attack on Titan: No Regrets – Hikaru Suruga & Gan Sunaaku
The Attack on Titan anime has just recently ended. I’d been following the series via Crunchyroll and loved every moment of it. Because the anime series ended prematurely of the story, I’ve been collecting the manga as Kodansha puts it out. Their license of these three spin-off series – all of which range from newish to brand new in Japan – come as no surprise. It’s perfectly timed to when thousands of fans, like myself, are clamouring for whatever Attack on Titan they can get their hands on.
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall is a manga adaptation of a series of light novels. They serve as a prequel to the main story and follow a member of the Survey Corps who develops the 3D maneuver gear that would later become the signature method of fighting, and escaping, the Titans. At this point in the world, no human has been known to kill a Titan so the discovery of a new form of attack will offer humanity both a sliver of hope and important pieces of information about Titans. Kodansha Comics’ target for release is spring 2014.
Attack on Titan: No Regrets is also a prequel but stars familiar faces from the cast. The story will feature Survey Corps’ star member, Levi, and his Commander, Erwin. Readers will get to see how the two met and how Levi was convinced to become one of the strongest forces fighting for humanity. No Regrets is coming from the pages of a shoujo magazine so I’m looking forward to some beautifully drawn drama. The first colour promotional piece is already worth an oogle, as you can see from the preview in this post to your left. We should be getting the first release in summer 2014.
The third title, Attack on Titan: Junior High, is the one I know the least about. It’s also the only one that isn’t part of the chronological timeline. This multi-volume series is a comedy adaptation where the characters are re-imagined as junior high students and faculty. I don’t know who came up with this weird idea but it exists and we’ll soon be reading it. I’m not usually a fan of gag stories but when it’s a comic using the dark events of Attack on Titan as a base, I’m too intrigued not to check it out. Kodansha Comics plans the first volume for spring 2014.
On top of these three titles, Kodansha Comics also announced The Attack on Titan Guidebook: Inside & Outside. This book will contain colour artwork, character bios, concept sketches and series information. The current date for this release in English is summer 2014.
And that, fellow fans, is a lot of Titan stuff. And it wasn’t even the end of the Attack on Titan news from New York Comic Con this year. Thanks goes to Anime News Network for the news details.
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