Seven Seas Pubwatch: May 2022

Manga News Pubwatch
Carrie McClain

April showers bring May flowers and I hope your manga picks help you weather the storms that climate change is bringing to your door–because climate change is in fact, one day coming for us all. Plenty of superb titles released last month that I scooped up including the second volume of the very swoon-worthy second volume of  The Savior’s Book Cafe in Another World and manga anthology My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders. This month’s Pub Watch for Seven Seas brings an abundance of Isekai goodness this month, an intriguing Ghost Ship Imprint title focusing on a vampire down on her luck, and an update on more yuri being out in the world! The best news I’m saving for last: Seven Seas staff looking to shake up the publishing industry in a very awesome way!

For Those Who Dare to Enjoy Sci-Fi:

Colorless
Story & Art by: KENT
May 17, 2022

While the cover did catch my eye, it was the synopsis mentioning the unique usage of color that held on to my attention and made me want for more. In a not so distant future, the world has been stripped of color. Yes–color and with that change from a massive solar flare turned the everyday population into mutants ready to attack, maim and kill the remaining population. So manga is traditionally printed in the black and white color scheme with consideration for special colored pages. Here reading just the preview of COLORLESS reveals some of the shocking newer faces of humankind who are navigating this new world along with certain important persons with weapons navigating ruins of the metropolis of the time before.

Catching the preview also revealed a playing up manga’s usual black and white preference: the first few pages place a battle where a grossly epic transformation is happening. The color red highlights a creature mutation, taking up a two-page spread before splashing in the background as the two more seemingly important characters jump into action. It looks incredible and I may just have to visit a brick-and-mortar store in person to see more to see if it’s worth picking up. Lovers of gritty futuristic tales and not quite mecha fans may be inclined to pick this title up. So far the story looks to follow that age old tropey: “lone wolf male character crosses paths with a very special girl” that readers can see anywhere and everywhere from anime to film. Here’s to hoping the plot has enough substance to it that holds readers’ attention longer than the visuals and the special attention to color: Oh, Oh, Oh! I’ve been seeing photos of non-spoiler pages by fans on Twitter: here’s one here!

For The Lovers of Manga That Blur Genres:

Witches: The Complete Collection (Omnibus)
Story & Art by: Daisuke Igarashi
May 3, 2022

I’m a big fan of the manga that sometimes gets passed over. I’m talking about the series and stand-alone books that seem a bit too ambitious or genre-blurring but still make it to shores outside of Japan and translated for new audiences. Daisuke Igarashi is one such mangaka who does that work and does it well. Author and creator of the gorgeous piece of storytelling Children of the Sea,  which introduced English-speaking audiences to his work,  Witches stands as more manga of his that I’d love to get lost in.

As a manga creator who draws inspiration from folklore and nature combined with surrealism and spiritual themes, I’m looking forward to reading this omnibus of manga that’s actually some of his earlier work? At 392 pages, it looks to be a collection of stories ready to take up space. The Seven Seas website tells us that this ” haunting collection that features tales of witches and dark magic set around the globe and in outer space”. Coming back to mention of manga that blur genres and expectations, I’m ready to pick this one up before the month is over, read it, and soon place it on my bookshelf next to my battered copies of Children of the Sea.

For the Isekai Lovers:

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter (Manga) Vol. 8

Story & Art by: Reia Suki, Umemiya
May 3, 2022

You may have already picked up that I LOVE the isekai aka the ‘other world shenanigans and more’ genre–the manga adaptation of Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter is probably my favorite ongoing series in print at the moment. In short, this is the story of a young woman’s struggles after being reborn into one of her beloved romance otome games–as the villainess. Typical isekai fanfare, right? Wrong!  Iris, the main character who was once an overworked office lady in her past life is reborn into a world whereas the antagonist she’s expelled from the academy and sent home to manage her noble family’s fief. What sets this fantastic series apart is the generous attention to detail to world-building!

Iris establishes a banking system, manages to create a school system to one day lead up to the university levels for anyone interested regardless of class, and even creates much commerce to bring profits in from the strange crop that is later refined into chocolate. Creating luxury goods, rooting out corruption, re-hauling existing systems in place that didn’t work–this manga series is anything but boring but for some slow on romance–this latest volume looks promising in more background and insight on the male lead and his secrets and more on how he originally met Iris. This manga was always been a hidden gem in the isekai manga circles and I’m always, always hungry for a new volume that can never come fast enough! Seven Seas also is releasing the light novel series and this month sees the fifth volume released for those who love light novels and/or love to read the novel and manga side by side.

My Next Life as a Villainess Side Story: Girls Patch
Story & Art by: Satoru Yamaguchi, Nami Hidaka
May 17, 2022

As mentioned last in last month’s wrap-up, there was big news in the Bakarina fandom aka fans of My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!–an animated film is in store for next year! The anime has been available to watch on Crunchyroll and the light novels have been available to read! Along with Seven Seas releasing the manga, and side stories–we’re blessed that the highly popular doom-avoidance-strategy romantic comedy is going strong with this anthology in the series with a…yuri focus! Trust me when I say that there is never enough yuri in the world and I’m hyped to see this fandom receiving some GL, Girl’s Love, the genre–for the uninitiated! The Seven Seas websites tells us that this book “features nine stories focusing on the heroines and their dazzling emotions” so here’s to hoping that Isekai and reverse harem lovers will feel the love through stories by various different creatives! I am waving my Yuri flag! I. AM. WAVING. MY YURI. FLAG!

For The Mature Readers Who Like Spice and Smut:

It’s Just Not My Night! – Tale of a Fallen Vampire Queen
Story & Art by: MUCHIMARO
May 10, 2022

For the more mature readers, *wink* This is a newer series that caught my eye. Friends in different manga discord servers have convinced to buy Fire in His Fingertips: A Flirty Fireman Ravishes Me with His Smoldering Gaze (I know, I know. I still giggle–what a title) after much hounding and a few photos of a few spicy pages. I know that Seven Seas’ Ghost Ship imprint for older readers who like the spicy and the smutty have a good starting point that a lot of readers are more invested in the…plot. I mean, the wonderful smuttiness that is accomplished by the plot. *finger guns*  I love a good laugh so this newer series hangs on all the comedic vibes with very powerful vampiress who gets pulled under by capitalism to survive when her plans for world conquest go awry. Fans of the supernatural and ecchi might look this title up if curious for a new read from this imprint. I’ve read just a few reviews landing on the not very favorable end and I’m a little concerned. One review pointed to some rather graphic scenes and that’s not counting the lot of phallic-like objects thrown around that just maybe be weaponized. I’m hoping that with a female lead, she’s centered at least in a story that is hella raunchy but fun. I want fun but not gross, you know?  I just might check back in once I read it but hoping I won’t feel like contributor Tia did reviewing Plus Size Elf. 

Wrap Up

Seven Seas continues to do big things: like making it to 100K Twitter followers and securing another spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list with their Danmei titles–this time with the second volume of The Scum Villain’s Self Saving System. I do admit that I’m newer to reading Danmei (a Chinese genre that is often likened to Japanese BL) yet I’m still very much hyped about the range that comics from the Asian diaspora outside of Japan are being received well  and continuing to thrive in today’s market.

Continuing on in that thread, the publisher has continued to announce pub dates for manuha released in the webtoon area like Killing Stalking coming this Summer. Webtoons, a vertical scrolling type of comic usually viewed on mobile devices, is a format originated in South Korea that is still having a moment in the sun, despite some growing pains. Some of those growing pains do include censorship, transparency on artist pay and rights, and cultural issues regarding LGBTQIA+ content and artists. Speaking of WEBTOON, if you haven’t read WWAC contributor Masha’s terrific piece on WEBTOON moderation policies, do so here! 

Lastly, very excited for the union news for the fine folks at Seven Seas: a union! This is one of my favorite manga publishers and they’ve brought me so much joy and reading recs–the publishing industry has had several growing pains over the years — especially since the pandemic came upon us. I support unionization in publishing and manga is not excluded! I’m here for better pay and working conditions for those who work so hard for the manga, manhua, and light novels I love.

United Workers of Seven Seas is aiming to be the first unionized manga & light novel publisher in North America.  (In the world of comics here in the States, Image Comics employees organized last year and voted in January to unionize! Kate and Kelly wrote covered that here and here!)  In a world where more and more workers are organizing and finding their collective power, let us not leave manga out of the conversation! What an exciting time to be alive as a manga reader and lover! Be sure to read more about their mission and see ways to support here!

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Carrie McClain

Carrie McClain

Carrie McClain is a Southern Californian native who navigates the world as writer, editor and media scholar who firmly believes that we can and we should critique the media we consume. The X-Men were some of her first best friends. She is forever chasing the nostalgic high of attending school book fairs. As a retired magical girl, you can usually find her buried under a pile of Josei manga.
mcclain.y.carrie@gmail.com
https://carriemcclain.carrd.co/
Carrie McClain

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