Just a few stuff to prove that we aren’t completely neglecting our old projects in favor of the new ones:

• Hanashippanashi v1 ch12-15
• Chokotto Sister v4 ch28-29
  The anime series is scheduled to start on the 13th of July and will run for 24 episodes. *w00t*
• Girlfriend v3 ch11-12

Of course, we have new chapters of the juggernaut called Kilico as well.

I’d like to thank everyone who participated in our last poll. The result is pretty telling, but I don’t want to rule out the possibility of an IRC channel just yet. We’ll see how Kotonoha performs in the next half year. In our new poll, you have the chance to tell us what you like to see more from this group in the future. I’ve always been proud of Kotonoha’s diversity but I think it’s time for us to focus, especially if we were to pick up more long-running projects in the upcoming months/years.

When Omanga and Kotonoha work together, you know the result is gonna be nasty. After Uncivilized Planet and Keep on Vibrating, I’m excited to announce our third collaboration: Kilico, a 4-volume action drama that would even make John Woo proud with its heart pounding action sequences, raw emotions, riveting drama and unrelenting characters.

Created by the talented, but unfortunately under-appreciated Kôichi Kiba, who was originally going to work in the movie industry, Kilico’s visual style seems highly influenced by its author’s knowledge of cinematography and mise-en-scène. However, what makes this manga worthwhile is its complex story and the multi-layered characters. Like Woo, Kiba manages to take a classic revenge plot and instill it with both enough “style” and “substance” to turn it into something vibrant and engrossing.

Both an all-out action feast and a character study, Kilico steeps in fundamental and emotionally powerful themes such as obsession, hate, loyalty, guilt, sacrifice, friendship, even love. The author takes time to carefully construct a rich frame around the characters, which serves to make their actions and motivations all the more believable. More importantly, none of the characters are purely good or evil. Both the assassin and her pursuer are ruthless and cold-blooded when it comes to achieving their goal.

Like every action story, violence is one of this manga’s central motifs. It’s violence that brought the main characters together and that nurtures their relationship. However, Kiba also depicts how violence consumes both the “good” and the “bad.” It doesn’t matter who uses it for what purpose. In the end, everyone loses to its destructive force. The most important question that the story raises is not who is going to win or lose, it’s who is brave enough to stand against his/her inner demons and breaks the circle of violence even if that means sacrificing him/herself.

I can’t thank zzled and Jinchi from Manga-Sketchbook enough for their excellent translating and editing work. They are the driving force behind this project which I hope can be finished in a timely manner.

Show Cover(s) »

Scanlation	Torrent	HTTP
Volume 4 (Chapter 30-41) (End)		N/A
Volume 3 (Chapter 22-29)		N/A
Volume 2 (Chapter 11-21)		N/A
Volume 1 (Chapter 1-10)		N/A

After two weeks of inactivity we are back today with not one, but two new projects (with another exciting surprise waiting around the corner). The first one, Cotton by Kita Konno, is a manga that I have wanted to pick up for a long time. We are rather fortunate to have boke as the translator for this mini series (it’s only 4 chapters long). The modest, yet nonetheless beautiful story about an unusual friendship between two young women should appeal to both yuri and non-yuri fans out there. Moreover, Kita Konno’s delicate artwork adds a very personal and charming touch to each page of this sweet little gem. It’s also interesting to note that Cotton was originally published as dôjinshi and later collected into a paperback volume.

Our second new project, on the other hand, is hardly something you could call “sweet.” If I had to find a word to describe Seizon – LifE I would choose “intense.” In this gripping trilogy that sometimes comes close to a thriller, the reader is thrown into the nightmare of a man whose life is about to end as he realizes what he misses the most: his family. Both a bad father and husband, he seeks redemption by trying to find the murderer of his daughter. Seizon – Life is one of those manga that take us straight to the heart of human emotions and that you wish would never come to an end.

I would like to use this opportunity to officially welcome Boris, the translator, and Chojiki, the proofreader, as our new staff members. May they stay with us for a long time.

Finally, we have a new poll. It’s a bit more relevant to the group’s future than the previous two so make sure to give your vote if you care about the matter.