The acclaimed publication where AKIRA and GHOST IN THE SHELL first debuted celebrates its 45th Anniversary with a special U.S. release for readers of Seinen manga! For the FIRST TIME EVER American fans will vote to decide which new manga continue to serialization!

NEW YORK, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Popular manga magazine "Young Magazine" (Kodansha), where legendary titles such as "AKIRA", "Ghost in the Shell", "Initial D" and "Dragon Head" were born, is celebrating the 45th anniversary of its Japanese publication by opening up to the U.S. audience. A special edition magazine will be released with 19 new manga series geared towards American manga fans. The concept behind the magazine is [UN-filtered MANGA] featuring Sci-Fi, dark horror, and cyberpunk stories for adults that portray the raw, unfiltered realities of ordinary human beings in extraordinary situations. Additionally, as a bonus to help boost the magazine's American launch, new titles will be unveiled from legendary manga creators including Shuzo Oshimi (author of "The Flowers of Evil" and "Blood on the Tracks"), Masaaki Nakayama (author of "Fuan no Tane" and "PTSD Radio"), and Shuichi Shigeno (known for "Initial D", who also has a passionate fanbase in North America). "UNDER NINJA", a manga currently serialized in the Japanese version of Young Magazine, will be included as well.

There will also be a fan voting event featured inside the magazine where readers can choose their favorites from among 16 eligible titles, and the winning manga will be serialized on Kodansha's official manga app, K MANGA. The vote will be held on the official website and official X account, with the results available in real time on the official website.

"For our selection, we held an open call and received submissions from over 100 manga creators. Ultimately, 19 titles were carefully selected for your enjoyment. We hope to introduce the potential of Seinen manga—which explores themes and ideas beyond the scope of Shonen—to more readers in North America, the largest manga audience outside of Japan," said Hidemi Shiraki, Editor in Chief of

Young Magazine. He added, "Immerse yourself in a deeper reading experience through complex themes and rich world-building that push beyond the boundaries of Shonen manga."

This special, premium issue of Young Magazine, containing over 1,044 pages of high-quality content, will be distributed for FREE to attendees of Anime NYC as well as being made available at participating Kinokuniya locations for a limited time. Fans can also read all the new material on the official X account and official website, which will feature special videos capturing the unique worlds of each of the 16 new series as well as a summary video providing an overview for all 16 of the included titles. The official X account will host a campaign where participants can win limited prizes by posting about the manga they voted for. Details will be announced on the official X.

Details

• Young Magazine X Official account / @YANMAGA_USA
• Young Magazine Official website / https://yanmaga.jp/young_magazine_USA

*The website is scheduled to launch on Aug. 21. (Will be announced on the official X at a later date)

• Booklet Distribution Period and Place *While supplies last.
• August 21–August 24, 2025: Kinokuniya booth at Anime NYC
• August 21–November 10, 2025: 17 Kinokuniya stores across the country
• Voting Period / August 21–November 10, 2025
• Voting Results Announcement / December 15, 2025

Panel Events and Autograph Sessions at Anime NYC 2025

In addition to distributing the booklet, there will also be discussion events and autograph sessions with manga creators, Minetaro Mochizuki, writer and artist of Dragon Head and Kengo Hanazawa, writer and artist of UNDER NINJA on Aug. 24. More details will be announced from Anime NYC 2025 Official.

Exhibition and Exclusive Giveaways at Kinokuniya

At Kinokuniya stores, not only will exclusive booklets be distributed, but mini-autograph boards will also be given away with purchase of any work originating from Young Magazine between Aug. 21 and Nov. 10 while supplies last. There will also be special exhibitions featuring reproduced artwork at all locations. Finally, exclusive in-store decorations will be featured at the NYC location for one week from Aug. 18. Further details will be announced on the official X account.

About Young Magazine

In publication since 1980, Young Magazine has been the home of some of the most acclaimed manga in the history of the medium, including "AKIRA" and "Ghost in the Shell". The titles featured in Young Magazine are intended for adults. Sometimes referred to as "Seinen" manga (as opposed to "Shōnen" or "Shojo" series, targeted at teens) these mature series depict intense emotions and graphic content to tell unique, compelling stories in genres like crime, sci-fi, and horror. Young Magazine is famously boundary-pushing in Japan, known to include violence, drug use, sexuality, LGBTQ+ themes, and more. For adults interested in an authentic Japanese manga experience, there is no better destination than the original pages of Weekly Young Magazine.

About Kodansha

KODANSHA Ltd. is Japan's leading publishing house based in Tokyo, having delivered stories into ready hands across the globe with a wide variety of content from manga to novels, fashion magazines, news journals, and picture books for children, as well as TV anime, movies, series, and video games since 1909 in the spirit of "Inspire Impossible Stories." KODANSHA is globally recognized as the licensor of some of the world's most loved manga IPs, such as AKIRA, Attack on Titan, and Ghost in the Shell. Their digital platform is the official Kodansha manga app, K MANGA, where you can dive into your favorite Kodansha titles every day.

The full lineup of titles and creators

Titles eligible for voting

1. BOYS RUN THE RIOT - IN TRANSITION -
   by Keito Gaku
2. Fasciation
   by OUGA
3. Godmother
   by Rin Shimokawa
4. GOUMA The Blade that Slaughters Gods
   by Hiroki Ishizawa
5. Into the Dark
   Anri Morikuma
6. Is My Love Strange?
   by Hikari Azuma
7. KIKIKAIKAI
   by Kyuri Yamada
8. Pregnant
   by Denchi Matsumoto (Story) / Keita Nishijima (Art)
9. PROJECT METALLIA
   by Yukito Iwai
10. Protocol Ryugu
    by Daisaku Tsuru
11. Still You
    by Kami Nishio
12. The Graveyard Shift
    by Yoshimi Sato
13. The Journey of a Dark Elf with Fading Powers
    by Daisuke Itabashi
14. The Knight of Blasphemy
    by Ray Kindo
15. THE LAST TERRAN
    by Hiroshi Takashige (Story) / Tatsumi Hitomoji (Art)
16. To Dusk and Twilight
    by Robico
    
    Featured additional titles
17. ME AND BOB DYLAN (AND MY FATHER)
    by Shuzo Oshimi
18. The Silent Forest
    by Masaaki Nakayama
19. Subaru and Subaru
    by Shuichi Shigeno
20. UNDER NINJA
    by Kengo Hanazawa

All art assets must be credited. Please check this link for more details and download art assets.

Media Contact

Ryoko Watanabe — PR Representative at STORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. for, Kodansha Ltd., 1 3107456801, ryoko.watanabe@stories-llc.com

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SOURCE Kodansha Ltd.