NEW YORK, NY—At their Anime NYC 2023 panel, manga subscription service Azuki announced 10 new series coming to the service, including two new exclusives translated and published by Azuki. The Azuki exclusives — slow-burn teen romance Our Aimless Nights by Mori Kou and irreverent teacher-student comedy You're So Sloppy, Hotta-sensei by Mao Nakada — will launch in early 2024 only on Azuki. Azuki also added eight series and one-shots from Media Do International Inc., MediBang!, and Star Fruit Books — A Devotion That Changes Worlds, My Sadistic Boyfriend, Who Wants to Play, Garuda, Immoral, A Long Stay, Split Story, and I'll Quit Travelling… All eight are available to read right now. Synopses of the 10 series and one-shots are included below:
Our Aimless Nights by Koumori: Cheerful, energetic high school girl Chika and shy, reserved boy Kazuya couldn't be more different. But they have a secret: every Wednesday after 9PM they meet outside the convenience store where Kazuya works. Bit by bit, under the light of the moon, a unique connection begins to blossom in this enchanting coming-of-age love story!
Currently serialized in Futabasha's Web Action in Japan under the name 夜のまにまに or “Yoru no Manimani.” Coming in early 2024.
You're So Sloppy, Hotta-sensei by Mao Nakada: Makoto Kuribayashi is your typical high schooler with a not-so-typical after-school gig as a housekeeper. His latest client? None other than his school's most popular teacher, the gorgeous Rumiko Hotta. But Hotta-sensei is hiding a dirty little secret: she's a total slob, the polar opposite of her flawless public image! Now, Makoto's got the unenviable task of cleaning up after her mess. Will his admiration for Hotta-sensei survive a dose of harsh reality in this irreverent comedy?
Currently serialized in Futabasha's Manga Action magazine in Japan under the name だらしないです堀田先生！ or “Darashinai desu, Hotta-sensei!” Coming in early 2024.
A Devotion That Changes Worlds by Mizue Odawara, published by Futabasha and distributed by MD-i: “All men are wolves! They're aiming to eat girls! If I'm going to get eaten, then I'd rather get eaten by a cool wolf!!” Yoh, who believes that all men are terrible beasts, one day meets her perfectly ideal man, a working adult who goes by “Tono”. The instant they meet, Yoh decides to confess her feelings…!! Due to a past trauma, Yoh is plagued by her phobia of men and she publicly announces her hatred for the other gender. She may hate them, but at the same time, she wants to experience love. Her love itself is a contradiction, yet the two strangers began to close their distance. This is a story packed with dangerous romantic comedy centering around a double-edged love!
My Sadistic Boyfriend with art by Yuna Anisaki and story by Momoshiro, published by Futabasha and distributed by MD-i: Chiaki has been admitted to the high school of her dreams: the prestigious boarding school Otomegawa Academy. Through an unexpected turn of events, she ends up becoming roommates with Katsuho — grandson of the academy's director, and prince of the school. On the surface Katsuho is attractive, academically brilliant, and kind, appearing to live up to his prince-like reputation. But when he's alone with Chiaki, his true, sadistic personality shines through. How will Chiaki juggle her new school life while fending off the advances of this sadistic prince?This series has been published in Japan since 2008 with the Japanese title “S Kareshi Joujou.”
Who Wants to Play by Tsuyoshi Osumi, distributed by MediBang: Japan's favorite child celebrity, Ena Fujie, is busy with her entertainment gig! Except for Tashiro, Ena's clumsy manager, the adults around her have not realized that behind her cute and captivating performance, she is a very ambitious kid that calculates every move to win everyone's heart! What kind of shenanigans will she pull out today? Let's play with Ena in “Who Wants to Play?”!
Garuda by Haguro, distributed by MediBang: A human can't choose their ideal body. A memory that had been carved in the flesh would not vanish no matter how much we tried to alter it. A newcomer thus arrived in the town, bringing a gun that could swap people's bodies. The fierce but smiling adventurer walks with a secret quest—to find the original body that was taken by his wife.
I'll Quit Travelling… by Konoha Kizima, published by Star Fruit Books: A short story about a young girl who has been a traveler since birth and her wish to end her journey.
Three short manga: Immoral by Lin Yi, A Long Stay by VIEW, and Split Story by Kata Katoh, all distributed by MediBang.
Azuki is available on the web at www.azuki.co and in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The app features 300 manga series, including international hits like Attack on Titan, Fire Force, and A Silent Voice. Azuki also publishes acclaimed new series like Natsume & Natsume, My Dear Detective: Mitsuko's Case Files, and Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms, with weekly new chapters available exclusively via the Azuki app.
Start reading for free with advertisements today, or upgrade to Premium and access the full Premium catalog featuring thousands of chapters for just $4.99 a month. A 14-day free trial and discounted annual plan are also available, and additional volumes outside the subscription can be purchased via direct volume sales (Premium members get 20% off all volumes). Most titles are available worldwide (except Japan). Stay up to date on the latest announcements by following Azuki at x.com/ReadAzuki, facebook.com/ReadAzuki, and instagram.com/readazuki.
About Azuki and KiraKira Media Inc.
Azuki is created by KiraKira Media Inc., a proudly employee-owned company dedicated to improving access to legally licensed manga, led by a small team of passionate manga fans and tech experts in San Francisco, CA.
About Media Do International, Inc.
Tokyo-based Media Do Co., Ltd. is one of the largest eBook distribution companies in the world and retains the largest share of Japan's eBook market. Media Do International, Inc. is based in San Diego, California. Media Do Group's mission is to make more content available for more people. NetGalley and its owner, Quality Solutions/Firebrand Technologies, were acquired by Media Do in 2021. Firebrand and NetGalley provide leading marketing and technology services to more than 500 publishers worldwide. NetGalley, LLC operates websites in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Japan. Supadü Ltd. was acquired by Media Do in 2022. Supadü is the lead provider of website and e-commerce solutions for more than 270 publishers in the US and Europe. For more information on Media Do's services and corporate divisions, please visit: https://mediado.jp/english.
About MediBang!
A dedicated manga localizer and distributor. Translating manga in-house with native speakers and sharing them to the rest of the world.
About Star Fruit Books
Star Fruit Books is a small boutique manga publisher that currently features an assortment of slice-of-life, action, horror, and other unique indie titles. They offer releases via their website and in a few small comic shops across the US. Visit them on the Web at starfruitbooks.com.
