On Monday, the official YouTube channel for Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine started streaming a promotional video to commemorate the release of Tsutomu Nihei’s sixth Tower Dungeon manga volume. The video begins with manga art set in motion with special effects by the agency maxilla, and then ends with traditionally animated clips by studio keel.
Toshiyuki Kono (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, ZOIDS: Chaotic Century storyboard and episode director) directed the video’s animated clips at studio keel, and also drew the storyboards. Asuka Suzuki (FLCL Progressive, Synduality: Noir sub-character designer) designed the characters, and Tetsurō Moronuki (E&H production; The Seven Deadly Sins action animation director, Trigun Stampede character designer) designed the creatures.
Osamu Mikasa (Pluto, alice gear aegis Expansion) wasthe color key artist, Kentarō Akiyama (Studio Pablo; Pet, ReLIFE) is the art director, and Kentarō Waki (Sword Art Online: Alicization series, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway film) is the compositing director of photography. Rie Matsubara (Arakawa Under the Bridge two seasons, Gintama) edited the animated clips at Seyama Editing Room. Takahiro Fujishima (Trigun Stampede, Trigun Stargaze) is the re-recording mixer, Masatoshi Katsumata (Trigun Stampede, Trigun Stargaze) is the sound editor, and Shōdai Takahashi is the animation producer.
The sixth manga volume actually shipped on March 9. The 12-member studio keel was established in Tokyo last July.
Image via Amazon
©Tsutomu Nihei, Kodansha
Kodansha USA Publishing licensed the manga and published the manga’s fourth volume in English on February 3. The company describes the story:
An evil sorcerer slays the king and takes over his body, kidnapping the princess and spiriting her away to the legendary Dragon Tower.
The Royal Guard is rebuffed in their attempt to rescue her, and to replace the wounded, a young farmhand named Yuva is called up into service. With only a pot lid for a shield and a strong back to carry supplies, Yuva joins the soldiers on the perilous quest to climb the tower and rescue the princess. But the Dragon Tower houses untold horrors…!
Nihei launched the manga in Monthly Shonen Sirius in October 2023. Kodansha published the manga’s first volume in February 2024.
Nihei (Blame!, Knights of Sidonia) launched the APOSIMZ (Ningyō no Kuni) manga in Monthly Shonen Sirius in February 2017, and ended it in August 2021. Kodansha released nine compiled book volumes for the manga. Kodansha USA Publishing released all nine volumes in English.
Kaina of the Great Snow Sea (Ōyukiumi no Kaina), the television anime by Nihei and his collaborators Polygon Pictures, premiered in Fuji TV’s Ultra+ block in Japan in January 2023, and ended with the 11th episode in March that same year. Crunchyroll streamed the anime outside Asia. Nihei also wrote the anime’s manga version, which launched in Monthly Shonen Sirius in February 2022, and ended in June 2024. Itoe Takemoto (The Beast Player novel illustrator and manga artist) drew the manga. Crunchyroll is offering the manga outside Asia.
The Kaina of the Great Snow Sea anime’s film sequel, Kaina of the Great Snow Sea: Star Sage (Ōyukiumi no Kaina: Hoshi no Kenja), opened in Japan in October 2023.
Sources: Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine’s YouTube channel, Comic Natalie
