Titan Manga revealed the cover art and full jacket spreads on Thursday for it and Newtype magazine’s English release of Mamoru Nagano’s The Five Star Stories manga.
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Titan Manga and Newtype will release the first volume on September 1 (the volume was previously slated for July 7).
The first volume is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million in North America, and Forbidden Planet in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Titan Manga describes the first volume:
Set in the vast and tumultuous Joker Star Cluster, this series brings together ancient empires, genetic engineering, and towering mechs known as Mortar Headds—piloted by elite warriors and their genetically engineered companions, the Fatimas.
In Vol. 1, we meet Amaterasu, the immortal emperor of the Grees Kingdom, and his destined bride, Lachesis, as they navigate a world of intrigue, warfare, and forbidden power. As interstellar conflict rages, the stage is set for a war that could determine the fate of the galaxy.
The second volume will ship on November 17, and is also available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million in North America, and Forbidden Planet in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Titan Manga describes the second volume:
The epic journey across the Joker Star Cluster continues in The Five Star Stories Vol. 2, presented in a premium English edition that closely mirrors the original Japanese release. Featuring colour illustrations and beautifully crafted French flaps, this volume is designed with collectors in mind, honoring Mamoru Nagano’s original vision in both form and content.
As political intrigue deepens and interstellar conflict escalates, Volume 2 explores the histories of key nations and the evolving, often tragic bonds between Fatimas and their human partners. Rival factions clash, mercenary forces move in secrecy, and the consequences of past choices begin to reshape the balance of power across the galaxy.
Nagano launched his science fantasy manga series in Kadokawa’s Newtype magazine in 1986, although the series has been running intermittently since then. To mark the 25th anniversary of the manga in 2011, Kadokawa reissued the existing manga volumes in a “Repeat” edition with previously unpublished art.
The manga went on hiatus in 2006 and relaunched in the magazine’s May 2013 issue. It went back on hiatus in spring 2014 as Nagano prepared the 13th compiled book volume for print. The manga resumed from its hiatus in February 2016. The 13th volume shipped in August 2016 after several delays. The 12th volume had shipped in 2006.
Kadokawa released the 19th and most recent volume on May 9.
Nagano’s own Toyspress, Inc. published most of the manga in English. ADV Films released the 1989 anime film adaptation in North America.
In 2006, Nagano worked on Hana no Utame Gothicmade, the film that he wrote, designed, storyboarded, and directed himself. The film opened in Japan in 2012.
Source: Email correspondence
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. (Sunrise) is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
