R.O.D: Read or Die (Japanese: リード・オア・ダイ, Hepburn: Rīdo Oa Dai) is a Japanese light novel series written by Hideyuki Kurata, published under Shueisha‘s Super Dash Bunko imprint. Read or Die follows Yomiko Readman, codename “The Paper”, an agent for the (fictional) Special Operations Division of the British Library. There are currently 11 Read or Die novels. In volume 11, a note stated that the series would end with the upcoming volume 12….
Tanken Driland (探検ドリランド, Tanken Dorirando, lit. “Exploration Driland”) is a Japanese mobile game developed by GREE, Inc. A manga adaptation began serialization in Jump Square in 2012. An anime series by Toei Animation and TV Tokyo began airing on 7 July 2012. Gameplay Tanken Driland is a card-battling quest-based RPG. The player assumes the role of a hunter, and acquires hero cards which are used to defeat dire monsters…
Dancouga – Super Beast Machine God (超獣機神ダンクーガ, Chōjū Kishin Dankūga) is a Super Robot anime television series produced by Ashi Productions, directed by Seiji Okuda and written by Keisuke Fujikawa. It ran on TBS for 38 episodes from 5 April 1985 to 27 December 1985. The TV anime was licensed by Central Park Media under their Software Sculptors label in 1995, and was released on subtitled…
888 (Japanese: スリーエイト, Hepburn: Surii Eito), or Three Eight, is a Japanese comedy manga series written and illustrated by Noriko Kuwata. Story The newly opened Suehiro Detective Agency is composed of laid-back manager Hisago, dog-loving chief investigator Shimeki and administrator Tsukumo. With very few paying customers, the three protagonists are free to spend their time bickering with and teasing one another,…
Jōkyō Seikatsuroku Ichijō (上京生活録イチジョウ, “Ichijō: Life in Tokyo”) is a Japanese manga series written by Tensei Hagiwara and illustrated by Tomoki Miyoshi and Yoshiaki Seto. It is a spin-off of the main series Kaiji by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. It was serialized in Kodansha‘s seinen manga magazine Morning from January 2021 to January 2023, with its chapters collected in six tankōbon volumes. Publication Jōkyō Seikatsuroku Ichijō, written by Tensei Hagiwara and illustrated by Tomoki…
Undercover Cops (アンダーカバーコップス, Andākabākoppusu) is an arcade-style beat ’em up video game developed and published by Irem, originally for the arcades in 1992. It is Irem’s first attempt in the modern beat ’em up genre that was founded by Kung-Fu Master. Players control “city sweepers”, a police agent-like group who fight crime by taking down thugs in New York City in the year 2043. Gameplay…
Joker Game (Japanese: ジョーカー・ゲーム, Hepburn: Jōkā Gēmu) is a Japanese novel series written by Koji Yanagi. It has inspired a live-action film, two manga adaptations and an anime television series produced by Production I.G, which aired from April to June 2016. Characters The newly recruited agents in the D-Agency, as depicted in the anime adaptation. From left to right: Odagiri, Fukumoto, Hatano, Kaminaga, Miyoshi, Amari, Tazaki…
Fantastic Detective Labyrinth (Japanese: 素敵探偵☆ラビリンス, Hepburn: Suteki Tantei Rabirinsu) is a manga series written by Meito Banjō and illustrated by Seiji Wakayama, published in Kodansha‘s Magazine Special. The manga was adapted into an animated television series in 2007. The Studio Deen production aired on TV Tokyo from October 2, 2007, to March 25, 2008, totaling 25 episodes. It is based on the story from the first volumes of the manga. Plot Thirty years prior to…
Natsu e no Tobira (Japanese: 夏への扉, “The Door into Summer”) is a Japanese manga series by Keiko Takemiya. It is an early example of a shōnen-ai manga. It was originally serialized in Hana to Yume in 1975, published by Hakusensha, and it was re-released in 2000 by Kodansha. An animated film version of this manga was released on March 20, 1981 in Japan. Manga The original manga…
Venus Versus Virus (ヴィーナス ヴァーサス ヴァイアラス, Vīnasu Vāsasu Vaiarasu) is a Japanese manga series created by Atsushi Suzumi which was first serialized on June 27, 2005 in MediaWorks‘ shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!. The manga ended serialization in Dengeki Comic Gao! on February 27, 2008 due to the magazine’s discontinuation, but the manga continued serialization in ASCII Media Works‘ manga magazine Dengeki Daioh between March 21 and July 26, 2008….
Yarichin Bitch Club (Japanese: ヤリチン☆ビッチ部, Hepburn: Yarichin Bitchi-bu, lit. “Playboy Slut Club”) is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Ogeretsu Tanaka. Yarichin Bitch Club has been self-published on Pixiv since 2012, and in 2016 it received a print publication by Gentosha. In 2018, the webcomic also received two original animated videos by Grizzly, released direct-to-DVD. Plot Takashi Tōno is a freshman student who is transferred from Tokyo to Morimori Academy, a private college prep boarding high…
Venus Capriccio (Japanese: ヴィーナス綺想曲, Hepburn: Vīnasu Kapurichio) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mai Nishikata about a tomboyish girl and her childhood friend who take piano lessons together. It was first serialized in the Japanese semi-monthly shōjo manga magazine Hana to Yume published by Hakusensha. It is licensed in North America by CMX Manga. Plot Venus Capriccio is about Takami and Akira who are childhood friends…
