Kodansha announced that Versus, written by ONE, will be available as a simulpub title on its K MANGA service. Users of the service will be able to access the manga starting November 24th at 7:00 AM PST (November 25th at 12:00 AM JST). For those unfamiliar with the structure of simulpub offerings, simulpub is a portmanteau of simultaneous and publishing. Simulpub series are released and translated (usually to English) at the same time the original Japanese version is released. This is the first time that the Versus series is available in English anywhere.
The story is created by ONE, who also created fan-favorite series One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100. Kyoutarou Azuma, creator of The King of Fighters: A New Beginning, is credited for the manga’s artwork. bose is handling composition. Kodansha describes the plot as follows:
The Demons are the human’s natural enemy. For several hundred years, they’ve tortured and toyed with the human race… The world is under the reign of The Great Demon King and his 47 Demon Lords. While humans lived in fear, 47 heroes were picked from across the world to dispose of the Demon King’s Army. Now, with humanity’s fate on the line, the final battle against the demons is about to begin…
In a message to K MANGA readers, the creators of Versus had the following to say:
“I’m glad you are reading this! I really hope you enjoy it.” -ONE
“I will do my best to draw good artwork every month!” -Kyoutarou Azuma
“I hope that this unusual new type of battle manga will become a big hit across the ocean!” -bose
K MANGA launched in May of 2023 and has since distributed hundreds of popular English manga titles. Notable projects include Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Spirit!, Heavenly Delusion, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord, In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, Lightning and Romance, Skip and Loafer, and Space Brothers. K MANGA additionally distributes simulpub titles in the same fashion as Versus, such as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Clayman Revenge. By the end of this year, the service will have amassed over 100 total titles for its extensive library, and plans to continue adding more in the far future. K MANGA is available on both IOS and Android devices as well as on their official website.
Kodansha hardly needs an introduction; they are Japan’s leading publishing house and distributes a wide variety of content including manga, novels, magazines, news journals, anime, movies, and video games. Around since 1909, they are perhaps most known as the licensor of best-selling manga IPs such as AKIRA, Attack on Titan, and Ghost in the Shell.
Source: Press release
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