Books published by Vertical Inc.

A story of self-doubting youth from award-winning manga creator Minoru Furuya, in his English debut series, Ciguatera. This coming-of-age tale from contemporary master Minoru Furuya centers on seventeen-year-old Yusuke Ogino, a self-described loser whose only refuge from the bullying hell he experiences at school is his dream of freedom on a motorcycle. But the unexpected entrance of a beautiful young woman into his life threatens to upend his whole world, forcing him to re-evaluate his relationships and even his sense of self.Instantly relatable and painfully honest, Furuya’s manga blends pitch-black humor with pathos and the awkward realities of everyday life to produce a quintessential tale of youth. The meticulous yet uninhibited art swings from stark realism to laugh-out-loud caricature, while nuanced characters and complex emotions help Ciguatera transcend the bounds of genre to take its rightful place as one of the great masterpieces of graphic storytelling.

Furry Companions! Having lived with their owner under the same roof for 10 years, both Inu-kun and Neko-sama have grown some human-like qualities. While Hidekichi goes to the toilet in the middle of the night, Inu-kun takes over the whole bed just to see how she’d react. And Neko-sama, who’s actually a scaredy-cat, deliberately naps beside a trash bag just to prove that he wasn’t scared out of his wits by it earlier.Animals can’t talk, but there are so many ways they communicate and interact with each other.It may have been 10 years already, but every day is different and it never gets old watching them eat, play, and sleep.

From the best selling novel series by renowned author NISIOISIN, comes the manga adaptation of the Monogatari Series! Artwork by Oh! great.To become human again, Koyomi must face three vampire hunters and return Kiss-Shot’s stolen limbs. His first opponent is Dramaturgy, the massive vampiric vampire hunter. But when Koyomi arrives for his match, instead of going up against an oaf on the offense, he’s met by a comely gent with an offer…

From acclaimed mangaka Tsutomu Nihei, the creator and artist behind BLAME! and Knights of Sidonia, comes his latest sci-fi epic.As the Rebedoan Empire continues to increase its ranks of Regular Frames, Etherow and his companions disguise themselves and sneak into Rebedoa proper. Emperor Nichiko Suou has the ability to see the future, making him a formidable opponent. But Etherow realizes that every time an AMB is fired, the future itself is altered. Does this mean he has a chance to take down the Emperor...?

Based on the novel from the renowed author NISIOISIN, comes the Pretty Boy Detectives Club manga! With art by Suzuka Oda (Psychic Detective Yakumo). The Pretty Boy Detective Club, a mysterious organisation that''s rumoured to solve problems at Yubiwa Academy... Manabu the Aesthete, lover of beauty; Michiru the Epicure, he of the beautiful palate; Hyota the Adonis, he of the beautiful legs; Nagahiro the Orato, he of the beautiful voice Sosaku the Artiste, creator of beauty. To search for a star she glimpsed 10 years ago, second-year student Mayumi Dojima calls on these five Pretty Boys to help her solve the case! Which Pretty Boy is your favourite?

From Keiichi Arawi, the creator of hit series nichijou, comes a new slapstick comedy series about a penniless college student who moves to a town filled with bizarre people. This reckless girl will be the one who eventually sets the city in motion.Nagumo is in a bit of a bind. She's a college student, and like many people in her situation, is struggling with money. She is in debt and her landlord is trying to shake her down for rent. Asking her friends no longer works! They know her deal and they do not have the cash to prop her up, even temporarily. So what is she supposed to do under these circumstances? Well maybe bullying would help. Maybe petty theft? Neither one is realistic. Maybe getting a job would settle things... But that means working and not having fun in the big city. That also means not spending all your earnings before paying your rent. Life in the city is an adventure. Thankfully its a fruitful and entertaining one at that!

The apocalypse is not only near, but a certainty. Set before the event and the aftermath detailed by the hit manga, this stand-alone prequel light novel series chronicles the inexorable approach of the reign of vampires. Witness the trials of Guren Ichi­nose, who must hide his true strength even as he is trampled on at an academy for the insufferably privileged.Includes 28 pages of illustrations, 7 of them in color!

A Sky Longing for Memoriesis a Makoto Shinkai fan's dream! Featuring art created by the beloved director, this full-color art book is packed with art from the many movies he directed for Studio CoMix Wave. The book is a 175 page LANDSCAPE FORMAT softcover, the majority of which are images, a rare treat in the realm of fanbooks. Inside you will find hundreds of backgrounds from from his award-winning works: 5 Centimetres per Second, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, Voices of a Distant Star, and a TV advertisement for the Mainichi Newspaper.In addition to the backgrounds, there is a section about the software and technique behind CoMix Wave's animation, which discuss the key features of the software the studio has developed to use at various stages of production. The English edition also comes with a lengthy interview with Mr Shinkai and other key members of his studio.

Dream Fossil is a collection of 15 short stories by the late Satoshi Kon. These stories, serialized in a variety of magazines in the 1980's, give a rare glimpse into the early stages of Kon's uniquely compelling style of storytelling. The buds of dream-like themes and imaginative worldviews that would blossom in his later animated works are also readily apparent. Yes the flights of fancy are anchored by knowing, empathetic portrayals of the very human nature of each story.