Tsugumi Project Vol. 04

Tsugumi Project Vol. 04

In this acclaimed, postapocalyptic action manga, a soldier named Leon is taken from his family on a trumped-up charge and dropped into a suicide mission to recover a dangerous weapon from a deadly place, a place ruled by huge, irradiated, mutated monsters–a place once known, 200 years ago, as Japan. One of the scant pieces of information they have is the weapon’s codename: Tsugumi.

This gory, mysterious story, which has already thrilled readers in Japan and France, is an action-suspense epic in the vein of classics like Blame!, Spriggan, and AKIRA.

After stumbling upon the journal of a former prisoner, Leon and Doudou glean some clues about the location of the mysterious TORATSUGUMI. Now, they set their sights on a place called Sado–a place that seems to call up distant memories and complicated emotions in Tsugumi.

Leon and Doudou have only just set out for Sado when they are ambushed by a masked stranger. Could he be in league with the mysterious peddler known as Wode? In comes riding Tsugumi, who seems to have had a change of heart about going to Sado. After all, someone needs to watch over the two humans…and keep a wary eye on Satake, the party’s newest member.

The traveling companions continue their journey, which soon leads them to a haven of civilization in the heart of the wilderness. Yet, this village is no less fraught with danger, as Leon and Doudou soon discover when they get thrown into the fighting pits. Will violence prevail, or can they show the villagers a different path?

Biographical Notes:

Ippatu’s manga debut, Tsugumi Project, was first published in France before being picked up for publication in Japanese and English by Kodansha.

Title Notes:

Ippatu realizes a lush, detailed dystopian Japan that will remind readers of classics like AKIRA and Blame!

The soldier seeking a dangerous piece of technology who encounters a mysterious girl who communes with monsters will remind readers of classic Miyazaki anime Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke as well as TV classics like Blood+ and Blue Submarine No. 6.

This is the second series, after Beyond the Clouds, to be picked up by Kodansha for global publication after development by ki-oon, a French publisher working, working with a Japanese author.

More details on Ippatu:

Ippatu’s Twitter account

Publisher’s Twitter account