At the beginning of the 20th century, an American doctor named Duncan MacDonald engaged in a series of unethical experiments. Those experiments concluded that should one suffer a death not ordained by fate the human body would lighten by an average of 30 grams, which is the weight of a person's "soul stone."... more>>

Sakurai and Amano are on a hunt to find people who are about to die before their time and either prevent their unnatural deaths or recover these stones, dubbed "livingstones." <<less

Icaro is the mind-bending, fast-paced adventure of a young man, Icaro, with the ability to fly and a young woman, Yukiko, who risks her life -- and more -- to help Icaro achieve his dream. Best of all, it capitalizes on Taniguchi's ability to depict a vast and oppressive advanced science laboratory that has made Icaro its guinea pig and will use all its resources to keep him imprisoned for study. ... more>>

Icaro's fight for freedom and Yukiko's sacrifice to aid him make this one of the most inspiring manga stories as well as a pioneering collaboration between East and West with originality. <<less

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Long before the dawn of man, savage dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Now, only one remains — the smallest, wildest of them all! GON marches across the wilderness defending the friendly and furry from the mean and hungry. Told entirely without words, these stories highlight the amazingly detailed art and visual storytelling genius of creator Masashi Tanaka.... more>>

Got an additional chapter in Afternoon 2013-11 (to promote the CGI show), and a spin-off in 2006 called "Gon-chan" in Comic BonBon that lasted until 2007.

Note: Received an Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 1998. Won the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material and Best Humor Publication at the Eisner Awards in 1998. <<less

Hired for an eviction of an apartment resident, lawyer Midorikawa visited a mysterious apartment. Since the visit, he has been haunted by these visions of... more>> "Angels," small naked girls who have faces that of a doll. These Angels freely teleport between TV, phone, and computer monitors and enter the human body. They feed off of the human spirit, what they call "nectar." Are these Angels real? Are they part of a horrific dream? Through Midorikawa's body, they escape the infected apartment. Now, they spread their horrors upon the city! <<less

An autobiographical manga that tells the story of the author's trip to Thailand in order to undergo sex reassignment surgery, describing the process of transitioning... more>> from male to female. But the path to womanhood is a lot more painful than imagined... <<less

From the mind of Noboru Miyama comes Godo! An adventure set in a mysterious and weird world with influences from Norse mythology. "Put an end... more>> to this cursed world! That is your fate!". An alchemist by the name of Godo whose father was charged with theft must seek revenge for his father and his own freedom as he participates in the fighting festival known as Valhalla. <<less

Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Separated from the warmth and protection of... more>> her mother, feels distraught. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park meadow, when she is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada family apartment... where pets are strictly not permitted. <<less

Abandoned by his mother, Ayumu Hozumi was raised by his grandmother, who comes from a farming family. He helps his grandmother with the farm work,... more>> avoiding entering high school. But, one day he receives a camera as a memento of his grandfather… <<less

Billy Bat is a comic-in-a-comic and the real protagonist is a Japanese-American artist named Kevin Yamagata who draws Billy Bat for "Marble Comics".... more>>

Shortly after they transition to the artist in his studio with his assistant, two actual detectives, who look like Laurel and Hardy in Dick Tracy era suits and trench coats, knock on the door and appropriate Kevin's room for the purpose of conducting surveillance on a room in an adjacent building. One of the detectives, the skinny “Laurel”, sees Kevin's work and it turns out he's a Billy Bat fan. The other chubby "Hardy" detective picks up a page and says that the characters look familiar and accuses Kevin of translating an old "Jap" comic.

As Hardy remembers the comic he thinks Kevin is ripping off, we make another Urasawaesque time jump to 1949 Tokyo.

Note: Won the Max und Moritz Prize for "Best international Comic" in 2014. <<less

The year is 1949. Japan had been defeated in World War II and was occupied by Allied Forces consisting of American, Australian, British, Indian and New Zealander troops.... more>>

A young woman meets a young man. Both have lost everything because of the war. Tome Kano, a barmaid, and Katsuya Ranzaki, a wealthy investor. The two are fed up with their lives and want to live "real lives" for once. Katsuya's starting up an all-girls baseball team with Tome on it allows them to do this. In this dramatic story, the dreams of a nation come alive. Through the determination and strength of Katsuya and Tome, girls baseball becomes a sensation, and Tome a superstar. <<less

Shizuku Kanzaki is the son of a recently deceased, world-renowned wine critic named Yutaka Kanzaki. In order to take ownership of his father's legacy, an extensive wine collection featuring some of the most rare labels of the last 30 years, he must find 13 wines, known as the "Twelve Apostles" plus the heaven-sent "Drops of God" that his father described in his will. ... more>>

But despite being an only child, Shizuku is not alone in this unique wine hunt. He has a competitor. Issei Tomine, a renowned young wine critic, was recently adopted into the Kanzaki family and is also vying for this most rare of prizes.

, the most prestigious wine magazine in France, has awarded this series with the "Special Award of the Year" in 2010. <<less

Shio Houkigi runs an aromatherapy salon by day, but has another occupation by night. She runs "Striped Sheep," a service that provides relief to women... more>> who have a hard time falling asleep without a man by their side. <<less

This is a story about a piano, pitifully abandoned in the woods, and a young boy, Kai, who grew up playing it as his favorite toy. While Kai cannot even read sheet music, one day, he meets Shuhei Amamiya, an aspiring child pianist who transfers schools from Tokyo, and their music teacher, Sosuke Ajino. Ajino was also once a gifted pianist, until a tragic accident stole his promising future from him forever. Each from a different background, the trio's personalities gravitate to one another and rebound. All the while, the piano sits patiently, awaiting a hand to play it.... more>>

Note: Received the Grand Prize for best manga at the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2008. <<less

Keiichi Oda, a tired office worker, commutes back and forth from work, and on his way he periodically stumbles upon Madoka's apartment window where she runs a ramen shop... later an okonomiyaki shop... later, an ice fishing hole... later, a sauna... later, a climbing wall...... more>>

Who is this mysterious, silent and pretty woman? Where the hell does she get all this stuff from? Why does she always beckon Oda? And why is she so damn stubborn about it all!?

Be prepared to have your concept of "multitasking" challenged!!! <<less

Japan is a brilliant model of Asian success and obligation. But how would this country manage a large-scale sanitary crisis? What would happen in Shinjuku,... more>> one of Tokyo's biggest districts, if a man exploded in the street during broad daylight? How would the political and sanitation authorities manage such a crisis? Please consider this question as long as you can--because it's already too late for professors Onodera and Sekiguchi! Is an emerging virus slowly spreading itself into the arteries of the Japanese capital? <<less

The eccentric Dr. Tamaki is doing brain research. Hashi, 19 and a half, has a small fragment of a car that remained in his brain... more>> after an accident, and since then he can't help but say out loud everything he thinks and feels . Hana, 21, has unexpected orgasms anytime, anywhere, even in public. The brain of 6 year old Mari cannot perceive the people around her, she lives in an isolated world where there is no other human being apart from her. Hideo, 10, says he has "super powers," and can "get in touch with aliens and God." <<less

Zaizen Takashi passes his entrance exams at the top of the heap, and starts his first year in junior high school at Dojuku Gakuen, a 130-year old, highly advanced institute of higher education. The day after the entrance ceremony, "the secret" of the school is revealed to him, which concerns the existence of an "investment club," consisting only of the top student from each of the 6 grades.... more>>

Its club members have a mission. They must invest from a capital of 300-billion yen and yield a profit of 8%, which is their annual goal. This is why Dojuku Gakuen, boasting the highest standards of education in all of Japan, is tuition free. <<less

Mariel Imari is a private eye trying to become a first-rate detective to be able inherit her late father's estate. For some strange reason, the... more>> mysterious thief Vecchio is taking an interest in her. As if that wasn't enough, her old friends at Interpol and her siblings make life more troubling for her. <<less

Who takes the time these days to climb a tree in bare feet to rescue a child’s toy? To stop and observe the birds? To... more>> play in the puddles after a storm? To go down to the sea to put a shell back? The Walking Man does as he strolls at random through urban Japan – often silent, often alone – with his vivid dreams that let time stand still. <<less

Collection of various oneshots, including Katou Shinkichi’s debut work, which was originally published on November 22, 1990 in Weekly Morning.

In an ancient kingdom, a vicious warlord is on the hunt for a magical sword. Forced to escape his soldiers, the young girl who guards... more>> the sword is hunted until she receives some unexpected help from a pair of odd strangers. <<less

Compilation of short stories:... more>>

• Hotel: Since 2079 (2006)

It is the year 2272 A.D.

A computer continues to live on in order to complete a mission in a world where all life, including Mankind, has gone extinct. This is a record of those 27 million years of its heroic struggle.

• Present (2006)

Hanako suffers from a terrible disease. After awakening from a deep slumber, Hanako has only three days to live.

• Subete wa Maguro no Tame datta (It Was All for the Tuna) (2008)

Tuna have become extinct and Jun Shiozaki will do everything possible and imaginable to bring them back.

• Stephanos (2007 Mandala Vol. 1)

Set in modern-day Japan, our main character Noriko finds out that she is pregnant with her lover Matsumura’s baby. He, however, is an important doctor with a family and everything already. Noriko wants to have the baby, but Matsumura says that it’s actually a rapidly growing cancer and that they have to remove it immediately. It might also be neither of these things…

• Diadem (2008 Mandala Vol. 2)

A "Diadem" is a word for 'crown' that has its root in Greek. "Stephanos", which appeared in "Mandala" 01, was also a 'crown'. It seems that we could consider this the second work in a continuing series of shorts that should perhaps be called a "Crown series". <<less

Although a 19th-century philosopher once said that "God is dead" (It was Nietzsche) the Rakia story has God descending to Earth in the 21st century... more>> and assuming the form of a girl. ("Rakia" is the Hebrew word for the skies or the firmament.) <<less

Saitou is a young doctor who just graduated. Starting his career as a doctor he finds there is a lot more to this profession than one would think. An intense drama about the dark side of the medical world.... more>>

In 2012, Shuho Sato

Note: Won the Excellence Prize for Manga at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2002 and the Grand Award at the Japan Cartoonist Association Awards in 2004. <<less