Viz announces The Climber, 26 other titles in latest licensing event.

Hello everyone and welcome to our coverage of Viz Media’s latest manga licensing event! They ended up licensing a grand total of 21 physical titles and 6 digital titles for a very wide-range of tastes! The big highlight of the event is without a doubt the long awaited license for The Climber, a very popular series adapted by and with gorgeous artwork from Shinichi Sakamoto (Innocent, #DRCL).

Physical Licenses

Minecraft: The Manga

by Kazuyoshi Seto

Join Nico on his chance to escape the blocky confines of his home and prove how strong he’s become when zombies attack!

Series releases Spring 2025.

Ruri Dragon

by Masaoki Shindo

Ruri Aoki is just your average high school student — that is until she wakes up one morning to find she now has horns growing out of her head! Confused and shocked by this sudden change she immediately shows them to her mother, who even more shockingly remains completely unfazed and simply drops a bombshell on Ruri: that she is actually half-dragon!

Without so much as an explanation from her mother, Ruri decides she has no choice but to go to school and continue on living her life and dealing with the consequences of standing out at school. As expected, immediately everyone in her class notices her brand new horns and soon Ruri is overwhelmed with classmates wanting to touch them and asking her questions about them.

So begins Ruri’s chaotic new life as a half-dragon.

Series releases Spring 2025. Ruri Dragon is also currently available simulpubbed digitally on the MANGA Plus platform.

Kaiju no. 8 B-Side

story by Naoya Matsumoto and Keiji Ando, art by Kentaro Hidano

In this spin off of Kaiju no. 8, learn more about the backstories of beloved characters from Hoshina to Kikoru!

Series releases physically Spring 2025. Kaiju no. 8: B Side is currently available simulpubbed digitally on the MANGA Plus platform.

The Climber

story by Yoshio Nabeta and Hiroshi Takano, adaptation and art by Shin’ichi Sakamoto

A dangerous bid for solitude introduces Mori, a lonesome and solitary mind, to the dangerous and harrowing world of solo climbing when his classmates persuade him to scale their school. Without harness or hesitation he pushes past the point of no return, a horizontal overhang, to reach the very top.

With a newly awakened passion for climbing, Mori pushes forward in his new purpose in life: the breathtaking sport of solo rock climbing.

Series releases Spring 2025.

Dr. Mashirito’s Ultimate Manga Techniques

written by Kazuhiko Torishima with Takanaka Shimotsuki

Learn how to make manga from formed Editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Jump, Kazuhiko Torishima, who collaborated with masters of the craft.

Series releases Spring 2025.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex

story by Masashi Kishimoto and art by Mikio Ikemoto

The ninja adventures continue in this second series featuring Naruto’s son, Boruto! When Code attacks Konoha, Boruto returns to show how powerful he’s become.

Series releases physically Spring 2025. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is currently available simulpubbed digitally on the MANGA Plus platform.

Firefly Wedding

by Oreco Tachibana

Satoko, the eldest daughter of the noble Kirigaya family, has received numerous marriage offers from men captivated by her stunning beauty. In order to hide her heart defect from others she turns them down one by one. Despite this, she is still willing to find the right husband to ease her worrying father’s mind.

One day, while on a stroll out of their house, Satoko is kidnapped by a violent group of mercenaries. Satoko pleads with the one tasked with killing her, Shinpei Gotou, to free her to no avail. Out of options, she makes a desperate gamble and offers him her hand in marriage, claiming love at first sight.

When Shinpei goes on a bloody rampage wiping out the other mercenaries to free her, Satoko realizes she may be in way over her head with her mysterious and deadly husband-to-be.

Series releases physically Spring 2025. Firefly Wedding is currently available digitally on the Comikey platform.

One Piece: Heroines

written by Jun Esaka, created by Eiichiro Oda, and illustrations by Sayaka Suwa

Follow fan-favorite One Piece leading ladies Nami, Robin, Perona, and Vivi as they go off on their own adventures in this collection of prose short stories!

Series releases Spring 2025.

Hunter x Hunter (3-in-1 Omnibus)

by Yoshihiro Togashi

Classic Weekly Shonen Jump series Hunter x Hunter will now be available in a brand new omnibus format. Start your collection and follow Gon on his adventure to find his father in these new 3-in-1 omnibus!

Omnibus release starting Spring 2025. Hunter x Hunter is currently available on the Shonen Jump app.

Dogsred

by Satoru Noda (Golden Kamuy)

Tokyo Alien Bros

by Keigo Shinzo (Hirayasumi)

Aliens walk among us, but these two are actually just brothers hanging out and roaming the streets of Tokyo. Tasked with colonizing Earth and looking for valuable resources, adapting to this new life and completing their mission may be harder than they ever imagined.

Series releases Spring 2025.

The Liminal Zone – Vol. 2 

by Junji Ito

Eisner Award-winning horror manga creator Junji Ito invites us back into the liminal zone with part two of his haunting short story collection. What awaits when death is not the end?

Liminal Zone – Vol. 2 releases Spring 2025.

My Love Story – Vol. 14

story by Kazune Kawahara (High School Debut) and art by Aruko (My Love Mix-Up!)

In this stand-alone story Takeo and Yamato head to college where a series of ominous events occur. Will this new chapter of their life end with… murder?!

My Love Story – Vol. 14 releases Spring 2025.

Pink Candy Kiss

by Ami Uozumi

Takara has never felt jealous of any of her past boyfriends. Suddenly, her childhood friend and middle-school crush, Ema, re-enters her life as a married woman. Can Takara finally find happiness with Ema or is she 20 years too late?

Series releases Spring 2025.

Spirited Away Film Comic (All-in-One Edition)

by Studio Ghibli

Fantasy and adventure await in this deluxe hardcover film comic based on Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, the winner of the 2002 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature!

Collection releases Spring 2025.

My Neighbor Totoro: The Official Cookbook

by Studio Ghibli

This charming cookbook invites you to recreate the delicious foods seen in the beloved Studio Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro.

My Neighbor Totoro: Official Cookbook releases Spring 2025.

Mujina into the Deep

by Inio Asano

From the Eisner Award-winning creator of Goodnight Punpun comes a new world where human rights are for sale and without them you’re less than nothing – a mujina.

Series releases physically Spring 2025. Mujina into the Deep is currently available simulpubbed digitally on the MANGA Plus platform.

A Star Brighter Than the Sun

by Kazune Kawahara (High School Debut, My Love Story!)

Sae has always been taller and stronger than other girls her age, while her childhood friend Koki has always been the opposite. After briefly drifting apart, they suddenly reunite as they begin their high-school lives. Sae is shocked by Koki’s sudden glow-up and may just have to confront her growing feelings for him.

Series releases Spring 2025.

Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family

by Tatsuya Endou

Journey back to the 2000’s with this stand-alone collection of four dark and gritty one shots, including the original oneshot for Blade of the Moon Princess, all from Spy x Family creator, Tatsuya Endo.

Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family, releases Spring 2025.

Beyblade X

story by Homura Kawamoto (Kakegurui) and Hikaru Muno, art by Posuka Demizu (The Promised Neverland)

3-2-1… LET IT RIP! Beyblade returns when an amateur teams up with a champion, vowing to rise to the top!

Series releases Spring 2025.

Vagabond: Definitive Edition

by Takehiko Inoue

The first three volumes* of Vagabond will be collected in a deluxe large-trim edition with a gorgeous textured design. Follow Musashi’s epic journey from the very beginning.

Vagabond: Definitive Edition releases Spring 2025

*Note: Viz Media has not clarified as of the writing of this article if ONLY the first three volumes of the series will be releases in this format, or if more will be coming in the future. Viz has publically stated that they will supply more information in the future.

Digital Licenses

Doron Dororon

by Gen Oosuka

A VIZ Digital Exclusive! Wannabe monster slayer Dora Sasaki wants to become a samurai to help defend humanity, but he has no supernatural energy! That’ll change when he meets a kind hearted spirit.

Series releases digitally Fall 2024.

Ichigoki’s Under Control!!

by Seiji Hayashi

A VIZ Digital Exclusive! Kai Ichigoki loses his life just as he is about to enter high school and he wakes up as a cyborg piloted by Misao, his microscopic childhood friend residing in his head!

Series releases digitally Fall 2024.

Wild Strawberry

by Ire Yonemoto

A VIZ Digital Exclusive! Tokyo is taken over by Jinka, a parasite that turns people into human-eating plant monsters! The Jinka have taken Kingo’s sister, his chance at a real family and soon, him too.

Series releases digitally Fall 2024.

Do Retry!

by Jun Kirarazaka

A VIZ Digital Exclusive! In postwar Japan, orphan Aozora Okami enters an underground yakuza boxing league to survive!

Series releases digitally Fall 2024.

Ginka & Glüna

by Shinpei Watanabe

A VIZ Digital Exclusive! Glüna possesses an incredible aptitude for magic. Alas, her isolation hinders her from being acknowledged. That is, until Ginka, a former magician turned snowman, enters!

Series releases digitally Fall 2024.

Shojo Null

story by Kanae Nakanishi and art by Akima

A VIZ Digital Exclusive! When robots known as Gijin start to display sentience in the 23rd century, humans will have to answer for their injustices!

Series releases digitally Fall 2024.

Well that is all for today’s coverage of Viz Media’s massive licensing event. The big standout for me was obviously the announcement of The Climber, but also Pink Candy Kiss, the sole Yuri/GL series announced, as well as Firefly Wedding, which I know fans have been begging to see licensed for many months now.

If you want to check out past licensing announcements and my coverage of the latest manga news and reviews, feel free to click here!