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Vertical: No Longer Human Manga News Was Premature
posted on by Gia Manry
New York-based publisher Vertical has announced via its Facebook page that it has not in fact acquired the Usamaru Furuya manga No Longer Human, contrary to the company's previous announcement of the acquisition at the New York Anime Festival last Saturday. According to the company's statement, a communication error led the company to believe the licensing was complete. Vertical says that it is still actively negotiating in hopes of acquiring the rights to the manga properly.
Furuya's manga series is based on the Osamu Dazai novel of the same name (titled Ningen Shikkaku in the original Japanese). The story follows a young man's deepening alienation from the rest of the world, despite his attempts to maintain a cheery facade. Furuya launched the manga in Shinchosha's Comic Bunch magazine in 2009 after working on 51 Ways to Save Her, Lychee Light Club (Litchi Hikari Club), and Genkaku Picasso.
DC Comics' CMX Manga announced its license of 51 Ways to Save Her at Comic-Con International in 2009, but did not release the manga before shutting down this past July. Viz announced at Anime Expo in July that it licensed Genkaku Picasso, while Vertical announced Lychee Light Club at Comic-Con International later that month.
Dazai's other literary classics include Run, Melos! (Hashire Melos!) and The Setting Sun. Dazai's original Ningen Shikkaku novel was adapted into a four-episode segment of the Aoi Bungaku television anime last October, and an anime film version of this segment was green-lit soon after. The anime version features original character designs by Death Note and Hikaru no Go artist Takeshi Obata.
Image © Usamaru Furuya / Shinchosha
