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Wonder 3 Manga Kickstarter Campaign Ends After Raising US$82,137

posted on by Anita Tai
Campaign reached goal in 3 days

North American publisher Digital Manga Inc.'s Kickstarter campaign to localize and publish Osamu Tezuka's Wonder 3 (Wonder Three) manga in English ended on April 26 after raising US$82,137. The campaign launched on March 27 and exceeded its goal of US$39,000 within three days.

The manga is slated for release in one omnibus volume in August.

The campaign also offered the following manga titles as reward items. The Thief Inoue Akikazu, Yakeppachi's Maria (omnibus), Dust 8 (omnibus), The Euphrates Tree, Say Hello to Bookila! (omnibus), Metamorphose, and Ambassador Magma (omnibus). Unlike previous additional titles Digital Manga has offered in its Kickstarters, the publication of these titles was not contingent on stretch goals.

Wonder Three (The Amazing Three) ran in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine from 1965 to 1966. The series inspired the first original television anime created by Tezuka's Mushi Production studio and the first Japanese made-for-television animated program to use a specific animation illustrator for each specific character. The black-and-white series ran for 52 episodes from 1965-1966 and was later broadcast in the United States in 1967.

Digital Manga describes the story of Wonder Three:

Wonder 3 takes place in an alternate Earth in the year 196X and the world is overrun with war and violence. The Galactic Federation consisting of all the advanced species of the universe convene to decide the future of Earth, but due to a lack of information they decide to send an elite team, Wonder 3, to observe human species for one year and determine whether or not humans are worthy of saving. Upon landing on Earth, the three members of Wonder 3 – Bokkō, Nokko, and Pukko – disguise themselves as animals and come across the two Hoshi brothers who defend humanity in their own way. With a time limit of one year, what can Wonder 3 learn from the Hoshi brothers about life on Earth?

Digital Manga describes The Thief Inoue Akikazu:

From the legendary creater Osamu Tezuka comes an anthology of psychological thrillers that will drive a chill in your spine. A woman is spurned by her lover, and is presented with the chance to get her revenge. A serial killer claims that his inhumane acts against man and nature are in protest of a society he sees unjust. In The Thief Inoue Akikazu, Tezuka masterfully balances the horrors that creep at the edge of our psyches with the amazing dialogue and artwork that prove he was a legend!

Digital Manga describes Yaketpachi's Maria:

Osamu Tezuka brings the battle of the sexes to a paranormal comedy, where Yaketpachi, a teenage delinquent, and Maria, a spirit living in a sex doll, explore their High School years, with all the trials and tribulations that come with it. In this wacky love story, Tezuka brings a healthy dose of real-world sexual education to the drama of a love that can never be.

Digital Manga describes Dust 8:

The Mountain of Life is where humanity and nature gained the strength to thrive from, a mysterious land formation powered with energy to bend the very laws of nature it empowers. A tragic plane accident leads to the death of dozens of families, but eight people survived the accident. When the fateful flight crashed into the mountain, it broke apart chunks of stones that channel a life-giving force in them, bringing eight strangers back to life. When confronted with their aberrational existence, a boy and a girl are forced to make a decision that will affect their lives and that of the other reanimated individuals.

Digital Manga describes The Euphrates Tree :

As the saying goes, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” and that also goes without exception to three high school students, who set out on a science field trip and encounter the Euphrates tree, a tree that bores fruit that gives superpowers to anyone that eats from it. With the discovery of their new found supernatural powers, will they be able to control it, or will they themselves be out of control?

Digital Manga describes Say Hello to Bookila!:

Although an attractive girl, Toroko is a terrible actress. Despite the fact she messes up her lines, ignores her superiors, and generally causes mayhem, the Tōzai Television continues to use her in many of their shows. People have begun to notice, and the tabloid reporter, Rokurou, intends to get to the bottom of the mystery. Little does he know that his investigation will turn up a strange relationship between the child and a demon, or that he will soon be a part of that uneasy relationship himself.

Digital Manga describes Metamorphose:

Criminals in an experimental prison are genetically modified into endangered animals. A young man goes on a journey to hunt and kill a werewolf. Two birds discover a magical powder that allows them to turn into giant monsters. Metamorphose is a collection of fantastical short stories that are tied together by the theme of physical transformation. The God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka, takes you through a rollercoaster ride of strange, eerie, yet heartfelt fantasy stories.

Digital Manga describes Ambassador Magma:

It's a battle for the fate of Earth between a space invading army lead by the ominous being named Goa vs. Earth's defender, Magma, the giant robot—and Mamoru, a news reporter's son, that's caught right in the middle. Can Mamoru team up with Magma to save the planet?

Digital Manga has used Kickstarter to fund releases for a number of Tezuka manga. The company's most recent Kickstarter ended in November, successfully funding The Crater and three additional manga as stretch goals.

Digital Manga has aimed to publish Wonder Three in two earlier unsuccessful Kickstarter campaigns. The manga was a stretch goal in a 2014 campaign to publish six Tezuka manga, but the campaign failed to meet its initial goal. Digital Manga launched another Kickstarter for Wonder Three in 2015, but the project also failed to meet its initial goal of US$46,500.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.


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