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Sho Shibamoto Runs Kickstarter for English Version of Flower Knight Dakini Manga

Manga artist Sho Shibamoto is running a Kickstarter campaign for an English version of the first six chapters of his self-published web manga series Flower Knight Dakini. The project has surpassed its goal of US$2,831 and, as of press time, has earned US$4,211 (converted from yen). The campaign will end on April 13.

Shibamoto posted the first chapter of Flower Knight Dakini (Hana no Kishi Dakini) in April 2017 and the seventh and most recent chapter on March 25. Shibamoto noted that he hopes to release the seventh and eighth chapters in English without "much delay after the Japanese version."

Shibamoto describes the story:

The main characters are Eiden, an aspiring painter who got caught up in the great destruction caused by the Sky Golems and can't paint anymore because of the shock…and Dakini, a mute warrior with mysterious fighting abilities on a mission to defeat the golems. While traveling together to challenge the menace that threatens their world, they face their traumas and their past while pursuing their mission and hopes.

Simona Stanzani will translate Flower Knight Dakini. Stanzani previously translated Shibamoto's Pandemonium -Wizard Village-, which ran simultaneously in Japanese and English on Shogakukan's now-defunct Ikki-Para webcomics site.

The story of Flower Knight Dakini is linked to Pandemonium -Wizard Village- and Shibamoto's other previous manga Tsunousagi, also published by Shogakukan.

Shibamoto debuted as a manga artist in 2008, after his short story "Baku" won the seinen manga division of Shogakukan's 62nd Newcomer Comic Grand Prize. He had previously earned a jury recommendation for self-published manga at the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival Awards. In addition to Tsunousagi and Pandemonium, Shibamoto drew the Yo-kai Watch koma-san ~Hanabi to Kiseki no Jikan~ and Yo-kai Watch koma-san ~Tamaki to Nagareboshi no Tomodachi~ manga.

Thanks to Morgan and Michael O'Rourke for the news tip.