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'Manga Planet' Manga Subscription Service Adds 3 Masaya Hokazono Titles

The Manga Planet manga subscription service announced on Sunday that it will add Masaya Hokazono's Doctor Mordrid, Chilling Messages (Torihada Tsūshin), and Raguna Chronicles (Raguna Nendaiki) manga at the end of March. The first chapters of the manga will be available for free, and subsequent chapters will be available for subscribers. The service noted that the English titles of the manga may change.

Manga Planet describes Doctor Mordrid:

The year is 1897, the era of the Wild West. Doctor Mordrid may be the scientific community's outcast, but his unique skills as an archaeologist specializing in occult cases are second to none and begrudgingly recognized by most. With his trusty animal sidekick Kim and more than a few (mechanized) tricks up his sleeve, Doctor Mordrid sets forth to investigate incredible happenings on the American Frontier.

Manga Planet describes Chilling Messages:

A collection of four-panel comics where Masaya Hokazono talks about the toils and travails of being a horror manga artist. In this light-hearted romp through his day job, he tackles things such as reader-submitted ghost stories, the terrors of social media disapproval, hospital experiences, real fake psychics, and what may be the scariest things of all - his fellows in the horror manga industry!

Manga Planet describes Raguna Chronicles:

On the planet Raguna, there is a music festival. With Leader at its helm, the musical group "Karriot" is brought to life by Gaia's organ, Freya's guitar, Seiichiro's mandolin, and Nathaniel's pipe...but his pipe isn't just any ordinary pipe! The legend says of the Clausel pipe that "If you play the pipe on the night of Pavana, the moon shall be alight as the stars dance in delight." But what does this mean, exactly...? In Masaya Hokazono's sci-fi fantasy done in the style of legends, these mushroom man friends encounter falling stars, destroyed moons, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth itself!

Manga Planet launched on November 18 with Hokazono's Inugami Kai in its debut lineup. The service costs US$6.99 per month, and the subscription allows users unlimited access to English-translated manga on the service.

Manga Planet is also working with publishers Bunkasha Publishing Co., Ltd.; Kaiohsha Publishing Co., Ltd.; Wani Books Co., Ltd.; Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd.; Shodensha Publishing Co., Ltd.; Home-sha, Starts Publishing Corporation, K.K. HarperCollins Japan, and MugenUp Inc. The company is also working with individual artists such as Masaya Hokazono.

Manga Planet started as a joint project between Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. and Fantasista, Inc. in 2012. The companies' goal with Manga Planet is to "[bring] new manga to fans from all over the world and support artists and the industry."

Fantasista, Inc. is also the company that launched the futekiya manga subscription service in July that focuses on boys-love manga.

Source: Press release