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Arpeggio of Blue Steel Manga Gets Serialized Novel in April

The May issue of Shonen Gahosha's Monthly Young King Ours GH magazine revealed on March 16 that Ark Performance's Arpeggio of Blue Steel manga is inspiring a serialized novel by Studio Nue scriptwriter Shigeru Morita that will launch in the magazine's June issue on April 17. The novel will have a color opening page illustration, and Shonen Gahosha will feature an image of the novel on the June issue's front cover. Morita previously served as a science-fiction adviser for the franchise's Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova DC film.

Ark Performance launched the manga in Shonen Gahosha's Young King Ours magazine in 2009. Shonen Gahosha released the manga's 13th compiled book volume (seen right) in November. That volume had revealed that the manga was getting a novel adaptation this spring. Seven Seas Entertainment is releasing the manga in English, and shipped the ninth volume on January 10.

In the story, humanity lost much of its developed land due to global warming in the first half of the 21st century. Then, a "Fleet of Fog" loaded with super weapons suddenly appears all over the world. Without the ability to withstand this fleet, humanity was defeated and could no longer travel the seas. 17 years after the devastating naval war, Gunzō Chihaya and his crewmates somehow commandeer a "Fleet of Fog" submarine named I-401. Together with Iona (I-401's "mental model" or incarnation in humanoid form), they take on the "Fleet of Fog."

Crunchyroll streamed the manga's television anime adaptation as it aired in Japan in 2013. The anime inspired a compilation film titled Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova DC, which premiered in Japan in January 2015. The show also inspired a sequel anime film titled Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova Cadenza, which premiered in Japan in October 2015.