News

Märchen Mädchen Manga Scheduled, Online Game Project Announced

This year's October issue of Shueisha's Jump SQ. magazine will announce on Monday that the manga adaptation of late author Tomohiro Matsu and artist Kantoku's Märchen Mädchen (Fairy Tale Girls) light novel series will launch in Jump SQ.'s November issue on October 4. Takatoshi Nakamura (Densetsu no Yūsha no Konkatsu) and newcomer artist Kiyotsugu Yamagata are collaborating on the series.

The magazine also announced a Märchen Mädchen online game project from DMM Games. The staff will reveal more information at Tokyo Game Show 2017 this month, and DMM Games' booth will host a stage event with voice actresses Tomori Kusunoki (voice of Hazuki Kagimura), Rie Suegara (Shizuka Tsuchimikado), and Lynn (Yumilia Qazan) on September 24.

The novels center on Hazuki Kagimura, a normal girl who is usually alone. With her relationship with her new family not going so well, she retreats every day to the world of stories and books. One day, after school, one of the library's bookshelves sends her to another world with a magic school, where she meets Shizuka Tsuchimikado. She finds out that girls (called "mädchen") who attend the school are selected by old fairy tales and folk stories to wield their magic, and are taught how to wield it in the school, all to compete at the annual Hexen Nacht (Witch's Night) competition, where girls represent their schools in magical duels. The winner of the competition gets to have one wish magically granted. The school has girls who are chosen by such stories as Kaguya-hime no Monogatari, Issun-bōshi, Der Freischütz, Shuten-dōji, The Little Matchstick Girl, The Gigantic Turnip, Arthurian legends, and The Ramayana. Hazuki herself is chosen by the Cinderella story. She begins her new life at the school to become a magic user, and be friends with Shizuka.

The light novel series is based on a concept that Matsu (Mayoi Neko Overrun!, Listen to Me, Girls. I Am Your Father!) had worked on for three years and completed before he passed away. The work is still credited to him, with assistance by StoryWorks. Kantoku (Garakowa -Restore the World-, Imōto Sae Ireba Ii., One Room) is illustrating the novels. Shueisha published the first novel under its Dash X Bunko imprint on February 24, and the second novel on July 25.

The anime adaptation will premiere in 2018.