News
New Sensual Phrase Shōjo Manga Series to Launch on February 5
posted on by Egan Loo
Mayu Shinjo will launch Sono Koe de, Sono Uta o. (That Song, With That Voice.), her new Sensual Phrase manga series, in this year's fifth issue of Shogakukan's Sho-Comi (Shōjo Comic) magazine on February 5. The combined third and fourth issue of the magazine announced the new series on Friday with an illustration of Sakuya Ōkouchi (the Lucifer rock band's vocalist from the original Sensual Phrase manga) and an unnamed girl:
The magazine teases the "next-generation story of Sensual Phrase": "Sakuya Ōkouchi's new project launches! Sakuya discovers the next-generation hero who will usher in a new era!" In her message, Shinjo said that she is working hard to provide a story which both fans familiar with her work and newcomers will enjoy. It has been 19 years since she last serialized Sensual Phrase.
The original manga's romance story centers on female high school student and aspiring lyricist Aine Yukimura and Lucifer rock band vocalist Sakuya Ōkouchi. One day, Sakuya runs into Aine with his car. Sakuya gives her a pass to a performance that night, and she hears him perform her lyrics that she left behind after the accident. The two fall for each other but encounter many obstacles as their relationship develops.
Shinjo serialized the original manga in Sho-Comi magazine from 1997 to 2000, and its compiled book volumes have over 10 million copies in print. Viz Media published the manga in North America. A television anime adaptation ran from 1999 to 2000, and the Lucifer visual-kei band was formed in real life specifically to perform theme songs for the anime. The band broke up in 2003 but reunited several times after the disbanding.
The original manga is also inspiring a Sensual Phrase Climax ‐Next Generation- smartphone game app later this year. The game includes elements of the band training and romance adventure game genres. While the app centers around the Sensual Phrase storyline, it also incorporates elements from Shinjo's other manga such as Love Celeb and Haou Airen.
The game features the same cast members — Masaya Matsukaze, Kenichi Suzumura, Shinichirō Miki, Susumu Chiba, and Takahiro Sakurai — from the 1999-2000 television anime for the Lucifer band. It also features new bands with new voice actors.
Sources: Comic Natalie, Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web
