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Abrams ComicArts' Kana Licenses Hideout, Bye-Bye Beanbag, 'The Gentleman, the Cat, and the Tearoom' Manga

Abrams ComicArts' Kana imprint announced via newsletter on Wednesday that it has licensed Masasumi Kakizaki's Hideout manga, Kazuyoshi Takeda's Bye-Bye Beanbag (Sayonara Tamachan) manga, Molico Ross' The Gentleman, the Cat, and the Tearoom manga, and Chiharu Yumenouchi's How to Draw Chibi art guidebook.

Kana will release Kakizaki's Hideout manga on October 13. Kana describes the manga:

The cave beckons.

Deep in the rainforest of a southern resort island, where bones of forgotten soldiers abound, another corpse is nothing special.

A young couple grieves the death of their young son, but the husband sets out in search of a waterfall said to bring those who see it newfound happiness. 

The wife is a skeptic, opposed to the trek, but "anything to start afresh," he says, so they try it.

Anything . . . 

Kakizaki published the manga in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine in 2010. Shogakukan published one compiled book volume for the manga.

George Abe and Kakizaki's Rainbow - Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin prison manga inspired a television anime series in 2010. Funimation streamed the series on its website. A live-action film adaptation of Kakizaki's Kansen Rettō horror manga debuted in 2009.

Kana will release Kazuyoshi Takeda's Bye-Bye Beanbag manga on October 20. The company describes the manga memoir:

A testicular cancer diagnosis at age 35 rips through Kazuyoshi Takeda's life but also brings unexpected love, friendship, and the courage to tell his story. Treatment pulls him into long hospital days, yet he still notices the moments that keep him going—the kindness of nurses, the quirks of his roommates, and the bond he forms with a fellow patient who understands his fear. As his illness worsens, the people in his life show up with a tenderness he never expected. Their care pushes him back to the manga he has dreamed of finishing, giving him a reason to keep cheery even on the hardest days. Bye Bye Beanbag is a moving manga memoir about fear, hope, and the small connections that make life worth fighting for.

The manga was nominated for the Manga Taisho awards in 2014, and was also nominated for the 18th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize "Reader Award" in the same year.

The one-volume manga ran in Kodansha's Evening magazine starting in 2012.

Takeda's Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise manga inspired an anime film adaptation that opened in Japan on December 5.

Kana will release Molico Ross' The Gentleman, the Cat, and the Tearoom (Neko to Shinshi no Tea Room) manga on September 29. Kana describes the manga:

In a little café slotted between city buildings, a gentleman and his cat have carved a space for themselves. Taki, the shy and softspoken owner of the establishment, runs the small café with the help of his cat, Keemun. Together they greet customers and serve the perfect pairing of tea and snack while helping visitors with whatever ails them. Usually, all it takes is a quiet chat and one of Taki's meticulously brewed cups of tea. But Keemun isn't the only reason women come into the café—a dashing older man who knows just what to serve is a treat on its own. Despite Taki's shyness, he excels at reading his customers and understanding the weariness of their lives.

Molico Ross launched the manga in Coamix's Comic Zenon magazine in August 2022. Coamix published the manga's fifth volume in August 2025.

Molico Ross' Nobo and Her? (Nobo-san to Kanojo?) manga launched in Comic Zenon in 2012, and ended in August 2017. Tokuma Shoten published eight volumes of the manga. Azuki is releasing the manga in English.

Kana will release Yumenouchi's How to Draw Chibi (Mini-Chara no Egakikata) art guidebook on November 17. Kana describes the book:

One of Japan's most-gifted books of Christmas 2023. A gifty, professional-level guide on how to draw anime-manga in a cute "miniature" style. From a top commercial illustrator, foundational techniques for beginners and committed artists

In the simplified chibi-style where every line counts, the smallest adjustments affect the entire composition. Building good habits from expert advice is crucial!

How to Draw Chibi is penned by expert illustrator Chiharu Yumenouchi from the front lines of commercial chibi character art—from official merch design of the multibillion-dollar hit series Demon Slayer and cult bestseller Apothecary Diaries, to original art exhibits, McDonalds ads, Pokémon Pocket cosmetics, music videos, Hatsune Miku figure designs, and much much more.

Packed tight with cuteness, this nifty guide teaches professional methods you wish you knew, and know-hows that bring out “tiny and adorable” charms to their fullest. Illustrated demonstrations do much of the heavy lifting so you can grasp the concepts at a glance—perfect for visual learners not so fond of reading long blocks of text.

Yumenouchi and MdN Corporation released the book in Japan in October 2022.

Source: Email correspondence