Titan Comics recently announced that it will bring Tomozo’s manga adaptation of Gonzo’s Speed Grapher anime to English print. The inaugural volume is scheduled for release in April 2024 and is already up for pre-order on Amazon and Forbidden Planet.
Titan Comics provides an enticing synopsis of the manga’s plot: Within the gritty, supernatural underbelly of Tokyo, a former war photographer with a troubled past embarks on a mission to rescue a remarkably gifted fifteen-year-old girl from the clutches of a malevolent cabal intent on exploiting her potent abilities. This narrative mirrors the premise of the acclaimed GONZO anime sharing the same title.
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Set in Tokyo’s dark future, the prestigious Roppongi Club conceals a trove of enigmatic secrets. Through his resourcefulness, photojournalist Saiga infiltrates this exclusive enclave and crosses paths with Kagura, the young girl endowed with both wondrous and monstrous powers. With a mere click of his camera shutter, Saiga seals the fate of his subjects, triggering a deadly chain reaction.
Tomozo’s manga initially debuted in Japan’s Monthly Dengeki Comic Gao! magazine, courtesy of MediaWorks, back in March 2005. The manga’s third and final compiled volume was released in Japan in December 2005.
Previously, Tokyopop held the license for Tomozo’s manga adaptation and Minoru Niki’s novel rendition of the supernatural thriller anime. Tokyopop’s introductory 192-page manga volume hit the shelves in September 2008, followed by the second volume in December of the same year. Unfortunately, the publication of the third volume was discontinued.
Gonzo’s original anime, spanning 24 episodes, made its debut in April 2005. Funimation facilitated the anime’s streaming with Japanese audio and English subtitles, as well as an English-dubbed version. Concurrently, Crunchyroll also streamed the series.
The anime portrays a futuristic Tokyo scarred by the aftermath of the Bubble War, which exacerbated the chasm between the privileged and the underprivileged. Against this backdrop, Saiga, a former war photographer, stumbles upon an indulgent secret society catering to the most extravagant and deviant desires of its affluent clientele. Amid this enigmatic club, he encounters a girl whose touch triggers explosive phenomena when captured by his camera lens.
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In 2005, Hayakawa Publishing of Japan initially released the novel adaptation in three volumes, featuring cover art designed by the anime’s original character designer, Yuusuke Kozaki.
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