Ablaze Comics is publishing an English translation of the hit horror series Gannibal. The publisher is also running a Kickstarter drive offering special editions of the manga, to coincide with the release of the first volume.
Created by Masaaki Ninomiya, Gannibal centers around police officer Daigo Agawa. Recently assigned to the mountain town of Kuge, Agawa is given a warm welcome by the villagers. However, following the suspicious death of an old woman, Agawa gradually becomes aware of the villagers’ eccentric behavior. This leads him to conclude that “The people in this village are eating people.”
Originally published in 13 volumes, Gannibal is an international phenomena. The best-selling series has already seen translations published in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, Turkey, Brazil, Korea, and Thailand.
The original Japanese manga inspired a live-action television series, which is currently streaming on Hulu. The show has proven just as popular and critically acclaimed as the original comics. The show stars Yuya Yagira, Sho Kasamatsu, and Riho Yoshioka. It is directed by Shinzo Katayama, who directed the J-horror movie Missing.
Ablaze Comics already has plans to publish the entirety of the Gannibal series in standard manga-size volumes. However, the popularity of the series has led them to create something special worthy of the book’s legacy. To that end, Ablaze will also publish a limited edition hardcover collection of Gannibal. This special edition will only be available through an upcoming Kickstarter drive.
No date has been announced for when the Kickstarter drive will begin, but fans can sign up to be informed when it starts. The regular paperback edition of Gannibal Vol. 1 is scheduled for release on November 15, 2023. Gannibal Vol. 2 will come out three months later, on February 14, 2024. Future volumes will likely be released at a similar pace.
