Akudama Drive Comicalize (アクダマドライブコミカライズ, Akudama Doraibu Komikaraizu) is the manga adaptation of Akudama Drive, illustrated by Rokurou Ogaki.
Its first chapter was released on July 6, 2020, ahead from the anime, which was delayed due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. As of December 1, 2022, 53 chapters have been released and 32 of them have been translated to English. They are available on Renta!'s online store in both Japanese and English.[1]
Official synopsis
"Long ago, war broke out between the regions of Kanto and Kansai, splitting the country in two. Kansai became a vassal state of Kanto and developed characteristic advancements. However, with the decline of the government and the police force, crime ran rampant. Those criminals are called Akudama.
This crime action story is set in a highly advanced, yet twisted society, and each Akudama has a different method of coping. The individual styles of each Akudama will collide as they finally assemble for one purpose."[1]
Releases
Volume 1
On January 26, 2022, Rokurou Ogaki announced the release of the first digital volume of Akudama Drive Comicalize for Amazon Kindle with some corrections and bonus pages.[2] Released on January 28, it costs ¥660.[3] On January 30, Rokurou Ogaki announced that it had become available on other digital platforms as well[4] for the same price.
Volume 2
On August 22, 2022, Renta! announced the upcoming release of the second digital volume of Akudama Drive Comicalize on multiple Japanese digital platforms for August 26.[5] Rokurou Ogaki had teased its release 3 days prior, on August 19, by publishing a small version of the cover hidden behind a drawing of the Hoodlum.[6] It released on Amazon Kindle for ¥660.[7]
Volume 3
On September 26, 2022, Rokurou Ogaki announced the pre-orders for the upcoming release of the third digital volume of Akudama Drive Comicalize on September 30, again costing ¥660.[8][9] He had teased its release the day prior, simultaneously teasing the release of Volume 4 "around October".[10]
Volume 4
After teasing that the cover of the fourth volume of Akudama Drive Comicalize would portray the Hacker at the time of the third volume's release, on October 25, 2022, Rokurou Ogaki confirmed its near release.[11] It became available on October 27 for the usual price of ¥660.[12]
Volume 5
On October 28, 2022, Rokurou Ogaki announced that the cover of fifth digital volume of Akudama Drive Comicalize, to come out by the end of November, would portray the Doctor.[13] He confirmed its upcoming release by once again publishing a teaser of the cover, using a drawing of the Hoodlum to hide it.[14] On November 28, he announced its release date: December 2, 2022.[15]
Volume 6
On December 6, 2022, Rokurou Ogaki published a teaser of the next volume's cover, featuring the Hoodlum, with the same usual drawing of him hiding himself. He stated said volume, Volume 6, to be due to come out in January.[16] On January 16, 2023, he confirmed its release date: January 21.[17][18]
Volume 7
On December 19, 2022, Rokurou Ogaki ran a poll on Twitter asking users to pick their favorite of 4 sketches for the cover of Volume 7. Option A won after 178 votes.[19] On January 13, he streamed and published images of his drafting, sketching, lining and finally coloring process.[20]
On February 11, 2023, Ogaki announced the upcoming release of Volume 7 by the end of February, and published the usual teaser featuring a drawing of the Hoodlum hiding the illustration.[21] On February 20, Renta! confirmed its release date to be February 25, and published the full cover.[22]
Volume 8
On February 11, 2023, Rokurou Ogaki announced he was finished drawing the bonus pages for Volume 8, and teased that their contents, as well as the volume's cover illustration, would be a secret.[21]
Miscellaneous information
Rokurou Ogaki had initially announced the digital release of three volumes before the end of the year in August 2021.[23] He stopped posting on Twitter from September 11 to November 26, when he announced that Akudama Drive Comicalize had been forced to take a break but would be now coming back.[24] (View Trivia)
Such a release has not been announced for the English translation of Akudama Drive Comicalize. At the time of the digital publication of the first volume in Japanese, 24 chapters had been translated to English on Renta!, while the volume publication was initially announced when the manga reached 28 chapters in Japanese. On February 1, 2022, Rokurou Ogaki replied to another user on Twitter that a volume release of the English version of Akudama Drive Comicalize was not in the works, but could come in the future if the demand is high enough. He recommended that this user convey their request to Renta!.[25]
Gallery
Volume Covers
Miscellaneous
Trivia
- In December 2020, Rokurou Ogaki put up a poll on his Twitter asking what he should abbreviate the manga's name to. "Akudamanga" (アクダマンガ Akudamanga) won with 49,6% of the votes.[30]
- On November 26, 2021, Renta! published an apology on Twitter for a break in the publication of Akudama Drive Comicalize, explaining that their parent company, Papyless, was to blame for this mistake, and confirming that the serialization was about to resume.[31]
- In his first announcement of an upcoming digital volume publication of Akudama Drive Comicalize on Twitter, Rokurou Ogaki mentioned that a physical version could eventually come out if the digital version sells well.[23]
External links
- Akudama Drive Comicalize on Miraheze
References
Characters | |
Akudama | Swindler • Courier • Brawler • Doctor • Hacker • Cutthroat • Hoodlum |
Execution Division | Master • Apprentice • Junior • Boss |
Other | Black Cat • Brother • Sister |
Locations | |
Anime | Kansai • Kanto • Shinkansen • Absolute Quarantine Zone • Expo Park |
Akudama Drive Anime | |
Episodes | Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 |
Media | |
Manga | Akudama Drive Comicalize |
Corporate | |
People | Kazutaka Kodaka • Rui Komatsuzaki • Cindy Yamauchi • Rokurou Ogaki |
Companies | Too Kyo Games |