During its Anime NYC 2024 panel, Azuki announced that four manga series from MediBang are joining Azuki’s growing catalog. These manga series include Kotonoha, Ryoji Renjo: Gourmet Detective, Sweeter Than Cake, and Dreamnautes.
Moreover, Azuki revealed its digital exclusives, Hikaru in the Light! and Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms, will receive full-color print editions from Scholastic’s Graphix imprint. The first volume of Hikaru in the Light! by Mai Matsuda release in March 2025, followed by the first volume of Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms in April 2025.
Here’s an overview of each manga series featured at the Azuki Anime NYC 2024 panel:
Hikaru in the Light! by Mai Matsuda
Middle-school student Hikaru Ogino is known as the “songbird” of her family’s bath house in Tokyo. But when her best friend Ran — a former girl group idol — invites her to try out for a pop star “survival camp” together, it’ll put her talents to the test. Can Hikaru outshine the
Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms by Yoshino Koyoka and TriF
Kita-Kagami City is a pretty normal town… except that some people have gotten their hands on Mecha-Ude: powerful, sentient, mechanical beings that attach themselves to their human hosts and have awesome capabilities. When middle-school kid Hikaru accidentally activates Alma, a robotic arm Mecha-Ude that has no memory of its past, they must team up to uncover the mystery of Alma’s identity and prevent the powerful Mecha-Ude from ending up in the wrong hands.
Kotonoha by Kisugae, distributed by MediBang
When Fujita was in high school, she had but one romantic encounter — and it was with another girl. It happened one day when they ended up kissing. However, somewhere inside her, she knew a girl kissing another girl was wrong, so she chose to remain as just friends. Even when graduation came, she could not confess her feelings, and so the two girls split ways. Five years later, Fujita still thinks back to that romantic encounter. Meanwhile at work, due to one of her colleagues going on maternity leave, a new designer is brought into the company… and who does that designer turn out to be? None other than her high school crush!
Ryoji Renjo: Gourmet Detective by Tadashi Kato, distributed by MediBang
Ryoji is just supposed to be that private detective everyone hires to solve their trivial personal cases. But why does he have this outstanding cooking skill that mesmerizes every cook he meets in the investigation? What is his connection with the famous head from Togawa restaurant? Together with Aoi, the outgoing woman who’s also a foodie, Ryoji spreads his cooking skill that will bring more taste to Japan’s urban culinary scene!
Sweeter Than Cake by Yuga Kuromiya, distributed by MediBang
For Takuya Otsuki, his everyday routine after school is to pick up his brother Yuta at daycare, then go home and make dinner for the two of them, while their parents both work. He doesn’t stop by the game center, go out for karaoke, or visit cafes like the rest of his classmates. He is responsible for Yuta… who’s just disappeared into thin air!? As big bro Takuya chases after his small but swift baby brother, he finally catches him at the park, ogling at some cakes held by a suspicious looking red-haired man! Uh oh… What will Takuya have to do to pay him back for the trouble Yuta has caused….? Be his cake taster…? Is that… some sort of euphemism…?
Dreamnautes by Yasuyuki Oshima, distributed by MediBang
Every time Nattsu shuts his eyes, his world changes into a cloudy dimension with bizarre creatures and strange humans. What exactly is Nattsu’s purpose in that world? Why does he keep getting more and more tired? Dreamnautes is an instant shonen classic with unique art and a charming concept. Not to be missed.
