Kodansha USA Licenses The Pool, Subaru and Subaru, and 6 More Manga at SDCC 2026

Kodansha USA unveiled eight new manga licenses at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, with every title targeting a Spring 2027 English-language release. The lineup spans sci-fi horror, dark fantasy, street racing, romance, and boys' love - headlined by The Pool from Ajin creator Gamon Sakurai and Subaru and Subaru, continuing Shuichi Shigeno's legendary racing franchise.

Marquee Titles: The Pool and Subaru and Subaru

The Pool follows a military squad that encounters alien creatures deep inside a mine on another planet. Created by Gamon Sakurai - best known for the cyberpunk thriller Ajin: Demi-Human - the series carries a mature 16+ rating and promises the same tense, body-horror-inflected storytelling that defined his earlier work.

Subaru and Subaru, written and illustrated by Shuichi Shigeno, returns to the street-racing universe that began with Initial D and continued through MF Ghost. The series centers on two drivers who share the name Subaru as they clash on the asphalt. For fans who have followed Shigeno's motorsport saga across decades, this is the next chapter in one of manga's most enduring racing franchises.

Sci-Fi and Dark Fantasy

Kraken Mare, a space opera by IZU and artist Hagane, sends crews into the void to mine a volatile substance called Black Ether while fending off deadly creatures. The title is rated 16+ and leans into the survival-horror end of science fiction.

Two dark fantasy entries round out the heavier side of the slate. Meaheim, written by Kenji Tsurubuchi with art by Konata, follows a scholar journeying through monster-infested lands where threats known as Witches lurk at every turn. Rega in the Sleeping Forest, by yoruhashi, tells the story of a knight confronting a cursed princess who has laid waste to her own kingdom. Both titles carry a 16+ or 13+ rating.

Romance, Comedy, and All-Ages Fantasy

The lighter end of the lineup offers variety across demographics. I Love You, Please Dump Me by Shizuku Torii is a yuri comedy one-shot about a girl who deliberately seeks romantic rejection so she can refocus on her studies. I Loved Him First! by toreta flips into boys' love territory with a comedy about an ex-yakuza member chasing his best friend's affections - this one carries an 18+ rating.

The Cat and Dog's Nine-Tailed Lives, created by Maki with art by Hamuhamu, is the sole all-ages entry, rated 8+. The fantasy one-shot imagines household pets who become immortal yokai and watch their owner grow old across generations.

Box Set and Release Window

Alongside the new licenses, Kodansha USA also confirmed a box set collecting the first six volumes of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity by Saka Mikami. The romance series is already available in English, and the box set offers a convenient entry point for new readers when it arrives in Spring 2027.

All eight new titles and the box set share the same Spring 2027 release window. The announcement further cements Kodansha USA's aggressive expansion of its English-language manga catalog, with SDCC continuing to serve as the publisher's premier stage for licensing reveals.