Update: Released the final two chapters of Bradherley’s Coach. Two more heartbreaking stories and an ending that, while it doesn’t provide the catharsis many of us might have hoped for, still brings the story to a somewhat satisfying close. I’d like to thank zzled and Jinchi for their, as always, excellent translation and lettering work respectively.

Over the last few years, it has become something of an annual tradition for Kotonoha to do a joint with Omanga. Last year, we gave you A Revolutionist in the Afternoon. The year before that, it was Keep on Vibrating and then Kilico. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we are back together this year to bring you another great manga. Having said that, I have to warn you that this year’s book is not something you’ll want to read unprepared.

Bradherley’s Coach is Hiroaki Samura’s latest outing as a short story teller. Those of you who read his entertaining rom-com soap Ohikkoshi (published in the US by Dark Horse) already know that Samura is capable of drawing more than just samurai and kimono. But stop! Don’t even think of going into his latest book expecting the same reading experience. Bradherley’s Coach is, frankly, the polar opposite of Ohikkoshi. It’s dark, disturbing, shocking, and totally humorless. And that’s exactly why it’s so, so much more compelling.

Reading the synopsis, you probably have a vague idea of what to expect. But believe me, nothing could prepare you for what Samura has conjured up. There are a few scenes in the manga that even I found hard to stomach, and I’m sure many of you will be repulsed by them as well. Fortunately, the author never dwells on those extreme scenes (which are in no way gratuitous). Instead, he focuses on the characters, giving us time to know them, showing us their hopes and dreams. Therein lies the manga’s emotional power. To know who those girls are, what they think and what they care about is all the more devastating as you are exactly aware of the horrible fate that awaits them at the end of each chapter.

It’s safe to say that Bradherley’s Coach is not a manga for everyone. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’ll polarize our readers as much as it did the Japanese. But whether you end up loving or hating it, this is a story that none of you will likely forget very soon.

Jumping from one serious manga to another, I’m proud to present you the “little surprise” for all Hitoshi Iwaaki fans that I was talking about a while ago. Look Me in the Eyes When You Talk is an intense horror short story about an apathetic man who’s afraid of looking other people in the eyes. After getting severely beaten up by a bunch of thugs, he wakes up in the hospital, only to discover that he literally can’t see other people’s eyes. Iwaaki threw some super scary pictures in there, so you’re advised to read this one in a well-lit room. Big thanks to Arkard for his superb translation. Hopefully, he’ll provide us with more scripts in the future.

Things are starting to fall into places and Kotonoha’s rusty scanlating machine is slowly cranking up again. Today we are clearing our backlog of stuff that had been finished a long time ago but didn’t get released due to my being a lazy ass (I’m still questioning my boss’ judgement for giving me a promotion, but don’t tell him!). I’d like to apologize to all the old and new staff members who had to wait months to see their work released. I promise to mend my ways!

So, what have we got for you?

• Girlfriend V5 Ch21
  The first chapter of the final Girlfriend volume brings back the megane-couple Togawa & Kuraki who both had to find out how tough it is to have an attractive girl/boyfriend.
• Hourou Musuko V4 Ch31-32
  Ooh, the drama.
• Happy-Go-Lucky Days V1 Ch5
  I never thought something written by the lovely Takako Shimura could give me the creeps, but this story sure as hell did. At least it’s got some hilarious lines.
• Slow Down (1-shot)
  Here’s a little surprise for you. This sci-fi short story by shōjo manga godmother Moto Hagio was introduced to us by Lililicious‘ very own Sailor Avalon. She even provided us with scans and translation, that’s how much she liked it, so you better appreciate it, too. Though for those of you who’ve got a thing for old-school manga and a thoughtful story, this shouldn’t be too hard of a task.

And here’s a nice picture to send you off tonight. Make sure to check back next week when we unleash Kotonoha’s latest “dark seinen” project. Prepare to be shocked and disturbed!

Just as the title says, our comment function is back on after a rather long hiatus. Feel free to use it (responsibly). Also, expect more release posts soon.

Finally, here it is: the conclusion of Historie’s fantastic flashback arc. It shows us how Eumenes ends up where we meet him when the manga begins. The 5th volume, which is expected to hit the shelves sometime this summer, will pick up the story where chapter 5 left off, putting Eumenes back in his childhood surroundings. We’ll get to see some familiar characters from that period as well. The most significant event in the upcoming chapters, of course, will be Eumenes’ encounter with Philip II of Macedon. His being employed as private secretary by the Greek king marks the beginning of Eumenes’ “military career” and his first appearance on the stage of history. From there, the real fun begins.

It might be a while until we can provide you with new chapters of Historie (we will NOT be working from magazine scans), but Reiu and I are discussing the possibility of picking up another work by Hitoshi Iwaaki as an “in-between” project. Nothing has been decided so far, so don’t get your hopes up just yet. I’m, however, working on a little surprise that will please all Iwaaki fans (especially if you enjoyed Parasyte!).

I realize that Kotonoha hasn’t released anything for a long time. As always, I’m the sole person to blame, being too busy with work and other s*** to do any actual scanlating. But things are improving, albeit slowly, and I’m sure we’ll be back at full speed soon. In the meantime, why not enjoy some good ol’ Historie? There’s more where that came from.