Digital Manga Publishing last week announced the licensing of Erementar Gerad. Erementar Gerad or it’s other licensed name from Tokyopop and Geneon Elemental Gelade is an eighteen volume shounen that was originally published in Mag Garden’s Monthly Comic Blade. The new publisher is well known for their online publishing, Kickstarter program with funding from fans for physical releases, and their yaoi. Lots and lots of yaoi to where most manga readers including myself who aren’t into yaoi would overlook the publisher altogether.
In a land called Guardia there are people who can transform into weapons with another person to wield them. Some characters are much more okay with being weapons than others and some weapons wielders are more kind. Cou Van Giruet and Edel Raid partner Reverie Metherlance or Ren for short venture off to find a place called Edel Garden where the living weapons Edel Raids are created. Along their adventure they help others and get themselves in their own trouble with Ren being very special and very wanted for her power.
I must admit my fandom of Erementar Gerad comes originally from the anime, but surely this site doesn’t have any references or imagery to the anime or manga. Upon hearing of a publisher picking up the manga again my thoughts were mixed. In a way I’d gladly read something I’m into with much of it fresh from story differences and length since viewing the anime, but on the other hand I’m quite disappointed in there being a chance of not having a physical release if the digital version isn’t successful enough. A book release would be like buying something twice I’d imagine even though there are many Mag Garden manga I’d gladly buy for myself and for other people if I were able to. Perhaps more actively promoting manga I read more and with Twitter would be helpful and something that could relieve my contempt of cancelations. Hopefully well enough to have other manga favorites like Beyond the Beyond, rise R to the second power, Gamerz Heaven, The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, The First King Adventure, or Momo Tama to return. Maybe something that wasn’t licensed before like Pangaea/Ezel, Carat!, or Flat even if Tokyopop technically briefly had Flat licensed. Brigid Alverson wrote up an interview with DMP on Erementar Gerad’s release information on MTV Geek. There in the lower part of the interview there’s an email for requesting the licensing of manga and I know it’ll be something I’ll do myself. There isn’t much manga being licensed or fantasy adventures licensed like Erementar Gerad or its sequel Elemental Gelade: Flag of the Blue Sky so being choosey would be wise.
Image source: Pixiv