Vertical Inc. News » kaoru kurimoto

And the Ballots are In!

Vertical — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:23:45 +0000

Congratulations are in store as three Vertical authors were honored this year for their contributions to literature and culture! Adding to an already substantial list of award winners (including seven Naoki Awards, two Akutagawa Prizes and three Eisners) authors Joh Sasaki, Kenzo Kitakata, and Kaoru Kurimoto join Osamu Tezuka picking up prizes in 2009-2010.

This year the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature awarded Japan’s highest literary honor the Naoki Prize to Joh Sasaki for his latest book Asking the Ruin (Haikyo ni Kou). The author of Zero Over Berlin now joins an all-star cast of Vertical authors—Keigo Higashino, Kaori Ekuni, Hideo Okuda, Mariko Koike, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Arimasa Osawa, Asa Nonami—to be recognized as one of the best scribes in Japan today.

Kenzo Kitakata was awarded the 13th Japan Prize for Mystery Literature. The award established by Japanese publisher Koubunsha honors Kitakata’s contributions to the development of mystery fiction. Selected by critics, fellow writers, and the press, Kitakata continues to be placed in high regard within the world of genre fiction.

On a more somber note, last December the Science Fiction Writers of Japan paid tribute to a legend in the field of fantasy and science-fiction when they honored the late Kaoru Kurimoto’s Guin Saga with the Japan SF Special Prize at the 2009 Japanese Science Fiction Awards. Kurimoto’s magnum opus has been a staple of fantasy fiction since the SF premiered in 1980 and has inspired a generation of authors and artists in the field worldwide with her larger-than-life characters and inspired narratives.

So while the rest of the world prepares for the Oscars to close out the award season, Vertical is polishing up its bronzes and making space for more awards to come.

Guin Hits the Small Screen

Vertical — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:00:47 +0000

Just when you thought you’d seen it all… The Guin Saga is coming to television! Covering the first few volumes of the series, the animated Guin Saga will be broadcast across Japan in April. The trailer is available for viewing on the official website and also can be seen on YouTube. While the series is in Japanese right now, it’ll probably only be a matter of time before someone brings it stateside!

Historic Roundtable Discusses The Guin Saga

Vertical — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:00:12 +0000

Following Vertical’s completion of the English translation of the initial five-volume arc of The Guin Saga—the world’s longest-running fantasy series with 120+ best-selling volumes and counting in Japan—the company hosted a gathering of industry commentators to discuss the epic saga. In August 2008, Genji Press proprietor Serdar Yegulalp and Ninja Consultants Erin Finnegan and Noah Fulmor joined Vertical Editorial Director Yani Mentzas in a fascinating examination of not only the momentous first arc, “The Marches Episode”, but also the series as a whole; its prolific author; the film industry’s interest in the property; its influences and others it has inspired; American fantasy vs. British fantasy; Japanese publishing; and Guin’s future in The States. And that’s only a fraction of the epochal discourse. A transcription of the roundtable is now available for free on the Guin homepage and in podcast form at Ninja Consultants Show #64. You don’t have to be a fan of the leopard-masked warrior, either. Fans of Japanese literature; the inner workings of publishing; and both fantasy and science fiction will find something of interest in this momentous meeting.

Guin 5 Brings Historic Debut Arc to Its Breathtaking Conclusion

Vertical — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:00:14 +0000

It’s here! The long-awaited finale to the initial story arc of Kaoru Kurimoto’s Grand Guignol, The Guin Saga, is now available. Not since the seventh and final volume of Harry Potter has a fantasy book been more anticipated. Will the mighty leopard-masked Guin’s quest to find the legendary giant Lagon be successful? Will the tensions within the fractious tribes of the Sem prove their undoing? Will the femme fatale leader of the vast Mongaul army, Lady Amnelis, get her revenge? And what of the fates of twin heirs to the fallen kingdom of Parros, Rinda and Remus, and mercenary Istavan? The Guin Saga, Book 5: The Marches King delivers a cataclysmic conclusion that will leave you reeling. If you enjoy great storytelling, fascinating characters, an entertaining mix of action, drama, humor and suspense, then you owe it to yourself to read The Guin Saga.

The Penultimate Chapter in The Guin Saga Available Now!

Vertical — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:00:12 +0000

The Guin Saga, Book 4: Prisoner of the Lagon is on stands now. This is the fourth book in the gripping “Marches Episode,” which established the series as one to be reckoned with more than three decades ago, and set the standard that continues to this day in Japan as the series reaches its 120th chapter. As the episode opens, the mighty Guin and his intrepid band of reluctant heroes—twin heirs Remus and Rinda, Istavan the mercenary, and the combined forces of the disparate tribes of the simian Sem—have managed to thwart and barely keep out of reach of the advancing Mongauli army, which outnumbers them by the thousands, as they flee across the treacherous wastes of Nospherus. But time and numbers are against our heroes, so Guin makes a fateful decision to seek help. But is his a fool’s quest? Can the divergent tribes of the Sem keep their uneasy alliance together sans the leadership of the leopard-masked warrior to guide them before Lady Amnelis of the Mongauli Army takes advantage? And where has Istavan disappeared to? The saga goes from merely exciting to downright delirious in this the chapter before the cataclysmic finale in July. Don’t miss it!

March Comes in Like a Leopard

Vertical — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:01:01 +0000

Vertical has just the thing to offset those winter blues: The Guin Saga, Book Three: The Battle of Nospherus and The Guin Saga Manga: The Seven Magi, Volume 3. Both books are on sale now and both will most assuredly warm the cockles of your heart and stave off the late-winter cold until spring arrives. As the third chapter of the five-part “Marches Episode,” The Battle of Nospherus makes the high-octane excitement of the two previous volumes seem like a PBS pledge drive as the mighty Guin rallies the disparate tribes of the Sem against the invading Mongauli Army, and the secret of Cal Moru and the real reasons for Lady Amnelis’s interest in Nospherus are revealed.

Meanwhile, the third and final volume of The Seven Magi explodes with sword-wielding action, as King Guin finally learns the identity of the powerful sorcerer that has crippled Cheironia and threatens the very existence of reality. Monsters and mayhem, death and destruction, all captured in pen-and-ink by the Michelangelo of Manga, Kazuaki Yanagisawa, whose work Randal Strock of SFScope calls “stunning.” The Guin Saga, Book Three: The Battle of Nospherus and The Guin Saga Manga: The Seven Magi, Volume 3… the perfect antidote for the Ides of March!

Two New Guin Books On Sale NOW!

Vertical — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:00:12 +0000

The Guin Saga, Book 2: Warrior in the Wilderness and The Guin Saga Manga: The Seven Magi, Volume 2 have hit the stands, and not a day too soon. The frenzied mob outside the Vertical offices demanding more Guin was starting to get a disquieting, feral look in their eyes. And we at Guin Central understand. When last we left the leopard-headed amnesiac warrior in the prose novels, he was literally taking a leap of faith. But don’t take my word for it. Read what Scott Green from Ain’t It Cool News had to say:

“Kaoru Kurimoto manages the flurry of situations being set up and resolved like the trick of putting a hand on a table with fingers spread out, then stabbing a blade between the outstretched digits. The speed and coordination is that amazing.”

As for Guin’s manga-nized and royal counterpart, his kingdom was being overrun with dark sorcery, giant spiders, and bodacious sorceresses when the first volume closed. And what are the top reviewers saying? Take a gander at Serdar Yegulalp from Advanced Media Network’s comments:

“A blanket recommendation for The Guin Saga Manga goes out to three types of people: those who are already Guin lovers; high-fantasy fans; and anyone looking for something nicely off the beaten path. There’s only one more volume for this particular story, so I’m hoping other Guin manga adaptations will follow suit in the future. We should be so lucky.”

Of course, by the time you’ve read all this, the book might be sold out. So what are you waiting for?!!

Exclusive Guin Masks to Debut at NY Anime Festival

Vertical — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:00:37 +0000

In celebration of the dual release of The Guin Saga, Book 1: The Leopard Mask and
The Guin Saga Manga: The Seven Magi, Volume 1 on December 18th, Vertical has created stylish Guin masks that will be handed out to attendees at the NY Anime Festival, December 7-9, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Fans there will have a chance to buy copies of the books more than a week before they officially hit the shelves. Lucky Verticalites will also be able to purchase other titles at special show prices. So text your friends and make a special note to visit the Vertical booth at the NY Anime Festival!

Guin Saga Manga, Volume 1 Preview Spotted on Vertical Website!

Vertical — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:00:18 +0000

Inspired by the 25-million bestselling series in Japan—114 volumes and continuing— The Guin Saga Manga is one of the most highly anticipated manga titles of 2007. Though a scant six weeks away, fans are clamoring for a peek, the wait harder to endure than the leopard mask the series’ hero is cursed to forever wear. We at Vertical feel your pain. So before you do anything rash, like buy one of our competitors’ lesser titles, we have provided an exclusive look. But be warned, Guin’s take-no-prisoners M.O. is not for the squeamish, nor anyone under 16 years of age. Enjoy!

Get a Free Taste of The Guin Saga

Vertical — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:00:03 +0000

Did you know that The Guin Saga is Japan’s most successful heroic fantasy series with 114 books strong and going, and more than 25 million in sales? In anticipation of Vertical’s launch of the series in trade paperback with book 1 in November 2007, the Guin website page has been revised. It now features beautiful color and B&W artwork from the original Japanese series by Naoyuki Katoh. Katoh’s incredible work captures the adventurous spirit of the epic fantasy perfectly and will be featured in Vertical’s trade paperback editions. Also, the website offers visitors the opportunity to read Book 1′s introduction and first chapter. But take heed. Once you read even this delectable tidbit of The Guin Saga, you’ll be compelled to buy the entire series. You’ve been duly warned!