The Many Flavors of Kumika

Space Ship EE

In the year 2038 CE, Noshi Hyoda is a 23-year-old office worker trapped in a life of profound existential despair. Her daily reality is one of apathetic oppression, a monotonous cycle that offers no escape from her growing sense of isolation and meaninglessness. Her inner turmoil manifests in a vivid, recurring vision: she finds herself aboard the Space Ship EE, adrift in the vast emptiness of deep space. This psychological refuge becomes the central conflict of her existence, posing a desperate question about the nature of freedom and purpose. Caught between the crushing weight of her mundane world and the silent, infinite promise of the cosmos, Noshi must confront where she can truly go

The Distant Dawn

A collection of sixteen short stories by Yukinobu Hoshino, spanning genres from science fiction and fantasy to psychological drama and romance. The tales explore a wide range of themes, including adventure, mystery, and the supernatural, often set in imaginative and thought-provoking scenarios. From a distant dawn and a steel queen to escape from wastelands and a funeral convoy, each story presents a unique conflict. Characters face challenges such as a call from afar, a whiteout, amazons of the river, and the Carneades plan, navigating through algae, lightning strikes, and the emperor of winter.

Samuku naru to Kata wo Yosete

A college student begins dating a girl who may be feeding him bugs. A painter is seduced by his patron to create his masterpiece. A demon in training develops a crush on a human girl at the video rental store. Two boys bond over their shared love of movies. These are just a few of the stories collected in this anthology by Kenya Suzuki. Loneliness is a common thread that ties these tales together, yet each one carries a secret hope that warmth can be shared between people. Love takes many forms, but it is never easy, and the characters must navigate the complexities of connection in a world tinged with the supernatural and the strange.

Dandadan

Momo Ayase is a high school girl who believes in ghosts but thinks aliens are nonsense. By chance, she befriends a boy at school who is obsessed with the occult and UFOs, but rejects the existence of spirits. She nicknames him "Okarun." To settle their argument, they make a bet: Momo visits a spot known for UFO sightings while Okarun heads to a haunted tunnel. Their separate excursions prove both of them wrong, as they discover that aliens and ghosts are very real. The encounter leaves them marked by bizarre powers and throws them into a chaotic world of yokairaqs and extraterrestrial threats. Together, they must deal with the surreal dangers now disrupting their everyday lives while navig

orange

Naho Takamiya is sixteen and starting her second year of high school when she receives a letter that seems to be from herself ten years in the future. At first she dismisses it as a prank, but the letter predicts events that soon come true, including the arrival of a new transfer student named Kakeru Naruse. The letter asks Naho to watch over Kakeru and warns that her future self carries deep regrets about him. As she reads on, she realizes that the choices she makes now could change not only her own future, but Kakeru's as well.

Three Days of Happiness

Kusunoki is a twenty-year-old college student with no motivation, no dreams, and no money. After years of believing a great future awaited him, he discovers just how little his remaining life is worth when he is offered the chance to sell his lifespan. Deciding he would rather have a few meaningful months than decades of mediocrity, he sells all but his last three months. Now, with a clerk named Miyagi assigned to monitor his every move, Kusunoki sets out to find a purpose to his existence before his time runs out.