Tsukasa Hojo's F. Compo Comes to Italy Along with His Short Stories

F. Compo, the Tsukasa Hojo comedy that turned gender roles and the idea of the traditional family on its head in the late nineties, is out in Italy on November 24. The edition comes from J-POP Manga, which launches the title in regular format and with a variant cover.

The series moves away from the action register that made Hojo famous with City Hunter. Here the author goes for slice of life and a more playful look at cohabitation and identity, with characters who upend what is expected of a classic family structure. For those who only know him for Ryo Saeba, this is a very different side of the mangaka.

The short stories that gave rise to City Hunter

Alongside F. Compo, Tsukasa Hojo Short Stories arrives in Italian for the first time, a two-volume anthology. The first, City Hunter Double Edged, collects the stories that served as the basis for creating Ryo Saeba and Kaori Makimura. The second, The Time of the Cherry Trees, includes the author's debut and experimental pieces from different stages.

It is valuable material for understanding where one of the most beloved duos in action-comedy manga came from. It is not a collection of loose extras: here is the seed of City Hunter and also Hojo's first steps as a storyteller.

A bundle with an acrylic stand for collectors

The two volumes are sold separately, but J-POP Manga put together a limited pack with an acrylic standee that will only be available in specialty bookstores. If your usual shop does not fall into that category, you will have to walk around town with the list in hand.

At least the acrylic does not take up shelf space. With Hojo, you never know how many volumes end up coming home.