Might as well go ahead and make it official. We’re picking up Cocoon, a four-volume manga by Kenjirou Takeshita (the mangaka of Happy World!) which was originally serialized in Comic Blade Masamune, a shounen magazine published by Mag Garden. Cocoon was actually dropped from serialization after volume three, but Takeshita saw fit to release the rest of the series as a doujin. Pretty nice, right?
As for what it’s about… it’s set in a semi-dystopian society. Our protagonist, Kai Anber, is a slave of some sort who, together with a mysterious insect-esque girl, Mayu, escapes from his situation. They meet up with a group of crazy “mercenaries” after that, and then some cool stuff happens.
If you want a bit of a sample, here’s a spread from volume 2 that I think is pretty neat.
Anyway, in all likelihood, we will not be commissioning translations for Cocoon, as it’s just a bit of a fun project for us. As such, the release schedule will likely be rather random unless we acquire more translators; additionally, each chapter in volume 1 is around 50 pages, so don’t expect more than one a week.
By the way, we’re also interested in scanlating the manga adaptation of H2O ~FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND~, a seinen manga by Kira Inugami which is serialized in Comp Ace. Unusually for a seinen manga, it has furigana. It also has very, very nice art (Inugami is the original game artist and character designer) and seems to be a quite competent adaptation of the original, as it has the same writing staff as the game as well. Kefit and I are pretty big fans of H2O, so we’d be very interested in picking this up if we can find an interested translator.
By the way, try to spread the word about Happy World! and Kenjirou Takeshita if you enjoyed the series. Takeshita is pretty much completely unknown in the western world, and I think it would be great if there were more English-speakers aware of his works out there. Of course, the fact that Happy World! is his only series with even a single chapter scanlated kind of precludes this, but that’s another reason why we’re picking up Cocoon.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Take it easy, yo.
I don’t really care how many releases a week you do now, you’re still the best scanlating group ever for what you did with HW!. i love you guys and i will keep reading your releases (hope they’re as good as happy world) thanks for all your work!
By: Dayz on August 9, 2008
at 12:18 am
I had a feeling you guys were gonna do Cocoon. Looking forward to it!
By: Oakney on August 9, 2008
at 4:34 pm
Well, I’m sure you all assumed if you get magic translators for H2O, I’d be interested in doing editing.
By: Benny1 on August 11, 2008
at 6:43 am
I will probably read Cocoon, because Happy World was awesome!
I don’t know about H2O I’ll have to finish the anime first.(I stopped about 6 or so.)
If anyone complains about the slower releases just point out that you did 1-2 chapters a day for months, and that most scanslation groups have probably 1-2 releases in a month not a day.
By: Severianz on August 11, 2008
at 6:05 pm
count me in for H20 as well ^^
By: Focht on August 11, 2008
at 8:38 pm
Are you planning to translate the other works of Kenjirou? Hehas some other atractive mangas, too!
By: kyuzaemon on August 12, 2008
at 2:20 am
Such is the plan, Kyuzaemon. Cocoon is in the pipeline.
It, and the others, Bless You, Yoika and his newest series “Tsuriya Nagare” will depend HEAVILY on obtaining TL support. *and raws for Tsuriya Nagare*.
-cheers
By: Focht on August 12, 2008
at 8:17 pm
I’m waiting for chapter 1… Some notice about? ^^v Go go Pew Pew!
By: kyuzaemon on August 23, 2008
at 1:18 pm
I’m the translator and it’s taking me a while but I’m almost done with chapter 1 (Sorry guys I can’t log in the IRC recently)
By: wing1563 on August 24, 2008
at 3:30 am
Thx! I want to know I’m not trying to hasten you or something like that (I know this can be a bother…). I’m only anxious since the announcement to discover this new manga! ^^v I’m a big fan of yours!
By: kyuzaemon on August 24, 2008
at 2:58 pm
First I want to give me(extremely late) thanks to you for firstly translating this very good manga I first read a year ago or so (happy World) and secondly releasing as fast as an fully-automatic.
Also, I want to congratulate on your choice Cocoon, though I don’t know it. But’s it’s by Takeshita, gotta be good, right? I might even consider taking up translating in the near future, so I would be thankfull for a link where there are links for Coccon-Raws, just for testing if my skill is good enough.
Would be gatefull.
PS: Thanks for translating once again, because better one thank to much than one too few. `.~
By: Loki's Dawn on August 27, 2008
at 8:17 pm
Please tell us something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thx!
By: kyuzaemon on September 23, 2008
at 8:57 pm
We lost contact with the translator, so…
By: Moogy on September 24, 2008
at 1:23 am
I’m also not dead, just on impromptu vacation for my B-day. I not supposed to be on the net, shhh! Will return sometime next week.
By: Focht on September 27, 2008
at 10:12 pm
We’re still here waiting, just so you know…
By: Dayz on September 28, 2008
at 5:49 am
Go, Focht! I’m waiting for the new project of yours!
(And I will announce the releases at the forums I participate too… Where is the cheering squad just now?)
By: kyuzaemon on September 30, 2008
at 12:47 am
I’m just (an)the Editor heh. Last I knew, our Trans is still AWOL.
Only things im working on atm *as an editor* is some personal mass re-releases of Toloveru uncensored *all trans properly credited, of course: V1-3 almost 100%*, Blood Alone V3-4 redos *V3 done: V4 may be a lost cause w/o a proper rescan*, V3-4 of Sundome and helping a private release of another series or two. None of these are official pyupyu releases, of course.
I’m still on my “enforced” vacation: meeting rest of GF’s extended and HUGE family, I’m gonna have to relearn me some German.
Seriously though, if you know (or are) a *free* translator, get with Yu-rin, Moogy and Kefit in the irc channel, we’ve got plenty of stuff ready, just awaiting scripts!
Otherwise we will keep cooling our heels playing some Scarlet Weather Rhapsody and watching Kyōran Kazoku Nikki, and studying. *My net access till i get back is still limited to free wifi in resturants/stores heh!.
Thanks to all of you who still check in, we love you all.
By: Focht on September 30, 2008
at 10:38 pm
Some news about the translator? Or he is missing in action, yet? ^^
By: kyuzaemon on October 25, 2008
at 7:55 pm
Actually I am alive (I’m the translator) it’s just that I got grounded recently because my grades went down but I’m still working on it. (It’s also quite hard to translate than Happy World and the first chap is quite long)
By: wing1563 on October 26, 2008
at 3:53 am
Woo-hoo!!!
Can’t wait.
Woo-hoo!!!
By: Woo-hoo boy on November 4, 2008
at 9:48 am
I’m happy to talk to you wing1563 – thanks by the great work at happy world!
I’m waiting news about coccoon…
By: kyuzaemon on November 6, 2008
at 12:57 am
I thought it was dropped for a while because nothing on the front page.
Turns out I just needed to check comments.
I am still looking forward to Cocoon.
I wish translation could go faster, but I realize that Life>Manga.
I have plenty of other things to do while waiting so if I don’t forget I’m waiting for this I’ll read when it’s ready.
By: Severianz on November 20, 2008
at 3:41 am
Anxiously waiting the next announcement from the team that brought the net one of the most enjoyable mangas ever :D
By: K on December 4, 2008
at 8:39 pm
Happy new year! If 2008 were the year of Happy World, I hope this will be the year of coccoon!
By: kyuzaemon on January 15, 2009
at 4:57 pm