In 1973, author Sakyo Komatsu released a disaster novel titled Japan Sinks. The novel told the story of the country of Japan and its inhabitants, as they try to rebuild and survive a devastating earthquake that leaves the country nearly unrecognizable.
Upon release, the novel was an instant hit, standing the test of time as one of the most famous disaster novels to have been released. The multiple award-winning novel also spawned a sequel, live-action film, and a TV series.
The most recent adaptation of the novel is set to release in 2020, as an anime by Science SARU and Masaaki Yuasa titled, Japan Sinks 2020. The new anime will tell the story of the original novel but has moved up the time frame to the modern-day. As of now, the series is aiming for an early July release; on Netflix.
After the news of the anime broke, a new reveal came months later that the manga app Mangamo will be working on a new manga series that will be based in the world of the anime. The app will be working with Comicsmart and Avex to bring the series to life and, according to Mangamo co-founder and manga producer Nori Ueki, "To produce the Japan Sinks: 2020 manga as well as the anime, I drew inspiration from the legendary original Japan Sinks novel to explore new and different story arcs and characters."
For now, the manga will publish weekly, in July and bi-weekly after that month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the exciting news in the comments below!
In this sci-fi disaster manga, catastrophic earthquakes devastate Japan and one family's resolve is tested on a journey of survival through the sinking archipelago as the disastrous shifting of a fault in the Japan Trench places the country in danger of being swallowed by the sea.
Japan Sinks 2020 will release on Mangamo in July and on Netflix on July 9th!