Four Seminal Isaki Uta Stories Arrive In English For The First Time - Exclusive

Several of mangaka Isaki Uta's acclaimed stories are getting an all-new collection arriving on Kickstarter from Irodori Comics, and both existing fans and those who haven't heard of the manga are going to want to check out the upcoming set.

Best known for their stories about exploring characters through the lens of gender and sexual identity, Uta's catalog includes the coming-of-age tale "Is Love the Answer," which deals with a young woman coming to terms with her aromantic asexual identity. They've also penned and drawn the slice-of-life manga "Generation Witch," a series that follows the lives of four different witches who struggle with dealing with their powers and growing up in a world of magic and sorcery.

Now, some of Uta's self-published stories are going to be collected in print for the first time in the "Isaki Uta: The Lost & Found Collection" box set, which will print four stories in English for the first time. The collection is being made available through Kickstarter, with Uta working alongside Irodori Comics to make the release possible.

"Isaki Uta: The Lost & Found Collection" box set's "Mermaid in the Bottle" centers around Takeru dealing with being a cog in the corporate machine. However, things become much more enjoyable when she and her brother find an actual mermaid trapped inside a lotion bottle. The discovery will lead Takeru and her sibling on a journey through their memories as they examine the bitter-sweet relationship between brother and sister and the difficulties they've experienced leading up to the present. 

Our first preview page features Takeru and her brother discovering the mermaid in a lotion bottle, with the pair questioning what to do about their unusual discovery. Takeru immediately starts noticing details about the mermaid as her brother tells her to stop, explaining tha he doesn't want her to become attached to the living creature inside the bottle.

Isaki Uta/Irodori Comics

Isaki Uta/Irodori Comics

Takeru tries to convince her brother not to tell their mom or their corporate overlords about their discovery, asking if she can take care of the mermaid for a night. Despite his warnings that things could get messy if she's caught taking the bottle, Takeru assures him she will take the fall if she's caught. Takeru names the mermaid Nii, much to her brother's dismay. Despite his best efforts to stop his sister from becoming attached and developing a friendship with the mermaid, Takeru has other plans in mind.

Isaki Uta/Irodori Comics

Isaki Uta/Irodori Comics

Isaki Uta/Irodori Comics

Kickstarter has built a reputation as the home for some amazing comic projects, and Irodori Comics' "Isaki Uta: The Lost & Found Collection" box set looks to add to the crowdfunding platform's successes. "Mermaid in the Bottle" will be joined by three more stories to help achieve that goal, starting with "Mike-kun is Asexual," which tells the story of Mine, who is dealing with coming into his asexual identity. He's loved by Murai, who has overlooked his lack of intimacy and affection. The story will deal with what it means to be asexual, exploring the relationship between Mine and Murai and whether it can last or if it's destined to end in heartbreak.

"Silkscreen" tells the story of a romance between a genderqueer individual and a lesbian who later comes out as trans. The tale deals with identity, acceptance, and rejection as a girl falls in love with someone but finds themself struggling when the relationship doesn't match her expectations of what it should be. The story, described as "bittersweet," showcases a challenging type of relationship rarely seen in these kinds of stories.

"Leaper" is a science fiction adventure about people born on February 29. They're called leapers, and they age at a much slower rate than the rest of society, with the potential to live up to 300 years. It examines what it's like to live beyond a normal lifespan and the experiences and challenges that come with such a prolonged life. The story was initially published in 2008 and was one of the main manga that helped launch Isaki Uta's career, so, for longtime fans, it will be exciting to see the story finally printed in English.

Isaki Uta told Looper.com that they put their heart and soul into creating the stories featured in the "Isaki Uta: The Lost & Found Collection" and hopes both longtime fans and new readers will enjoy the collection. Irodori Comics translator ITSUKI describes the stories featured in the project as extremely important. "Isaki Uta's works are gems in the world of Japanese LGBTQ＋ comics," said ITSUKI. "The relationships between characters aren't cookie cutter and show the rawness and intensity of discovering one's sexuality and gender identity. It makes queer individuals like myself feel seen and that these kinds of stories are worth telling."

The collection's stories showcase much-needed representation for readers dealing with their own journeys of gender identity, queerness, and sexuality. They will likely relate to the four tales, even if some have more fantastical elements.

The "Isaki Uta: The Lost & Found Collection" is now available to order on Kickstarter. Updates involving stretch goals and any other pertinent information will be available on the Kickstarter page and Irodori Comics' social channels.