At last, the veil of the embargo has been lifted, and I have been given the OK to confirm what most readers have likely already suspected: Vertical, Inc. Marketing Director Ed Chavez did indeed reveal to the press one week ago today at a “Vertical Vednesday” event that Vertical was in the process of acquiring publish rights for the manga Ayako. The series, which appeared on Amazon last week before Mr. Chavez had even gotten a chance to announce it, is a historical drama from the “god of manga,” Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Black Jack, Buddha).
Despite Vertical’s clear interest in the title, some in the manga world feared that the leak, which shattered the company’s plan for a more controlled promotional roll-out, would jeopardize the license itself, and might cause Vertical to be unable to release Ayako in the United States. Thankfully, though, Mr. Chavez confirmed to Ani-Gamers in a Twitter message that Ayako is “locked up … for the most part.” Assuming that Chavez’s original release date still stands, we will see Ayako on store shelves on October 19, 2010.
EDIT: By the way, this means that my prediction was totally right. Score!
