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After just one week, Sō Yayoi’s adolescent comedy manga ReLife has broken through 100,000 copies sold. ReLife is serialized on the smartphone manga app Comico, a free app managed by NHN PlayArt. Along with MangaBox, Comico is currently one of the most popular manga apps. As a new development for Comico, individual volumes (called tankōbon in Japanese) of the service’s hugely popular comedy manga ReLife began being published on Aug. 12. With the success of the first volume, things are off to a good start.
ReLife is an adolescent comedy manga created by Sō Yayoi. The story follows Arata Kaizaki who fails at everything he tries. After meeting Ryō Yoake of the ReLife Research Institute, he begins life as a high school student in a 1-year experiment in which he’s the subject. The manga has been serializing ever since Comico launched and it is no stranger to being at the top of the popularity ranking.
On Aug. 12, the day the tankōbon began being published, numbered tickets to a signing event were distributed at Shibuya Tsutaya. A long line of those wanting to get a ticket formed before the store opened, and by 7:30 in the morning, the tickets were gone.
A spokesperson from Shibuya Tsutaya commented, “A huge number of customers who wanted to get a numbered ticket to the signing event lined up before the store opened, and distribution ended in an instant. I have never before seen such a huge line of customers.” He went on to say, “There were also many, many customers who came for the tankōbon. The store was flooded right when the doors opened.” It seems Comico’s first publication was a tremendous success.
Regarding the success, author Sō Yayoi commented, “I am surprised and very grateful to hear
that sales of my little work ReLife are doing extremely well.” He continued, “Without all of the readers, of course, everyone at Comico, and everyone who has supported me, I don’t think this publication, and its results, would have been possible.” From here on, Comico will continue to add to its publications, and it will also begin distributing its service overseas. Look forward to the developments to come.
ReLife
Author: Sō Yayoi
Release Date: Aug. 12, 2014
Specifications: B6 size, full color
Price: 650 yen (tax excluded)
Publisher: Earth Star Entertainment
Source: animeanime
Source article written by Katsunori Takahashi
