Readers who caught Rin Shimokawa's supernatural one-shot Godmother in Kodansha's special Young Magazine US English issue are in luck. The November issue of Monthly Young Magazine has officially confirmed that the gritty, secret-laden tale will return as a full-fledged series, launching in the magazine's upcoming issue on November 18.
From Yokohama Mahjong Parlors to Supernatural Lineages
The original narrative centers on Kinryu, a college student whose life is upended when she is forced to abandon her studies and move overseas to Japan. Tasked with caring for a 114-year-old grandmother she never knew existed, Kinryu arrives in Yokohama only to discover her elder residing behind a local mahjong parlor. This unusual living arrangement quickly unravels, dragging the reluctant protagonist into a bizarre supernatural legacy hidden deep within the female side of her family tree.
The project initially gained traction as part of Kodansha's ambitious Young Magazine US initiative, which showcased fresh talent to international audiences and guaranteed simultaneous serialization on the K MANGA digital platform for top-voted creators. Alongside Godmother, several other titles born from the US showcase have secured steady serialization paths, including Still You, To Dusk and Twilight, and The Last Terran.
Expanding International Horizons
The cross-cultural initiative has proven fruitful for Kodansha's stable of creators, connecting English-language reader polls directly with domestic Japanese serialization slots in Monthly Young Magazine and YanMaga Web. Other notable entries from the program, such as The Journey of a Dark Elf with Fading Powers by Daisuke Itabashi, have even secured Western print licenses through publishers like Seven Seas Entertainment.
As Godmother prepares for its November 18 launch, fans of unconventional urban fantasy and multigenerational mysteries can look forward to seeing how Shimokawa expands upon the Yokohama underworld and the hidden magical burdens resting on Kinryu's shoulders.
