Kodama Tales Inc. to Publish English Debut of Baki the Grappler Manga

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kodama Tales Inc., a subsidiary of Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd., is proud to announce the debut of the highly anticipated English-language publication of Baki the Grappler (Complete Edition, 24 volumes, originally published by Akita Publishing). This marks the first official English release of Keisuke Itagaki’s legendary martial arts manga.

Official sales of the English edition will begin worldwide in October 2025, with preorder dates to be announced at a later date.

Baki the Grappler is the first installment in Keisuke Itagaki’s long-running Baki series, originally serialized in Akita Publishing’s Weekly Shōnen Champion. With over 100 million copies sold worldwide as of May 2024, the martial arts franchise stands as one of Japan’s most emblematic and best-selling manga, loved for its intense action and iconic characters.

Kodama was established in the United States to share the cultural and literary value of Japanese manga and strives to serve not only as a vehicle of entertainment but also as a medium for learning and personal reflection. Our goal is to present carefully selected titles to readers worldwide, preserving the care and authenticity of the original editions at the highest quality and distributing them globally in both print and digital formats.

Our print editions will be produced in Japan by Kyodo Printing, a company with over 120 years of history and the official printer of Weekly Shonen Jump, the magazine that originally serialized renowned titles such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto.

Beyond Baki the Grappler from Akita Publishing, our upcoming lineup will feature titles from a range of respected Japanese publishers, including:

Asahi Shimbun Publications, Coamix, Daiwa Shobo, HERO'S, Nihonbungeisha, Shodensha, and Shonengahosha.

We invite everyone to stay tuned for more details on preorder dates and exclusive release information, which will be announced soon on the official Kodama website.

About Kodama Tales Inc.
Kodama is a U.S.-based manga publisher headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Led by representative Kiyotaka Hirai, Kodama is dedicated to bringing compelling stories from Japan to readers worldwide. With a small but passionate team of seven, the company strives to deliver high-quality manga that celebrates both creators and fans. Learn more at https://www.kodama-tales.com or follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/kodama-tales-inc/.