Manga Mavericks Books has announced two upcoming manga releases, adding Sho Yunoko’s supernatural comedy Gago Hunters: Greetings from Amatsumizu City’s Gago Suppression Squad to its English-language catalog and revealing an exclusive variant cover for Taiyo Matsumoto’s Brothers of Japan. The announcements were made during the publisher’s October 2026 Manga Mavericks Monday online event.
Gago Hunters Volume 1 is scheduled to launch in print and digital formats in July 2027. The manga follows four ordinary residents who are recruited against their will to protect a town overwhelmed by mysterious supernatural creatures. Its first English-language volume will include 196 pages, with a suggested retail price of $16.99 for print and $6.99 for digital.
Meanwhile, Brothers of Japan will arrive in February 2027, with a special variant cover available exclusively through the Manga Mavericks Store. The 216-page collection brings together 11 short stories created during Matsumoto’s early career. Both announcements expand the publisher’s efforts to introduce distinctive Japanese manga to English-speaking readers.
GAGO HUNTERS INTRODUCES FOUR RELUCTANT MONSTER HUNTERS
Set in the seemingly ordinary Amatsumizu City, Gago Hunters follows a community facing an unusual problem: supernatural creatures called Gago outnumber the town’s human residents. With the city threatened by the strange beings, the mayor decides to establish a suppression squad. However, limited funds force him to recruit ordinary citizens rather than experienced monster hunters.
The unlikely team consists of Umeko, a hair stylist, Mii, a cashier, Hiromi, a high school student, and Yuuri, Umeko’s apprentice. None volunteers for the dangerous assignment, but each woman has unusual qualities that may make the creatures more vulnerable than they appear.
The manga began serialization on HERO’S Web in 2023. Creator Sho Yunoko, a Japanese manga artist known for gag comedy, explained the unusual terminology behind the series in a message shared by Manga Mavericks Books.
Yunoko said, “The word ‘Gago’ is a term in that local dialect that means something like ‘ghosts’ or ‘monsters.’” The creator added that the dialect is so obscure that even many Japanese people may not recognize it. Yunoko also suggested that growing up watching American sitcoms and movies might have influenced the manga, although they remained uncertain about that connection.
Readers can preorder the print edition through the Manga Mavericks Books Store. The publisher has priced the 196-page first volume at $16.99 in print and $6.99 digitally. It is intended for readers aged 13 and older.
BROTHERS OF JAPAN GETS AN EXCLUSIVE VARIANT COVER
The second announcement concerns Brothers of Japan, an anthology by Taiyo Matsumoto, the acclaimed creator of Ping Pong and Tekkonkinkreet. The collection contains 11 stories created when Matsumoto was in his twenties, offering readers an early look at the artistic ideas that shaped his work.
The title story follows two brothers who dig a hole in their dreams in an attempt to reach the other side of the world. The collection explores Matsumoto’s distinctive storytelling through imaginative concepts and an unpolished, expressive approach to manga.
The 216-page English edition is scheduled for February 2027, with a listed print price of $14.99. Manga Mavericks Books will offer a store-exclusive variant cover alongside the release. Preorders are available through the publisher’s official store.
Manga Mavericks launched its publishing division in 2025 after beginning as a manga news podcast in 2016. The company focuses on licensing and distributing works by Japanese creators for international readers. These two announcements continue that mission by bringing a supernatural comedy and an early-career collection from an established manga artist to English-language audiences.
