Long-awaited by enthusiasts of intricate science fantasy, Mamoru Nagano’s seminal manga series, The Five Star Stories, is set to receive an official English print release beginning in March 2026. This significant announcement comes from a collaboration between Titan Manga and Newtype, promising to make the expansive saga accessible to a broader Western audience.
A Return to the Joker Galaxy
The Five Star Stories is a critically acclaimed science fiction manga that commenced serialization in Kadokawa’s Newtype magazine in 1986. Created by Mamoru Nagano, a celebrated anime designer known for his work on titles such as Heavy Metal L-Gaim and Mobile Suit Z Gundam, the series is renowned for its intricate world-building, distinctive mecha designs (known as Mortar Headds, later renamed GothicMades), and compelling narrative. The manga has maintained a consistent, albeit sometimes intermittent, publication history in Japan, with its 18th volume released in March. As of 2018, the series boasted over 8.5 million copies in print.
The narrative of The Five Star Stories unfolds thousands of years in the future within the Joker Galaxy, a cluster of five star systems. The epic saga centers around the immortal emperor of the Grees Kingdom, Amaterasu, and his destiny to unite the entire Joker System, often in conflict with his bride, Lachesis. The universe is populated by “Headdliners,” elite pilots who command giant mechs, and “Fatimas” (later known as Automatic Flowers), human-like computers designed to accompany these pilots. The story is celebrated for its non-linear storytelling, exploring a vast timeline of myths, legends, and historical events across millennia and alternate dimensions.
The Significance of the English Release
Prior to this upcoming collaboration, an English version of The Five Star Stories was previously published by Toyspress, a company co-founded by Mamoru Nagano himself. However, this earlier release only covered Japanese volumes 1-10 across 26 translated volumes, leaving volumes 11 and beyond untranslated for over a decade. The new partnership between Titan Manga and Newtype aims to rectify this, providing a comprehensive and continued English edition for fans worldwide.
Titan Manga has been actively expanding its catalog with a diverse range of titles slated for release in Spring 2026, encompassing various genres from dark noir to sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. This upcoming release of The Five Star Stories stands as a prominent addition to their expanding portfolio, highlighting a commitment to bringing esteemed Japanese works to the Western market. The collaboration with Newtype, the original Japanese magazine where the series has been serialized for nearly four decades, further underscores the authenticity and significance of this new English edition.
This announcement, made during a Newtype panel at Anime Expo, has generated considerable anticipation among long-time fans and new readers alike, offering an unprecedented opportunity to delve into the legendary science fantasy universe crafted by Mamoru Nagano.
