Monday, July 22, 2013

News: Bushiroad to Launch New Vanguard Manga, KeroKero Ace to Cease Publication, Monthly Bushiroad to Launch in September

Hosted by CEO Kidani Takaaki, Bushiroad's monthly broadcast on NicoNico Douga revealed today that the company will be circulating their own magazine starting on September 6th, Monthly Bushiroad. Following the July 26th issue, KeroKero Ace magazine will cease publication of the official Cardfight!! Vanguard manga authored by franchise creator Itou Akira that has run parallel to the anime from the beginning, and new chapters will instead be serialized in Monthly Bushiroad.

Furthermore, with the launch of the new magazine will come a sidestory manga focused on the units of the trading card game, Cardfight!! Vanguard Gaiden: Shining Swordsman (カードファイト!!ヴァンガード外伝 光の剣士 Kaadofaito!! Vangaado Gaiden Hikari no Kenshi) which will be overseen by Itou Akira, and illustrated by Koshimizu Makoto. Focusing on the lore of the Cardfight!! Vanguard TCG, the protagonist was stated in the broadcast to be Blaster Blade.

The early promotional benefits of buying Monthly Bushiroad's first issue include three Cardfight!! Vanguard promo cards, one copy of Storm Bring Dragon and two cards from the upcoming thirteenth booster set, VG-BT13: Catastrophic Outbreak.

The end of KeroKero Ace is a sudden and alarming shift, as it was in this magazine that the first Cardfight!! Vanguard cards ever were distributed, and their exclusive previews of upcoming booster sets have become endeared to fans. KKA was started up six years ago by Kadokawa Shoten, having built up a sizable readership in that timeframe, with many international readers importing the magazine in addition to fans in Japan. Starting in September, the Cardfight!! Vanguard and MiniVan manga will both be transferred to Monthly Bushiroad. The monthly strategy articles that KeroKero Ace once provided will also be handled by Monthly, but with Bushiroad itself handling the writing and publication of those articles instead of providing material for an outside party to write around, it cannot be anticipated what kind of format Monthly will adopt for these. Bushiroad Monthly is tentatively slated for a 600 yen price after tax, approximately $6 US, and will be printed on B5 size paper.