Azuki will exclusively release Gloomy Bear: Apocalyptic Love, a new manga with story by NAZ and art by Masato Fujisaki, featuring Mori Chack’s popular character Gloomy Bear. The one-shot manga will be available to read in English on Azuki’s website and app on April 4, 2023.
Azuki describes the story of Gloomy Bear: Apocalyptic Love as:
A young man and woman have kept keychains as mementos of each other, even after they drifted apart. But one day, when they find themselves under attack by zombies, the keychains come to life to protect them! Can Gloomy Bear and All-Purpose Bunny defeat the zombies and bring the two back together?
The Gloomy Bear mascot character was created by artist and graphic designer Chack in 2000. Chack sold art and merchandise inspired by the character on the streets of Osaka. Afterward, Gloomy Bear was embraced worldwide as a mascot of counterculture and the Y2K phenomenon.
In celebration of the mascot’s 20th anniversary, an anime TV series titled Gloomy the Naughty Grizzly was launched in April 2021. NAZ handled the animation production for the series, with Chack serving as the main screenwriter. The anime was streamed on Crunchyroll outside of Asia.
Azuki is available online and as an app on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. It features over 200 series, including titles such as Natsume & Natsume, I Fell for a Fujoshi, and My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files. All titles are available worldwide, except in Japan.
The service is available for free with advertisements or a premium account with access to a full catalog for just US$4.99 a month. A 14-day free trial and discounted annual plan are also available.
Source: press release
