Books published by publisher Vertical

In a Tokyo in the not too distant future a young girl studies deligently with ambitions of soon attending space academy. If things work out just right, her future may very well be among the stars as well. And yet, every time she looks up to the stars there is a sense of melancholy in her heart. A sadness surrounds Asumi, as space exploration itself has profoundly impacted her life for as long as she can remember. But she is not alone...A young man wearing a lion's mask is always beside her. He speaks of the constellations and galaxies as if he they were like home. He knows what it is like to love the stars--slightly bitter and yet always so warm and inviting. Truth is he has gone through much of Asumi is just experiencing. And now in spirit he will forever be with Asumi guiding her on her path to space.

As Chi Yamada has shown, kittens are a resourceful and strong lot. Through play and exploration they learn to hunt for their food and to define their territory, much like the big cats of the savannah and jungle. Chi's turf now stretches out for blocks. But after a brief sick spell, she is confined to her condo home while her instincts and heart command her to go out to spend time with her stray friends. So after a sneaky escape from home, Chi makes her way back to the company of her friends, Cocchi and Blackie, but this time she departs with a better understanding of what it means to be a "cat". What exactly does freedom or being a stray mean, though, is something she will have to learn first hand. And there may be a bit of a kitty culture shock in store.

In the eighth volume of Chi's Sweet Home, Chi is growing up and now that she has a sense of her new surroundings, the little shorthair is ready to make this new neighborhood her own. With the help of her furry feline friend Cocchi she embarks on some of her more ambitious trips yet. Being a curious and increasingly self-reliant kitty, priority number one has always been locating food sources. Sometimes achieving this is not very easy or safe for kittens, but lessons have to be learned. What Chi will have to soon find out is that doors are made to be closed. Strolling into random homes, sheds or cars is a big no-no because you may never make it out again. In one such case, Chi gets in; finds what’s she was not looking for; is locked in; and eventually has to face off with a grumpy old human!

An Attack on Titan side story in light-novel form—detailing in two volumes the fate of the Quinta District after Wall Maria is breached.With Wall Maria breeched, communities within the Quinta district have been cut off from each other creating famine and chaos. A young field commander named Rita is tasked with a mission to reconnect transit across the massive district while putting her troops and residence right in the vanguard as Titans descend on her town.

The Roman Empire did not meet its end when barbarians sacked the City of Seven Hills, but rather a thousand years later with the fall of Constantinople, capital of the surviving Eastern Empire. The Ottoman Turks who conquered the city aslo known to us as Byzantium would force a tense centruy of conflict in the Mediterranean culminating in the famous Battle of Lepanto. The first book in a triptych depicting this monumental confrontation between a Muslim empire and Christendom, The Fall of Constantinople brilliantly captures a defning moment in the two creeds' history too often eclipsed by the Crusades.

Before the fall, and before the trials of "the Titan's son" Kyklo, a young smith by the name of Angel Aaltonen grappled with the giants as only a craftsman could...The first of the three-part Before the Fall light novels, whose second and third installments have been adapted into a manga of the same name, this prequel of prequels details the origins of the devices that humanity developed to take on the mysterious Titans.

Toshiko Tomura is a genius; the darling of the intelligentsia. A modern-day Michelangelo, this twenty year-old is already an established international stage actress, an up-and-coming architect, and the next recipient of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize as Japan's best new writer. Her actions make headlines in the papers, and inspire radio and television programming. And like many great talents, her troubled past is what motivates her to greatness. She has the amazing ability to emulate the talents of others.Toshiko is also the mastermind behind a series of murders. The ultimate mimic, she has plagiarized, blackmailed, stolen and replicated the works of scores of talents. And now as her star is rising within the world of the elites and powerful she has amassed a long list of enemies frustrated by the fact that she has built critical and financial acclaim for nothing more than copying others' work. Neglected as a child, she ischallenging the concepts of gender inequality while unleashing her loneliness upon the world as she climbs the social ladder one body at a time.One of Osamu Tezuka's most wicked tales, The Book of Human Insects renders the 70's as a brutal and often polarizing bug-eat-bug world, where only those willing to sell their soul to the masses and become something less than human are capable of achieving their wildest dreams

An Attack on Titan side story in light-novel form—detailing in two volumes the fate of the Quinta District after Wall Maria is breached.In the concluding half of this side story, Rita Iglehaut, acting commander of the local forces, struggles to turn her isolated hometown into something of a city of its own. Her draconian methods, however, shock the residents, not least Mathias Kramer, her childhood friend.

A moral cornerstone for aspiring and continuing teachers, this novel, written by a veteran of the vocation, has sold over a million copies and remains one of the most enduring achievements of modern Japanese literature. At the core, the challenges of teaching are the same the world over. Kenjiro Haitani's charming and profoundly moving reminder to keep faith with the kids is finally out in English.It's a typical day at the elementary school when a beautiful young newlywed named Ms. Kotani, the new teacher, eagerly goes into class and leaves before the final bell sobbing. Her students include the silent boy Tetsuzo, whose hobby is collecting flies, and a girl, Minako, who could keep Ritalin in business all alone. Most of the school's teachers have never given these kids a chance, but Ms. Kotani will not give up so easily--even when her single-minded efforts start hurting her marriage.

The first prequel novel to Attack on Titan—and the basis of the Attack on Titan: Before the Fall manga series—detailing the origins of the devices that humanity developed to take on the mysterious Titans.Before the fall, and before the trials of “the Titan’s son” Kuklo, a young smith by the name of Angel Aaltonen grappled with the giants as only a craftsman could …

Ishimaru tries to bring in Zero Seven and Nine to get inside info on the CCC. In exchange for her cooperation, Zero Seven asks for information on the devil that murdered her mother, and the fateful meeting between Seven and Kikuhara is revealed. The house of an activist for devil rights is set on fire, and at the scene, Kikuhara pushes Anzai to remember his past...