Creator Spotlight: Nakatani Nio

This past February, we had the of privilege publishing the sublimely strange, lovely-to-look-at first volume of God Bless the Mistaken, the current work by creator Nakatani Nio. We have been simulpublishing God Bless the Mistaken chapter by chapter, but there’s a very specific thrill to putting out a complete volume. So we thought we would celebrate by looking back over Nakatani’s incredible works up to this point! 

Nakatani Nio is probably best known for her short yuri manga stories, from her pieces in the Éclair anthologies to the collection Farewell to My Alter. Her work is punctuated by warmth, tenderness, and gently evocative artwork. 

A science fiction tale that centers around a middle school–aged boy and his landlady, God Bless the Mistaken asks what the world would be like if its inhabitants experienced strange phenomena, colloquially known as “bugs.” While God Bless the Mistaken is a departure from the themes of Nakatani’s other work, it is no less wonderful to experience.  

If you want to dive deeper into the world of Nakatani Nio (and why wouldn’t you?), here are some places you can start! 

Éclair: A Girls’ Love Anthology That Resonates in Your Heart 

Full of beating hearts and fluttering feelings, this anthology of Girls' Love stories will leave you breathless. With contributors like Canno (Kiss and White Lily for My Dearest Girl), Sakuya Amano (Gosick), and Nio Nakatani (Bloom into You), this collection is sure to satisfy the desire for a sweet love story (or sixteen!). 

Farewell to My Alter: Nio Nakatani Short Story Collection 

Nio Nakatani, known for her delicate and heartwarming portrayal of Girls’ Love, presents a marvelous collection of short stories that span her whole career. With works including her striking debut title Farewell to My Alter, enthralling tales from the Éclair anthologies, and a hauntingly captivating piece penned exclusively or this volume, Nakatani explores the deeper nuances of loss, identity, and matters of the heart. 

God Bless the Mistaken 

Middle schooler Kon lives in a world with periodic exceptional phenomena, more commonly known as bugs. He works as the unofficial assistant to his landlady Kasane Himesaki, a leading researcher in the field, and they study the effects and impact of these mysterious abnormalities. Some of the bugs bring fun, others intrigue, and still others cause inconveniences to their daily lives. In their ever-changing world, there’s only one thing that’s certain—the most ordinary moments can be the most extraordinary of all!