On February 16, 2016, Seven Seas will release to North American audiences Katsuhisa Kigitsu’s Franken Fran in omnibus format (two volumes in one and color inserts). Serialized in Champion Red (Akita Shoten) in 2006 and concluding in 2012, it’s a dark parody manga that focuses on Fran, who takes over the job of the greatest surgeon now missing in action, and follows her every grotesque creation.
Considering the timing it makes you wonder why now of all times has it been licensed…and how this is going to be marketed. I was able to send a few questions over to Lissa Pattillo, the contact for this particular title, and here’s her response.
Organization ASG: Considering it finished a few years ago what made you guys decide now was the time to license Franken Fran?
Lissa: Franken Fran has been highly requested for some time now, so we’ve always been looking at it as a possible license. Stories staring cute monster girls has been a rapidly growing and passionate fan-base for us in recent years as well. With that and other factors in mind, the planets aligned, the timing felt right, and here we are!
OASG: Can you share who will be working on the title?
Lissa: It’s a bit too early in the process to know who all will be doing what, but rest assured everyone’s going to do their best.
OASG: What do you think will be the challenges of bringing forth a title like Franken Fran to North America?
Lissa: We don’t see any challenge with Franken Fran specifically. We already release the ultra-violent Magical Girl Apocalypse, and Franken Fran has such a big fan-base. Plus, monster girls!
OASG: Can this really be advertised as part of the monster girls theme the company’s been running?
Lissa: We certainly think so! It’s not the exact same as our other monster girl titles, but then again none of them are identical either. Franken Fran might get a lot darker, but it still stars a strangely loveable group of monster girls and we’re already seeing the big overlap in fandoms from titles like Monster Musume and Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary.
OASG: Why should we be looking forward to this title when it comes out next year?
Find out what all the hype is about! Really, Franken Fran will be something to experience. There’s some pretty bizarre and memorable stuff here. Very weird, very fun. We’ve been thrilled with the response to the license, and look forward to hearing what people think when they read it in February.
