Omoi Licenses Sukeban Deka for Exclusive Digital Release This Fall
The license ends a decades-long absence of Sukeban Deka in English, a series that influenced later works like Kill la Kill, and signals Omoi's strategy of using classic shojo titles to attract subscribers.
Key Facts
- Omoi announced the exclusive digital release of Shinji Wada's Delinquent Detective: Sukeban Deka at Otakon 2026 on July 31, 2026.
- Sukeban Deka will be available in English for the first time this fall, exclusively on the Omoi: Manga Reader app.
- The original manga ran in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume magazine from 1976 to 1982.
- Omoi will add 54 Kodansha titles to its catalog, with early volumes from six titles available now.
- Omoi Premium members get 20% off all volume purchases.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, TheOASG.
Digital manga publisher Omoi announced at its Otakon 2026 industry panel on Friday that it will release Shinji Wada's Delinquent Detective: Sukeban Deka in English for the first time. The shojo crime thriller will be available exclusively on the Omoi: Manga Reader app this fall, with chapters accessible through the Omoi Premium subscription. The original manga ran in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume magazine from 1976 to 1982, and has inspired multiple live-action series and films, a 1991 video anime, and a 2006 live-action film. Omoi also revealed plans to add 54 Kodansha titles to its catalog, available for volume purchase, with early volumes from six titles available now, including After the Rain, Dororo, and Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun. Omoi Premium members receive a 20% discount on all volume purchases. The announcement marks a significant addition to Omoi's library of classic shojo manga, following its earlier license of The Sword of Paros.
- Omoi's first license from Akita Shoten: The company's initial Akita Shoten license was Shonen Racket, now available. Sukeban Deka was not in the catalog Akita showed Omoi; co-founder and marketing director Evan Minto flagged it separately as a personal interest.
- Licensing process: Omoi met with Akita Shoten years ago through licensing agent Digital Catapult. Minto said the license would not have been possible without years of building readership and reputation with publishers.
- Production challenges: Because Shinji Wada has died, Akita cannot contact the author for extra artwork or assets. The 1975 series lacks the layered digital files used for modern manga, so Omoi is working out how to present it to new readers.
- Genre framing: Minto called Sukeban Deka a "battle shōjo," combining delinquent action with a high school mystery storyline, not the romance many expect from the genre.
- Related titles: Two manga based on the original series launched in 2021. Saori Muronaga's Toki o Kakeru Sukeban Deka ran from January 2021 to 2023. Ashibi Fukui's Re: Sukeban Deka, a remake set in the Reiwa era, ran from February 2021 to July 2025.
- Kodansha additions: The 54-title catalog includes Paradise Kiss, Black Jack, Message to Adolf, Princess Knight, Pop Team Epic, and Twin Spica. Early volumes from six titles are available now: After the Rain, Blood on the Tracks, Dororo, Nichijō, Paradise Kiss, and Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun.
- Minto on the industry: He credited the COVID-era manga boom and smaller publishers like Glacier Bay Books, Manga Mavericks Books, and Peow2 for making licenses like Sukeban Deka possible, and said he would not have expected Kingdom or Hajime no Ippo in English.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.