Glacier Bay Books has announced its upcoming English release of Konomi Oumi’s manga collection, Universe From the Balcony (Veranda kara Uchū), slated for later this year. This new volume will feature approximately 180 pages of Oumi’s distinctively quiet and vivid storytelling.
A New Collection of Ethereal Narratives
Universe From the Balcony promises to offer readers a “mind-expanding panorama” of Oumi’s tales. The publisher describes the collection as encompassing a variety of imaginative scenarios, including ethereal beings venturing into the cosmos, the subtle scent of a goldfish bowl, wordless plant spirits, impossible love, and a mermaid who has forgotten how to swim. These stories are characterized by their careful construction, evoking a sense of serendipitous beauty akin to seashells tracing a shoreline.
Production Details and Previous Works
The English translation of Universe From the Balcony is being handled by Matthias Hirsh, with Tim Sun providing the lettering. Konomi Oumi originally released this manga at the COMITIA 145 event in September 2023.
This upcoming release marks Glacier Bay Books’ continued collaboration with Oumi. The publisher previously brought Oumi’s From This Flame manga to English readers in 2021, a collection that gathered eight of Oumi’s stories. Oumi has also contributed to the third volume of Glacier Bay Books’ indie manga anthology series, Glaeolia.
