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During the Manga Mavericks panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, Mahjong Pros announced two new licenses joining its growing lineup: Bird – Mahjong’s Deadliest vs. The Master Illusionist and Akayoroshi: Hanafuda Shadow Game.
The new manga-publishing arm of Mahjong Pros publishes works that specifically focus on the game of mahjong, tying its stories into the rest of the company’s catalog, which includes mahjong tiles, strategy guides, and classes.
Here are the details on the two newest Mahjong Pros titles announced at SDCC ’26.
Bird: Mahjong’s Deadliest vs. The Master Illusionist
A war over underground casino territory rights will be settled at a mahjong table. One side
recruits Kazuya, the hidden genius behind the world-famous illusionist Bird. Across from him sits Snake, an undefeated gambler who can manipulate a fully automated table designed to make cheating impossible. To win, Kazuya must expose Snake’s trick before Snake uncovers his.
Hiromi Aoyama is a veteran manga writer known for elaborate mind games and high-stakes drama in series such as Gamble Fish and Throne of Supermen. Kazutoshi Yamane is a manga artist whose bold, kinetic artwork has appeared in Ganryu, and the modern revival of Japan’s pioneering superhero, The Golden Bat (Fantoma).
Akayoroshi: Hanafuda Shadow Games
In 1876 Yokohama, a boy with a perfect memory is forced into an underground gambling ring where Japanese flower cards decide who walks away and who pays with flesh. Akayoroshi: Hanafuda Shadow Games is a vicious historical thriller about debt, deception, and the players who become addicted to risking everything.
Yume Yamaguchi (Love Is Drenched in Desire Already, Becoming the Legendary
Concubine) is a manga story creator known for works spanning josei romance, historical drama, and suspense. Yadokugaeru is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator whose work is distinguished by elegant character art, androgynous beauty, and an unsettling blend of sensuality and violence.
During Thursday’s SDCC panel, Manga Mavericks and Mahjong Pros also announced their new joint venture, the Independent Manga Alliance, which seeks to support indie creators and small presses in the manga space.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.
