The first selection (English edition) from Japanese independent alternative comic magazine «USCA». The contributors are young and energetic cartoonists, NISHIMURA Tsuchika, SINZO Keigo, MIYAZAKI Natsujikei, TANIGUCHI Natsuko, HIRANO Ryo, and diverse artists, MOTO Hideyasu, BRIDGE SHIP HOUSE, Zajirogh, SANUKI Naoya, error403, KAMODA Jun, Skirt,NATSUME Tomoyuki, etc. USCA presents you 15 not mainstream but artistic Japanese comics today. Contents: NISHIMURA Tsuchika 西村ツチカ "The Woman Who Planted Flowers" SHINZO Keigo 真造圭伍 "Me & My Brother - One Summer" MIYAZAKI Natsujikei 宮崎夏次系 "Lunch Time" TANIGUCHI Natsuko 谷口菜津子 "I Love You To DEATH, Takada-kun" MOTO Hideyasu 本秀康 "Birthday Party"（太田出版刊『本秀康の描く4ページ』より「息子の誕生パーティ」をリライト） BRIDGE SHIP HOUSE "meter" Zajirogh 座二郎 "A NIGHT BEFORE WEDDING" KASABE Tetsu 笠辺哲 "Hawaii" KATSUHIKA Keita かつしかけいた "Town Trail" HIRANO Ryo ひらのりょう "Password" SANUKI Naoya サヌキナオヤ "Sweat Dreams" Yoshie 嘉江 "Ubasute" OOTA Motoyuki 太田基之 "effect" KAMODA Jun 鴨田潤 "BGM:Jelly Fish" error403 "MacroMesoMicro"

Yuu Kisaragi, a skilled physician, has a big crush on someone, but his feelings will never be returned; the person is his colleague Hasunuma. To distract himself from the fruitless love, he works hard in a university hospital in the daytime and goes to a bar at night seeking one night stand. One day Kisaragi was involved in an incident at a rip-off bar. He was saved by Kanesaki, his patient Arima's man, and they slept together. Before long Kisaragi grows to like Kanesaki, but fate doesn't work in favor of Kisaragi. The story of the sundered lovers.

Katy Westerling is shocked to see who her doctor is when she arrives at the hospital after an injury. It is none other than Jago Rodriguez—her ex-lover and, apparently, an ex-banker. When had he become a doctor? Eleven years has passed since their passionate affair, but he is still dangerously attractive. Katy cannot believe her fate—she is due to start work in his department in two weeks’ time.

Masatake Kuji is an informant to Nango, a police detective. Nango treats him like a whore and orders him to act as a watchdog over Song, a priest of a little church in Roppongi. Kuji first met Song when he served a jail sentence and fell in love with him when Song visited the jail. Kuji starts to work as an organ player in the church and reports all the names of people Song meets. He is curious to know why Nango wants the information. One day at a meal distribution site he meets a man who works for homeless people and comes to know Song's hidden stories. The love story of sacrifice and atonement.

When Serena’s cousin Dawn suddenly passes away, she steels herself to take in Dawn’s daughter, Louisa. Dawn’s husband, Carlo, is wealthy but coldhearted; the two were about to get a divorce. When Serena declares that she’ll never relinquish Louisa to Carlo, he threatens her: “This is a crime!” Yes, Carlo was her cousin’s husband, but Serena can’t stop her pulse from racing whenever she sees him. However, she must shut down those feelings as she knows just how terribly he treated Dawn!

After the death of their parents, Paige is doing her best to raise her little sister. She works as the secretary for the president of a company, and she has a bit of a crush on him. She's able to bring her sister to Russia, where she's working, but then her sister goes missing. Paige wanders around one night, looking for her, until she is chased by a group of drunk men. A mysterious young man comes to her rescue, telling her to act as if they are lovers. She can't help but feel some attraction to him...and then she finds out who he really is. Now he's got her in his sights.

Top London model Tamara is caught off guard when Prince Kaliq of the Kingdom of Qwasir shows up in her dressing room to tell her, "I've chosen you to model the royal A'zam Sapphires at my national festival." Seven years ago, Tamara rejected Kaliq's marriage proposal, even though she loved him...because she knew that he only needed a bride in order to fulfill his princely duties. With trepidation, Tamara agrees to his job offer and heads for the desert, not knowing that Kaliq has revenge on his mind...

He probably thinks he has only to stand there to seduce women. Cally goes to a bar with a mysterious, handsome man she met at an auction, and they end up sharing a passionate kiss. Cally is a painting restorator, and she was desperate when she lost the paintings she longed to work on at the auction. But the man bandons her after their kiss, leaving her unsatisfied. The next day, she receives an email. The prince of an island in the Mediterranean Sea wants her to restore his paintings. What Cally doesn't know is that the prince is the man she shared the kiss with, and he's also the one who bought the paintings she yearns to work on!

Having finally entered a period of tranquility, the Edo Shogunate is on the verge of changing dynasties from the 6th Shogun, Tokugawa Ienobu, to the 7th Shogun, Ietsugu Tokugawa. Amidst this change, Ejima, a palace maid renowned for her classical beauty, rises to a position of authority within the palace. Despite her accomplishments, however, the still-young Ejima felt pangs of longing inside. This is not unnatural, of course – with her and her fellow maids trapped inside the palace for the remainder of their existence, it’s as if they’re living simply to enjoy the opportunity to visit their families granted to them once a year. One day on such an outing, Ejima finds herself invited to a play by the palace tailor. Little did she know that she would be exposed to the gorgeous, masculine actor Ikushima – a meeting that would change her life forever. from G2Comix

Charlotte is invited to the mansion of a prestigious family for a dreamlike weekend. During her visit she becomes completely engrossed with the gorgeous and intimidating Simon and falls prey to his charm the moment they kiss. After spending a passionate night with a man she knows is out of her league, she tells herself to go back to her own reality, but little does she know that there’s a secret plan behind her invitation! Or that her relationship with Simon is destined to go much deeper!

A 33-volume collection of award-winning oneshots put out by Kodansha from 2002-2012. Some of these would later get serialized or collected in other volumes. **Serialized or otherwise collected:** AKABOSHI Tomo [Shishunki Syndrome](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=10895992058) AKIZUKI Risu [Oku-sama Shinkaron](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=8585) ARAI Hideki [8-gatsu no Hikari](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=48516) ARAMAKI Keiko [GENOMES](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=100366) ASADA Torao [Spoonman 3.18](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7155) ASHINANO Hitoshi [Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=586) Endo Hiroki [Kitto Kawaii Onnanoko Dakara](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5984) ENOMOTO Shunji [Golden Lucky](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=44334) IGARASHI Daisuke [Obayashi ga Hikoeru Hi, Hoka (collected in Hanashippanashi](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2347) IRIE Kiwa [Haikibun! Sakanahime](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=54246) IRIE Noriko [Neko no Te Kashimasu](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=34406) KIMURA Kon [Koube Zaijuu](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=6616) KITOH Mohiro [Vandemieru no Tsubasa](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2395) KOMAI Yu [Sonna Yatsua Inee!!](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=16844) MATSUMOTO Taiyou [STRAIGHT](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=9964) NIHEI Tsutomu [BLAME! (prototype chapter, included in NOiSE)](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2275) OHARA Shinji [Boku wa Otouto](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=23188) SAMURA Hiroaki [Mugen no Juunin](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1628) SOUJI Hajime [Sanmon Mirai no Katei Houmon](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=95297) TOUME Kei [Kurogane](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1034) TOYODA Minoru [Love Roma](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5227) TSUCHIDA Seiki [Miseinen](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=65435) URUSHIBARA Yuki [Mushishi prototype chapter, collected in Filament](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=35219) WAKANA Shouhei [Kamen Tenshi](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=38659) **Other:** Hiramatsu Kannosuke [Yume](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=134645) ABE Yoshitoshi [Ame no Furu Basho](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=70439511114) Eshikawa is a man who has lost sight of his life and stumbles through it, with no clear meaning or purpose. One day, he is informed that his ex-girlfriend committed suicide, which sets his brain on retrospect mode. He goes on a journey of self-revelation and contemplates upon the myriad of human emotions, the joys and sorrows of normalcy. YAMAZAKI Ren [Like a Laika](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=15464858831) From Atelier du Noir Scans: The daily, average life and interactions of some of a ship’s crew as they depart to explore space. Winner of the Jiro Tanaguchi Special Award for manga in the 2010 Four Seasons Award Anthology. NADEGATA Nazuna [Kokenoshima](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=25320595156) From Atelier du Noir Scans: On a remote island, a skilled swordsman who honed his craft on the local population attempts to atone for his sins and lift a curse by hunting and killing demons. Winner of the Hagio Moto Special Award for manga. KIBA Kouichi [Jagua](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=26870403448) As the protagonist is returning home one night, she runs into a man who had just been in a car crash. As he is dying, he asks her to throw a certain package into the sea. JOUYAMA Yui [Zanuff the Butcher](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=57841268625) A butcher with a dark secret finds a little girl. HAYASHIDA Q [Sofa-chan](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=9150331372) Tells the story of a female ghost who lives on a couch and it's the debut work of Q Hayashida as mangaka. KANOU Rie [Kingdom of Stars](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=20282565791) Oneshot about love, religion, and a big misunderstanding that leads to a weird situation...