Ryoma was once a low class samurai, a ronin without allegiance and a wanted man. But today he is recognized as a person who marshaled a unique strength of personality, diplomacy, and historical vision to help transform his nation, a vision that produced a unified modern Japan out of the rough cloth of a fragmented feudal tradition. Ryoma’s life is a tale of Shakespearian proportions -- a life of daring and personal triumph that helped mold a nation, but also a life lived without regard to personal gain or safety. His life tragically ended prematurely with his brutal assassination.

This new line of Edu-Manga* features Astro Boy, one of Japan's most popular icons among children who journeys alongside the reader. He provides for kids not only a history lesson but also a richer understanding of the life lessons these historical figures share with us. Hideyo Noguchi was a prominent Japanese bacteriologist who first discovered Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, in the brains of persons suffering from paresis. He traveled extensively in Central America and South America to do research for a vaccine for yellow fever, and to research Oroya fever, poliomyelitis and trachoma. While in Ecuador, he received a commission as a colonel in the Ecuador Army. *Note: Edu-Manga is a term coined in Japan which means Educational Manga.

Volume 1: Liu Bei