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The true beauty of the video game industry is that every year, even amid stacked AAA releases, indie gems likeOMORIcome out of nowhere and unexpectedly end up connecting with enough people on deeper than fathomable levels.
What made developer and publisher OMOCAT’s 2020 title so unique and memorable for many was its masterful portrayal of various sensitive topics and heavy themes that do not always get the attention they deserve from the media, especially three years ago. Fortunately, the story of Sunny and his titular alter-ego, OMORI, will soon be introduced to a whole other medium and audience to cherish, as it has been announced that the RPG will be getting an official manga adaptation.
A New Audience Will Feel the Feels with OMORI as a Manga
Calling the development phase ofOMORIdifficult would be an understatement because OMOCAT went through a lot of problems while creating the game, which were mostly related to the required funding to finish the product, but since its December 2020 launch, the RPG has found its way into plenty of people’s hearts and souls.
It just makes sense for the beloved indie gem to step into the world of manga, especially because of how similarOMORI‘s art style looks to the medium and how popular Japanese media has recently gotten across the world. On November 22, the official X account of the gameannouncedthat “an OMORI manga adaptation will be serialized in Kodansha’s seinen magazine, Monthly Afternoon,” getting fans hyped for the future of such a unique story.
The post further stated that the upcomingOMORImanga will be illustrated by none other than the extremely talented Nui Konoito. The heartfelt experience heading to a brand new medium is not just going to be for one demographic because, according to the official X account, “the manga will be made for both longtime fans of the game and for a new audience experiencing the story for the first time.”
Which means that even if one has already playedOMORIand experienced the deep tale, the upcoming adaptation will ensure that it keeps things fresh and interesting for OG fans as well.
The fans of the game were also treated to a wonderful illustration by Konoito, providing the audience with a small glimpse of what to expect from the upcomingOMORImanga. The drawing also holds potential to be the official cover art for the first chapter or volume of the series since it looks absolutely stunning, but nothing has been confirmed by either OMOCAT, Kodansha, or the illustrator.
The Unique and Emotional Brilliance of OMOCAT’s OMORI
For those unfamiliar withOMORI, it took OMOCAT six long years to finally release the game on PC via Steam in 2020, as its Kickstarter funding campaign started all the way back in 2014, but since then, it has gotten the expanded release that it truly deserved.
In 2021,OMORIwas launched in Japan, and one year later, in June 2022, it was released on other major platforms like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and X/S, and Nintendo Switch, which introduced more gaming communities to the unique and emotional brilliance of it. The world ofOMORIwas just too immersive and wholesome for it to be experienced exclusively by one platform.
Set in two different realms,OMORIlets players navigate the real world as Sunny and the dream realm as his aforementioned titular alter-ego. The game features various endings that are all decided upon the choices that one makes in certain situations, because, as theSteamdescription forOMORIstates:
When the time comes, the path you’ve chosen will determine your fate… and perhaps the fate of others as well.
OMORIbecame a proper hit among Japanese audiences, and since its release in Japan, the game has inspired live concerts, brand collaborations, pop-up shops, and, of course, the newly announced manga adaptation. Not many video games deal with heavy themes and sensitive topics such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and trauma, but OMOCAT treats these concepts with great respect and care, garnering plenty of praise from many gamers.
OMORIhas more than 55,000 “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews on Steam, with one reviewer calling it a “Peak Game” and another urging people to “BUY IT” because “ITS SUCH A GOOD GAME.”
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Osama Farooq
Senior Gaming Content Editor / Critic
Articles Published :356
Ever since Osama was gifted the glorious PS2 more than two decades back, video games have formed a major part of his life, ranging from spending hours playing through every single Dragon Ball game he could find to witnessing the gaming industry evolve into something extraordinary in modern times. Building his collection of PlayStation consoles throughout the years all the way up until PS5, he prefers single-player experiences like The Last of Us and Persona, while also letting off steam on a daily basis with casual EA Sports FC matches. But the current rise in online multiplayer shooters will never really appeal to his old-school self.
