I've been wanting to write about something for a long time, and now the opportunity has presented itself. Last time, I promised to write about Yukio Mishima, but now's not the time. Finally!! Nagano Mamoru's "The Five Star Stories" (FSS) serialization resumed in the May issue of Monthly Newtype (Kadokawa Shoten), on sale on the 10th.

It's been nine years since its resumption. The book world may be more excited about Murakami Haruki's new book, which goes on sale on the 12th, but that's irrelevant. While it's been three years since Haruki's last work, this one has been three times as long—nine years.

I've been waiting eagerly for this. Honestly, I bought Newtype for the first time. "FSS" was a trending word on Twitter that day, and the May issue of Newtype is currently out of stock on Amazon. Used copies are selling for around 1,000 yen. Apparently, a reprint has been decided.

What was earth-shattering this time was the significant changes to the previous setting. The content follows the lead of "Gothicmade," an animated film produced entirely by Nagano and released at the end of last year. Honestly, I had a bad feeling about it, but I never thought it would actually end up like this... Maybe he just got bored. It started in '86, after all.

No one else could do this. He draws what he wants, when he wants. He's like a god. His designs have changed every time the series has been on hiatus. He designs his manga incorporating his interests at the time. He even updates his expressions, saying, "If it were me, I would do it like this."

The greatest appeal of FSS is not only its epic, romantic story structure, but also its design. The characters' clothing and robots are simply beautiful and cool. In fact, Nagano's title is not manga artist, but mechanical designer. That's why I think it's the most fashion-forward manga. Manga that directly focus on fashion don't come close to FSS in terms of content or style. It's the spirit that makes it fashionable. In the December 2012 special issue of Eureka, "Nagano Mamoru Special Feature," fashion researcher Yuji Ashida and Motonariono designer Makoto Onohara discuss FSS style. Along with stylish characters, Shamask suits, Manolo Blahnik mules, and Pierre Hermé Ispahan shoes appear. The characters' costume styles are detailed with backgrounds, including couturiers and materials. Currently, there doesn't seem to be any fashion designer influencing Nagano's designs. Whether Dior Homme is popular, Thom Browne is a hot topic, or Carven is selling well, it doesn't matter to Nagano. It doesn't touch God's heartstrings. Nagano lists Azzedine Alaïa as his favorite designer. Indeed, God is only influenced by God.