Lycoris Recoil Manga: Release Date, Plot & Where to Read

Anime series are usually adaptations of manga series and that is how the process works in most cases. Still, from time to time, we get some original anime series that ends up, at one point or another, being adapted into a manga and/or light novel. Sometimes, these written adaptations are original, whereas sometimes they just adapt the story of the anime in written form. Lycoris Recoil is one such original anime that is set to get a manga adaptation very soon. In this article, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the upcoming Lycoris Recoil manga.

Lycoris Recoil is a Japanese original anime television series created by Spider Lily and Asaura. It is produced by A-1 Pictures and premiered in July 2022. Due to the success of the anime series, it has been announced that the Monthly Comic Flapper would start serializing the series in the form of a manga starting on September 5, 2022. A light novel titled Lycoris Recoil: Ordinary Days is set to be released on September 9, 2022.

The rest of this article is going to bring you all the known and unknown information related to the upcoming manga release of Lycoris Recoil. You’re going to find out about its release date, whether there are any spoilers and previews, what the story could be about, other basic information, and much more about this intriguing series.

Lycoris Recoil manga release date

Lycoris Recoil is a Japanese anime series produced by A-1 Pictures, and directed by Shingo Adachi. It has been airing since July 2022. The series was announced in December 2021. It is produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Shingo Adachi, and features an original story by Asaura, character designs by Imagimuru, and music composed by Shūhei Mutsuki.

The series began airing on July 2, 2022 on Tokyo MX, GYT, GTV, and BS11. The ending theme song is titled “Hana no Tō” and is performed by Sayuri. The series will be broadcast in Southeast Asia by Aniplus Asia. Internationally, subbed versions of the anime are streamed by Crunchyroll, who is also streaming an English language simuldub.

Following the release of the first series, anime adaptations into manga and light novel formats were announced. The manga, written and illustrated by Yasunori Bizen, will be published starting September 5, 2022 in Media Factory’s Monthly Comic Flapper magazine. An English language edition has not yet been announced. A light novel titled Lycoris Recoil: Ordinary Days by Asaura will be published on September 9, 2022 under the Dengeki Bunko imprint by ASCII Media Works.

Lycoris Recoil manga plot

At this moment, we don’t know the plot of the Lycoris Recoil manga, since we do not know whether the manga is simply going to be an adaptation of the anime, a prequel, a sequel or something else. As for the general overview, this is how Crunchyroll marketed the anime series:

For these peaceful days――there’s a secret behind it all.

A secret organization that prevents crimes: “DA – Direct Attack”. And their group of all-girl agents: “Lycoris”. This peaceful everyday life is all thanks to these young girls. The elite Chisato Nishikigi is the strongest Lycoris agent of all time. Alongside is Takina Inoue, the talented but mysterious Lycoris. They work together at one of its branches–Café LycoReco.

Here, the orders this café takes range from coffee and sweets to childcare, shopping, teaching Japanese to foreign students, etc. It’s mostly tasks unbefitting of Lycoris.

The free-spirited and optimistic pacifist, Chisato. And the cool-headed and efficient Takina. The chaotic everyday lives of this mismatched duo begin!

This is a general plot outline, but if you want us to be more precise, this is what you can expect from the manga, if the authors decided to follow the events of the anime series as they happened:

After a prolonged period of peace in Japan, the spy organization “DA” is formed, whose employees, young orphan girls known as “Lycoris” are charged, in secret, with eliminating criminals and terrorists. Lycoris Takina Inoue is fired from the DA and now teams up with Chisato Nishikigi after disobeying orders on her last mission, risking the life of fellow member Lycoris Erika.

She now shows up at one of the DA’s cover companies, Café LycoReco, run by its owner Mika and a former DA agent Mizuki Nakahara. Meanwhile, the DA investigates a hacker called “Walnut” who hacked into their system, as well as weapons that went missing during an arms sale. Chisato informs Takina that their job is to help those in need in the best way possible, by giving him a tour of his customers.

During an escort mission of Saori Sanohara, the victim of a stalker, they understand that Saori has in fact taken a photo of the arms traffickers. Takina then uses Saori as bait to ambush the terrorists, but Chisato quickly intervenes and incapacitates them without killing them before Takina can employ more drastic methods.

At the same time, a man from the Alan Institute, the one who hired Walnut to hack the DA, blows up the hacker’s apartment, seeking to kill him. The next day, Takina officially becomes the new waitress at Café LycroReco. Institute man Alan comes to the Café, and he is quickly recognized by Mika. Walnut eventually survived his apartment explosion and he realizes that another hacker, Robota, betrayed him and gave away his location.

We also discover that the man from the Alan Institute is Mr. Yoshi, a regular at the Café. Chisato and Takina are tasked with rescuing Walnut from pursuing assassins hired by Robota. They join him as he flees by car, dressed in a full squirrel costume. The Lycoris confront the mercenaries and Takina discovers Chisato’s extraordinary abilities, no bullet seems to be able to reach him.

The latter strives to use only non-lethal ammunition, and to treat wounded enemy combatants, much to Takina’s misunderstanding. During their escape, Walnut is shot several times and the Lycoris manages to flee with his body and his suitcase. Robota reports this achievement to Mr. Yoshi, sharing a photo where Chisato is visible. In the ambulance, Walnut’s body finally wakes up and it is learned that Mizuki was actually inside the fully bulletproof suit.

The real Walnut was actually in the suitcase. It is a deception, orchestrated by Mika, Mizuki, and Walnut, in order to fake his death and thus hope to escape his pursuers for good. Walnut now joins the LycoReco cafe, under the name of Kurumi (translation of Walnut in Japanese), and offers his assistance to the Lycoris, particularly in the search for arms traffickers.

Despite the time spent at the Café, Takina remains distant toward Chisato and the Café regulars. When she learns that Chisato must return to DA HQ for his annual medical, she takes the opportunity to accompany him in hopes of defending her position with Commander Kunusoki in order to be reinstated.

On the spot, she is quickly mocked by the other Lycoris for having taken pleasure in shooting a colleague, a false rumor that has been circulating since her departure. Chisato’s physical exam is going extremely well and she seems to be vastly performing better than Takina’s former team leader, Fuki Harukawa.

While championing Takina’s cause to Commander Kunusoki, Chisato discovers that the DA’s master AI, Radiata, has been hacked while selling weapons; Takina served as a scapegoat to stifle piracy. Chisato then explains to Takina that a life is possible outside of HQ, and that she should give it a chance. A practice fight takes place, Chisato against Fuki and Sakura (Takina’s replacement in Fuki’s team).

We then understand more about Chisato’s abilities: thanks to her hyper-fast perceptions and instincts, she can anticipate the trajectories of bullets and dodge them. Takina joins the fight mid-battle and gets into a position where she aims Fuki through Chisato, perfectly anticipating his dodge. The two LycoReco Lycoris are victorious and they begin to realize the potential of their collaboration.

Takina tries out Chisato’s non-lethal bullets but they prove to be very inaccurate. Impossible for her to get close enough to be effective. On the other hand, its accuracy is exemplary with standard bullets. Chisato then suggests to him not to target the vital organs. During a video game session, Chisato realizes, by accident, that Takina wears underwear usually intended for men. She then decides to take him shopping.

Takina discovers life outside HQ, where she literally has to choose panties that she likes. She spends the day with Chisato, at the restaurant, and at the aquarium. We even see her smile for the first time. Chisato then explains that if she uses non-lethal bullets, it is primarily to make enemies suffer more without killing them.

She also confesses that she left HQ because she is looking for someone dear to her, who helped her ten years ago. Meanwhile, Mika and Mr. Yoshi cross paths again. Mika wonders why Mr. Yoshi doesn’t tell Chisato that he was the one who introduced her to the AI. He just replies that it’s against the principles of the Alan Institute. As Takina and Chisato return to the Café, a terrorist named Majima opens fire on a subway train. Filled with Lycoris, the counterattack is quick and effective. At the foot of the wall, Majima detonates the station’s explosives, injuring and killing many Lycoris.

Where to read the Lycoris Recoil manga?

The only place where you will be able to read Lycoris Recoil on a regular basis, at this moment, is the official site of the Monthly Comic Flapper magazine, which will offer the latest chapters in Japanese. Monthly Comic Flapper is currently the only known published of the upcoming manga and their site does offer a solid state of titles, but only in Japanese. The English language publisher of the Lycoris Recoil manga is unknown as of the time of writing, but we’re going to update this article as more information arrives.