Publisher TOKYOPOP and Noir Caesar Entertainment, a black-owned indie creative company that supports and nourishes content from marginalized communities across various media, expand their relationship as TOKYOPOP announces the March 2026 release of DEEP 3.
The manga, by creator Mizuno Mitsuhiro and artist Ryosuke Tobimatsu, was originally published in Japan by Shogakukan and has been licensed for North American release by Noir Caesar with print and digital distribution by TOKYOPOP.
The series depicts the on- and off-the-court dramas of a young Japanese basketball player in his quest to become a top-ranked scorer. DEEP 3 was originally serialized in Japan in the manga magazine, Big Comic.
This is the story of a young basketball player willing to do whatever it takes to get back on track. Demian Kawai has devoted himself to basketball with the goal of becoming the top scorer in the National Basketball Organization. For now, competition at the high school level is tough, especially if you can’t measure up to the other players.
Despite his promising future, Demian is struck by a case of the yips, causing his arms to stiffen up and risking his chances to reach the big leagues! Now Demian will have to dig deep to power ahead in his climb to greatness.
“I’ve been a fan of Deep 3 for years,” says Noir Caesar co-founder, Johnny O’Bryant, who is himself a professional basketball player and former NBA player. “I first discovered it on Twitter, where the character designs kept popping up and instantly caught my attention. That curiosity led me down a rabbit hole – researching the series, studying the artwork, and digging through the Japanese pages since there was no English translation available at the time.”
He continues, “Years later, while playing professionally in Japan for the Ibaraki Robots in the B.League, I reached out to the creator of Deep 3 on Instagram and arranged a meeting with the help of a translator. During our conversation, I learned that no one had yet bid for the English rights. Knowing how special the series was, I mentioned it to my partners at TOKYOPOP and the possibility of bringing the series to English-speaking audiences. I’m very excited for its debut to manga readers and fans of basketball.”
Source: Press Release
