August 24th was Ukrainian Independence Day, and to celebrate, manga publisher Tokyopop released an English translation of the Ukrainian graphic novel Victory for Ukraine. The novel contains nine stories from Ukrainian writers about the current conflict in their country. This English release will be donating a portion of the profits to the humanitarian non-profit group Razom for Ukraine.Tokyopop is one of the leading publishers of manga, anime, and manhwa in the English-speaking world. Founded in 1997, the company has been translating Japanese materials into English and publishing and distributing them for 25 years now. Their decision to publish Victory for Ukraine, a graphic novel originally in Ukrainian, is a very special case.RELATED: The Games Industry Has Donated Nearly $200 Million To the Ukrainian PeopleVictory for Ukraine has nine stories, written as "episodes" by different Ukrainian authors. Each of the stories is unique, focusing on a different part of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia that has been ongoing since February 2022. For example, "Brave Little Tractor" tells the story of a Ukrainian farmer who steals tanks from the Russian army, and "Zmiinyi Island 13" is about the group of Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island who stood up to the Russian navy, a story that went viral online when it occurred.While many people and countries around the world have stepped up in support of Ukraine in this conflict, the opposite has happened to Russia, including when it comes to Japanese pop culture. Nintendo and Sony have both halted sales in Russia. Nintendo has closed down the eShop, and Sony has halted both digital and physical sales. Meanwhile, companies like SEGA, Epic Games, and Riot Games have even donated to the Ukrainian cause, and streamers have fund-raised incredible amounts in donations, too.

Victory for Ukraine will also be earning money in more ways than one for the country. Because the stories were written by Ukrainian creators, they will of course receive royalties for purchases of the graphic novel. Additionally, Tokyopop will be donating part of the profits to an American-Ukrainian non-profit organization called Razom for Ukraine that directly supports people in Ukraine. "Razom" means "together" in Ukrainian.

If you are looking for a way to support Ukrainian artists and creators, and also give money to the country, buying a digital or physical copy of Victory for Ukraine is a great way to do so - and you get the added bonus of learning more about the Ukrainian struggle through the eyes of local people telling their stories. While the digital copy of Victory for Ukraine has already been released and is available now, a physical copy will also be published in the coming month.

Victory for Ukraine was released digitally on August 24, 2022, and will have a physical release on September 27, 2022.

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Source: AnimeNewsNetwork