Tower Dungeon (Japanese: タワーダンジョン, Hepburn: Tawā Danjon) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei. It has been serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius since October 2023. It is about a farmer who is drafted into a group of soldiers tasked to rescue a princess from a massive tower filled with monsters and traps.
| Tower Dungeon | |
![]() First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Yuva | |
| タワーダンジョン (Tawā Danjon) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dark fantasy[1][2] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Tsutomu Nihei |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Sirius KC |
| Magazine | Monthly Shōnen Sirius |
| Original run | October 26, 2023 – present |
| Volumes | 6 |
Plot
editA necromancer seizes control after assassinating the king, imprisoning the princess in a monolithic tower. When the Royal Guard's assault fails, they conscript villagers like Yuva, a strong but inexperienced farmhand. The tower's nightmarish interior contains twisted architecture and mutated creatures, including reanimated fallen soldiers. As the group ascends, they face increasingly grotesque horrors while struggling with dwindling resources. Yuva's raw resilience proves vital against the tower's impossible geometry and supernatural threats, contrasting with the guards' formal training in this grim struggle for survival.
Media
editManga
editWritten and illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei, Tower Dungeon started in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius on October 26, 2023.[3][4][5] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes, with the first one released on February 8, 2024.[6] As of March 9, 2026, six volumes have been released.[7]
In July 2024, Kodansha USA announced that it had licensed the manga for English release in North America, with the first volume released on July 15, 2025.[8][9]
Volumes
edit| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 8, 2024[10] | 978-4-06-534697-6 | July 15, 2025[9] | 978-1-64-729454-0 |
| 2 | May 9, 2024[11] | 978-4-06-535644-9 | September 16, 2025[12] | 978-1-64-729469-4 |
| 3 | October 8, 2024[13] | 978-4-06-536991-3 | November 11, 2025[14] | 978-1-64-729470-0 |
| 4 | March 7, 2025[15] | 978-4-06-538735-1 | February 3, 2026[16] | 978-1-64-729599-8 |
| 5 | September 9, 2025[17] | 978-4-06-540641-0 | May 5, 2026[18] | 978-1-64-729600-1 |
| 6 | March 9, 2026[7] | 978-4-06-542766-8 | — | — |
Other media
editA promotional video for the release of the manga's sixth volume was published by Monthly Shōnen Sirius on its YouTube channel on March 30, 2026. The video features manga art with special effects by the agency Maxilla and traditional animation by the studio Keel. Toshiyuki Kono directed the animated clips at Keel and drew the storyboards, while Asuka Suzuki designed the characters and Tetsurō Moronuki designed the creatures.[19]
Reception
editThe manga was nominated for the tenth Next Manga Award in the print category in 2024.[20]
Kara Dennison of Otaku USA observed that Tower Dungeon represents Nihei's shift from sci-fi to dark fantasy. She observed that the series features Nihei's distinctive monster designs and hints at deeper political intrigue. While the first volume mainly sets up the story, Dennison suggested it could appeal to both existing fans and new readers as a promising fantasy entry.[2] Reviewing the first volume, Kevin Cormack of Anime News Network noted that the series marks Nihei's venture into fantasy, contrasting his signature sci-fi works like Blame!. He observed the manga retains Nihei's atmospheric worldbuilding while featuring simplified character designs and organic architecture. While praising the RPG-inspired premise and environmental storytelling, Cormack found the 160-page volume disappointingly short, ending as the narrative developed.[21]
References
edit- ↑ タワーダンジョン. Mangapedia (in Japanese). Digitalio. Archived from the original on April 23, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- 1 2 Dennison, Kara (July 9, 2025). "Manga Review: Tower Dungeon Vol. 1". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on July 15, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Pineda, Rafael (September 29, 2023). "Knights of Sidonia's Tsutomu Nihei Launches New Manga on October 26". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ↑ "Tsutomu Nihei de retour avec un manga de fantas". Manga News (in French). October 26, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ↑ 弐瓶勉の新連載「タワーダンジョン」がシリウスで、剣と魔法と迷宮探索の物語. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 26, 2023. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ↑ 「シドニアの騎士」弐瓶勉が描く剣と魔法と迷宮探索の物語「タワーダンジョン」1巻. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 8, 2024. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- 1 2 【3月9日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 9, 2026. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
- ↑ Pineda, Rafael (July 4, 2024). "Kodansha USA Reveals 12 New Print Manga, 2 Digital Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- 1 2 Mateo, Alex (July 17, 2025). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, July 13–19". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 27, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ 【2月8日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 8, 2024. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ↑ 【5月9日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 9, 2024. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ↑ "Tower Dungeon 2". Penguin Random House. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ↑ 【10月8日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 8, 2024. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Tower Dungeon 3". Penguin Random House. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ↑ 【3月7日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 7, 2025. Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Tower Dungeon 4". Penguin Random House. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ↑ 【9月9日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 9, 2025. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Tower Dungeon 5". Penguin Random House. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ↑ Cayanan, Joanna (March 31, 2026). "Tsutomu Nihei's Tower Dungeon Manga Promoted in Video With Animated Clips". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 31, 2026. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Mateo, Alex (June 25, 2024). "Voting Opens for Next Manga Awards 2024". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ↑ Cormack, Kevin (August 17, 2025). "Tower Dungeon Volume 1 Manga Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 17, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
External links
edit- Official website at Monthly Shōnen Sirius (in Japanese)
- Tower Dungeon at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
