Live-On Card Liver Kakeru

Live-On Card Liver Kakeru was written and illustrated by Yoshikawa Chouji, serialized in Monthly Shonen Ace starting in 2008. The manga was developed as a multimedia tie-in project alongside a card game and an anime adaptation, centered on the popular trend of trading card game battles appearing in shonen manga during the late 2000s. The story follows Kakeru, a young protagonist who discovers a device that brings his card game creatures to life, blending elements of fantasy action with the hobby-focused narrative style common to the era.

The character designs were created to emphasize the distinct, stylized visual flair of the monsters in the series, aiming to appeal to the younger demographic targeted by the card game's marketing. As a tie-in work, the manga served to build lore for the Live-On card universe, with the art style leaning into dynamic combat sequences to keep pace with the fast-moving narrative of the card game world. While the franchise saw a dedicated niche following, it remains a notable example of the mid-2000s initiative to integrate print media, television, and physical merchandise into a single cohesive experience.