Smile! Vol.1 Format: Trade Paperback

A journalist risks everything to uncover the truth behind a sinister cult...

Yuushi Kamome is a freelance journalist who lost his beloved daughter in an unforeseen accident. His descent into despair following her death drove his wife to leave him, and he lives each day a shell of the man he once was.

But his fate changes one day when members from a religious organization he had never heard of, the Smiling Hearts Society, knock on his door and hand him a flyer. He’ s ready to dismiss them until he notices the face of his estranged wife on the flyer, smiling ever so softly.

And so begins a tale of religion and insanity. What kind of sinister darkness lurks behind this religion and its strange smiles?

MITEI HATTORI made his debut in 2021 with breakout hit Smile!, which was serialized in Weekly Manga Goraku (Nihon Bungeisha). The series quickly gained attention for its dark psychological themes and bold visual style, establishing Hattori as a striking new voice in the seinen manga scene. Driven by his deep discomfort with forced smiles and inspired by his conversations with people raised in religious cults, Hattori explores themes of faith, control, and the societal pressure to appear happy.