Pearson, a global education company and publisher, commissioned CATACI to create custom manga illustrations for a new Japanese-language textbook in its “Iitomo” series. Developed for students learning Japanese language and culture, the publication uses original stories to place vocabulary, communication and cultural themes within engaging everyday situations.
Working from the educational content and narratives provided by Pearson, CATACI developed the visual interpretation of each story through character design, manga illustration and sequential storytelling. We collaborated closely with Pearson throughout the production process to ensure that the artwork supported the learning objectives, communicated each situation clearly and remained appealing and accessible to students. The result combines the expressive energy of Japanese manga with the structure and clarity required for educational publishing.
The project demonstrates how manga can make language-learning materials more engaging, memorable and visually relevant to today’s students. By transforming educational narratives into lively illustrated scenes, CATACI helped Pearson create a more immersive connection between language, context and culture. It also reflects our ability to support international publishers with custom manga artwork for textbooks, educational resources and other learning content—from initial visual development through to final production.
