Problems arose for Leed Publishing Co. Ltd. when it was discovered that a 50,000 copy reprint run of Takao Saito’s 1995 – 1997 manga Breakdown was missing some 400 pages of story material, reducing the total page count from 1400 pages to 1000 pages and significantly disrupting the flow of the narrative.

Breakdown is a post-apocalyptic manga that deals with the aftermath of a cataclysmic meteorite colliding with the Earth. The reprint was a special limited edition for Japanese convenience stores. No explanation was given for why the publication was edited without Mr. Saito’s permission.

Leed Publishing Co. Ltd. has reportedly apologized to Mr. Saito and promised to make the missing material available to readers for free on their web-site.