[Oldpilot]

I'm not familiar with the Aircraft Serials books. Probably the closest to what you seek are the books written by Richard Bueschel and published most recently by Schiffer. Unfortunately they weren't updated, and they aren't cheap. You might be able to find the originals in a library or second-hand.

For a general overview, see Renee Francillon, Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, or similar title. (I don't have a copy.)

There are several Japanese books that provide brief profiles of WWII aircraft:

Ogawa, Toshihiko. Nihon hikoki daizukan (Encyclopedia of Japanese Aircraft). Tokyo: Kodansha, 1980

Sekigawa, Eiichiro. Pictorial History of Japanese Military Aviation. London: Allan, 1974. (In English)

Kori, Katsu, et al. Nihon no koku gojunen (Fifty Years of Japanese Aviation). Tokyo: Kantosha, 1960. (There is an English-language supplement, translating the text and captions; very helpful.)

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford