Spring is in the air! In theory. There’s a snowstorm going on outside my window right now. But we’ve got some exciting VIZ news and reviews to go over this month, so let’s get to it! We’re covering some different genres this month, from classic horror Orochi to recent shoujo Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love.
Dr. STONE ends after five years in Shonen Jump
The well-regarded weekly series by Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi released its final chapter on March 6, 2022, concluding Senku’s adventures on an optimistic note. After 232 chapters and five years in the magazine, Dr. STONE is finally complete. Fans eager for more stories from the Dr. STONE universe can read the spin-off limited series from 2019 Dr. STONE Reboot: Byakuya about Senku’s father. The departure of a fairly popular and successful series from Shonen Jump is sure to leave a hole in the lineup, but it’s possible one of the many new series that are launching now could be a great replacement. Speaking of which…
New Series Launch in Jump
Since our last Pubwatch, there have been a few changes to the weekly Jump lineup. I must admit I haven’t read all of them yet, but I can tell you what stands out among the newcomers so far!
Akane-banashi by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue launched last month and does a phenomenal job of bringing the performing art of rakugo to live in comic form. Akane-banashi is about a girl who wants to perform her dad’s style of rakugo after her dad was discouraged from continuing with the art, and so far, the characters are compelling and the art is really vivid and lively.
Earthchild by Hideo Shinkai also launched in February, but it is not grabbing me the same way Akane did. The first chapter opens with an uncomfortably-detailed shot of a random girl’s boobs, so, you know.
Less recent but still pretty new is Doron Dororon by Gen Oosuka, which I must recommend because there is an extremely cute little creature in it and it has the kind of offbeat quirkiness that makes me worried it’s going to get canned very soon. (Rest in pieces, Candy Flurry, gone but not forgotten.)
Morgan Berry, voice of Moroha in Yashahime, draws Moroha
The voice of Moroha draws #Yashahime's iconic Destroyer of Lands!
Featuring @TheMorganBerry pic.twitter.com/3dAMNrMUPz
— VIZ (@VIZMedia) March 3, 2022
The English dub voice actress for Moroha, Destroyer of Lands, attempts to draw her character in this amusing short clip from VIZ’s Twitter channel. She talks about how much she enjoys voicing Moroha, and how Moroha is a fun and lively character who brings the party with her wherever she goes. Good for her, good for Moroha. Fans of Moroha and Yashahime as a whole should check this video out!
Enough talking about things I have not read or watched, it’s time for…
What I’m Reading
Mao, Volume 4
Rumiko Takahashi
March 8, 2022
Rumiko Takahashi is so good at comics. Sometimes I forget this, but volume 4 of Mao reminded me that Rumiko Takahashi is so good at comics. This volume was a lot of fun to read and look at with exciting, dramatic action scenes, and frog people, and a creepy guy that was full of seaweed and fish. I was scrolling through the PDF thinking “this is awesome!” I think this is the volume I’ve enjoyed the most so far out of the four volumes I’ve read. In Volume 4, we learn more about Mao’s past and the origins of the evil cat demon Byoki, and Nanoka starts learning how to fight alongside him. Mao’s fellow former apprentice Hyakka gets more development, and most importantly, there are cool frog people Nanoka gets to fight! I love the action scenes, I love that Nanoka gets to be useful and dynamic, I just really enjoyed reading this one. It took a while for me to come around to Mao, but volume 4 finally sold me on it. All hail Rumiko Takahashi, queen of manga.
Orochi: The Perfect Edition, Volume 1
Kazuo Umezz
March 15, 2022
I’d heard of Umezz before but never read his work until now. I liked it! Fans of Junji Ito’s horror manga would absolutely enjoy Orochi. Volume 1 of The Perfect Edition collects two stories that feature the titular character, a girl with mysterious powers that tries to use them to help people she meets, only for them to meet tragic ends instead. “Sisters” is about Orochi getting herself hired as a maid to two sisters who have been cursed to turn ugly on their eighteenth birthdays. “Bones” is about how Orochi brings a woman’s husband back to life after he dies in an unfortunate accident and the consequences of this choice. I thought the family drama in “Sisters” was more believable, but the imagery in “Bones” was a lot scarier, and the ending more tragic. But both were really interesting! Orochi was first published in 1969, and the panel layouts and character designs definitely felt very classic and old-fashioned, but in a way that was charming and fun to observe. The use of spot blacks was very dramatic and heightened the tensions in the story well.
Ima Koi: Now I’m In Love, Volume 1
Ayuko Hatta
March 1, 2022
The thing that was most exciting to me about this volume was the commentary sidebars that reminded me of old shoujo manga I read as a kid. I love getting a glimpse of an author’s life like this. We have a full-length review of Ima Koi coming out soon, but my own brief take on this new shoujo is: I think I am too old for shoujo now. Yagyu saves Satomi from a molester on the train, causing her to fall in love with him instantly, and then she tells him she likes him within a week and they start dating pretty much immediately. They kiss for the first time in chapter 2. I’m honestly not used to relationships progressing this quickly in manga, as there’s usually much more pining and will-they-won’t-they going on. I keep expecting something bad to happen to them, some kind of complication or twist. I Want To Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die started like this, and Aono-kun ended up dying and coming back as a possibly-evil ghost! But in Ima Koi, Yagyu and Satomi are just two teenagers who like each other and are dating. The art is pretty cute. I can see how someone would like this, even though it’s not really my thing.
That’s all I’ve got for you this month! Tune in next month for more VIZ news and reviews!
