Kill Blue
Kill Blue | |
キルアオ (Kiru Ao) | |
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Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Tadatoshi Fujimaki |
Published by | Shueisha |
English publisher | |
Imprint | Jump Comics |
Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | April 17, 2023 – present |
Volumes | 7 |
Kill Blue (Japanese: キルアオ, Hepburn: Kiru Ao) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tadatoshi Fujimaki. It began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine in April 2023; as of November 2024, seven volumes have been released.
Plot
[edit]Juzo Ogami is a 40-year-old who works for the Z.O.O. assassin syndicate as their prized hitman. During a job taking out criminals working with the genetic manipulation company Mitsuoka Pharmaceuticals, Ogami is stung by a wasp that modifies his DNA, regressing his age to that of when he was 12. Unable to resume work as a hitman due to his stature, the head of Z.O.O. gives Ogami another assignment while they work on an antidote: attend a middle school the head's daughter is applying to and judge if it is safe. Ogami, due to having no formal education, turns out to love middle school, and must balance his time as a student and an assassin. He must also deal with Noren Mitsuoka, the heiress of Mitsuoka Pharmaceuticals, who may be the key to figuring out how to age Ogami back to normal.
Publication
[edit]Written and illustrated by Tadatoshi Fujimaki, the series began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on April 17, 2023.[3][4] As of November 2024, the series' individual chapters have been collected into seven tankōbon volumes.[5]
Viz Media and Manga Plus are publishing the series in English simultaneously with its Japanese release.[6] Viz Media began releasing the volumes digitally in July 2024.[7][8]
Volumes
[edit]No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
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1 | September 4, 2023[9] | 978-4-08-883686-7 | July 23, 2024 (digital)[8] | 978-1-9747-4419-0 | ||
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2 | November 2, 2023[10] | 978-4-08-883737-6 | October 22, 2024 (digital)[11] | 978-1-9747-5068-9 | ||
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3 | January 4, 2024[12] | 978-4-08-883797-0 | — | — | ||
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4 | April 4, 2024[13] | 978-4-08-883881-6 | — | — | ||
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5 | June 4, 2024[14] | 978-4-08-884109-0 | — | — | ||
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6 | August 2, 2024[15] | 978-4-08-884129-8 | — | — | ||
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7 | November 1, 2024[5] | 978-4-08-884252-3 | — | — | ||
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Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
[edit]These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.
- 62. "Love Love Album"
- 63. "The End of Summer Vacation"
- 64. "Cherry Blossom Garden"
- 65. "A Meeting with Principal Oka"
- 66. "Here Come the New Challengers"
- 67. "Reasons of Their Own"
- 68. "Cavalry Battle"
- 69. "Opening Moves"
- 70. "Shin Kohazame vs. Jinta Domeki"
- 71. "Juzo Ogami vs. Hijiri Yatsurugi"
- 72. "Nice One, Ogami!"
- 73. "I Hate You Out of Love"
- 74. "Settled"
- 75. "Natsukiya and Noren"
- 76. "FuwaCure Fiction"
Reception
[edit]The series was ranked seventh in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2024 list.[16] The series ranked tenth in the print category at the tenth Next Manga Awards in 2024.[17]
Kaylie Fielden of Screen Rant felt the plot was unique among other hitman manga and praised the beginning chapters.[2] Robbie Pleasant of Multiversity Comics praised the artwork and characters. Regarding the story, Pleasant felt that it has some worrying elements but nonetheless handled them well.[18] Kara Dennison of Otaku USA described the series as "Case Closed with added violence".[19]
References
[edit]- ^ Dennison, Kara (June 30, 2023). "Try These Action-Packed, Feel-Good Shonen Jump Manga". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Fielden, Kaylie (April 18, 2023). "Shonen Jump's Unique Twist on Assassin Manga Could Be Its Next Big Hit". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 2, 2023). "Food Wars, Kuroko's Basketball Authors Each Launch New Manga in Shonen Jump". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ 藤巻忠俊が描く学園アサシンやり直しコメディ、39歳の殺し屋が中学生に. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 17, 2023. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ a b キルアオ 7 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Lada, Jenni (April 16, 2023). "Kill Blue Manga Starts in Shonen Jump". Siliconera. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ @VIZMedia (February 2, 2024). "Announcement: A VIZ Digital Exclusive! Legendary hitman Juzo is bitten by a mysterious insect and becomes a teenager again. Can he handle middle school life? Kill Blue, by Tadatoshi Fujimaki, releases Summer 2024" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Kill Blue, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ キルアオ 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ キルアオ 2 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "Kill Blue, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ キルアオ 3 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ キルアオ 4 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ キルアオ 5 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ キルアオ 6 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ 橘オレコ「ホタルの嫁入り」が全国書店員が選んだおすすめコミック2024の第1位に. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ Cayanan, Joanna (August 28, 2024). "Kagurabachi Tops Print Category, Girl Meets Rock! Wins in Web Category of Next Manga Awards 2024". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
- ^ Pleasant, Robbie (May 31, 2023). "This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 5/28/23". Multiversity Comics. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ Dennison, Kara (April 18, 2023). "Fresh New Manga for Your Weekly Reading List". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Official website at Weekly Shōnen Jump (in Japanese)
- Kill Blue (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia