Japan: New Manga & BD Releases – February 2024 | ACTUABD
The Japanese manga series Nine Peaks
, written and illustrated by Tetsuhiro Hirakawa, continues its run after transitioning publishers in early . Originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion starting , the series moved to Manga Cross following its conclusion in Weekly Shōnen Champion in . As of , seventeen volumes have been released.
The story centers on Gaku, a sixteen-year-old with a reputation for toughness and frequent involvement in fights. Despite repeated scolding from his father, Harumi, Gaku attracts local delinquents. The narrative takes a dramatic turn with Harumi’s unexpected death, prompting a surprisingly large turnout at his funeral, revealing a hidden depth to his life and impact. Driven by a desire to honor his father, Gaku attempts to take up his favorite hobby – fishing – but finds himself in a dangerous situation, ultimately being rescued by a younger version of his father, appearing twenty-two years earlier.
This rescue throws Gaku into the past, where he discovers a city overrun by rival gangs. Motivated by a desire to help his father resolve these conflicts, Gaku is thrust into a world of yanki culture and escalating violence. The manga blends elements of action, suspense, and a time-travel narrative, creating a complex dynamic between father and son across different eras.
Hirakawa’s decision to create Nine Peaks
stemmed from a desire to return to the delinquent manga genre after completing his previous work, Clover
. He specifically chose to set the story in the 2000s, believing that period marked the decline of traditional delinquent subcultures in Japan. The inclusion of time travel and a focus on family dynamics were directly inspired by his appreciation for the film Back to the Future
, which he cites as a major influence on the story’s development.
Hirakawa has indicated he has a planned ending for the series and envisions it spanning approximately thirty volumes. This suggests a long-term commitment to the narrative and a detailed roadmap for the characters’ arcs and the resolution of the central conflicts. The transition from Weekly Shōnen Champion to Manga Cross indicates a strategic shift in publishing approach, potentially allowing for greater creative control or a different readership reach.
The manga’s genre classification encompasses action, suspense, and yanki themes. Yanki
manga typically focuses on rebellious youth, often involved in motorcycle gangs or street brawls, and explores themes of loyalty, honor, and societal alienation. Nine Peaks
appears to be building on these established tropes while introducing the unique element of time travel, adding a layer of complexity to the traditional yanki narrative.
Beyond Nine Peaks
, the manga landscape continues to evolve. According to planète bd, a French website covering comics, manga, and graphic novels, a number of new manga titles have recently been released, including Développeurs
by Mana Books, Crows T5
by Kana, and combats invisibles T3
by Vega. The site also provides ratings for these releases, offering a snapshot of current critical reception within the French manga market. ActuaBD, another French source, similarly highlights new releases and industry news.
The manga market is also seeing activity in related media. Crunchyroll News reported in that the anime Stratos 4
will receive a 20th-anniversary Blu-ray box in Japan on . This demonstrates the continued interest in older anime properties and the potential for re-releases and special editions to cater to dedicated fans.
Bande Dessinée Info, a comprehensive database of comics, manga, and graphic novels, currently catalogs over 132,000 albums, 1785 periodicals, and 33,749 authors and 2576 publishers. This illustrates the sheer scale and diversity of the comics industry globally. Recent news from the site includes an upcoming Mickey Mouse comic featuring an Iron Man crossover and an exhibition of works by Léa Mazé at the Quai des Bulles festival in Saint-Malo in .