Kill Blue
Kill Blue | |
![]() First tankōbon volume cover | |
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 | 8 |
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, with its chapters collected in eight tankōbon volumes as of January 2025.
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.
Characters
[edit]- Juzo Ogami
The main protagonist. He is a 40-year old assassin who is aged back to 12-years old after being stung by a mysterious wasp during a mission. His skill with a handgun has earned him the nickname "Demon's Left Hand".
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 January 2025, the series' individual chapters have been collected into eight 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[16] | 978-4-08-884252-3 | — | — | ||
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8 | January 4, 2025[5] | 978-4-08-884441-1 | — | — | ||
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Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
[edit]These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.
- 71. "Juzo Ogami vs. Hijiri Yatsurugi" (大狼十三VS八剣聖)
- 72. "Nice One, Ogami!" (ナイスだね!大狼くん)
- 73. "I Hate You Out of Love" (嫌いだけど好きだから)
- 74. "Settled" (決着)
- 75. "Natsukiya and Noren" (夏木屋とノレン)
- 76. "FuwaCure Fiction" (ふわきゅあふぃくしょん)
- 77. "Make Me a Themed Cafe, Maggots!" (文化祭だコンカフェやんぞこのやろう)
- 78. "We're Not Selling Our Souls Here" (別に魂なんて売ってないにゃん)
- 79. "Full-Throttle Home Ec Club" (全開家庭科部)
- 80. "Come One, Come All to the Bonus Scramble!" (あつまれ!ボーナス争奪戦!!)
- 81. "I Will Eat This Tsukemen" (つけ麺を食うのだ)
- 82. "Culture Festival Epilogue" (文化祭エピローグ)
- 83. "Kakeru Inukai" (犬飼カケル)
- 84. "Spicy Ginger Ale" (辛口ジンジャエール)
- 85. "Siscon vs. Tunacorn" (シスコーン対ツナコーン)
- 86. "Ogami on Offense" (大狼急襲)
- 87. "Decisive Battle" (決戦)
Reception
[edit]The series was ranked seventh in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2024 list.[17] The series ranked tenth in the print category at the tenth Next Manga Awards in 2024.[18]
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.[19] Kara Dennison of Otaku USA described the series as "Case Closed with added violence".[20]
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 8 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on January 8, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Lada, Jenni (April 16, 2023). "Kill Blue Manga Starts in Shonen Jump". Siliconera. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. 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. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ キルアオ 5 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ キルアオ 6 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ キルアオ 7 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 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. Archived from the original on December 16, 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. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. 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