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Otoko-Zaka Manga Moves to Shonen Jump+ With New Arc in July

The official website of manga creator Masami Kurumada revealed on Friday that the new "Keikai Otome-hen" arc of his Otoko-Zaka manga will begin on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ website and app on July 14.

Shonen Jump+ began offering chapters of the manga for free on June 2.

Otoko-Zaka's initial eight-chapter revival began in Shū Play News, the official website of Shueisha's Weekly Playboy magazine, in June 2014 after three decades of hiatus. The first eight of the new chapters were compiled in the manga's fourth volume. Shueisha shipped the manga's sixth volume, containing even newer chapters, last July.

The manga's story is set in the town of Kujūkuri in Chiba. Jingi Kikukawa is the unrivaled alpha male of the Tōun Middle School student body, and he has never lost a fight in 13 years. However, he goes down in defeat against Shō Takeshima, the ringleader in Western Japan who has his sights on the entire country. Jingi undergoes dangerous training in the art of fighting with Kenka-Oni, a demon who lives in Oniyama.

Kurumada (Saint Seiya, Ring ni Kakero) first serialized the manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1984 to 1985. He said, "I became a manga creator to draw this manga." However, the series remained incomplete at three volumes for nearly 30 years. The manga never inspired an anime, but Seisei Ruten: Kurumada-ism, a 2005 CD of songs with lyrics written by Kurumada, featured an "Otoko-Zaka" song. Sayuri Setoguchi performed the final track on the album.

Thanks to George Horvath for the news tip.