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Kumiko Saiki's Kageki Shojo!! Manga Takes 1-Issue Break
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The December issue of Hakusensha's Melody magazine revealed on Friday that Kumiko Saiki's Kageki Shojo!! manga did not appear in the issue due to Saiki's personal circumstances. The manga will resume in the next issue on December 26.
Saiki additionally explained in a Twitter thread that her beloved cat passed away at the end of summer, and while she was still grieving that loss, her father suddenly passed away earlier this month. Saiki added the two deaths are the reason for the manga taking a break from the December issue, as she said it was impossible mentally and physically for her to finish the chapter.
Saiki serialized the original manga under the title Kageki Shoujo! (with one exclamation mark) in Shueisha's Jump Kai magazine from 2012 to 2014, and ended the original serialization after the magazine ceased publication in October 2014.
Saiki then launched the ongoing sequel manga under the title Kageki Shoujo!! (with two exclamation marks) in Melody in 2015. The manga was nominated for Best Shōjo Manga in Kodansha's 44th annual Manga Awards in 2020. Hakusensha released the 12th volume on April 5.
Shueisha published the original manga in two volumes, but re-released the series in one compiled volume in March 2019 with the title Kageki Shoujo!! Season Zero. Seven Seas Entertainment released the manga in one omnibus volume in English under the title Kageki Shoujo!! The Curtain Rises. Seven Seas is also releasing Kageki Shojo!! in English, and it will release the seventh volume on December 20.
Seven Seas describes the story:
Ever since she was a little girl, Sarasa has wanted to play the role of Oscar as part of the Kouka Acting Troupe, an all-female acting troupe similar to the Takarazuka Revue. But before she can do that, she has to attend two years at the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. As Sarasa practices singing, dancing, and acting, she grows closer to the other girls in her year, including her roommate, the stoic former J-idol, Ai. Though Sarasa is great at making friends, her outspoken nature and grand ambitions earn her lots of enemies as well.
The manga inspired a television anime adaptation that premiered in July 2021. Funimation streamed the series and also streamed an English dub. Funimation then released the series on home video on May 31.
Sources: Melody December issue, Kumiko Saiki's Twitter account
