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Lightning and Romance's Rin Mikimoto Launches New Manga
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
The May issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Friend magazine revealed new and upcoming manga series on Saturday. The magazine launched Rin Mikimoto's new manga titled Hōsekibako ni Ai wo Tsumeyō (Let's Put Love in a Jewelry Box, top right in image below).
The Hōsekibako ni Ai wo Tsumeyō manga's "rebirth" love story centers on Mone Tsukimori, a slightly cheeky second year high school student, and her senior, third year Anji Asahi. Mone, who has a talent for singing, also has someone she cannot forget, and only Anji knows her past.
The magazine also launched on Saturday Ayase Tsukinagi's Gunrō ni Hana (Flowers for the Wolf Pack, bottom right on image above) about an aspiring motorcycle designer who faces her new high school's "bad boys." Yū Kurotsuki's Sekai de Ichiban Ani shiteru (The Best Big Brother in the World, top left) manga about a protagonist who suddenly ends up living with a new big brother, will launch on May 13, and Kaya Akane's Kiyasuku Fureru na Kuro Bara ni (Don't Touch the Black Rose So Easily, bottom left) manga about a loner young lady and her bodyguard will launch in the magazine's July issue on June 13.
Mikimoto's ongoing Lightning and Romance (Inazuma to Romance manga launched in Bessatsu Friend in January 2021. Kodansha published the manga's sixth compiled book volume in June 2024. Kodansha USA Publishing releases the manga in English digitally.
Mikimoto ended the Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight (Gozen 0-ji, Kiss Shi ni Kite yo) manga in May 2020, and the 12th and final volume shipped In July 2020.
Mikimoto launched the manga in the magazine in 2015. Kodansha USA published the manga in English, and it released the 12th volume in January 2022. The manga was nominated in the Best Shōjo Manga category for the 43rd annual Manga Awards in 2019. The manga inspired a live-action film that opened in Japan in 2019.
Sources: Bessatsu Friend May issue and website, Rin Matsumoto's X/Twitter account
