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Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc
Cover of the first tankōbon volume, featuring Hasegawa Ashitaro and Himura Kenshin.
るろうに剣心 ─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─
(Rurōni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Roman Tan Hokkaidō-hen-)
GenreAdventure, martial arts
Manga
Rurouni Kenshin Side Story: The Ex-Con Ashitaro
Written byNobuhiro Watsuki
Kaworu Kurosaki
Illustrated byNobuhiro Watsuki
Published byShueisha
English publisher
(rescinded)
MagazineJump Square
English magazine
(rescinded)
DemographicShōnen
Original runNovember 4, 2016 – December 2, 2016
Manga
Written byNobuhiro Watsuki
Kaworu Kurosaki
Illustrated byNobuhiro Watsuki
Published byShueisha
English publisher
  • NA: Viz Media
(rescinded)
ImprintJump Comics SQ.
MagazineJump Square
English magazine
  • NA: Weekly Shonen Jump
(rescinded)
DemographicShōnen
Original runSeptember 4, 2017 – present
Volumes7 (List of volumes)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc (Japanese: るろうに剣心 ─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─, Hepburn: Rurōni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Roman Tan Hokkaidō-hen)[a] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. His wife, Kaworu Kurosaki, is credited as a story consultant. It is a direct sequel to Rurouni Kenshin and follows Himura Kenshin and his friends in 1883 Japan as they traverse Hokkaido in search of his father-in-law.

It has been serialized monthly in Jump Square since September 4, 2017, with the chapters collected into seven tankōbon volumes by its publisher Shueisha, as of May 2022. North American publisher Viz Media released the series digitally in Weekly Shonen Jump simultaneously as it ran in Japan until November 2017.

Plot

In 1883, Himura Kenshin, having married Kamiya Kaoru, became a father to Himura Kenji and, with his body deteriorating, still fights for those in need. Former criminals Inoue Aran and Hasegawa Ashitaro, the latter a former member of Shishio Makoto's faction, have become live-in students at the Kamiya Dojo in Tokyo. Kubota Asahi, a member of the Yaminobu, also starts living at the dojo. The Yaminobu accidentally left behind a recent photograph taken in Hokkaido of Kaoru's father, Kamiya Koshijirō, who was thought to have died in the Seinan War. After reacquiring his sakabatō or reversed-edge sword from Myōjin Yahiko, Kenshin, his family, and the new residents of Kamiya Dojo head to Hokkaido to find Koshijirō.

There they reunite with Sagara Sanosuke and team up with Saitō Hajime when they get involved in stopping the mysterious group named Kenkaku Heiki, who create havoc throughout Japan in order to gain battle experience to protect the country from foreign threats. Saitō recruits his former comrade Nagakura Shinpachi and former Juppongatana members Seta Sōjirō, Yūkyūzan Anji, Sawagejō Chō, Honjō Kamatari and Kariwa Henya to aid them.

Characters

Himura Kenshin (緋村剣心)
Main article: Himura Kenshin
The former legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battōsai, Kenshin now lives a peaceful life with his family. His body is deteriorating due to the continuous usage of the Hiten Mitsurugi style of swordsmanship. After being given back his sakabatō from Myōjin Yahiko, Kenshin continues to protect the weak for as long as his body will hold up.
Hasegawa Ashitarō (長谷川明日郎)
An orphaned 16-year-old boy just released from prison. Born in Niigata Prefecture, he survived by stealing crops and foraging the mountains. Although claiming to have served five years in a Tokyo prison for dine and dash, it is suspected to have been for being a gofer member of Shishio Makoto's faction, which planned to take over Japan before disbanding when their leader died five years ago. He possesses Shishio's sword, Mugenjin, but due to his propensity for entering uncontrolled fits of rage, Kenshin asks him not to draw it. Ashitaro's given name was formerly written as 悪太郎 ("evil child"), before he changed it to 明日郎 ("tomorrow's child").
Inoue Aran (井上阿爛)
A 16-year-old boy who grew up in the Westernized portion of Japan. He was jailed in Tokyo for three months for attempting to be a stowaway on a ship to the Americas. He is revealed to be half-Japanese with blond hair and suspected to be the son of a prostitute to foreigners.
Kubota Asahi (久保田旭)
A war orphan raised by the Yaminobu but claims to be a pacifist. Following their failure to kill Kenshin during the Bakumatsu, the Yaminobu lost status and were reduced to working as mercenaries for hire. Kubota was hired to Shishio's faction and later trailed Ashitaro to retrieve Shishio's sword.
Kenkaku Heiki (劍客兵器)
A mysterious group who claim to have been initially formed by ancestors in the Kamakura period who stopped the Mongol invasions of Japan. Having stayed hidden for over 500 years, they take over Mount Hakodate and launch other attacks in Japan in order to gain battle experience to fend off future foreign invasions.

Production

In the final tankōbon volume of the original Rurouni Kenshin, published in November 1999, Nobuhiro Watsuki said that he had ideas for a "Hokkaido episode, a sequel" but wanted to start a new manga and so ended the series.[1] In September 2012, Watsuki revealed that he considered drawing the Hokkaido arc before creating Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration. But with the theme of the series concluded in the final arc of the original and unable to come up with a new one, he said that there was "just no way" he could write it.[2] In July 2013, following the positive reception of the live-action film and the conclusion of Restoration, Watsuki said although Rurouni Kenshin concluded once over ten years ago, "there are many requests for its continuation both from the creator and fans. Then why not continue expanding its world for a little while longer? That's how I feel at the moment." Although he said he had not yet decided if he would write it as a manga again.[3]

On November 4, 2016, Watsuki began a two chapter spinoff titled Rurouni Kenshin Side Story: The Ex-Con Ashitaro (-るろうに剣心・異聞- 明日郎 前科アリ, Rurouni Kenshin Ibun: Ashitarō Zenka Ari) in the December 2016 issue of the monthly Jump Square.[4] His wife, Kaworu Kurosaki, is credited as story consultant.[5] The second chapter, published on December 2, 2016, revealed that the story is actually a prologue to a new arc of Rurouni Kenshin scheduled to begin in spring 2017.[6] Delayed until summer,[7] Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc began publication on September 4, 2017, in the October 2017 issue of Jump Square.[8] In order to promote the series, multiple posters of Kenshin were on display in Shinjuku Station.[9]

On November 21, 2017, Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography. That same day, Shueisha suspended publication of new chapters of The Hokkaido Arc beginning with the January 2018 issue, which was released on December 4, 2017.[10] The manga resumed serialization in the July 2018 issue, released on June 4, 2018.[11] The series began a two month hiatus with the July 2021 issue that went on sale in June, and returned in August with the September 2021 issue.[12]

Publication

The two-parts of Rurouni Kenshin Side Story: The Ex-Con Ashitaro were published on November 4 and December 2, 2016 in Shueisha's Jump Square.[4] Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc began monthly publication in the same magazine on September 4, 2017.[8] Shueisha has collected the chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on September 4, 2018.[13] As of May 2, 2022, seven volumes have been released.

Viz Media released an English translation of The Ex-Con Ashitaro in their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The first part was included in the December 19, 2016 bonus issue and the second in the January 2, 2017 bonus issue.[14] On September 4, 2017, they began simultaneously publishing The Hokkaido Arc in the magazine as it ran in Japan.[15][16] Following Watsuki's being charged, Viz did not continue English publication when the series resumed in Japan,[17] making the November 6, 2017 issue its last.[18]

Volume list

No. Japanese release date Japanese ISBN
1 September 4, 2018[13]978-4-08-881324-0
  • Prologue. "The Ex-Con Ashitaro Part 1" (明日郎前科アリ 前編, Ashitarō Zenka Ari Zenpen)
  • Prologue. "The Ex-Con Ashitaro Part 2" (明日郎前科アリ 後編, Ashitarō Zenka Ari Kōhen)
  • Act 1. "Meiji 16 — Kamiya Dojo" (明治十六年 神谷道場, Meiji Jūroku-nen Kamiya Dōjō)
  • Act 2. "Mount Hakodate Battle" (函館山 交戦, Hakodateyama Kōsen)
  • Act 3. "Yahiko's Sword" (弥彦の刀, Yahiko no Katana)
2 February 4, 2019[19]978-4-08-881736-1
  • Act 4. "Who is He?" (誰, Dare)
  • Act 5. "Tamoto Photo Studio" (田本写真館, Tamoto Shashin-kan)
  • Act 6. "Gatotsu! Gatotsu! Gatotsu!" (牙突！牙突！牙突！)
  • Act 7. "Itekura's Interrogation Part 1" (凍座尋問・前編, Itekura Jinmon Zenpen)
  • Act 8. "Itekura's Interrogation Part 2" (凍座尋問・後編, Itekura Jinmon Kōhen)
  • Act 9. "Assault on Kabato Prison" (樺戸集治監強襲, Kabato Shūchikan Kyōshū)
3 August 2, 2019[20]978-4-08-882032-3
  • Act 10. "Asahi's Identity" (旭の正体, Asahi no Shōtai)
  • Act 11. "Haskap Mochi" (はしかぷ餅, Hasukapu Mochi)
  • Act 12. "Mutual Understanding" (意気投合, Ikitōgō)
  • Act 13. "Telegraph Hakodate–Kyoto" (電信 函館-京都, Denshin Hakodate-Kyōto)
  • Act 14. "Gathering" (集いし者達)
  • Act 15. "There is Much to Discuss..." (積もる話もあるんだろうね)
  • Act 16. "You Are!!!!" (お前はァ！！！！)
4 May 13, 2020[21][b]978-4-08-882261-7
  • Act 17. "Fighting Spirit" (闘姿)
  • Act 18. "Itekura's Fierce Attack" (凍座猛攻)
  • Act 19. "Product of Hell" (地獄の産物, Jigoku no Sanbutsu)
  • Act 20. "End of the Interrogation" (尋問終了, Jinmon Shūryō)
  • Act 21. "Status Report from Hakodate" (近況報告 函館より, Kinkyō Hōkoku Hakodate yori)
  • Act 22. "Arrival in Otaru" (小樽到着, Otaru Tōchaku)
  • Act 23. "Follow the Gatou Sword!" (雅桐刀を追え！)
5 December 4, 2020[23]978-4-08-882478-9
  • Act 24. "That Man, Gatou!" (その男 雅桐！)
  • Act 25. "That Man, Kanryū!" (その男 観柳！)
  • Act 26. "Value of Money" (金の価値)
  • Act 27. "Ezo Spruce Cones" (エゾマツの球果)
  • Act 28. "Breaking Futae no Kiwami" (二重の極み破れたり)
  • Act 29. "Infiltration: Otaru Base!" (潜入・小樽拠点！)
  • Act 30. "How to End a Fight" (喧嘩の締め)
6 July 2, 2021[24]978-4-08-882673-8
  • Act 31. "Defeated Kanryū" (敗北の観柳)
  • Act 32. "The Have-nots" (持たざる者)
  • Act 33. "Farewell, My Beloved..." (さらば愛しの)
  • Act 34. "Leaving Otaru" (小樽を去る)
  • Act 35. "Otaru→Hakodate→Sapporo" (小樽→函館→札幌)
  • Act 36. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 1: The Northern Capital and the Shinsengumi" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ一 北の都と新選組)
7 May 2, 2022[25]978-4-08-883085-8
  • Act 37. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 2: Aburanokōji and Nagakura Shinpachi" (札幌新撰組哀歌 其ノニ 油小路と永倉新八)
  • Act 38. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 3: The Northern Capital and Enemies, Enemies, Enemies" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ三 北の都と敵、敵、敵)
  • Act 39. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 4: Aburanokōji and Saitō Hajime" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ四 油小路と斎藤一)
  • Act 40. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 5: The House of Apples and Abe Jūrō" (札幌新選組哀歌 其ノ五 林檎の家と阿部十郎)
  • Act 41. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 6: Kenkaku Heiki Hyōbe and the Main Street Battle" (札幌新撰組哀歌 其ノ六 大通りの攻防と劍客兵器 雹辺)
  • Act 42. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 7: The Apple Orchard and Abe Jūrō" (札幌新撰組哀歌 其ノ七 林檎の園と阿部十郎)


Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume. They were serialized in issues of Jump Square.

  1. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 8: The Northern Capital, Abe and Nagakura" (札幌新撰組哀歌其の八 北の都と阿部と永倉)
  2. "Sapporo Shinsengumi Elegy Part 9: The Sword of the Dragon Tail and Hyōbe Futatsu" (札幌新撰組哀歌 其ノ九 龍尾の剣と雹辺双)

Reception

In July 2019, Jump Square announced that Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc had 1.2 million copies in print.[26] The first volume debuted at number four on Oricon's list of the best-selling manga with 172,160 copies sold.[27] By its sixth week, it had sold 322,520 copies.[28] The second volume debuted at number three with 201,590 copies sold,[29] while volume three debuted at number three, selling 111,231 copies.[30] Volumes three and four's initial printings of 350,000 copies were some of the highest first printings that Shueisha made for manga between 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 respectively.[31][32] Natalie reported that volume four was the fifth best-selling manga at Tsutaya stores during its first week of release.[33] Volume five debuted on the Oricon chart at number six with 108,859 copies sold,[34] while volume six topped the chart in its first week with 75,731 copies sold.[35] Volume seven sold 117,720 copies its first week, but peaked at third place on the Oricon chart.[36]

Based on the first volume only, the January 2019 issue of Da Vinci magazine included Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc at number 21 on its annual "Book of the Year" list for 2018. The list was voted on by 4,275 book reviewers, writers, and bookstore employees.[37]

Notes

  1. ^ "The Epic Tale of a Meiji Swordsman: The Wanderer, Kenshin — The Hokkaido Arc". The word Rurōni (るろうに) is the author's altered reading of the word Rurōnin (流浪人), that means 'wanderer'.
  2. ^ Volume 4 was delayed from May 1 to May 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22]

References

  1. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2006). Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 28. Viz Media. p. 78. ISBN 1-4215-0675-0.
  2. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2013). Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, Volume 1. Viz Media. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-4215-5231-6.
  3. ^ Watsuki, Nobuhiro (2014). Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, Volume 2. Viz Media. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-4215-5570-6.
  4. ^ a b "Rurouni Kenshin 2-Chapter Spinoff Manga Features New Main Character". Anime News Network. November 5, 2016. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  5. ^ "Shonen Jump Issue 01/02/17". Viz Media. January 2, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  6. ^ "Nobuhiro Watsuki Launches Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga in Spring 2017". Anime News Network. December 1, 2016. Archived from the original on December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  7. ^ "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga's Launch Delayed to Summer". Anime News Network. March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  8. ^ a b ""Rurouni Kenshin" Hokkaido Arc Manga Prepares To Launch". Crunchyroll. August 1, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  9. ^ "Kenshin Smiles On Travelers In New Manga Ads". Crunchyroll. May 9, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  10. ^ "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Goes on Hiatus Due to Creator's Child Porn Charge". Anime News Network. November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  11. ^ "「るろうに剣心-明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編-」本日発売のSQ.で7カ月ぶりの再開" (in Japanese). Natalie. June 4, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  12. ^ "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Takes 2-Month Break". Anime News Network. June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  13. ^ a b るろうに剣心─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─ 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  14. ^ "English "Shonen Jump" Plans "Yu-Gi-Oh!" And "Rurouni Kenshin" Short Manga For Holiday Issues". Crunchyroll. December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  15. ^ "Shonen Jump Issue 09/04/17". Viz Media. September 4, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  16. ^ "Viz's Shonen Jump to Serialize Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga". Anime News Network. August 28, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  17. ^ "Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Does Not Return in Viz's Shonen Jump". Anime News Network. June 4, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  18. ^ "Shonen Jump Issue 11/06/17". Viz Media. November 6, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  19. ^ るろうに剣心─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─ 2 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  20. ^ るろうに剣心─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─ 3 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  21. ^ るろうに剣心─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─ 4 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  22. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (April 9, 2020). "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Other Jump Manga Delay New Volumes Due to COVID-19 Coronavirus Concerns". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  23. ^ るろうに剣心─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─ 5 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  24. ^ るろうに剣心─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─ 6 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  25. ^ るろうに剣心─明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編─ 7 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  26. ^ Jump SQ [@JUMP_SQ] (2019-07-31). 『るろうに剣心-明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編-』第3巻は8／2(金)発売です！カバーは剣心と左之助です。お陰様で累計120万部突破しました。是非ご覧ください！来年の映画も楽しみ！ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-06-08 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, September 3–9". Anime News Network. September 12, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  28. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, October 8–14". Anime News Network. October 17, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  29. ^ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2019年02月04日～2019年02月10日" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  30. ^ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2019年07月29日～2019年08月04日" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  31. ^ "Manga With Biggest 1st Printings from Kodansha, Shogakukan, Shueisha: 2019-2020". Anime News Network. April 4, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  32. ^ "Manga With Biggest 1st Printings from Kodansha, Shogakukan, Shueisha: 2020-2021". Anime News Network. April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  33. ^ "【5月11日～5月17日】週間単行本売り上げランキング" (in Japanese). Natalie. 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  34. ^ "オリコン週間 コミックランキング 2020年11月30日～2020年12月06日" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  35. ^ "週間 コミックランキング 2021年07月12日付 (2021年06月28日～2021年07月04日)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  36. ^ "週間 コミックランキング 2022年05月16日付 （2022年05月02日～2022年05月08日）" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  37. ^ "Detective Conan Manga Tops Da Vinci Ranking". Anime News Network. December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
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