Kill Blue

Kill Blue
First tankōbon volume cover
キルアオ
(Kiru Ao)
Genre
Manga
Written byTadatoshi Fujimaki
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original runApril 17, 2023 – present
Volumes7

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; as of November 2024, seven volumes have been released.

Plot

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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.

Publication

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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 November 2024, the series' individual chapters have been collected into seven 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

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No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 September 4, 2023[9]978-4-08-883686-7July 23, 2024 (digital)[8]978-1-9747-4419-0
  • 1. "Let’s Go to School" (学校へ行こう)
  • 2. "The Wisdom of Others" (爪の垢でも煎じて飲め)
  • 3. "Noren Mitsuoka" (蜜岡ノレン)
  • 4. "You Can't Play Around Like This!" (こんなふうに遊んじゃダメだよ)
  • 5. "Wipe Your Own Butt" (自分のケツは自分で拭け)
  • 6. "Morally Unacceptable" (道徳的に無理)
  • 7. "Middle-Aged Obstinacy" (オジサンは意地っぱり)
2 November 2, 2023[10]978-4-08-883737-6October 22, 2024 (digital)[11]978-1-9747-5068-9
  • 8. "I Ain't Giving You Noren" (ノレンはやれん)
  • 9. "Pacifier Battle" (おしゃぶり決闘)
  • 10. "Midterms and Mama" (中間考査とママ)
  • 11. "And We Came Upon a Unicorn" (行った先には幻獣組)
  • 12. "Sparks on the Soccer Field" (バチバチフットサル)
  • 13. "The Thrill of Futsal" (ワクワクフットサル)
  • 14. "Is It So Hard to Say Thank You?" (ちゃんとありがとう言わんかい)
  • 15. "Conclusions and Propositions" (決着&告白)
  • 16. "Up Against the Wall" (詰んだ)
3 January 4, 2024[12]978-4-08-883797-0——
  • 17. "Doki Doki Double Date" (ドキドキダブルデート)
  • 18. "Doki Doki Tag Match" (ドキドキダッグマッチ)
  • 19. "Secret's Out" (バレた)
  • 20. "Vs. The Brothers Rindou" (VS竜胆兄弟)
  • 21. "True Experts Wing It" (凄腕は考えない)
  • 22. "Drowsy Noren" (寝ぼけノレン)
  • 23. "No Beating an Unbeatable Game" (無理ゲー事後処理やっぱ無理)
  • 24. "Stark Raving Noren" (暴走ノレン)
  • 25. "Death or Kiss"
4 April 4, 2024[13]978-4-08-883881-6——
  • 26. "First Hitman Summit" (第一回殺し屋会議)
  • 27. "Don't Pat My Head" (なでるな頭を)
  • 28. "Life Paths" (進路)
  • 29. "Warrin' Noren" (コキノレン)
  • 30. "We're Gonna Do It!" (…行っちゃう?)
  • 31. "Home Ec Club Rides the Waves" (波乗り家庭科部)
  • 32. "Noren's Revelation" (悟りノレン)
  • 33. "Home Ec Club Doesn't Ride the Waves" (波乗れない家庭科部)
  • 34. "Playing at Night When We Can’t Surf" (夜はサーフィンできないから遊ぶんだ)
5 June 4, 2024[14]978-4-08-884109-0——
  • 35. "The Beach Trip's End"
  • 36. "Determined Noren"
  • 37. "Mitsuoka Challenge Surfing Battle"
  • 38. "Ladies' Match"
  • 39. "Fight and Make Up, as Friends Do"
  • 40. "The Disciplinarian and the Killer"
  • 41. "Stuffies and Evil"
  • 42. "Sentimental Ogami"
  • 43. "Even if This Is the End..."
6 August 2, 2024[15]978-4-08-884129-8——
  • 44. "A Ride on the Hit Man Express"
  • 45. "Yoshitsune and Johnny"
  • 46. "Keep Your Hands Off the Home Ec Club"
  • 47. "Keep Your Hands Off the Home Ec Club, Part 2"
  • 48. "Vs. JARDIN, Round 2"
  • 49. "The Legend vs. The Beast"
  • 50. "The Legend vs. The Beast, Part 2"
  • 51. "Conclusions"
  • 52. "Out of the Frying Pan"
7 November 1, 2024[5]978-4-08-884252-3——
  • 53. "Vacation Home"
  • 54. "The Mitsuoka Vacation Home Hexagon Manor Murder Case"
  • 55. "The Night Pool & the Sealed Door"
  • 56. "The Mitsuoka Dungeon"
  • 57. "The Mitsuoka Dungeon, Part 2"
  • 58. "The Mitsuoka Dungeon, Part 3"
  • 59. "The Mitsuoka Dungeon, Part 4"
  • 60. "The Mitsuoka Dungeon, Part 5"
  • 61. "On the Outs"

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

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These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.

  • 62. "Love Love Album"
  • 63. "The End of Summer Vacation"
  • 64. "Cherry Blossom Garden"
  • 65. "A Meeting with Principal Oka"
  • 66. "Here Come the New Challengers"
  • 67. "Reasons of Their Own"
  • 68. "Cavalry Battle"
  • 69. "Opening Moves"
  • 70. "Shin Kohazame vs. Jinta Domeki"
  • 71. "Juzo Ogami vs. Hijiri Yatsurugi"
  • 72. "Nice One, Ogami!"
  • 73. "I Hate You Out of Love"
  • 74. "Settled"
  • 75. "Natsukiya and Noren"

Reception

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The series was ranked seventh in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2024 list.[16] The series ranked tenth in the print category at the tenth Next Manga Awards in 2024.[17]

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.[18] Kara Dennison of Otaku USA described the series as "Case Closed with added violence".[19]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b キルアオ 7 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  6. ^ Lada, Jenni (April 16, 2023). "Kill Blue Manga Starts in Shonen Jump". Siliconera. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  7. ^ @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.
  8. ^ a b "Kill Blue, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  9. ^ キルアオ 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  10. ^ キルアオ 2 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  11. ^ "Kill Blue, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  12. ^ キルアオ 3 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  13. ^ キルアオ 4 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  14. ^ キルアオ 5 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  15. ^ キルアオ 6 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  16. ^ 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. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  17. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (August 28, 2024). "Kagurabachi Tops Print Category, Girl Meets Rock! Wins in Web Category of Next Manga Awards 2024". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
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