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Naoki Urasawa's Asadora! Manga Ends 1st Arc, Goes on Hiatus
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
This year's ninth issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Big Comic Spirits magazine published the final chapter in the "first arc" of Naoki Urasawa's Renzoku Manga Shōsetsu Asadora! (Serial Manga Novel Asadora!) manga on Monday. The magazine also stated that the manga is going on hiatus.
Urasawa (Yawara!, Master Keaton, 20th Century Boys, Pluto) launched the manga in the same magazine in October. The manga is Urasawa's first new series for the magazine since 21st Century Boys ended 11 years ago.
Notably, the manga is also the first of Urasawa's works to have a digital version (Shogakukan publishes the digital version through the digital version of Weekly Big Comic Spirits). Asadora! follows a woman from the postwar period to the present who lives a poor but sturdy life.
Viz Media has published Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, 21st Century Boys, Monster, and Pluto manga. Monster inspired a television anime series in 2004-2005, and 20th Century Boys inspired a live-action trilogy film adaptation in 2008-2009. Additionally, his Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl manga inspired an anime series in 1989-1992, an anime film in 1992, and an anime special in 1996. An anime project based on Pluto is in the works.
Viz Media also published Urasawa, Hokusei Katushika, and Takashi Nagasaki's Master Keaton manga in English. The series inspired a television anime adaptation in 1998, and an original video anime (OVA) continuation in 2004.
An exhibition of Urasawa's work is currently being held in Los Angeles until March 28, and Urasawa himself held a talk at the event on January 23.
Source: Weekly Big Comic Spirits issue 9
