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Saint Seiya's Kurumada Brings Back Otoko-Zaka Manga 3 Decades Later

The official blog of manga creator Masami Kurumada (Saint Seiya) announced on Wednesday that his fighting manga Otoko-Zaka is returning. He plans to draw it after returning from the ongoing Golden Week holidays, and he aims to resume serialization in June. The blog calls Otoko-Zaka "a legend among legends in Kurumada's manga career" and notes that it has been three decades since its last run.

The story is set in the town of Kujūkuri in Chiba. Jingi Kikukawa is the unrivaled alpha male of the Tōun Middle School student body, and he has never lost a fight in 13 years. However, he goes down in defeat against Shō Takeshima, the ringleader in Western Japan who has his sights on the entire country. Jingi undergoes dangerous training in the art of fighting with Kenka-Oni, a demon who lives in Oniyama.

Kurumada first serialized the manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1984 to 1985. He said, "I became a manga creator to draw this manga." However, the series remained incomplete at three volumes for nearly 30 years. The manga never inspired an anime, but Seisei Ruten: Kurumada-ism, a 2005 CD of songs with lyrics written by Kurumada, featured an "Otoko-Zaka" song. Sayuri Setoguchi performed this final track on the album.

Kurumada is celebrating his 40th anniversary as a manga creator. His many works include Saint Seiya, Ring ni Kakero, B't X, and Fūma no Kojirō. Yun Kouga (Loveless, Earthian) is drawing a Kurumada Suikoden Hero of Heroes manga with "all of Kurumada's heroes." Kouga's manga is running in Akita Shoten's Champion RED magazine, which also has Kurumada and Chimaki Kuori's Saint Seiya: Saintia Shō manga. Megumu Okada (Shadow Skill) launched the new Saint Seiya Episode.G. ~Assassin~ manga with Kurumada in Akita Shoten's Champion RED Ichigo magazine on April 5. The Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary CG film will open on June 21.

Thanks to George Horvath for the news tip