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Shinichi Ishizuka Launches Blue Giant Explorer Manga
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
This year's 10th issue of Shogkakukan's Big Comic magazine revealed on Saturday that Shinichi Ishizuka will launch a new manga in his Blue Giant jazz manga series in the magazine's 11th issue on May 25. The new manga is titled Blue Giant Explorer, and will feature protagonist Dai going to America.
Ishizuka ended the Blue Giant Supreme sequel manga in Big Comic on April 25. The manga is a sequel to Ishizuka's Blue Giant manga and covers the overall franchise's "Europe Arc." Ishizuka launched Blue Giant Supreme in September 2016. Shogakukan published the manga's 10th volume on February 28.
Seven Seas Entertainment will publish Ishizuka's 10-volume Blue Giant manga series as five omnibus volumes. The company will release the first omnibus volume on October 27. Seven Seas describes the story:
Miyamoto Dai, a student with a taste for basketball, changes his life the first time he sees a live jazz performance. The incredible music strikes a chord deep inside him, and he immediately decides to dedicate himself to the saxophone. He has no skills, no formal training, and no idea what he's up against, but his obsession drives him to play that instrument day after day. Will passion be enough to become the player of his dreams? This award-winning manga from Shinichi Ishizuka, compiled into five omnibus volumes for its English debut, is a pitch-perfect drama about the power of music.
Ishizuka launched the manga in Big Comic in May 2013, and ended it in August 2016. The manga was nominated for the eighth Manga Taisho Awards in 2015, as well as the ninth awards in 2016. The manga won the Grand Prize in the Manga Division of the 20th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 2017.
Sources: Big Comic's website, Comic Natalie