Shonen series have dominated the anime and manga industry for decades, and the tropes and trends continue to evolve even now. However, not all series gain the attention they deserve, especially if they are classics from decades ago that were never properly introduced in the West. Written and illustrated by Motoka Murakami, Musashi no Ken is one such series that is still unknown in the West and has been forgotten over the years. The series began serialization in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in 1981 and reached its conclusion in 1985. The manga also received an anime adaptation in 1985, but it isn’t available to stream anywhere in the U.S. It’s been more than four decades since the manga’s ending, and Murakami has worked on many series since then. According to Mantan Web, the manga is returning with a surprise revival, one short story that will be released in two parts.
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The first part is scheduled to be released on May 20th, while the second will be out on June 3rd. Musashi no Ken‘s revival is part of the new project titled Wednesday Masters by Sunday Webry, which aims to feature one-shots and short stories by acclaimed mangaka who made their mark in Weekly Shonen Sunday. As the creator of one of Shogakukan’s classic series, Murakami will be continuing the story in a new one-shot. Details on the plot of the one-shot haven’t been revealed yet, but it might cover the main characters after the conclusion. The manga will return on Shogakukan’s official app, Sunday Webry, only in the Japanese version, and it doesn’t have an English release date at the moment.
What Is Musashi no Ken About?
This coming-of-age story centers around Musashi Natsuki, who aspires to become a kendo swordsman. Since both his parents were acclaimed kendo swordsmen, especially his father, Eiichiro, who was famous nationwide, Musashi developed a passion for the sport at an early age. He began learning kendo from his father, and due to his headstrong nature, he never backed down from a duel, even when he was beaten up.
Following his father’s tragic death caused by a rival, Musashi swears to defeat him one day. Ridden by the guilt of causing Eiichiro’s death, even though it was an accident, Kunihiko retired, which is why Musashi dedicated all his energy to surpassing Shura, Kunihiko’s son. Even though the two of them are good friends, the sense of rivalry never faded from Musashi’s end.
The manga originally released 24 volumes, collecting all the published chapters from the magazine. In the 1990s, the story was re-released in 11 volumes and released again in 10 volumes in the early 2000s. Additionally, the anime released 72 episodes, adapting a major part of the story from Musashi’s early age to his high school years. Unfortunately, it never fully adapted the story and was buried without ever getting a sequel.
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