Kurogane | |
Cover of first English edition by
Del Rey Manga | |
黒鉄 | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Kei Toume |
Published by | Kodansha |
English publisher |
|
Imprint |
|
Magazine |
|
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | February 1996 – August 2003 |
Volumes | 5 |
Manga | |
Kurogane Kai | |
Written by | Kei Toume |
Published by | Shueisha |
Magazine | Grand Jump |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | February 1, 2017 – October 21, 2020 |
Volumes | 5 |
Kurogane (黒鉄), also known as Black Steel, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kei Toume. It was first serialized in Kodansha's Morning Special Issue OPEN in February 1996, ran in the magazine until June 1997, it was transferred to the publisher's seinen manga magazine Morning; in August 2003, the manga went on a long hiatus. its chapters were collected in five tankōbon volumes by Kodansha; in February 2017, the manga resumed serialization under the title Kurogane Kai in Shueisha's Grand Jump magazine, which completed in October 2020 with its chapters collected in five volumes by Shueisha.
Kurogane tells the tale of " Hitokiri Jintetsu", a boy just in his teens who has become renowned for his swordsmanship and his proficiency in killing, despite his young age. After getting revenge on his father's murderer, Jintetsu is forced to constantly flee from bounty hunters who wish to collect the price on his head. Despite the skill of these killers, none are capable of besting him in combat, and he's consistently victorious. The deaths that lay in wake earn him the "Hitokiri" moniker. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, he ends up meeting his fate not by someone of equal or even greater skill, but rather by a pack of wild dogs. Though he eventually slays them all, he is fatally wounded.
A ronin named Genkichi finds him in his final moments, and he tells the man that he is ready to die so he should hurry up and finish him off. Genkichi informs him that he has no intention of killing him since his wounds will take care of that anyway. When Jintetsu finally dies of blood loss, the former samurai brings him back to his home and actually manages to revive him. However, there is a horrible catch. A great portion of the boy's body was destroyed, so in order to compensate, Genkichi constructed a partially mechanized body of steel and wood (though there is an inconsistency where the first chapter of manga shows him with a fully mechanical body, while the end of the manga portrays him as only be partly mechanical [4] [5]). Although he also managed to repair most of the killer's nerves and motor functions, he is unable to repair his vocal cords and right eye, slightly impairing the swordsman's abilities and making him mute. Jintetsu does not take to his revival kindly, but is forced into inaction since he isn't used to his body just yet. He is then given new clothes to hide his appearance, and a new sword that Genkichi also notes as being mechanized.
Eventually, Jintetsu comes to accept his existence, though he later finds out Genkichi only built him to prove to his former master his ingenuity. His creator then dies after getting his revenge on the said master, apologizing to the assassin for using him before succumbing to his wounds. Jintetsu, surprisingly, seems to forgive him, burying him rather than leaving his corpse as it lay. He then uses the sword he had given him as a grave marker, and begins to walk away from the scene. However, before he can leave the area, the sword speaks and implores Jintetsu to not leave his equipment behind and to take him with him. Though surprised, he obliges, and the sword reveals his name to be Haganemaru, and that he can read Jintetsu's thoughts since the two share a mind. Therefore, not only is he his weapon, but can also speak for him on his behalf. The manga then follows their adventures as Jintetsu works as an assassin-for-hire and Haganemaru as his instrument of death. All the while he is trying to throw away his past, and escape from the various people who are seeking vengeance for what he had done. Along the way he meets a particularly determined young girl named Makoto, who wants to avenge the destruction of her family, and subsequently ends up becoming a makeshift companion. He also earns the nickname of "Jintetsu of Steel" for his metallic face, which many assume is a mask despite it actually being an irremovable part of his body since his revival.
As he travels the land, he has Hagemaru as his personal weapon. He travels as a drifter without direction. He met several people in his past along the way, including his former childhood friend and lover, several former acquaintances, Hagemaru's former lover who now part of a traveling performance trope, and lastly, another daughter of his victim who wants to challenge him in order to prove herself to be strong.
Written and illustrated by Kei Toume, Kurogane first started in Kodansha's Morning Special Issue OPEN magazine in February 1996 issue, [a] and was then transferred to the publisher's seinen manga magazine Morning in June 1997 issue, [b] and ran in the magazine until in August 2003 issue before the series went on a long hiatus. [c] In November 2016, it was announced that the manga would return with a new title, Kurogane Kai. [1] [2] It resumed serialization on February 1, 2017, in Shueisha's Grand Jump magazine. [10] [11] [3] Beginning in February 2020, the manga went on hiatus for three months. [12] Kurogane Kai concluded its serialization on October 21, 2020. [13] Kodansha published the first five tankōbon volumes of Kurogane from August 21, 1996, to October 20, 2001, [14] [15] and Shueisha published Kurogane Kai's five volumes from March 19, 2018, to December 18, 2020. [16] [17]
In North America, Del Rey Manga announced the English language release of the first series in October 2005. [18] The five volumes were published between June 27, 2006, and June 26, 2007. [19] [20] The manga is also licensed in France by Glénat [21] and in Italy by Star Comics. [22]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 21, 1996 [14] | 978-4-06-338007-1 | June 27, 2006 [19] | 978-0-34-549203-6 |
2 | December 14, 1996 [23] | 978-4-06-338010-1 | September 26, 2006 [24] | 978-0-34-549204-3 |
3 | February 20, 1998 [25] | 978-4-06-338015-6 | December 26, 2006 [26] | 978-0-34-549205-0 |
4 | February 19, 1999 [27] | 978-4-06-338017-0 | March 27, 2007 [28] | 978-0-34-549206-7 |
5 | October 20, 2001 [15] | 978-4-06-338022-4 | June 26, 2007 [20] | 978-0-34-549207-4 |
No. | Release date | ISBN |
---|---|---|
1 | March 19, 2018 [16] | 978-4-08-890768-0 |
2 | April 19, 2019 [29] | 978-4-08-891132-8 |
3 | October 18, 2019 [30] | 978-4-08-891390-2 |
4 | July 17, 2020 [31] | 978-4-08-891681-1 |
5 | December 18, 2020 [17] | 978-4-08-891745-0 |
Kurogane Kai's first volume ranked third of the top-selling manga in Japan from March 19 to March 25, 2017; [32] the second volume ranked fifth of the top-selling manga in Japan from April 15 to April 21, 2019; and the fifth volume ranked seventh of the top-selling manga in Japan from December 14 to December 20, 2020. [33] [34] Reviewing the first volume, Manga News called the manga "lively, strong, surprisingly action-packed that evokes emotions in the reader", and described the manga as "fairly pleasant, very dynamic". [35] Writing for Anime News Network (ANN), in his review of the second and third volume, Carlo Santos called the manga not only a action-packed historical romp, but also a historical drama full of emotions, which shows the reaction of people when tragedy and trouble occur, and wrote: "to the genre, Kurogane turns out to be a thoughtful action series—not the deepest by any means, but definitely with enough substance to it". [36] In the third volume he gave a "B+" grade to the art, adding: "Toume's sketchy but vibrant art adds another dimension to the series, creating a historical Japan that evokes Koike and Kojima's classics but not quite as stodgy" and stating: "In a way, Kurogane is the anti- Basilisk, a historical series that focuses not on outrageous ninja battles but on down-to-earth, human problems". [37] Katherine Dacey from Pop Culture Shock gave an "A-" grade to the second and third volume, writing that "manga-ka Kei Toume is indebted to Frankenstein as much as Vagabond for his characters and plot twists"; she praised the main character and called it a wonderful creature. [38] [39] Dan Polley of Manga Life described the manga as a samurai story whose the "art within are scraggily and, yet, precise" and wrote: "Kurogane is a blend of Lone Wolf and Cub and Blade of the Immortal, with a sprinkle of Usagi Yojimbo thrown in for good measure. It’s compelling without being forceful, exciting without going over the top". [40]
モーニング1997年(平成9年)27
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cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)
Kurogane | |
Cover of first English edition by
Del Rey Manga | |
黒鉄 | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Kei Toume |
Published by | Kodansha |
English publisher |
|
Imprint |
|
Magazine |
|
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | February 1996 – August 2003 |
Volumes | 5 |
Manga | |
Kurogane Kai | |
Written by | Kei Toume |
Published by | Shueisha |
Magazine | Grand Jump |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | February 1, 2017 – October 21, 2020 |
Volumes | 5 |
Kurogane (黒鉄), also known as Black Steel, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kei Toume. It was first serialized in Kodansha's Morning Special Issue OPEN in February 1996, ran in the magazine until June 1997, it was transferred to the publisher's seinen manga magazine Morning; in August 2003, the manga went on a long hiatus. its chapters were collected in five tankōbon volumes by Kodansha; in February 2017, the manga resumed serialization under the title Kurogane Kai in Shueisha's Grand Jump magazine, which completed in October 2020 with its chapters collected in five volumes by Shueisha.
Kurogane tells the tale of " Hitokiri Jintetsu", a boy just in his teens who has become renowned for his swordsmanship and his proficiency in killing, despite his young age. After getting revenge on his father's murderer, Jintetsu is forced to constantly flee from bounty hunters who wish to collect the price on his head. Despite the skill of these killers, none are capable of besting him in combat, and he's consistently victorious. The deaths that lay in wake earn him the "Hitokiri" moniker. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, he ends up meeting his fate not by someone of equal or even greater skill, but rather by a pack of wild dogs. Though he eventually slays them all, he is fatally wounded.
A ronin named Genkichi finds him in his final moments, and he tells the man that he is ready to die so he should hurry up and finish him off. Genkichi informs him that he has no intention of killing him since his wounds will take care of that anyway. When Jintetsu finally dies of blood loss, the former samurai brings him back to his home and actually manages to revive him. However, there is a horrible catch. A great portion of the boy's body was destroyed, so in order to compensate, Genkichi constructed a partially mechanized body of steel and wood (though there is an inconsistency where the first chapter of manga shows him with a fully mechanical body, while the end of the manga portrays him as only be partly mechanical [4] [5]). Although he also managed to repair most of the killer's nerves and motor functions, he is unable to repair his vocal cords and right eye, slightly impairing the swordsman's abilities and making him mute. Jintetsu does not take to his revival kindly, but is forced into inaction since he isn't used to his body just yet. He is then given new clothes to hide his appearance, and a new sword that Genkichi also notes as being mechanized.
Eventually, Jintetsu comes to accept his existence, though he later finds out Genkichi only built him to prove to his former master his ingenuity. His creator then dies after getting his revenge on the said master, apologizing to the assassin for using him before succumbing to his wounds. Jintetsu, surprisingly, seems to forgive him, burying him rather than leaving his corpse as it lay. He then uses the sword he had given him as a grave marker, and begins to walk away from the scene. However, before he can leave the area, the sword speaks and implores Jintetsu to not leave his equipment behind and to take him with him. Though surprised, he obliges, and the sword reveals his name to be Haganemaru, and that he can read Jintetsu's thoughts since the two share a mind. Therefore, not only is he his weapon, but can also speak for him on his behalf. The manga then follows their adventures as Jintetsu works as an assassin-for-hire and Haganemaru as his instrument of death. All the while he is trying to throw away his past, and escape from the various people who are seeking vengeance for what he had done. Along the way he meets a particularly determined young girl named Makoto, who wants to avenge the destruction of her family, and subsequently ends up becoming a makeshift companion. He also earns the nickname of "Jintetsu of Steel" for his metallic face, which many assume is a mask despite it actually being an irremovable part of his body since his revival.
As he travels the land, he has Hagemaru as his personal weapon. He travels as a drifter without direction. He met several people in his past along the way, including his former childhood friend and lover, several former acquaintances, Hagemaru's former lover who now part of a traveling performance trope, and lastly, another daughter of his victim who wants to challenge him in order to prove herself to be strong.
Written and illustrated by Kei Toume, Kurogane first started in Kodansha's Morning Special Issue OPEN magazine in February 1996 issue, [a] and was then transferred to the publisher's seinen manga magazine Morning in June 1997 issue, [b] and ran in the magazine until in August 2003 issue before the series went on a long hiatus. [c] In November 2016, it was announced that the manga would return with a new title, Kurogane Kai. [1] [2] It resumed serialization on February 1, 2017, in Shueisha's Grand Jump magazine. [10] [11] [3] Beginning in February 2020, the manga went on hiatus for three months. [12] Kurogane Kai concluded its serialization on October 21, 2020. [13] Kodansha published the first five tankōbon volumes of Kurogane from August 21, 1996, to October 20, 2001, [14] [15] and Shueisha published Kurogane Kai's five volumes from March 19, 2018, to December 18, 2020. [16] [17]
In North America, Del Rey Manga announced the English language release of the first series in October 2005. [18] The five volumes were published between June 27, 2006, and June 26, 2007. [19] [20] The manga is also licensed in France by Glénat [21] and in Italy by Star Comics. [22]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 21, 1996 [14] | 978-4-06-338007-1 | June 27, 2006 [19] | 978-0-34-549203-6 |
2 | December 14, 1996 [23] | 978-4-06-338010-1 | September 26, 2006 [24] | 978-0-34-549204-3 |
3 | February 20, 1998 [25] | 978-4-06-338015-6 | December 26, 2006 [26] | 978-0-34-549205-0 |
4 | February 19, 1999 [27] | 978-4-06-338017-0 | March 27, 2007 [28] | 978-0-34-549206-7 |
5 | October 20, 2001 [15] | 978-4-06-338022-4 | June 26, 2007 [20] | 978-0-34-549207-4 |
No. | Release date | ISBN |
---|---|---|
1 | March 19, 2018 [16] | 978-4-08-890768-0 |
2 | April 19, 2019 [29] | 978-4-08-891132-8 |
3 | October 18, 2019 [30] | 978-4-08-891390-2 |
4 | July 17, 2020 [31] | 978-4-08-891681-1 |
5 | December 18, 2020 [17] | 978-4-08-891745-0 |
Kurogane Kai's first volume ranked third of the top-selling manga in Japan from March 19 to March 25, 2017; [32] the second volume ranked fifth of the top-selling manga in Japan from April 15 to April 21, 2019; and the fifth volume ranked seventh of the top-selling manga in Japan from December 14 to December 20, 2020. [33] [34] Reviewing the first volume, Manga News called the manga "lively, strong, surprisingly action-packed that evokes emotions in the reader", and described the manga as "fairly pleasant, very dynamic". [35] Writing for Anime News Network (ANN), in his review of the second and third volume, Carlo Santos called the manga not only a action-packed historical romp, but also a historical drama full of emotions, which shows the reaction of people when tragedy and trouble occur, and wrote: "to the genre, Kurogane turns out to be a thoughtful action series—not the deepest by any means, but definitely with enough substance to it". [36] In the third volume he gave a "B+" grade to the art, adding: "Toume's sketchy but vibrant art adds another dimension to the series, creating a historical Japan that evokes Koike and Kojima's classics but not quite as stodgy" and stating: "In a way, Kurogane is the anti- Basilisk, a historical series that focuses not on outrageous ninja battles but on down-to-earth, human problems". [37] Katherine Dacey from Pop Culture Shock gave an "A-" grade to the second and third volume, writing that "manga-ka Kei Toume is indebted to Frankenstein as much as Vagabond for his characters and plot twists"; she praised the main character and called it a wonderful creature. [38] [39] Dan Polley of Manga Life described the manga as a samurai story whose the "art within are scraggily and, yet, precise" and wrote: "Kurogane is a blend of Lone Wolf and Cub and Blade of the Immortal, with a sprinkle of Usagi Yojimbo thrown in for good measure. It’s compelling without being forceful, exciting without going over the top". [40]
モーニング1997年(平成9年)27
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)