Following reports of her long-awaited return, it was officially confirmed that Act-Age illustrator Shiro Usazaki is making her return to Weekly Shonen Jump with the upcoming release of a new one-shot.
While one-shot manga releases aren’t new for Shonen Jump, this upcoming manga is something that’s rarely seen.
Specifically, this new Usazaki-drawn one-shot will be interactive, meaning readers can affect the story they’re reading through various choices.
This concept is no doubt exciting, though many are looking forward to it more because it is Usazaki’s first major work in a long while.
Shiro Usazaki and Act-Age
It’s fair to say that Shiro Usazaki is best known for being the illustrator of Act-Age, the Weekly Shonen Jump manga that ran from 2018 to 2020.
While the series had a huge fanbase, it was suddenly canceled and subsequently removed from the magazine and Manga Plus because of the author’s arrest.
Though it’s illustrated by Usazaki, the manga was written by Tatsuya Matsuki who was arrested in August 2020 for sexually harassing two female middle school students. Matsuki was handed a guilty verdict in late 2020.
Since the manga’s cancellation, Usazaki has not returned to Shonen Jump serialization.
However, this wasn’t because she was not welcome, considering that prominent artists like Yusuke Murata and Mengo Yokoyari have voiced their support for her.
As for Act-Age’s cancellation, Usazaki agreed with the manga being removed from the magazine as she believes the victims shouldn’t relive the incident should they see the manga.
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Kimi to Aoi Yoru no One-Shot Manga
Finally, Usazaki is returning to Shonen Jump, albeit in a one-shot instead of a new serialized title.
Specifically, Usazaki illustrated the new murder mystery manga one-shot titled Kimi to Aoi Yoru no (or A Blue Night With You in English).
Unlike a typical one-shot, this manga features an interactive element. Specifically, up to four readers can participate in the story by visiting a website. There, readers can make choices that will affect the story.
The story itself follows four classmates who investigate their school at night following the disappearance of a mysterious girl.
Joining Usazaki as part of the staff include Saori Kida, who is the manga’s writer and an escape game designer.
They are joined by Muneaki Takaoka and Kizuki Shinoda who oversee storyboards and the game segments, respectively.
The one-shot will be released in the next Weekly Shonen Jump issue. For now, there’s no word yet on whether the manga will also be released in English outside Japan.
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Source: Comic Natalie
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