Shonen Beam

Juuki Ningen Jumbor, a short-lived Weekly Shonen Jump series from 2007, is set to resume in Issue #03 (2/19) of Ultra Jump. The series title will be shortened to Jumbor for its upcoming run. Much in the same way that Basquash! bizarrely appropriates basketball, Jumbor is a shonen/mecha hybrid heavily influenced by concepts and designs from construction machinery. The series is the creation of mangaka Hiroyuki Takei, best known for Shaman King (1998-2004); in stark contrast, Juuki Ningen Jumbor only lasted ten chapters before its cancellation.

While the news is good for Takei and his fans, it’s most relevant because of the precedent it sets for Shueisha properties. If Shueisha is willing to breathe new life into such a brief series, it’s entirely possible that other series with a more proven record could face an eventual second chance. Granted, Jumbor is somewhat of a special case, given Takei’s status as an established success, but even a far more popular mangaka would have to present a strong case to the publisher in hopes of having a previously unsuccessful series revived. Hopefully, this move will be the gateway for deserving series to be given another print run. From the same era as Jumbor, Double Arts stands out as the series most worthy of another chance. Double Arts had a surprisingly interesting concept accompanied by a pleasant art style, but was only allowed 23 chapters to develop a plot that felt like it should have been far more grand in scale. Another standout series from the same time period is Mx0, a well-executed example of some classic themes in shonen (schoolkids, romance, magic). While it was given substantially more time to establish itself (99 chapters), it was cut short at an awful point in its plot development. Perhaps Mx0 could benefit from another Takei venture: Shaman King Kang Zeng Bang, a reprint of the original series with new chapters added to properly finish the story.

Hiroyuki Takei is also the co-creator of Karakuridoji Ultimo, a collaboration with American comic book legend Stan Lee.

Credit: News-Paradise