Manga artist Kazuya Minekura is set to resume her “hard-boiled action” manga series, Wild Adapter, on August 8, marking its first new chapter in nine years. The 50th chapter will debut on Ichijinsha’s Ichijin Plus web manga site following maintenance. This highly anticipated return comes after a prolonged hiatus, primarily due to Minekura’s ongoing health issues.
The Hiatus and Minekura’s Health Struggles
Wild Adapter has experienced multiple interruptions throughout its serialization, largely attributed to Kazuya Minekura’s persistent health challenges. In 2010, Minekura underwent surgery for ameloblastoma, a non-cancerous tumor on her right upper jawbone, which necessitated a hiatus from her work. The surgery successfully removed the tumor, but it left her with permanent loss of skin sensation on the right side of her face and difficulties with eating, drinking, and speaking.
Following this, Ichijinsha slowed the serialization of both Wild Adapter and her other major work, Saiyuki Reload Blast, in 2013 due to her health. While Wild Adapter did see a resumption in 2015, with the seventh volume published in July of that year and the 49th chapter debuting in 2016, consistent serialization remained elusive. More recently, in April 2021, Minekura revealed a diagnosis of spinal canal stenosis, in addition to other ongoing medical problems, further impacting her ability to produce manga. Despite these significant health hurdles, Minekura has shown immense dedication to her craft and her fans.
About Wild Adapter
Wild Adapter is a “hard-boiled action” manga series set in Tokyo and Yokohama in the mid-1990s. The story follows Makoto Kubota, a young gang leader, who takes in Minoru Tokitoh, a boy with a mysterious past. Minoru has been exposed to a drug called “W.A.” which causes his right arm to transform into a monstrous limb. Together, Kubota and Tokitoh investigate the origins of this devastating drug that is rampant in the city’s underground.
The manga initially launched in Tokuma Shoten’s bimonthly Chara magazine in 2000 before switching publishers to Ichijinsha in 2011. It ran in Ichijinsha’s Zero-Sum Ward magazine until its cessation in May 2015, after which it moved to Zero-Sum Online. Tokyopop licensed Wild Adapter for North American release in 2006, publishing six volumes before the company closed its North American publishing division. The series has also inspired two original video anime (OVA) adaptations, released in 2014 and 2015. Characters from Wild Adapter also appear in Minekura’s Shiritsu Araiso Kōtōgakkō Seitokai Shikkōbu (Araiso Private High School Student Council Executive Committee) manga and its 2002 video anime adaptation.
Kazuya Minekura’s Broader Work
Kazuya Minekura is a highly acclaimed Japanese manga artist, widely recognized for her Saiyuki series, which includes Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Blast. Her works often fall into the fantasy, school life, and “hard-boiled” genres, typically featuring action, a focus on the male body, and strong friendships. In addition to Wild Adapter and Saiyuki, her other notable manga series include Shiritsu Araiso Kōtōgakkō Seitokai Shikkōbu and Stigma, with Stigma being notable for its full-color artwork, which is uncommon for manga. Minekura’s distinctive artistic style often incorporates shadow screen tones and she utilizes Copic markers and, more recently, CG for coloring. Minekura also recently resumed her Saiyuki Reload Blast manga in September 2024, following a five-year hiatus.
The return of Wild Adapter is a testament to Minekura’s perseverance and a welcome development for fans who have eagerly awaited new installments in the series for nearly a decade.
