Shueisha’s Manga Plus service has announced the addition of “Kami Kill,” a new manga by writer Kazuya Konomoto and artist Ryō Yamasaki, with the first eight chapters now available in English. The series, which debuted in Shueisha’s Young Jump magazine on August 21, offers a quirky, heartfelt, and mysterious tale centered around two brothers running a barbershop.
A New Mystery Unfurls in a Quaint Barbershop
“Kami Kill” introduces readers to brothers Fuji and Kiri, who operate a small barbershop on a dilapidated shopping street. Their daily lives are a struggle to make ends meet while they await their father’s return, leading to an array of peculiar encounters at their doorstep. The narrative is described as a blend of humanity, humor, and mystery, weaving together the lives of barbers and the oddities that find their way to them.
The title “Kami Kill” is a clever wordplay on “kami kiru,” which translates to “cut hair” in Japanese, hinting at the barbershop setting and potentially deeper meanings within the story. The first compiled book volume of “Kami Kill” is scheduled to ship on October 17.
The Creative Minds Behind “Kami Kill”
Kazuya Konomoto: A Storyteller Returns
Kazuya Konomoto, known for his distinctive storytelling, returns to serialized manga after an eight-year hiatus. He is widely recognized for his work on hit titles such as “Setoutsumi” and the critically acclaimed anime “Odd Taxi.” Konomoto served as the screenwriter for the “Odd Taxi” original anime, which premiered in Japan in April 2021 and was streamed globally by Crunchyroll. He also penned the script for “The Last Blossom” (Housenka) anime film. His previous manga, “Setoutsumi,” ran for four years in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.
Ryō Yamasaki: A Rising Art Talent
Joining Konomoto is artist Ryō Yamasaki, described as a “superstar artist” and a relative newcomer to the manga scene. Yamasaki’s previous work includes an adaptation of the movie “Six Singing Women,” which was published on Young Jump‘s web manga platform, Tonari no Young Jump, in 2023. While there are other notable individuals named Ryo Yamazaki in fields like landscape design and graphic design, the artist collaborating on “Kami Kill” is the one active in manga.
Manga Plus: A Global Platform for Shueisha Titles
Manga Plus by Shueisha is a free online manga service that allows users to read the latest chapters of popular manga titles simultaneously with their release in Japan. The platform hosts a wide array of genres, from action to slice-of-life, and includes globally renowned series such as “One Piece,” “SPY x FAMILY,” and “Dandadan.” The service aims to make manga accessible to a global audience in multiple languages. “Kami Kill” is a simulrelease, meaning new chapters are added concurrently with their Japanese publication. The platform typically makes the latest few chapters available for free, with older chapters sometimes being hidden as new ones are added.
