Ire Yonemoto’s Wild Strawberry manga is drawing to a close, as reported by Shonen Jump’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, May 1, 2025. The announcement was accompanied by an illustration from Yonemoto, hinting at the “final showdown” to come.
What is Wild Strawberry About?
Wild Strawberry is set in a Tokyo overrun by monstrous flowers known as Jinka, which evolved from plants and now feed on humans. The story revolves around two orphans, Kingo and Kayano, who grew up together and consider each other family. Their lives take a dramatic turn when their prospective adoptive parents are revealed to be Jinka.
Kayano becomes infected and transforms into a Jinka herself, but unlike others, she doesn’t harm Kingo or other humans. Kingo is determined to protect his sister and keep her condition a secret to prevent her from being “pruned” by the Flower Funeral Forces. These forces are dedicated to eradicating Jinka, adding another layer of danger and conflict to their lives.
As fate would have it, Kingo finds himself working for the Flower Funeral Forces. When he receives an alert about a Jinka near his apartment, he rushes to find Kayano surrounded. In a desperate attempt to save her, Kingo takes a bullet to the head. However, instead of dying, he wakes up in a mysterious pruning facility, only to discover that Kayano is gone and he has been infected by a Jinka—Kayano herself.
A Debut Hit
Written and illustrated by Ire Yonemoto, Wild Strawberry launched on Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ platform in July 2023. The series quickly gained popularity, becoming a topic of discussion within the anime and manga communities. Despite being Yonemoto’s debut work, Wild Strawberry has garnered a substantial fan following. As of February 4, 2025, Shueisha has published five compiled volumes of the manga.
Where to Read
For English-speaking fans, Wild Strawberry is available on Shueisha’s MANGA Plus and Viz Media’s Shonen Jump+ services, which publish the manga in English as it is released in Japan. Viz Media digitally released the second compiled volume in English on February 25, 2025.
Themes and Similarities
Wild Strawberry is a tense and engaging manga that explores themes of family, survival, and identity in a post-apocalyptic world. Some fans have noted similarities to other popular manga series such as Chainsaw Man, Jigokuraku, and Tokyo Ghoul. However, Wild Strawberry brings its unique perspective to the genre with its focus on the relationship between Kingo and Kayano and the complexities of the Jinka.
The Final Showdown
With the announcement of the manga approaching its conclusion, fans are eager to see how Kingo and Kayano’s story will end. Will Kingo succeed in reverting Kayano to her human form? What will become of the Jinka and the Flower Funeral Forces? The answers to these questions and more will be revealed in the final chapters of Wild Strawberry. The manga creator drawing an illustration teases the “final showdown”.
