Assassination Classroom author has released a new edutainment manga called The Elusive Samurai Volume 1

The Elusive Samurai is a historical fiction manga series written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui. Matsui is best known for his previous work, Assassination Classroom, which was a hit among fans and spawned a successful anime adaptation. However, fans of Matsui’s work may not be aware that he has been running a new manga since January 2021, titled The Elusive Samurai.

The manga is being published in Weekly Shonen Jump, a popular manga magazine in Japan, and has also been published in English by Viz Media. The first volume of The Elusive Samurai is now available as a part of Viz Media’s library. The plot of the first volume is described by Viz Media as follows:

“After the massacre of his family by the traitor Ashikaga Takauji, Tokiyuki flees with the help of a handful of loyal retainers who have also survived the purge. One of them is Suwa Yorishige, an ally of the Hojo clan and lord of Suwa Province. The slightly odd Yorishige also claims to be clairvoyant and foretells that Tokiyuki will one day become the ruler of Japan. But for the moment, escaping from enemy territory is the priority!”

The Elusive Samurai is based on Japanese history around the 1330s, which means it is set nearly 7 centuries ago. Matsui has stated that he wants to bring to the modern-day world “a little-known period in Japanese history” and hopes that readers will find it thrilling through his unique perspective. The manga features important aspects of the life of teachers and students, similar to his previous work, Assassination Classroom.

One of the interesting aspects of The Elusive Samurai is that Matsui has collaborated with Japanese historian and series supervisor Kazuto Hongo to ensure that the historical details in the series are accurate. The compiled volumes of the manga include commentary from Hongo on the era, cultures, and traditions, which helps to further immerse readers into the old Japanese world. Matsui has also stated that anything that departs from history is the author’s own creation or personal interpretation.

In terms of art, Matsui’s skills have shown impressive progress since his first serialization through his second work. The Elusive Samurai features expressive characters and combat scenes that fans of his previous work, Assassination Classroom, should enjoy. The protagonist has to live a life full of battles, so fans of action-packed manga should find the series appealing.

It is worth noting that the names of the historical characters in the manga are written in the Japanese order (family name – given name), despite those names such as the author and others who live in the present time being placed in the English order (given name – family name). Additionally, the visual effects of Kanji usage cannot be transferred to the English edition, which is a shame as it impacts the impact of the antagonist’s name, Ashikaga Takauji, whose name is changed slightly in the English version.

Overall, The Elusive Samurai is an exciting manga series that fans of historical fiction and action-packed manga should definitely check out. Matsui’s collaboration with Hongo ensures that the historical details in the series are accurate, and the series is an excellent opportunity to learn about a little-known period in Japanese history.

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