16 replies to this topic

[erdbeerkeks]

http://www.animenews...is-month/.78510

 

 

 

This year's 41st issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine is announcing on Wednesday that Shun Matsuena will end hisShijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi (KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple) manga in the following issue on September 17. The "grand finale" chapter will have 24 pages, including some in color. The following issue will also have a "big announcement" about a new project.

 

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

 

Please let the new announcement be a continuation of some sorts. *panic mode ON*

Edited by erdbeerkeks, September 08 2014 - 01:22 AM.

[Delirium Trigger]

*Panic mode engaged!!!!!!* Crap! Crap! Craaaaaap!!!!!! Please let it be a continuation!!!!!!!!!
I'm currently watching Kenichi, too!

[Baby Joe]

Oh, a big announcement? I hope it is continuation. This ending was too abrupt.

[Miu]

If there was one manga that I trusted wouldn't fail me, it was HSDK. I'm sad that the manga is ending (fair) but I'm outraged by how it did.

[Ogata]

Can the big announcment be...histories strongest master Kenichi!? Bring on HSMK goddamn!!!!

[Dave-D 9211]

Pls dont let this amazing manga come to an end

Pls start a new sequel Syun Matsuena

[citizen_lion]

Panic mode finally on after shellshocked mode! Oh we need HSMK so badly. Buuuttttt.... Syun san should rest for a while, maybe do another manga, or something, to get himself back into the mood for more proper Kenichi action!

[erdbeerkeks]

Volume 58 came out this month and unfortunately the bonus illustrations are butts and boobs again. I had hoped for something with everyone instead of the usual ecchi drawings. Dear Mr. Matsuena, please give us grown up disciples for the remaining volumes.
 
Vol. 59 will be out next month and 60 is announced for November. Vol. 58 contains chapters 548-557, which leaves us with 26 chapters that have been rather long, especially the very last ones. I think we'll have 61 volumes eventually.
 
And some positive news: HSDK 58 made it into the top 10 (#8) of Oricon's manga sales in its release week with 77454 sold copies. It has been some time since I've seen Kenichi ranked that high.

[Combatmaster1o3]

It may be possible that he genuinely thinks its time to move on. He's been doing the hsdk universe for a while now, he may not know what to do any more. Yami was the next big step, but then what. If the one shots come out, would someone post about it please!  Also regarding the adult disciples(now masters) I dont think he wants to make it cannon. Leave the rest to our imagination and leave the manga at a good place. We certainly will look at the new one shots now wouldn't we. Its so hard to cope with it gone, it breaks the weekly cycle.

[erdbeerkeks]

There was an official farewell message posted by Matsuena and his staff when the last chapter had been published.

 

****************************************

 

History's Strongest DIsciple is moving towards its finale. As staff who fought together with Mr. Matsuena from the time he started "Fight! Ryozanpaku's Disciple" we've grown very close to each other, and we feel gratitude towards the fans who have supported us along the way. Thank you very much!

Following, a message from Mr. Matsuena:

 

Thank you for lovingly reading History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi for such a long time. It has been 12 years. 14 even if you count the monthly publication. That a small one shot developed into something like this is solely thanks to you, dear readers. 

"Kenichi", that developed with support of so many people was truly a fortunate work. At the same time it was a special manga that gave me a great amount of experience as a manga artist.

It's bitter that I had to end it, but as a professional I did my best given this situation.

In order to not let the heat I gained from Kenichi disappear, I thought I'd jump right into a new story.

 

I dedicate my life to bringing joy to everyone for even a small moment.

 

The fighting mangaka, Matsuena Syun

 

September 17th, 2014

 

 

Let's quickly move towards the new work!

With the ongoing manga publication, the three one-shots and other things we are busily drawing.

Please enjoy Matsuena's new world-

 

And please continue supporting us.

 

Yours, Wazadepa Staff.

 

Edited by erdbeerkeks, October 18 2014 - 11:35 AM.

[Ogata]

What does he mean by "its bitter that I had to end it, but as a professional I did my best given the situation"


Was he forced to end the manga? Is there some incident that occurred that made him cut the series short!!?

This doesn't seem like the type of ending the author had planned!!!

[erdbeerkeks]

I think the manga was axed, because it did not sell well enough. Before vol. 58 it had been quite a while since Kenichi made it into the sales charts and all extras and the OVA didn't really help it seems. 

I think that might also be the reason why he increased the fanservice that much, thought that might have been counterproductive.

 

Which reminds me, volume 59 went on sale yesterday, my copies already shipped and should be here next week. I have to keep an eye on Oricon's manga sales charts next week.

Edited by erdbeerkeks, October 18 2014 - 02:01 PM.

[citizen_lion]

The final letter is really sad. This is a manga that I once held with the highest esteem, and still do (though not as high as I would in the beginning, when I often tell everybody I know that it's not a manga, it's a novel in comic book form). He handled the psychology of a bully victim in such a way that someone who was bullied himself felt that it was realistic. Personally, I prefer HSDK to the Breaker. The Breaker does this psychology thing too, but I would say that in the Breaker, the author went out of the way to exaggerate the conflict and made the main character go beyond being a "battered coward" but to the level of losing his human decency. I don't want to say more, but you will see what I mean after reading the first few chapter. It's hard for me to believe that someone would have dropped so low just to avoid being beaten up, if not simply to force some drama, so I personally think that HSDK is actually more realistic than the Breaker (well, up to a point of course).

 

I think it is the way Matsuena-san reacted to the dropping sale that killed the manga, actually. Looking back at all the "great" series, not many of them relied mainly, or even heavily, on fanservice. If you want big sales, you go mainstream. If you want to go mainstream, you do not go for ecchi. That is a tiny fringe market that only seems big because people like to talk about it, often to ridicule it. 

 

I still think Matsuena-san is a great story teller. He just made a critical mistake in understanding his market.

[erdbeerkeks]

@citizen_lion

 

I agree with everything you said, and I wonder why he went in that direction and why for god's sake his editor didn't stop him. There were quite a few scenes where I had doubts if that is still okay for a shounen magazine, it's aimed mostly at boys after all. 

Or was it his editor who suggested that. If that's the case he should be fired.

[Ogata]

This whole thing makes me sad and enraged at the same time!!!

Matsuena was a great storyteller and he was a master of incorporating minor details and re/introducing them later to enhance later storylines.

Examples:

Saiga Furjinji leaving Ryozanpaku with his back turned in the first few chapters

Wakizashi user turning out to be a major player and being named Seitaro Ragiou, but most fans knew him as the "Wakizashi user"

Michaels silhouette was seen in the Apa vs Agaard fight without any hint of who he was at the time

Chris and Mycroft returning/re-debuting and this time as an ally of Ryozanpaku


The author had more of these "hints" that could have turned in to a solid storyline like, Elder wongs group,Ogatas previous martial arts before Ryozanpaku, Jise Ro relationship with ma brothers,Sakakis satsujinken master+hot sister and ofcourse Kushinadas past which was the reason this whole eternal arc occured.


Instead he rushed everything and Nerfed guys like Michael and other weapon masters while guys like Gansouke/Senzui BARELY got any screen time/character development.Oh and when Seitaros disciple made a debut, I thought they were gonna be a rival to Kenichi and Miu but they kind of got nerfed too.

This arc was a clusterfuck and the only thing I enjoyed about this entire arc was my man Ogata giving Rahman and Agaard a beatdown!
 

[citizen_lion]

@erdbeerkeks

 

The editor should be fired indeed or he could fire himself from his manga (I think he did )

 

@Ogata

 

Agreed with everything you said except for Suzi. A character that lame should bite the dust quickly  

 

Michael though, could have been so much more. The hachiou must all be extremely dangerous in their own ways to become an equal to the OSNF and Ryo. So what if Michael isn't the strongest fighter? Make him the best schemer of the manga! Make him what Nijima would grow into as a grandmaster (and without any good influence).

 

We know that Mildred is really dangerous on a wide battlefield, as she can fire arrows so fast it is equivalent to a rain. Raki seems nondescript so far in terms of fighting style, so give her unpredictable psychology. Make her do random all around slashes with a huge polearm, and you suddenly have an extremely strong combatant that even the legendaries would have problem with (because of the randomness making things like ki reading go haywire). Etc.

[Ogata]

@erdbeerkeks

 

The editor should be fired indeed or he could fire himself from his manga (I think he did )

 

@Ogata

 

Agreed with everything you said except for Suzi. A character that lame should bite the dust quickly

 

Michael though, could have been so much more. The hachiou must all be extremely dangerous in their own ways to become an equal to the OSNF and Ryo. So what if Michael isn't the strongest fighter? Make him the best schemer of the manga! Make him what Nijima would grow into as a grandmaster (and without any good influence).

 

We know that Mildred is really dangerous on a wide battlefield, as she can fire arrows so fast it is equivalent to a rain. Raki seems nondescript so far in terms of fighting style, so give her unpredictable psychology. Make her do random all around slashes with a huge polearm, and you suddenly have an extremely strong combatant that even the legendaries would have problem with (because of the randomness making things like ki reading go haywire). Etc.

100 Percent Agree on Michael!!!

Not to mention, Michael already was a an extreme opportunist who would use any openings he could get. We saw him attack Kenichi/Miu on boat without hesitation which made Shigure freak out until Mycroft/Eclair intervention. He also made Saiga panick as well when he popped out of nowhere.

Clearly he has the ability to make Shigure and Saiga, two well composed characters freak out. Plus he was very unique with his evil and chaotic personality that made him a unique villain in this manga.


As far as Senzui goes, I wrote "Ganosuke and Senzui needing screen time/character development" what I meant was, Ganosuke needed more screen time. While Senzui was the one needing a character development as oppose to both characters needing both development and screen time.

Personaly I liked the idea of Kajima having two masters but Senzuis character was an EPIC fail in delivery. Everything about his character was a nightmare once his past was revealed. Worse of all is, Senpooz clan was suppose to be secretive right? Then how the hell did some sick and weak bodied kid like Kajima ended up being trained by him?


I like your idea on Raki and I thought that Edletraft seemed promising while Marmaduke turning out to be a chick was just another epic fail attempt of fan service.