April’s Square Enix’s Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine issue revealed that Satsuki Yoshino’s Barakamon manga would return for limited serialization. This re-serialization will be starting in the upcoming May issue on April 12th. The manga will also be featured on the May issues’ cover and the new chapter with a colored opening page.
Yoshino launched the Barakamon manga in Square Enix’s Gangan Online magazine in 2009. The manga also began running in Monthly Shonen Gangan in 2014. It ran for a total of nine years and 18 volumes. Barakamon also inspired a 12-episode anime series of the same name that premiered in July. Funimation then released the series on Blu-ray and DVD in 2016.
Yoshino’s Barakamon Manga: A Fun Series To Wind Down To
The story for Barakamon is described as;
Seishuu Handa is an up-and-coming calligrapher: young, handsome, talented, and, unfortunately, a narcissist to boot. As punishment for punching a famous calligrapher, Seishuu’s father exiles him to the Goto Islands, far from the comfortable Tokyo lifestyle the temperamental artist is used to. Now thrown into a rural setting, Seishuu must attempt to find new inspiration and develop his own unique art style—that is, if boisterous children (headed by the frisky Naru Kotoishi), fujoshi middle schoolers, and energetic old men stop barging into his house!
After Barakamon’s initial manga and anime run, Yoshino launched a prequel series titled Handa-kun. Like its predecessor, Handa-kun was started in Monthly Shonen Gangan in 2013. Yen Press then released all seven volumes in English. This manga inspired another anime adaptation of the same name that premiered in 2016. Funimation streamed the Handa-kun anime in November 2o18.
Since its original runs, stories taking place in the Barakamon universe have been scarce. Yoshino took the time to publish other stories like The Frog Does in the Well Does Not Know the Ocean. Since its ending in 2020, Yoshino has been silent in the manga world.
Barakamon is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation.