Moriking
Cover of the first tankōbon volume, featuring Moriking.
森林王者モリキング
(Shinrin Ōja Morikingu)
Genre
Manga
Written byTomohiro Hasegawa
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original runApril 13, 2020 – January 18, 2021
Volumes4

Moriking (Japanese: 森林王者モリキング, Hepburn: Shinrin Ōja Morikingu, "King of the Forest Moriking") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tomohiro Hasegawa. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from April 2020 to January 2021.

Plot

Third-year elementary school student Shota Aikawa's pet Japanese rhinoceros beetle, named Moriking, finally metamorphoses into an adult, but for some strange reason he looks like a male human. Aside from the horn on his head and wings on his back, he looks perfectly human but maintains his beetle traits, like walking on walls and flying. As an Insect King, which are said to be born once every one hundred million years, Moriking announces that he is destined to be King of the Forest (森林王) and rule over all insects. To prove their worth would-be kings must leave their homes and survive in the world beyond, this is how Moriking came into Shota's possession and becomes a member of the Aikawa family. However, he is but one of five insects competing to become King of the Forest.

Publication

Moriking is written and illustrated by Tomohiro Hasegawa. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from April 13, 2020,[2][3][lower-alpha 1] to January 18, 2021.[4][5] Shueisha collected its chapters in four tankōbon volumes, released from August 4, 2020,[6] to April 2, 2021.[7]

In North America, the series is digitally published in English by Viz Media and by Shueisha on their Manga Plus website and application.[8] Viz Media also started publishing the volumes digitally on May 25, 2021.[9]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 August 4, 2020[6]978-4-08-882379-9May 25, 2021 (digital)[9]978-1-9747-2048-4
  • 01. "World War IV Will Be Fought With Pencils and Paper"
  • 02. "Can't Solve Puzzles on an Empty Stomach"
  • 03. "Decoding May Dance, but It Does Not Move Forward"
  • 04. "Undo the Cipher and Tighten its Cords"
  • 05. "Cipher Shipmates"
  • 06. "Cipher Soldiers Value Being Rough and Ready"
  • 07. "The One Who Solves Last Solves Best"
2 October 2, 2020[10]978-4-08-882426-0August 24, 2021 (digital)[11]978-1-9747-2940-1
  • 09. "A Day in the Life of Moriking"
  • 10. "Great Purple Emperor"
  • 11. "Contest"
  • 12. "The Beach"
  • 13. "School"
  • 14. "Parental Instinct"
  • 15. "Pals"
  • 16. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Asian Giant Hornet"
  • 17. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Bank Robbers"
  • Original One Shot: "Moriking, Protector of the Forest"
3 January 4, 2021[12]978-4-08-882528-1November 23, 2021 (digital)[13]978-1-9747-3072-8
  • 18. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Grandfather"
  • 19. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Film Shoot"
  • 20. "The Rage of Moriking"
  • 21. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Family Breakdown"
  • 22. "Stag Beetle"
  • 23. "Battle"
  • 24. "The Secret of Forest King Style"
  • 25. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Stag Beetle"
  • 26. "The Esoteric Mystery of the Forest King School"
  • 27. "Worlds"
  • 28. "Training"
4 April 2, 2021[7]978-4-08-882592-2February 22, 2022 (digital)[14]978-1-9747-3154-1
  • 29. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Riokku"
  • 30. "Great Purple Emperor vs. Caucasus Beetle"
  • 31. "Giant Asian Hornet vs. Palawan Stag Beetle"
  • 32. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Hercules Beetle"
  • 33. "Resolution"
  • 34. "Wish"
  • 35. "My Rhinoceros Beetle"
  • One Shot: "Shift Leader Tetsuzawa: Seven Days of Hell"

Reception

Chris Beveridge of The Fandom Post stated that Moriking is accessible enough for general readers and "just weird enough to skew in a fun direction."[15] He praised Hasegawa's designs, flow and direction, and backgrounds.[15][16] Beveridge said that despite having many of the familiar 1980s manga trappings, Moriking uses them in a different way.[16] He wrote that while the series is not high-art, it is a fun title that is easy to pickup and keep up with because of its quirkiness.[17] Beveridge felt that Hasegawa was able to end the series on his own terms. He reflected that the manga unfolded in a way that reminded him of Rumiko Takahashi's early works, and despite turning into a tournament series, was still spaced out in a way that kept the character material fun. He ended by calling Moriking "a fun and enjoyable romp with good artwork, [some] nice twists and details to it, and enjoyable humor."[18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Comic Natalie incorrectly stated that the series' debut issue was released on April 11, 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Official Website for Moriking". Viz Media. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 6, 2020). "3 New Manga Launch in Shonen Jump This Spring". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  3. ↑ 「青春兵器ナンバーワン」の長谷川智広、ジャンプ新連載は昆虫ギャグ. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 13, 2020. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  4. ↑ Hazra, Adriana (January 17, 2021). "Tomohiro Hasegawa's Moriking Manga Ends". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ 藍本松「怪物事変」出張版がジャンプに、2月には新刊＆短編集が同時発売. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 18, 2021. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  6. 1 2 森林王者モリキング 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  7. 1 2 森林王者モリキング 4 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  8. ↑ Mateo, Alex (April 8, 2020). "Viz, Manga Plus Publish Moriking Manga in English Digitally (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Moriking, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  10. ↑ 森林王者モリキング 2 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Moriking, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ 森林王者モリキング 3 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Moriking, Vol. 3". Viz Media. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Moriking, Vol. 4". Viz Media. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  15. 1 2 Beveridge, Chris (April 12, 2020). "Moriking #1 Review". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  16. 1 2 Beveridge, Chris (May 27, 2020). "Moriking #5 Review". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  17. ↑ Beveridge, Chris (May 20, 2020). "Moriking #4 Review". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ Beveridge, Chris (January 21, 2021). "Moriking #35 Review (Series Finale)". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
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