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Summary
Popular seinen manga series have a way of attracting massive fan bases when their concepts and characters resonate with readers, with Yasuhisa Hara’sKingdombeing an easy sell for most people. For history buffs, it’s set in the Warring States period in Ancient China, featuring a young Xin (Shin in Japanese editions and anime) as he falls in with Ying Zheng, the “first King of China” who established the Qin Dynasty. It’s a historical military action manga with large and small-scale battles, distinctive character designs, and over 800 chapters of excellent storytelling. Yet,Kingdomisn’t available in the US or Canada.
While this isn’t an issue for international readers, including the French and Spanish markets,English-languageKingdomreaders inevitably feel left out, and despite selling 100 million copies, this manga is still not licensed in English-speaking countries. I was floored by this realization, especially as I began exploring more mature seriesas I returned toBerserkand other iconic hits likeBlame!andVinland Saga.
The answer may not be clear as to whyKingdomisn’t available in the US or Canada,but that shouldn’t deter people from testing the waters with its adaptations.
Manga Fans Need to Read One Piece’s TRUE Rival
True manga fans who have still not read Kingdom should check out this historical drama that can easily be considered the one true rival of One Piece.
Kingdom Has Sold 100 Million Copies but Isn’t Available in North America
Historical Manga Fans Worldwide Deserve This Series
It’s a familiar song on r/kingdom, and for good reason:Kingdomis excellent, and despite selling 100 million copies and being hugely popular in Japan, it’s not licensed here. A large component of the issue here is likely that the series, now seventy-one volumes, would need a reasonable stream of sales and a well-staggered release schedule, so readers can buy it. However, while we North American readers are left either needing to know Japanese, French, or Spanish to read a copy,other fans worldwide are freely leaving us seething in jealousy with copies in their native language.
It’s troubling to see physical editions available for audiences outside of Japan, yet not here. While I live in a fairly saturated manga market,Kingdomis a series I frequently find myself championing. This includes discussing how it disrupts current sensibilities about Big Threes in manga and why I sadly have to leave it out of discussions onthe best manga you can read right now,because you can’t unless you take to the high seas.But English language readers have tried to circumvent this, trying to get copies ofKingdomfrom less-than-reputable sources.
Kingdom and Other Manga Are Frequently Bootlegged Online
Always Double-Check the Publishers Listed by the Seller
Many manga encounter this issue, withKingdombeing especially troubling due to its unavailability in the US. Bootleg sellers aren’t necessarily trying to be harmful actors on the market,but buying from them means not supporting the creators or the publishers, so they’re certainly not helpful. One easily recognizable instance of this is with sellers on eBay, who will package box sets ofKingdomunder labels like WOS Limited Manga BM, who even list a disclaimer, “This Book Not Suitable for collector because this was not from Shueisha.”
It’s an open secret among manga readers that people will ultimately seek out what they want to read, one way or another.
I’m always wary about this issue, not necessarily because it’s a copyright violation, but because I enjoy getting an official, collectible printing of series I enjoy reading. It’s an open secret among manga readers that people will ultimately seek out what they want to read, one way or another. Still, it’s also pretty well-understood that if you want to support a series, you typically toss them your support either by reading the mangaor watching the anime.Fortunately,Kingdomhas a solution for English language viewers on this front.
The Kingdom Anime Is Uneven but Worthwhile
An Increasingly Compelling Gateway to the Hit Manga
Kingdommay have been in print as a manga since 2006, but as of 2012, it’s had an anime as well, and while it’s an uneven experience,it gets much better from season 3 onward. A large contributor to the uneven quality is the CGI used in seasons 1-2’s production, frequently panned by viewers due to not being on a level similar to that of later shows likeGirls Band Cry, Trigun Stampede,orKnights of Sidonia.Once a more traditional style was deployed from season 3 onwards,Kingdom’sanime has even been hailed as a must-watch.
This initial lukewarm reception to the first two seasons likely did not helpKingdom’sappeal as a manga in North America.
This initial lukewarm reception to the first two seasons likely did not helpKingdom’sappeal as a manga in North America. However, the anime project got its redemption and found its footing, to its credit. The same can’t be said aboutBerserk’s2016 anime, which has animation akin to puppets slapping sticks together. Yet,Berserkwas already an international sensation before and after the anime ran its two seasons.However,Kingdom’sanime pacing is still not the best way to experience the story, as, similarly to 2016’sBerserk, each season can run close to 100 chapters of the story.
Kingdom Has Enough Fans Eager to Buy Special Editions
A Few Deluxe Editions Go a Long Way
WhileKingdomhas yet to be acquired for distribution from a North American publisher,the smart move, like for other seinen manga, would be to distribute it in large clusters through deluxe editions. This is a prevalent trend among seinen heavy-hitters likeBerserk, which, thanks to Deluxe Edition volumes #1 and #2, has secured the #1 and #10 position onDark Horse Comics' bestsellers list.Dark Horse also has a gorgeousTrigunandTrigun Maximumset of deluxe editions coming, as does Kodansha withVinland Sagaand VIZ Media withVagabond: Definitive Edition.
Multiple other definitive manga and anime hits, includingBlade of the Immortal, Hellsing, Battle Angel Alita, and more, have gorgeous deluxe editions, so it’s worth checking for your favorite series.
Kingdomalready has an overwhelming number of volumes available, but selling a premium edition clustering three volumes apiece seems to be a winning strategy lately. Plus, as aBerserkdeluxe reader, the feeling of opening the latest volume to experience that new book smell is indescribable, soKingdomdeserves similar treatment. What’s especially surprising about this, however, is that with Shueisha being its home, it’s surprising thatKingdomhasn’t been localized by somebody like VIZ Media or any of their imprints.
Kingdom’s Magazine Has Published Multiple Brilliant Hits
But the Longest-Running Hit Still Hasn’t Landed on North American Shelves
Kingdomruns its chapters in Shueisha’s seinen magazine, Weekly Young Jump, alongside massive contemporary hits likeOshi no Ko,Boy’s Abyss, popular newcomers likeDogsred, and similar masterpieces likeRealby Takehiko Inoue, creator ofVagabond.Despite selling more copies than these other series combined, the localization issue remains forKingdom. It’s a shame, too, as there are only a few rare cases where a manga can run eight hundred or more chapters and still be widely adored while not being namedOne Piece.
Part of me wishes to settle down and collect the foreign editions regardless; after all, much of my education was taken in French Immersion, but many fellow readers don’t have that luxury.Kingdomis a worldwide smash hit by any reasonable standard, yet it’s still far from worldwide in terms of distribution. While the anime’s first seasons offer a rough first impression, they currently stand among the only official ways for fans to enjoyKingdom, and despite it selling 100 million copies and counting, it’s a shame we’re unable to contribute more to that figure.
Kingdom
Cast
Kingdom (2012) is a gripping drama following the lives, challenges, and relationships of a family-owned mixed martial arts gym, exploring themes of loyalty, ambition, and personal struggles within the intense backdrop of the MMA world.
