later volumes After the rainof Zhenzuki JunThis superb sci-fi suspense romance novel is impossible to review without heavily spoiling the first few volumes, so if you haven’t read the first few Kowloon general romanceplease note. Kowloon general romance This is a languid, hypnotic read that’s best read without preconceptions, with patient readers willing to surrender to its unhurried pace, ready to surrender to delicious nostalgia, and eager to experience the lightness of existential dread. An undercurrent of gentle tugging. It’s unlike any other comic I’ve ever read and I will continue to scream from the rooftops how awesome it is. With both the animated and live-action TV series expected to launch in 2025, there’s no better time than now to discover your absolute self and read the original novel first.
The wait for each successive volume is excruciating, as Mayuzuki only reveals a small part of the backstory, and each new installment is more tantalizingly delicious than the last. Volume seven, in particular, offers more development than usual, ultimately establishing in no uncertain terms that this version of Kowloon is anything but normal. Kucijing’s best friend, Yao Mei, is not from Kowloon and moved to the Walled City six months ago. When she first left Kowloon, she tried to take Kujii with her to Hong Kong, but another foreigner, Gwen, stopped her. He warns that Kujii can only exist within the confines of Kowloon and may disappear if she leaves. Understandably, this completely freaked out Kuyoshii. The visiting pizza courier’s inability to sense the city or Kujii himself is further evidence of a common error in Kowloon.
Yao Mei’s solo visit to Hong Kong confirmed that most residents believed that Kowloon had been demolished. Her claims that it had somehow been recreated were dismissed as nothing more than fanciful urban legend. Returning to Kowloon, she attempts to discuss her survival issues with Kujii, but when she eats Kowloon’s food and drink (whose origins remain painfully obscure), she suddenly forgets her troubles and regains her happy, sunny self. self. This aspect of Kowloon’s nature is disturbing, echoing Miyuki’s warning to Gwen not to eat or drink anything originating from Kowloon. That’s why Gwen survives on protein bars, vitamin supplements and bottled water – to keep him from losing his mind. I can’t help but think of the story of Persephone in ancient Greek mythology, who was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld; she was tricked into eating the pomegranate seeds grown there, and was forever associated with the land of death, willing to become Hades. Dis’s wife.
Although summer was only a few months away, Persephone was allowed to leave the underworld. Kowloon is the eternal summer, with the chirping of cicadas and the merciless scorching sun. Yao Mei only noticed this after leaving the city, because even the sky had changed. What is this weird, spooky place? Surely the persistence of the polyhedral object Gene Terra in the sky above has something to do with it? Is Kowloon some kind of projection? Artificial intelligence-powered games? Anything else? Whatever it is, creepy snake-tongued Miyuki’s Hebinuma Pharmaceutical group appears to be involved, and is likely responsible for the death of the original Kujirai as well. Her records show “death by suicide” and she was prescribed strong sleeping pills, which suggests it’s possible she poisoned herself, but I don’t believe it. The frequent flashbacks in “Original Kyuyoshi” depict a confident, happy, energetic woman who is deeply in love with her fiancé. Multiple shady characters have expressed interest in Kujii and Kowloon, and the common denominator is some sort of secret (possibly drugs) related to the Hebinuma Group. I expect whatever this is to be important to Mayuzuki’s final game, as important narrative chunks are already in place, although many mysteries are yet to be solved.
While the relationship between “Miyuki” (as Miyuki calls her now) and Kudo develops to a new level, and although Kudo still can’t escape the past, most of these two volumes focus on peripheral characters. We learn that there are two versions of Blackie, a little girl dressed in gothic Lolita style, and a young, slim, stylish man who laments that he can no longer wear skirts when he grows up. The girl Xiao Hei is obviously a resident of Kowloon, while the boy Xiao Hei is an outsider. Often, when original creators enter Kowloon, their “copies” disappear. This can’t happen to Kujii since her prototype is dead, and boy Kuro openly wonders why girl Kuro is still around. I’m curious to see what’s going on here, especially when Kuro’s shady story gets mixed up with Miyuki, his disturbing colleague Yuryu, and the mysterious head of the Jakihinuma Group.
Blackie isn’t the only character blurring gender lines. Miyuki Snuguma is confirmed to be intersex, possessing both male and female sexual organs. Although they look male, deep down they don’t see themselves as binary, and what appeals to them about Gwen is that she’s the first partner who doesn’t emphasize Miyuki’s identity as male or female. It’s a pity, then, that Miyuki feels they have to sacrifice their relationship with Gwen in order to somehow get revenge on their adoptive father. I think this has something to do with the use of Kowloon to produce “Zircon Man”. This may be a version of the resurrection of the dead? Wonder if they plan to resurrect a replica of their father’s deceased biological son? Strangely, they said Kuyoshii was not a Zircon man. Clear crystals of the mineral zircon are sometimes used as a cheaper but imperfect substitute for diamonds in jewelry, and this was undoubtedly Mayuzuki’s intention.
Ordinary Kyuyoshi herself is a charming protagonist who, despite the ambiguities of her life, continues to blaze her own path in her pursuit of becoming her “absolute self” and inspires those around her to do the same. Others commented that she was different from the original Kuyoshii, despite her identical appearance. While her true identity and nature are the central mysteries of the series, in a way, she’s solving them by becoming who she wants to be. Will the universe allow her to continue? Threats she knew nothing about began to gather…
Lead actor Kudo also remains an enigma – he seems unaffected by Kowloon cuisine and fully aware of the city’s ephemeral nature. He seems trapped by the past and by his love for his lost Kyujii, who immediately rejects Kyujii but pursues the comfort of her arms. Every moment he spent with her reminded him of what he had lost, but she was there, right in front of him, and he couldn’t help but hold on to her. In a sense, he is a tragic figure.
Mayuzuki’s gorgeous art continues to elevate this complex, nuanced, and mysterious story. Her style has matured since then After the rainwith more detail on characters and backgrounds—especially in some of her more dramatic single-page and double-page spreads, the graphic art equivalent of a mic drop. A more adult-centric story than her previous work, volume eight ultimately received an “explicit content” warning for scenes depicting female nudity in sexual contexts. It’s still pretty bland and I still don’t know why every other volume is sold sealed.
I’ve found this to be a series that rewards reading and rereading, which is also good because I’m slowly losing a little bit of my sanity while waiting for each new book to come out. The tenth Japanese volume will be published in October 2024, but the chapter production rate of Zhenzuki Kowloon general romance The pace slowed down and only eleven chapters were published
weekly young jump By 2023, by 2024, there will only be 10. Kowloon general romance Finish. At least I’ll always have a sense of nostalgia that draws me to re-read the entire book again.
