Manga ‘Houseki no Kuni’ Concludes Serialization

Haruko Ichikawa’s Houseki no Kuni (Land of the Lustrous) manga will end in the June issue of Afternoon on April 25, according to the May issue released on Monday. The 108th and final chapter will conclude the manga’s nearly 12-year-run.

Ichikawa began the action fantasy manga in Afternoon in October 2012. Despite two hiatuses, from December 2020 to June 2022 and from October 2023 until resuming on February 24, the manga has retained a dedicated following. Kodansha published the 12th volume in November 2022 (pictured above).

The series inspired a 12-episode television anime by 3DCG animation studio Orange, airing in Fall 2017. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime series and streamed it on Amazon’s now-defunct streaming platform Anime Strike. HIDIVE later added the title to their catalog for North American streaming. The company also released the anime on home video with both English subtitles and dub in May 2019.

Kodansha USA licensed the manga in English in October 2016 and shipped the 12th volume on August 22 last year. The manga has also been published in multiple foreign languages, including Spanish, German, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Houseki no Kuni placed tenth in the male readers’ division in the 2014 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! rankings, and was nominated for the 8th Manga Taisho Awards.

Synopsis

Long ago, Earth was struck by six meteorites, creating six moons and leaving a lone island in their wake. Those who could not make it to the island sank to the bottom of the ocean, where, over time, they slowly turned to crystal. As countless millennia passed, 28 of these crystallized lifeforms, known as the Lustrous, rose from the depths and resided on the island. Led by the wise Kongou-sensei, they must defend themselves against the seemingly infinite number of Lunarians, inhabitants of the moons who seek to harvest their valuable bodies for crafting weapons and jewelry.

Houseki no Kuni centers around Phosphophyllite, a young gem about to turn three hundred years old. Clumsy, extremely fragile, and having no visible talent, they are one of the weakest gems around, unable to help in the fight against the Lunarians in any meaningful way. But as the battle with the otherworldly invaders rages on, they soon learn that power comes at a cost that no one should have to pay. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Manga official site: https://afternoon.kodansha.co.jp/c/housekinokuni.html

Magazine official X (Twitter): @afternoon_manga

Source: Comic Natalie