Nearly two years after being put on an indefinite hiatus, Shōnen Jump‘s breakout manga RuriDragon is back. And while its absence may have caused all but its most dedicated fans to lose hope for its return, those who have remained faithful will be happy to know it’s as slyly intriguing as ever.
After debuting in June 2022 with little fanfare, manga author Masaoki’s Shindo’ s RuriDragon unexpectedly took the manga world by storm. Less than a month after the release of its first chapter, it was already one of Shōnen Jump‘s most popular titles, challenging some of the manga anthology’s biggest titles – including Jujutsu Kaisen and Dragon Ball Super – for the hearts and minds of fans across the globe.
Then, almost as suddenly as it burst onto the scene, it was gone. As a result of some medical issues Masaoki had to deal with, Shōnen Jump put the series on extended hiatus after just six chapters. Even on hiatus, the popularity of teenager Ruri Aoki’s story of coming to grips with the fact that she’s part dragon never waned. Indeed, its first, and only, bound Tankobon volume, sold nearly 80,000 copies in the first week of its release. Then after a few rumors of its comeback in 2023, it made a low-key return to Shōnen Jump on March 2, 2004.
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Is RuriDragon Still Living Up To Its Hype?
The prolonged absence may have damaged the series’ chances of success
Naturally, due to circumstances beyond the creator’s control, the fact that it went on hiatus after garnering so much praise and acclaim in such a short and intense time has only served to fuel even more intense hype. Unlike its debut, with its six previous chapters having been poured over and debated ad infinitum in some fan circles during the break, RuriDragon will no longer surprise anyone. In fact, the series now faces intense scrutiny.
Fortunately, not much has changed in Ruri’s world since the last time fans saw her. It’s still packed with all the elements that made it so intriguing and well-received. Ruri is still living with her mom Uma, who, besides being one of the most laid-back parents under such stressful circumstances, never fails to solidly support her daughter in any way she can. She’s still friends with Yuka, her primary non-family source of support and – at times – cool-headed and clear-eyed source of advice. Perhaps most importantly, it still maintains its underlying vibe of how a community and society approach diversity.
RuriDragon Has Everything It Needs To Be A Shōnen Jump Classic
Those elements set up a solid foundation upon which Masaoki can further and fully develop the story’s central theme – namely, Ruri’s effort to wrap her head around the fact that she’s half dragon and all the issues that it creates – from her Mom’s failure to mention her dragon heritage to dealing with her newfound notoriety, to figuring out how to use and control her ever-growing list of dragon abilities.
Masaoki has shown that he can craft a compelling story. RuriDragon originally was a one-shot manga that largely focused on Ruri and her parents. In the Shōnen Jump series, the addition of Yuka and increasing Ruri’s interaction with her classmates not only makes the story more interesting but also provides more platform for Ruri’s story to blossom into the iconic Shōnen Jump classic that many already consider it to be.
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