Moriking

{{Infobox animanga/Header

| image = Moriking.jpg

| caption = Cover of the first {{Transliteration|ja|tankōbon}} volume, featuring Moriking.

| ja_kanji = 森林王者モリキング

| ja_romaji = Shinrin Ōja Morikingu

| genre = {{ubl|Adventure{{cite web|title=The Official Website for Moriking|url=https://www.viz.com/moriking|publisher=Viz Media|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-date=May 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531025004/https://www.viz.com/moriking|url-status=live}}|Fantasy comedy}}

}}

{{Infobox animanga/Print

| type = manga

| author = Tomohiro Hasegawa

| publisher = Shueisha

| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher|NA=Viz Media}}

| demographic = {{Transliteration|ja|Shōnen}}

| imprint = Jump Comics

| magazine = Weekly Shōnen Jump

| first = April 13, 2020

| last = January 18, 2021

| volumes = 4

| volume_list =

}}

{{nihongo|Moriking|森林王者モリキング|Shinrin Ōja Morikingu|"King of the Forest Moriking"|lead=yes}} 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 {{nihongo|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,{{cite web|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|title=3 New Manga Launch in Shonen Jump This Spring|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-06/3-new-manga-launch-in-shonen-jump-this-spring/.158298|website=Anime News Network|access-date=December 13, 2020|date=April 6, 2020|archive-date=January 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129045455/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-06/3-new-manga-launch-in-shonen-jump-this-spring/.158298|url-status=live}}{{cite web|script-title=ja:「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|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/375164|website=Comic Natalie|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|access-date=December 13, 2020|language=ja|date=April 13, 2020|archive-date=September 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926022013/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/375164|url-status=live}}{{efn|Comic Natalie incorrectly stated that the series' debut issue was released on April 11, 2020.}} to January 18, 2021.{{cite web|last=Hazra|first=Adriana|title=Tomohiro Hasegawa's Moriking Manga Ends|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-01-17/tomohiro-hasegawa-moriking-manga-ends/.168445|website=Anime News Network|access-date=January 17, 2021|date=January 17, 2021|archive-date=January 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117150031/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-01-17/tomohiro-hasegawa-moriking-manga-ends/.168445|url-status=live}}{{cite web|script-title=ja: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|url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/412808|website=Comic Natalie|publisher=Natasha, Inc.|access-date=February 20, 2021|language=ja|date=January 18, 2021|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225185133/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/412808|url-status=live}} Shueisha collected its chapters in four {{Transliteration|ja|tankōbon}} volumes, released from August 4, 2020, to April 2, 2021.

In North America, the series is digitally published in English by Viz Media and by Shueisha on their Manga Plus website and application.{{cite web|last=Mateo|first=Alex|title=Viz, Manga Plus Publish Moriking Manga in English Digitally (Updated)|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-08/viz-manga-plus-publish-moriking-manga-in-english-digitally/.158421|website=Anime News Network|access-date=December 13, 2020|date=April 8, 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128164126/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-04-08/viz-manga-plus-publish-moriking-manga-in-english-digitally/.158421|url-status=live}} Viz Media also started publishing the volumes digitally on May 25, 2021.

=Volumes=

{{Graphic novel list/header

|OneLanguage = no

|Language = Japanese

}}

{{Graphic novel list

|VolumeNumber = 1

|RelDate = August 4, 2020{{cite web|script-title=ja:森林王者モリキング 1|url=https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882379-9|publisher=Shueisha|access-date=December 13, 2020|language=ja|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027155346/https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882379-9}}

|ISBN = 978-4-08-882379-9

|LicensedRelDate = May 25, 2021 (digital){{cite web|title=Moriking, Vol. 1|url=https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-1/product/6780|publisher=Viz Media|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214944/https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-1/product/6780|url-status=live}}

|LicensedISBN = 978-1-9747-2048-4

|ChapterListCol1 =

01. "Emergence"
02. "Family Meeting"
03. "An Errand"
04. "Friends"

|ChapterListCol2 =

05. "Rhinoceros Beetle vs. Praying Mantis"
06. "Barbecue"
07. "Police Interview"
08. "The Retainer"

}}

{{Graphic novel list

|VolumeNumber = 2

|RelDate = October 2, 2020{{cite web|script-title=ja:森林王者モリキング 2|url=https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882426-0|publisher=Shueisha|access-date=December 13, 2020|language=ja|archive-date=November 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104095800/https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882426-0}}

|ISBN = 978-4-08-882426-0

|LicensedRelDate = August 24, 2021 (digital){{cite web|title=Moriking, Vol. 2|url=https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-2/product/6876|publisher=Viz Media|access-date=November 2, 2021|archive-date=November 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102120116/https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-2/product/6876|url-status=live}}

|LicensedISBN = 978-1-9747-2940-1

|ChapterListCol1 =

09. "A Day in the Life of Moriking"
10. "Great Purple Emperor"
11. "Contest"
12. "The Beach"
13. "School"

|ChapterListCol2 =

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"

}}

{{Graphic novel list

|VolumeNumber = 3

|RelDate = January 4, 2021{{cite web|script-title=ja:森林王者モリキング 3|url=https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882528-1|publisher=Shueisha|access-date=December 13, 2020|language=ja|archive-date=November 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104095800/https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882528-1}}

|ISBN = 978-4-08-882528-1

|LicensedRelDate = November 23, 2021 (digital){{cite web|title=Moriking, Vol. 3|url=https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-3/product/6945|publisher=Viz Media|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-date=November 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102120116/https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-3/product/6945|url-status=live}}

|LicensedISBN = 978-1-9747-3072-8

|ChapterListCol1 =

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"

|ChapterListCol2 =

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"

}}

{{Graphic novel list

|VolumeNumber = 4

|RelDate = April 2, 2021{{cite web|script-title=ja:森林王者モリキング 4|url=https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882592-2|publisher=Shueisha|access-date=February 20, 2021|language=ja|archive-date=November 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104095801/https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-882592-2}}

|ISBN = 978-4-08-882592-2

|LicensedRelDate = February 22, 2022 (digital){{cite web|title=Moriking, Vol. 4|url=https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-4/product/6978|publisher=Viz Media|access-date=September 2, 2022|archive-date=September 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220903032825/https://www.viz.com/read/manga/moriking-volume-4/product/6978|url-status=live}}

|LicensedISBN = 978-1-9747-3154-1

|ChapterListCol1 =

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"

|ChapterListCol2 =

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."{{cite web|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|url=https://www.fandompost.com/2020/04/12/moriking-1-review/|title=Moriking #1 Review|website=The Fandom Post|date=April 12, 2020|access-date=December 16, 2020|archive-date=April 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420031049/https://www.fandompost.com/2020/04/12/moriking-1-review/|url-status=live}} He praised Hasegawa's designs, flow and direction, and backgrounds.{{cite web|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|url=https://www.fandompost.com/2020/05/27/moriking-5-review/|title=Moriking #5 Review|website=The Fandom Post|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=December 16, 2020|archive-date=May 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528105427/https://www.fandompost.com/2020/05/27/moriking-5-review/|url-status=live}} Beveridge said that despite having many of the familiar 1980s manga trappings, Moriking uses them in a different way. 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.{{cite web|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|url=https://www.fandompost.com/2020/05/20/moriking-4-review/|title=Moriking #4 Review|website=The Fandom Post|date=May 20, 2020|access-date=December 16, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704174530/https://www.fandompost.com/2020/05/20/moriking-4-review/|url-status=live}} 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."{{cite web|last=Beveridge|first=Chris|url=https://www.fandompost.com/2021/01/21/moriking-35-review-series-finale/|title=Moriking #35 Review (Series Finale)|website=The Fandom Post|date=January 21, 2021|access-date=February 1, 2021|archive-date=November 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104095810/https://www.fandompost.com/2021/01/21/moriking-35-review-series-finale/|url-status=live}}

Notes

References

External links

{{Official website|https://www.shonenjump.com/j/rensai/moriking.html|Official website at Weekly Shōnen Jump}} {{in lang|ja}}
{{Official website|https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/titles/100087|Official website at Manga Plus}}
{{Official website|https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/moriking|Official website at Viz Media}}

Category:Adventure anime and manga

Category:Comedy anime and manga

Category:Fantasy anime and manga

Category:Shōnen manga

Category:Shueisha manga

Category:Viz Media manga