Manga Debuts: Hanakaze Killer Tune
Shonen magazine Jump SQ. published by Shueisha is perhaps best known for action-packed fantasy series like Blue Exorcist, Seraph of the End or more recently Gokurakugai. However, there’s a surprising amount of variety hidden away in this monthly publication, and today I’m here to highlight one new gem: Hanakaze Killer Tune.
The series has been serialised in Jump SQ. since March 2025 and just had its first volume released in print and digitally in June, containing the first three chapters. It’s written by Shunta Mizoguchi with art by Emi Watanabe, both of whom are new talents with no other long-form serializations under their belts. For language learners, as this isn’t a fantasy and runs in Jump SQ., the language used is relatively simple and there’s furigana for all the kanji, offering the ability to look anything up with ease.
The Premise
Our story follows the second-year high school student Ayu Kazune, who loves music. He was inspired after watching Sakura Harumachi perform at the World Sound competition. Her voice was so captivating that Ayu made it his goal to one day have her perform the songs he wrote on this very stage.
However, three years ago, Harumachi passed away, and Ayu’s goal was stolen from him. Since then, he’s completely given up producing music, fading from the spotlight despite being known as the highly popular producer OwanP. His heart and ability to engage with his craft simply died alongside his idol. That is, until the day he overhears classmate Hanamoto’s singing, whose voice sounds just like Harumachi and reignites that flame within him. Ayu begs Hanamoto desperately to work with him and promises to lead them to the top of the World Sound contest together, but she’s hesitant for a variety of reasons. Primarily because she was also inspired by Harumachi and has likewise suffered greatly from the loss of her inspiration.
Still, Ayu refuses to give up, and she eventually agrees to work with him on the condition that they give up should they not make the next contest in three years. It’s do-or-die for Ayu’s dreams once more, but maybe this time it won’t end in tragedy.
A Silent Medium With a Lot of Sound
Manga, of course, is silent. This makes it tricky when the subject matter is music, something that heightens your understanding of it with sound and energetic performances rather than static pages. However, that is not to say that it can’t be done, and this is one of those cases where the duo haswell-written nailed what they set out to do.
Emi Watanabe may still be a newcomer to the industry, but they make good use of full pages or two-page spreads to depict the performances of the cast, as well as putting a heavy emphasis on depicting their emotions. One of the things this manga excels at the most is drawing you into its world; it’s paced so well that it’s easy to forget you’re reading and instead get absorbed in a given scene. The lack of sound no longer bothers you as the imagery makes it very easy to imagine what kind of music the two are playing.
I also appreciate that Ayu is already an accomplished producer. He may not have been working with a record label, but his skills are still highly respected, so it’s not as though he and Hanamoto are working from nothing when it comes to accomplishing their dream. Yet, being ready for World Sound in just three years is still a lofty goal, so there’s a sensible sense of scale there for the story. Which, of course, is testament to Shunta Mizoguchi’s skills as a writer.
This is a shonen series with the appropriate amount of drama you would expect from such, but both Ayu and Hanamoto are well-written. It’s easy to understand why they’d both feel so crushed after the passing of Harumachi, similar to say Aqua and Ruby in Oshi no Ko (I don’t think that’s a particular influence, but it’s hard to ignore the similarity on that one point). There’s more to both their pasts than expected, too, especially Hanamoto, who seems to be struggling with something that she hasn’t told Ayu. Given there are only three chapters in this first volume, there’s a surprising amount of emotional development for the cast.
In Closing
It has been a while since I’ve read a first volume that left me with no real complaints about it. It’s such a strong start that speaks to the sheer determination of not only the characters but the talented individuals behind its creation. Right now, it’s very easy to see how this could transition into anime or live-action as it goes on. I hope that it will prove popular enough to get those opportunities because already it has proven itself worthy. One to look out for if you’re a fan of music dramas like this!
Hanakaze Killer Tune’s first chapter can be read for free on the Jump SQ. website, with new chapters being released monthly in the magazine. Volume 1 is available in print and digitally now, with no date for Volume 2 as of the time of writing.
© Emi Watanabe / Mizoguchi Shunta / Shueisha
