Martial Master Asumi is a new manga by Kawada which has been released by Shonen Jump and Viz Media. This manga is the second one by Kawada after his debut manga Hinomaru Sumo finished with 250 chapters in 2019.
This is the story of a high schooler who hates fighting but has a secret family tradition of martial arts. With just the first chapter released, it will be interesting to watch how the story turns out for young Nito Asumi and his voyage through the world of martial arts.
Martial Master Asumi- a basic plot synopsis of the first chapter
Nito Asumi is a young 16-year-old high schooler who helps his sister and his mother take care of his grandfather. His grandfather suffers from dementia and his father was killed in a car accident.
This sets the tragic tone for the introduction of the hero and we are introduced to his two friends- Yuya Fuchida and Nao Okiba. Nito and Yuya deal with bullies after school and Nao jumps in to save them.
Martial Master Asumi Lead Color Page in Issue #29. pic.twitter.com/6YUO7DxMrf
— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) June 18, 2023
After that incident, Nito trains with Yuya and they both join Yoshi’s MMA Gym, where Yuya picks things up rather quickly but Nito falls behind and he leaves the place. On his way back home, he encounters his bullies again but this time, however, in a state of rage and subconscious, Nito picks up his childhood lessons from his grandfather and defeats the bullies.
On reaching home, the grandfather is aware of Nito’s confrontation with the bullies and he enquires if it felt good for his soul and his being, to which Nito says yes. This sets the basic tone for the entire adventure and how it would define his course as a Martial Arts master.
Martial Master Asumi Chapter 1- is the first chapter a decent beginning to set the tone?
The first chapter of the Martial Master Asumi manga does not set the tone for the main conflict of the series. Instead, it introduces us to the characters and the protagonist, and how his history of martial arts is going to play a crucial role in the major conflict concern of the plot.
Martial Master Asumi PV. pic.twitter.com/ppdTFdTzpe
— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) June 18, 2023
The tone of Martial Master Asumi Chapter 1 is absolutely tragic and it sets the pace for us to go along with a tragedy-stricken protagonist, who has sacrificed everything and will now fight for the greater good.
Nito Asumi is a classical hero in the sense that he rises from nothing to attain everything, and becomes the protagonist not by choice but by circumstances. Nito was destined to end up in this state and his fate was also predetermined for the tragic plot to function.
Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that the first chapter of Martial Master Asumi does not begin with a generic tone but it is however a decent beginning for the plot to be introduced in a mild manner.
How is Nito Asumi introduced and what is the significance of the other characters?
Nito Asumi is introduced as a character who is covered in tragedy. But, at the same time, he is a character who resides on plain ground and he strongly adheres to the basics of friendships and family.
The ethical concerns are highly pointed out and Nito Asumi becomes the character who overcomes every possible trigger to finally reestablish the institutions of family and friendships.
The other important characters are Rei Asumi, Yuya Fuchida, and Nao Okiba. Rei is Nito’s sister and she is presented as a strong character who keeps the family intact. Yuya and Nao are Nito’s friends, Yuya being the best friend and Nao being a lover of MMA as it radiates with her character. All of these side characters strongly complement Nito and his adventures and we see a growth in the overall introductory plot of the manga.
Conclusion
Martial Master Asumi Chapter 1 is a good start for an action-based manga by Kawada. This new Shonen Jump series has all elements which are loved by Shonen manga fans and are expected to become a hit combat manga in the upcoming future.