WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Choujin X, Chapter #1 by Sui Ishida, Jan Cash, and Snir Aharon available in English now from Viz Media and Manga Plus.
Sui Ishida's afterword at the conclusion of Tokyo Ghoul:re shed some light on the circumstances of finishing the highly successful series. Because of the tight deadlines and endless pressure of writing Tokyo Ghoul, Ishida suffered from burnout, stress, and as a result, began losing his love for manga. Tokyo Ghoul consumed him to the point where Ishida lost himself.
Choujin X, Ishida's newest manga, will be different. The Shonen Jump series will be updated sporadically, following Ishida's schedule -- which means he'll be able to take his time to write the story that he wants to write. Here's what the first released chapter has to offer.
On a seemingly ordinary day, a young girl from the countryside is on a flight to a vegetable competition, making conversation with an elderly woman. Things take a turn for the worst when a man sitting across the aisle suddenly starts acting strange. Smoke starts coming out of his fingertips and he flings his hand back, setting up everyone sitting behind him ablaze. This is the work of Choujin. The plane goes down in flames but surprisingly, nobody dies. In fact, 200 people survive the crash.
The chapter then introduces the two main characters: Tokio Kurohara and Azuma Higashi, two high schoolers who often partner up to fight crime. Although "partnering" might be a bit of a stretch. Azuma is usually the first to leap into a fight as soon as he sees injustice while Tokio stands on the sidelines. Tokio seems fine with it though, despite his friend constantly overshadowing him.
Their idyllic lives change rapidly when Azuma breaks a thug's arm. Seeking revenge, the thug accepts a serum from a mysterious figure and transforms into a Flexi Choujin, giving him Mr.Fantastic-like powers. The thug, Johnny Kiyoshi Takeyama, sends Azuma flying and, consumed with an overwhelming bloodlust, kills his two buddies by squeezing them until their heads explode.
Tokio manages to escape with Azuma and despite Tokio's urges to run while they can, Azuma locks eyes on two needles on the ground containing the same serum that Johnny used to become Choujin. Azuma is determined to stay alive and if that means becoming a Choujin, that's what he'll do. Afraid that he'll be left alone, Tokio agrees. The chapter ends with Tokio transforming into a powerful Bestial Choujin, complete with an elaborate mask, and easily overpowering Johnny. But Azuma's nowhere to be seen.
Ishida's artwork is as beautiful as ever with his signature shading and eye for details. Although the world hasn't quite been set up yet, it does inspire plenty of intrigue. The word "choujin" refers to a superhuman, likely as it's used in terms of superheroes. When news of Ishida writing a new series broke, he mentioned that his latest work would be inspired by Nietzsche's Ubermensch, in which Nietzsche posits there's a state where a human being can reach beyond the human condition and can create their own destiny, unfettered by societal conditions.
There are some noticeable similarities between Choujin X and Tokyo Ghoul: the last panel of Tokio wearing a Choujin mask is highly reminiscent of Kaneki's kakuja form. Ishida's symbolism was one of the most well-regarded aspects of Tokyo Ghoul and he makes great use of his signature flower and animal symbolism here as well. Dandelions drift away when the two friends make the choice to become Choujin. Dandelions are often unwanted because they're seen as weeds but people, children usually, blow on them to make a wish. And perhaps that's why Tokio made the choice to become Choujin along with Azuma -- his wish is to remain friends with him, after all.
The dandelions can also parallel the image of the vulture. Earlier in the chapter, Tokio is compared to a vulture, a bird that circles where predators feed, waiting to swoop in on their leftovers. They're not the best creatures to be likened to and he hates the comparison, wanting to be compared to a lion -- like Azuma. Azuma is the one who changes his mind, telling him that buzzards can fly higher than any other bird, meaning Tokio too can soar past his limits. This particular panel also features the last moments of when the two are still human: Azuma's expression quietly determined while Tokio has a slightly unhinged and frightened look in his eyes as the two promise each other to have no regrets.
For now, it's unknown when Chapter #2 will be released and questions about whether Azuma survived will linger until then, but given how enthralling this first chapter of Choujin X is, fans likely won't mind waiting until Ishida is ready to publish it.
