World Trigger is a science fiction series that has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2013 and is currently being serialized in the monthly magazine Jump Square. It has also been adapted into an anime, with its second season scheduled to begin airing in January 2021. We'd like to introduce World Trigger's author, Daisuke Ashihara!
Daisuke Ashihara's Previous Work, "The Clever Dog, Lilienthal"
Daisuke Ashihara's previous work, "The Clever Dog, Lilienthal," was serialized for approximately one year from 2009 to 2010. In reality, the series ended in less than a year, making it what's commonly known as a canceled manga. The story is a heartwarming comedy with elements of science fiction about Lilienthal, a strange talking dog with mysterious powers, and the family around him. While it appears to be a heartwarming comedy, it's actually a work with a lot of plot twists, and it wasn't very popular, perhaps because it wasn't clear how to enjoy it. However, the style of making use of the plot, which is a characteristic of World Trigger, is evident throughout.
In 2013, the hit series "World Trigger" began serialization!!
Three years after the cancellation of "The Clever Dog Lilienthal," World Trigger began serialization in 2013 after a series of one-offs. Taking advantage of the story's expansive setting, the introduction was a straightforward one: sci-fi, battle, and alien invasion. Perhaps because of this, the series gradually gained popularity, leading to an anime adaptation in 2014.
The Appeal of the Manga "World Trigger"!
The story of World Trigger is broadly divided into two parts. The story consists of parts where the main characters wage war against invaders from another world, training within Border, the organization they belong to, and competitions to raise their rank within the organization. Even though they are invaders, they are by no means impossible to communicate with, and there are nations and factions among the people of the other world, so they are by no means absolute evil. I think the greatest unique feature of this work is that it places more importance on how a team works than on individual fighting ability.
There are so many detailed settings!! That's World Trigger!!
Generally, works with too many settings tend to be avoided, but perhaps because World Trigger's main story is easy to understand, it's not overwhelmed by intricate settings. The sheer number and detail of the settings makes it extremely interesting to delve into. However, because there are so many settings, I think it's more enjoyable to read the tankobon than to read it in Jump.
The more you read, the more fascinating the main character becomes!
World Trigger's main characters are supposedly Yuma Kuga and Osamu Mikumo. While the author claims that the four main characters, including Chika Amatori and Yuichi Jin, are the main characters, the story revolves around Yuma Kuga and Osamu Mikumo. While Yuma Kuga is a strong character with great potential from the start, Osamu Mikumo is not. He has absolutely no talent or abilities. It will be interesting to see how Osamu Mikumo, who has nothing like that, grows. Mikumo Osamu's protagonist bonus, which activates hidden powers, will likely not be applied to him. And how they make up for this lack of protagonist bonus is incredibly interesting and a highlight of the series.
Team battles are World Trigger's greatest attraction
World Trigger isn't a series that solves everything through individual combat prowess; rather, it places a strong emphasis on team battles from start to finish. While there are certainly characters with exceptional individual combat abilities, the way they suppress those characters and utilize their own strong characters, as well as utilize strategy and teamwork to compensate for those individual weaknesses and achieve a strategic victory, is a unique story, and I believe it's World Trigger's greatest attraction.
World Trigger will be moving to Jump SQ in 2019
World Trigger will be moving to Jump SQ in 2019. While it's common in recent years for unpopular weekly works to be moved to web or monthly publications, World Trigger's popularity means this doesn't apply. However, the reason for its move to Jump SQ was due to the author's poor health.
My Body is Crazy! The Reason for Daisuke Ashihara's Hiatus
World Trigger has had many hiatuses since its serialization began. Weekly serialization is an extremely demanding job, and it is not uncommon for manga artists to become unable to move due to the Earth's gravity. Although Ashihara Daisuke was not bound by the Earth's gravity, he developed cervical spondylotic radiculopathy as an occupational hazard from continuing to write manga in the same position, and for a time he was unable to move.
Daisuke Ashihara's Repeated Emergency Escapes (Pale Outs)
Originally not good at sports and lacking in stamina, Ashihara's physique was already sluggish due to the demanding lifestyle and irregular rhythm of a manga artist. Since the series began, he has repeatedly suffered from emergency escapes (pale outs) due to fractures, influenza, and neck problems. However, with his uncompromising nature, Ashihara continued the series while injecting painkillers into his sluggish body. As a result, he developed cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, which left him unable to move, forcing him into a prolonged emergency escape (pale out).
Daisuke Ashihara continues to give his life... Take care of yourself.
Due to these circumstances, he returned to the series after a long hiatus in 2018, and moved to the monthly magazine "Jump SQ" with the January 2019 issue. This relieved some of his burden, and fans were relieved...or so they thought. However, on May 28, 2019, news spread that he had been hospitalized due to intestinal obstruction caused by complications following a gallbladder removal. It is expected that Ashihara's workload will increase in the second season starting in 2021. It is truly important for him to take care of his health.
[World Trigger 2nd Season] World Trigger Author Summary
We've introduced Daisuke Ashihara, the author of World Trigger, who is currently experiencing health concerns. Being a manga artist is a tough job, and I truly hope he takes care of himself. The second season of the anime is expected to bring an increase in workload, but I hope he continues to work within his limits. With World Trigger, we know the author pushes himself, so he's a rare author whose continued serialization without incident makes us worry. Everyone, please take care of your health.
