Interest
Kaito's New Ao no Flag Manga Trends #1 on Twitter
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ online manga app revealed on Wednesday that KAITO's Ao no Flag (Blue Flag) romance manga had become a #1 trending term on Twitter. Have you heard of it? Don't worry. Most people outside of Japan's Twitterverse have yet to hear about the series because it debuted only one month ago.
KAITO (Cross Manage, Buddy Strike) just launched the series on the app on February 1. The fifth chapter debuted on Wednesday, and a new chapter debuts every other week. The first chapter and the two most recent chapters are available to read for free online. Jump Comics will release the first compiled book volume on April 4.
The "youth pure love" story begins when three students in their third and final year of high school meet during a time when they are worried about paths for their futures. Waiting for them are sweet, painful, and heartrending days.
The main characters are:
Taichi Ichinose
Taichi learns that his classmate Futaba likes his childhood friend Tōma. Futaba asks him for help in advancing a relationship with Tōma.
Futaba Kuze
Futaba is Taichi's blundering classmate. She also has the resolve to take shortcuts to leave an impression on Tōma.
Tōma Mita
Tōma is Taichi's childhood friend, and he is a member of the baseball team with excellent reflexes. He has a great attitude, and girls are always noticing him. He told Taichi that he likes tall, older girls with black hair and large breasts who can speak clearly about cheerful things.
Masumi Itachi
Masumi is Futaba's friend, and the girl is important to Masumi.
Why is the manga suddenly trending on Twitter? While there is no definite explanation, the latest juicy developments in the fifth chapter may be the reason. In the chapter, the four main characters hang out together. Although Futaba yearns for Tōma, he tells her that she and Taichi look good together. Masumi also tells Taichi that she will not stand idly by if he does something to hurt Futaba. On his way home, poor Taichi asks himself why he ever agreed to help Futaba.
KAITO ended his Buddy Strike baseball manga in February 2016. Viz Media published the first three chapters of the series simultaneously in English in its Weekly Shonen Jump digital anthology as part of its "Jump Start" initiative. KAITO concluded his Cross Manage lacrosse manga in July 2013, and Viz Media's digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine published an extra chapter that October.
[Via Nijimen]
