The manga adaptation of the Kaiju on the Earth: Vulcanus board game is set to end with its fourth volume, according to an announcement made by board game company Drossel Meyers on X (formerly Twitter). The manga, penned by Hirō Nakamichi, adapts the original board game created by Masato Uesugi, the game designer, and Noriaki Watanabe, the director.
A Giant Monster Threatens Tokyo
The Kaiju on the Earth: Vulcanus board game places players in control of a Japanese government crisis team tasked with responding to the destructive path of a giant kaiju monster as it advances toward Tokyo. Players must manage various critical aspects, including:
- Evacuating citizens to safety.
- Responding to fires and other emergencies.
- Deploying the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
- Researching the kaiju to find its weaknesses.
Players can launch attacks on the kaiju, but the more research they conduct, the easier it becomes to defeat the monster. This creates a strategic balance where players must carefully weigh research against immediate disaster management and decide when to directly engage the kaiju.
From Board Game to Manga
Arclight and Drosselmeyer & Co. released the first Kaiju on the Earth: Vulcanus board game in December 2019. The series expanded with two subsequent games: Kaiju on the Earth: Leviath in July 2020 and Kaiju on the Earth: Yggdrasus in September 2021.
Hirō Nakamichi began adapting the Vulcanus board game into a manga series in December 2023. Shogakukan, the publisher, is scheduled to release the third compiled book volume on February 12.
Hirō Nakamichi’s Other Works
Nakamichi is also known for his work on the After School Dice Club manga, which ran in Shogakukan’s Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine from March 2013 to June 2021. The series was compiled into 19 volumes. Sugorokuya collaborated on the manga. After School Dice Club inspired a television anime series that premiered in Japan in October 2019, which was streamed by Funimation with an English dub.
Kaiju Manga: A Popular Genre
The Kaiju on the Earth: Vulcanus manga adds to the popular genre of kaiju manga. Other notable titles include:
- Kaiju No. 8: A popular series by Naoya Matsumoto, serialized on Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ online platform since July 2020. The manga follows Kafka Hibino, who gains the ability to become a kaiju. Viz Media publishes the series in English.
- Fire Force: While not strictly a kaiju manga, Fire Force, created by Atsushi Ohkubo, features monstrous Infernals and explores themes of humanity versus destructive forces.
Kaiju manga often blends elements of science fiction, fantasy, and action, exploring themes of humanity’s relationship with nature, the consequences of unchecked scientific advancement, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming threats. These stories frequently resonate with audiences due to their spectacular visuals, thrilling action sequences, and thought-provoking narratives.
