A Mystery Over Beethoven's Lost Symphony: New Manga "Gansaku no Daijuuban" by Reika Kajimoto Begins
A beloved name in the world of manga, Reika Kajimoto, is preparing to take readers on a journey filled with classical music and mystery. The artist's new series, Gansaku no Daijuuban (The Tenth Forgery), officially began its publication on April 6, 2026, in the May issue of Akita Shoten's Monthly Mystery Bonita magazine. Attracting great attention with its first chapter, the manga became the star of this month's issue with its cover and a 60-page opening chapter.
The story is shaped around one of the greatest legends in music history, Ludwig van Beethoven. The plot presents a mystery-romance narrative revolving around a handwritten score alleged to belong to the famous composer but labeled as a "forgery" (gansaku) by experts. Speculations regarding Beethoven's 10th Symphony—which he could not finish in real life and for which only drafts exist—are presented to the reader with fictional depth in the manga.
Reika Kajimoto is a name known for works such as Akuma o Awaremu Uta (Sympathy for the Devil) and Koori Oni, and is recognized for her masterful use of character psychology and atmospheric storytelling. Kajimoto's style is known for combining dark themes, historical details, and complex emotional bonds. In this new series, how the elitist structure of the classical music world will blend with the dark side of the forgery world has already become a subject of curiosity among fans.
Beethoven's 10th Symphony is a topic that has been debated in the world of musicology for centuries. The composer, who could only draft some sections before his death in 1827, had this work attempted to be completed by Barry Cooper in 1988 and has been reconstructed using artificial intelligence technologies in recent years. Gansaku no Daijuuban aims to pose questions about the originality and emotional value of art by addressing this historical mystery through a "forgery" case. Perfectly in line with Monthly Mystery Bonita magazine's editorial focus on mystery and supernatural themes, this manga seems set to satisfy both music lovers and those who enjoy detective stories.
