A New Epic Begins in Kodansha's Afternoon Magazine: Hyakudai Heikifu
Kodansha's prestigious seinen magazine Monthly Afternoon introduced readers to a brand-new fantasy adventure with its August issue, released on June 25, 2024. Hyakudai Heikifu (Record of the 100 Great Weapons), written by Ryu Toen (Suenobu Ryu), emerges as a dark and immersive war chronicle revolving around the world's most powerful "100 weapons." The series made a major debut with its first chapter, featured both on the magazine's cover and with color opening pages.
The story is set in an atmosphere resembling China during the Song Dynasty. There are 100 legendary weapons in the world with supernatural powers, and those who wield them, known as "Title Holders" (持號者 - Jihaozhe), possess both unstoppable military might and absolute authority. Twin siblings Shin and Yue, whose father was murdered for the sake of these weapons, embark on a journey filled with vengeance. Shin, who lost his own inner strength (身力 - shinriki) to protect his sister, must fight with his silver spear to climb to the very top of the list of the 100 weapons, a list his father once stood at the pinnacle of.
Author Ryu Toen is no stranger to this universe. Hyakudai Heikifu is the serialized version of the one-shot work with which the author won the Afternoon Shiki Award (Four Seasons Award) in 2018. Toen is also a proven talent, having handled the illustrations for Mugen no Juunin: Bakumatsu no Shou, a spin-off of the legendary series Blade of the Immortal (Mugen no Juunin). This new series combines the author's mastery of fight scenes with deep mythological world-building.
Starting in a magazine like Monthly Afternoon, which is home to modern classics such as Vinland Saga, Blue Period, and Land of the Lustrous, raises expectations for the series significantly. The structure of the magazine, which appeals to a seinen (adult male) audience, suggests that Hyakudai Heikifu will not just be an action manga, but will also feature political intrigue and heavy dramatic elements. If you enjoy stories filled with epic battles, family bonds, and the mystery of mystical weapons, you should definitely add this series to your list. In future chapters, we will see the unique abilities of each of these 100 weapons and the roles of the twins in this chaos more closely.
