Kuro (manga)

Japanese manga series

Kuro

First tankōbon volume cover

Genre|

* Horror fantasy[1]
* Mystery[2]
* Slice of life[3][4]

Manga
Written by| Somato
Published by| Shueisha
Imprint| Young Jump Comics
Magazine|

* Aoblo! (2011–12)
* Aoharu Online (2013)
* Tonari no Young Jump (2014–16)

Original run| May 24, 2011 – June 24, 2016
Volumes| 3
Anime and manga portal

Kuro (黒; lit. 'Black') is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by the duo Somato. It was serialized across three Shueisha's websites from 2011 to 2016; Aoblo!, Aoharu Online, and Tonari no Young Jump. Its chapters were collected in three tankōbon volumes.

## Plot

[edit]

A manor on the outskirts of town is home to a black-haired girl named Coco and her cat, Kuro. Though they live peacefully, their existence is fraught with unseen dangers—Coco remains unaware that monstrous entities share their home. Kuro is no ordinary feline, and Coco herself suffers from lost childhood memories. Despite subtle unease about the irregularities in her life, she finds contentment in her daily routine with Kuro.

The townspeople exhibit varied attitudes toward Coco: some befriend her, others offer unwavering support, while a few remain distant or openly hostile. Certain individuals despise Kuro, their resentment linked to Coco's mysterious origins and the town's ongoing conflict with the creatures lurking in the shadows.

Over time, Kuro's appetite diminishes, and Coco's health declines until she becomes reclusive. Concerned, Milk and Maria enter the manor to aid her, only to find Coco in a visibly altered state. Their efforts to assist her trigger the return of her suppressed memories, unveiling the tragic past that has shaped her fate.

## Publication

[edit]

Written and illustrated by the duo Somato, Kuro started on Shueisha's Aoblo! website on May 24, 2011.[5][6] On November 30, 2012, Aoblo! was relaunched as Aoharu Online,[7] and the series resumed publication there on January 31, 2013.[8] The website ended service on December 27, 2013, and the series resumed on the Tonari no Young Jump website on January 17, 2014.[9] Shueisha collected its chapters in three tankōbon volumes, with the first one released on May 19, 2014;[10] the third volume was released on June 17, 2016,[11] while the series concluded on Tonari no Young Jump a week later on June 24.[12]

A ten-page special crossover chapter with Somato's next manga series, Shadows House, titled "Shadows House × Kuro" (シャドーハウス × 黒, Shadō Hausu Kuro), was published in Young Jump Heroine on August 10, 2022.[13]

### Volumes

[edit]

No. | Japanese release date  | Japanese ISBN

|
|

1|  May 19, 2014[14]| 978-4-08-879833-2
2|  March 19, 2015[15]| 978-4-08-890117-6
3|  June 17, 2016[16]| 978-4-08-890361-3

## Reception

[edit]

The series ranked tenth in the 2016 Next Manga Award's web category.[17]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Kuro – Tome 1" (in French). Glénat. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
2. ^ Koiwai (March 15, 2023). "Critique Vol.1 Kuro". Manga News (in French). Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
3. ^ ソウマトウが少女と黒猫の不思議な日常描く「黒」2巻に描き下ろしの特典. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
4. ^ Koiwai (September 20, 2023). "Critique Vol.3 Kuro". Manga News (in French). Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
5. ^ ヤンジャン増刊アオハルブログで金田一蓮十郎らリレー連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 12, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
6. ^ 「黒」＃１ ソウマトウ. Aoblog! (in Japanese). Shueisha. May 24, 2011. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
7. ^ 異色のヤンジャン増刊にWEB版「アオハルオンライン」始動. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 30, 2012. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
8. ^ ソウマトウが不思議な黒猫と少女描くフルカラーマンガ再開. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 31, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
9. ^ アオハルオンライン更新終了のお知らせ. Aoharu (in Japanese). Shueisha. December 27, 2013. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
10. ^ アオハル発の単行本「黒」など6タイトルが一挙に登場. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 19, 2014. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
11. ^ ソウマトウ「黒」完結3巻、少女と黒猫の不思議な日常譚. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 17, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
12. ^ [第42話] 黒. Tonari no Young Jump (in Japanese). Shueisha. June 24, 2016. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
13. ^ Somato [@somatoma] (August 10, 2022). 8/10発売ヤングジャンプヒロイン2（ヤングジャンプの増刊）に #シャドーハウス 特別編 という形で10P描きました！何の説明もないのですが本編と全く関係のない前作「黒」とのコラボ漫画です！！ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Twitter.
14. ^ 【5月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 19, 2014. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
15. ^ 【3月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
16. ^ 【6月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 17, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
17. ^ 『ヲタ恋』の次はこれ！ 次にくるマンガ大賞 Webマンガ部門1位は『トモちゃんは女の子！』. Da Vinci News (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. December 21, 2015. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024.

## Further reading

[edit]

* 【あの書店に聞く!!】 神保町の老舗マンガ専門書店 コミック高岡. Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (in Japanese). Takarajimasha. June 2, 2014. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024.
* 『黒 －kuro－』第2巻 ソウマトウ 【日刊マンガガイド】. Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (in Japanese). Takarajimasha. April 8, 2015. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024.
* 『黒―kuro―』 第3巻 ソウマトウ 【日刊マンガガイド】. Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (in Japanese). Takarajimasha. July 7, 2016. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023.
* ""Kuro" : gothique chic, fable horrifique". ActuaBD [fr] (in French). March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024.+[fr]&rft.atitle="Kuro"+:+gothique+chic,+fable+horrifique&rft.date=2023-03-16&rft_id=https://www.actuabd.com/Kuro-gothique-chic-fable-horrifique&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Kuro+(manga)" class="Z3988">

## External links

[edit]

* Official website at Aoharu at the Wayback Machine (archived 2014-03-25) (in Japanese)
* Official website at Tonari no Young Jump (in Japanese)

* v
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Tonari no Young Jump series

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