Taiwanese manga artist Saken (左萱／Zuo Hsuan) has launched a new serialization, Basho no Me (芭蕉の芽), on Jitsugyo no Nihonsha’s COMIC Ruelle and COMIC Jardin platforms as of October 23. The launch was accompanied by a message from the creator and recommendation comments from novelist Kotaro Isaka, artist Matsuo Hiromi, and manga artist Sawa Sakurako.
About the Work
Basho no Me is the Japanese-language edition of Basho de Ya (芭蕉的芽), originally published in Taiwan, where it won the Manga of the Year award at the 14th Golden Comic Awards. The work also received the Excellence Prize at the 18th Japan International Manga Award.
Set in 1930s Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule, the story follows a group of students who pour their passion into creating their own literary doujinshi (independent magazine). The first chapter introduces two central characters: Ye Xingqiao (葉星橋), a Taiwanese student who feels out of place at his school, and Nanjo Untaro (南城雲太郎), a carefree Japanese student who lives life on his own terms. The chapter depicts their fateful first meeting.
Print Volumes and Release Details
As part of Jitsugyo no Nihonsha’s 130th anniversary commemorative project, the publisher has partnered with the original Taiwanese publisher Gaia Culture Co., Ltd. (蓋亞文化有限公司) to release print volumes in Japan. Volumes 1 and 2 are scheduled for release on December 17. Saken has personally revised and added new content to nearly every page, and each volume will include multiple newly drawn color illustrations.
An official website for the series has also been launched, with full access set to resume after October 26 at noon.
Creator’s Message
“葉” represents the vitality of life; “雲” represents freedom. What I wanted to draw was a bright, passionate, and brilliantly shining moment of youth, set against a Taiwan that still carries the traces of the Showa era.
Recommendation Comments
Kotaro Isaka (novelist)
The freshness of Untaro’s first appearance — like a blue sky suddenly opening up — grabbed my heart instantly! The protagonist and Untaro remind me of the duos in my own novels. The straightforwardness and passion behind the line “We won’t flatter anyone; we’ll draw freely what’s in our hearts — that’s our doujinshi” really struck me.
Matsuo Hiromi (artist)
The depictions of Taiwan’s streets and school buildings in the 1930s are so retro and romantic! Drawn with meticulous care and deep affection — fans of modern architecture and early Showa aesthetics will absolutely love it. The story of elite school students rising up to create a new magazine under the banner of freedom, in an era of suppression, is one I want to reach everyone who loves books and liberty.
Sawa Sakurako (manga artist)
A boys’ boarding school in 1930s Taiwan, friendships among students in jet-black gakuran uniforms, a student council, a beautiful girl in disguise, and the breath of literature — everything I ever loved in classic shojo manga is right here in Saken-sensei’s work. The bond between Ye Xingqiao and Nanjo Untaro, carrying the weight of youth and the currents of their era, feels like the very “literature” that we and the world need most right now.
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