What is SHONEN SUNDAY? SHONEN SUNDAY is one of the largest weekly manga magazines in Japan. Containing some of the latest and hottest boys' manga series in Japan, SUNDAY has hosted such notables as RANMA ½ and the currently popular MEITANTEI CONAN.
Last issue's SHONEN SUNDAY update (1999 Issue 30) can be found here.

Selected news from this issue:

Well, this issue's all-color highlight focuses on Hirayama Aya, a fifteen year old actress with dreams of stardom. Among her more notable personal features are a fondness for tarako (cod roe) spaghetti, a dislike of bugs and rats, and a real-life encounter with aliens in her bedroom ("It's really true!"). Any fans of Hirayama Aya should not miss this issue.

Selected Overview:

OTOKO DO AHOU KOUSHIEN
by Mizushima Shinji

Ever heard about the famous Japanese baseball manga DOKABEN? The 42-year manga veteran Mizushima Shinji, known nationally for his baseball works, returns to the pages of SHONEN SUNDAY for its 40th anniversary celebrations. He brings us a follow-up to his hit 1970-1975 series OTOKO DO AHOU KOUSHIEN (original concept by Sasaki Mamoru). Like the old series, this short story teaches the same proud premise: Baseball is about heart and spirit and soul!
In OTOKO DO AHOU KOUSHIEN, we briefly look back at the former baseball star Fujimura Koushien, who, with his seemingly idiotic fascination with playing straight and simple, conquered his namesake (the Koushien) and went on to a 10 year career with the Tigers. Now, in 1999, the forgotten hero has returned to the Tigers ... as the director-appointed coach. Sporting a five-o'clock shadow, Coach Fujimura is trying hard to make get a message through to a new young pitcher named Kotarou. The coach's lecture, replete with verbal sound effects of "bishii" (translation: something like slam/wham/whumf, but tighter), tells Kotarou that a ball must be thrown with soul. Unfortunately, the young pitcher doesn't understand. Yet, Fujimura insists on putting the rookie (the team's eighth pick) on the mound, as an experiment to test Kotarou's grit.
"Why are you having me pitch?" the new pitcher asks, explaining he only can throw a straight and a change-up. Fujimura says it is because Kotarou is a "runt." That makes no sense to our young pitcher. He works his way through the game, but loses steam at a crucial loaded-bases and two-outs situation. At last, Fujimura himself rushes out to the mound and throws a demonstration ball that hits the catcher's mitt with a solid, satisfying "bishii!" The youngster Kotarou admires its speed; Fujimura replies that it only seemed fast because of the spirit he put into it. Kotarou pitches again, and the ball is hit—but Fujimura sees the spirit (kiai) in the ball, and as he predicts, it's an easy catch and an easy out.
Later, after the victorious game, the director notes that Kotarou's small stature meant the young man had needed real guts to survive in the professional league; and it was exactly this pluck and spirit that Fujimura had correctly seen and developed. Thus we leave the Tigers and Coach Fujimura Koushien, facing a promising future for their team.
Decent story, strong spirit, and memorable characters. All this is backed up by Mizushima Shinji's clear, powerful, and yet sensitive art style, a manga equivalent of a pitch with kiai. Once again, it's easy to see why Mizushima Shinji's works remain a benchmark of past and present baseball manga.

Selected Brief Updates:

INUYASHA
by Takahashi Rumiko

Overview: Kagome is a modern student teamed up with the strange boy Inuyasha in 15th or 16th century Japan, seeking to retrieve the fragments of the magical Shikon No Tama, and trying to stay one step ahead of the evil Naraku.
This issue: Wolf vs. Dog: Inuyasha (half demon-dog) is up against demon wolf-man Kouga whose packs have slaughtered innocent people (including the little girl who had been caring for Inuyasha's half-brother in a previous issue). After enduring plenty of "doggy" insults, Inuyasha goes after Kouga and attempts to use the true power of his sword. Kouga, however, senses danger, and turns tail and runs. But, having seen Kagome's unique sensory power, Kouga is planning to capture her and use her to his advantage....

JAJAUMA GROOMING UP!
by Yuki Masami

Overview: Although originally a city boy, young Kuze Shunpei has taken to working as a farm hand at the Watarai racing horse breeding farm; he also has taken to Watarai Hibiki, one of the Watarai daughters.
This issue: Daigo Satoru pays the Watarai farm a visit. Tazuna overhears his conversation with Abumi and thinks the two are planning a date, when in fact the two had been planning Shunpei and Hibiki's next date. Hibiki, who had been feeling under the weather, feels even worse after she hears about this. The next day, she and Shunpei still have no clear plans on where to go (she doesn't seem to like his idea of taking a bath together)....

GHOST SWEEPER MIKAMI GOKURAKU DAISAKUSEN!!
by Shiina Takashi

Overview: Mikami Reiko is a money-hungry, gorgeous female ghost buster, aided by her sex-starved and underpaid male assistant Yokoshima Tadao, as well as kind and gentle female ex-ghost O-kinu.
This issue: In the previous issue, Mikami and company barely defeat a nasty spirit which Mikami accidentally created when she helped build a heavily psychic amusement park attraction based on her ghost-busting job. This issue, the story focuses on what happened to magic fox-girl Tamamo during the same time. Having lost her VIP ticket, she turns herself into a younger-looking girl to be able to get a nice discount. In her attempt, she meets up with a melancholy boy named Matomo (the kanji can be read "direct/true friend"). The two wind up having fun, and Matomo insists on bringing Tamamo to the not-yet-open Mikami attraction. There, Tamamo is suddenly affected by the unusual psychic set up of the place...