Kara Dennison
February 21, 2024 
This week, Dear Anemone slithered its way into the pages of Shonen Jump. Penned by Rin Matsui, the manga takes readers to the Galapagos Islands in its first chapter: the home of evolution. But the truth of that reputation is more terrifying than anyone could ever have guessed, as the plants of this island seem to have evolutionary tactics beyond what even Darwin predicted. And we can’t help but notice a theme in recent manga.
Terrifying plant life isn’t just for The Last of Us, it seems. Feral fauna are all over the manga page and wending their way into the world of anime. So it seems that Matsui’s new title is in excellent company. Hungry for more? Here are some more to check out if the first chapter tickled your fancy… plus where you can read them, if you dare.
Hell’s Paradise
Yuji Kaku’s Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku has a lot going on in it from the get-go. A variety of religions meshing into one strange mythology, a family of executioners, and a love story from the point of view of an unkillable killing machine… in other words, it’s a dense tale. But, like Dear Anemone, things really kick off when our “heroes” reach an island of strange plant life. And, much like the newer manga, what at first looks like paradise could very well rip visitors apart.
The goal is simple, but not easy: find the secret of immortality and bring it home. Of course, to do that, you can’t slip your executioner’s sight or you’ll be executed. But death at the end of a Yamada sword would be a blessing compared to what the island’s plant life can do to a person. The plant zombie that returned to Japan is tame compared to the otherworldly beings Gabimaru must face if he wants to see his wife again. Want to see this one in action? Check out the anime adaptation!
Wild Strawberry
In Dear Anemone, at least for now, the strange plant life of the story is limited to one set of islands. For the characters in Wild Strawberry, rabid plant life is… well, a fact of life. These sentient plants feed on humans, turning them into zombies known as Jinka. While they are generally believed to be hostile without exception, Kingo’s adoptive sister Kayano doesn’t seem the same. When disaster strikes, the siblings become one: and now Kingo is inhabited by his Jinka sister.
The deeper Wild Strawberry goes, though, the deeper the mystery goes. Where did the Jinka come from? Why do they even exist in the first place? Is Kayano a one-in-a-million exception, or is there more to this story than meets the eye? As Kingo finds himself enlisted into the Flower Funeral Force, fighting human-hungry Jinka, he’ll learn more about his more situation and the state of the world.
Fool Night
In Dear Anemone and the other titles so far, becoming one with a plant isn’t exactly a choice. But in Fool Night, it’s often the only choice: on a dark and dying Earth, terminal patients consent to be implanted with a parasitic plant that will turn them into an oxygen source upon their passing. There’s also a massive financial payout, which doesn’t hurt. And Kamiya, at the end of his tether, bends the rules to get this surgery.
But what follows is unprecedented. Kamiya gains the ability to speak to other once-human plants. This comes in handy when finding passed-on family members, tracking a killer, and getting to the bottom of an exploitative ring of furniture makers. What else will he find in the time he has left? Start reading and find out!
Start reading Dear Anemone for free now!
