Kara Dennison
July 11, 2024 
Keiji doesn’t have time for love, kids, or friendship. He only has one goal: get revenge on the demon who killed his sister. Now, he roams Japan with his ex-girlfriend and his young protégé, fighting monsters and protecting the locals. Oh… and Keiji is a rooster. Hence the name of the manga in which he stars: Rooster Fighter.
Shu Sakuratani’s hard-boiled poultry-’em-up action comedy is now available to read on the VIZ website and app. And while it’s frankly ridiculous, it’s also one of our new favorite reads. Dive in with us, and learn all about the avian antihero burning up the web manga scene.
The Setting
Rooster Fighter takes place in an alternate present-day, in which the world is besieged by giant demonic beings. These demons are born from humans—specifically, intense human emotion. While most demons are big and scary, you’ll meet an occasional kindhearted one who just wants to live their life. By and large, though, these terrifying creatures are out for carnage.
Recently, more types of demons have emerged. Rather than the typical mythological red and blue kinds, demons of all colors are invading the land. This includes the White Demon, supposedly the only one of its kind. And it killed Keiji’s sister Sarah.
The Protagonist
Keiji, the star of Rooster Fighter, is your typical seinen manga star in many ways. He’s fixated on revenge. He’d rather not be tied down to one lady, engaging in a string of one-night stands. He roams from town to town, never settling in one place. He’s also a rooster, but he’s not about to let that stop him.
Armed with both unusual physical prowess and a supersonic crow, Keiji goes toe-to-toe with the demons plaguing Japan. He’ll also fight a sea turtle for some delicious sea urchins if the need arises. But as his adventures continue, he finds himself saddled with some unexpected allies.
Found Family
Early in Rooster Fighter, Keiji’s body count (not the demon one) eventually catches up to him. Elizabeth, a posh hen who mistook their night of romance for something more, has been following Keiji for quite some time now. And she’s uniquely equipped to help him on his mission. She’s mastered the human art of iPhone use, complete with a text-to-speech program allowing her to communicate with people. (She’s also mastered the use of a shock baton, mostly on Keiji.)
But she’s not the only one carrying a torch for Keiji. The runt Chicken Little, fostered by a soft-hearted yakuza, has also thrown in her lot with the mighty rooster. She sees herself as Elizabeth’s rival for Keiji’s affections, convinced she’ll grow up into an admirable chicken lady sooner rather than later. Though both elder chickens find Chicken Little a bit annoying at first, they can’t deny she has a huge heart and surprising strength for a chick of her size.
Intrigued? Hop on over to the Viz website and start reading Rooster Fighter now!
