Kara Dennison
December 8, 2023 
Earlier this week, Shonen Jump debuted Shadow Eliminators: a fresh new manga series that combines paranormal conflict with high school “odd couple” antics. In its first chapters, the manga introduces its unlikely heroes and gives us a taste of its haunted world.
You can read the first chapter right now, and keep up with it week to week if you’re a Shonen Jump app subscriber. As you wade in, here’s everything you need to know about this new title!
One-Shot Wonder
Shadow Eliminators comes to us from Kento Amemiya. Regular Shonen Jump readers may recognize that name from last year’s one-shot Shikigami. As with his previous title, this new one brings gorgeous art and paranormal elements to the table. So if those were both a draw for you in Shikigami, this one’s also worth checking out.
But if you’re completely new to Amemiya’s work, you’re probably not alone. Hopefully, we’ll have a decent amount of time to learn more about his art and storytelling as this new series takes off. And speaking of story… what’s going on here?
Schoolyard Spirits
As one might expect from a manga in this mag, Shadow Eliminators takes place in a high school. Our two protagonists are from two different worlds—literally and metaphorically. Yayoi Asakaze is the Vice-Chairman of the school’s Public Morals Committee. He’s so by-the-book that even the school’s own operations pale in comparison. And then he meets Aoba Kuromori, a carefree exchange student who can’t seem to walk five feet without breaking a rule.
As Yayoi attempts to keep Aoba in line, the former stumbles upon the latter’s big secret. Aoba and his grandmother are engaged in a war against Kasane: evil spirits that latch on to negative emotions. And now Yayoi finds himself embroiled in this otherworldly battle.
Opposites Attract
While Yayoi and Aoba seem to have very little in common, Shadow Eliminators hints that the two are more alike than one might think. Both are driven by a strong sense of justice. We even see a flashback to Yayoi’s childhood, explaining why he’s so rigid about such little things. He enforces rules for the same reason Aoba flouts them: out of a deep desire to do the right thing and help others.
As this first chapter ends, we see them joining forces to combat the Kasane threat. How well will they work together? What new skills will Yayoi learn? And what’s the deal with Aoba’s ghostly handcuffs? All these things wait in the wings, potentially to be discovered in later chapters.
Start reading Shadow Eliminators!
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