Kara Dennison
March 8, 2024 
Back in 2022, Masaoki Shindo’s charming new manga RuriDragon started… and then almost immediately went on hiatus. Fortunately, it’s back! And the good thing about the short backlog is that you can get caught up in one sitting and be up-to-date.
With the unconventional high school coming-of-age series back in the pages of Shonen Jump, it’s a great time to pick it up. Here’s everything you need to know to get started: where and when to read, what it’s about, and what to expect.
The Beginning
As mentioned, RuriDragon began its run in June 2022, debuting in Weekly Shonen Jump. After a strong start, sadly the manga had to go on an indefinite hiatus starting just two months later. This was due to series creator Shindo’s health. In October of the same year, the issues that had come out so far were collected into a single volume.
Fortunately for everyone, it was announced on February 21 that the manga would be returning. And return it has, with its newest chapter running in WSJ on March 4. Five chapters total will run in the magazine on a weekly basis. Then, starting April 22, the manga will switch to the Jump+ web manga service, shifting to a biweekly schedule. It’s a great way to herald the manga’s return and to drum audience support back up before it settles into its new home. Readers worldwide can enjoy it via the Shonen Jump app.
The Story
Life is weird enough when you’re a teenager. But in RuriDragon, Ruri Aoki has especially unconventional problems. She wakes up one morning to discover that she has horns growing out of her head. Her mom seems unfazed… perhaps because she’s known all along that Ruri’s dad is a dragon, meaning Ruri herself is half-dragon. And so, life goes on.
But what exactly does that mean? For Ruri, it means unexpected attention, but not of the kind she anticipated. As she acclimates to her half-dragon abilities, from controlling her fire breath to suddenly being able to channel electricity, she also adapts to a new social life. In some ways, it’s good. In others, it’s surprisingly painful. And not just the whole thing about coughing up blood after breathing fire for the first time.
Coming of Age
One of the reasons RuriDragon is so endearing is its treatment of fantastical elements in an otherwise normal setting. Sure, Ruri is dealing with becoming a mythical beast a bit at a time. But most of her problems are social. Will the guy who sits in front of her be mad because she singed his hair? Are her peers’ jokes about her being a bioweapon cruel or playful? And what about the girl who seems to hate her solely for her half-dragon nature?
Entering adolescence is a difficult time, as our bodies and minds change and we work to figure ourselves out. RuriDragon depicts this in an over-the-top way, but also uses the opportunity to show great ways to be supportive. Ruri’s mother gets ahead of the curve, giving her classmates information on how to support her and teaching Ruri to control her fire breath. Most of her classmates make space for her, giving her room to become comfortable with her new self. It’s quite possibly the most relatable “slowly becoming a dragon” manga we’ve ever seen. And we’re so happy it’s back.
Looking for more manga? Read these stories about paranormal plants!
