Last week we sadly lost two influential mangaka whose works have become cultural institutions. Kazuhiko Kato, more popularly known by his pen name Monkey Punch, and Kazuo Koike have both passed away due to pneumonia. It’s bittersweet that Koike’s final tweets were reminiscing on his friend and rival, as both of their iconic series competed for popularity in Weekly Manga Action over nearly 50 years ago. His very last internet words were “I’m really going to miss him,” and we at Manga Mavericks feel the same about both creators. Lupin the Third is a franchise we both adore and one that has endured and entertained generations. Many of Koike’s works, including Lone Wolf and Cub, are absolute classics, and his legacy and influence on the medium can be seen through the numerous talents he helped nurture like Rumiko Takahashi and Tetsuo Hara, among many others. Both creators’ influence extend beyond manga, having even influence film directors abroad like Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino through film adaptations of their works. So while we mourn their passing, we also find solace that their life’s work and legacy will continue to live on. Though we’d like to spend more time eulogizing them, there’s been a lot of other news in the manga world we need to talk about. There’re new series, new licenses, and exciting opportunities for aspiring mangaka to break-in to the industry! Plus, we’ve got two new Jump Starts to talk about! Or, rather, “Manga Plus Starts” since they’re exclusive to that service. Did Heart Gear and Spy x Family soote our broken hearts, or are they series we’d rather exclude from the Manga Plus family? Listen in and find out! Look forward to next week’s podcast where we answer all your We Never Learn Q&As AND make an exciting announcement! What could it be? You’ll have to listen and see! PODCAST BREAKDOWN News: Manga Plus Reviews: Community Shout-Outs: Enjoy the show, and follow us on twitter at @manga_mavericks, on tumblr at mangamavericks.tumblr.com, and now on Youtube! You can also follow the hosts at @sniperking323 and @lumranmayasha. If you’d like to help support the show financially you can donate to Colton’s Ko-fi here and LumRanmaYasha’s Ko-fi here. Don’t forget to also like and subscribe to us on Youtube and iTunes and leave us reviews to help us curate the show and create better content!