A First Look At the New Release By the Authors of the Legend of Zelda Manga

The mangaka duo known as Akira Himekawa have been the artists behind the various manga versions of the iconic Legend of Zelda franchise for almost 25 years, and have been in the industry for over 30, in which time they have penned several manga series and carved out a reputation for themselves as masters of the fantasy genre.

In October 2024, a brand-new Akira Himekawa manga project titled Kamudo began its serialization; a fantasy adventure set in an idyllic world created by dragons that has been sustained for millions of years but now faces ruin. What can we expect from Akira Himekawa’s Kamudo?

Kamudo is available to read on the VIZ Media website.

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The Story of Kamudo

A Rich Fantasy Setting

The first thing one sees when reading Kamudo is a beautiful full-colour page image of a young man with a cloak standing at the edge of a cliff looking at an erupting volcano on the horizon with various other calamities taking place in the tumultuous ocean below. We can clearly see one of his arms is not quite human. Turn the page, and you’re greeted with a breathtaking double-page spread of the valiant-looking hero and a massive, ferocious-looking dragon as we learn that long ago, an archipelago stretching from North to South called Wa was ruled by various half-human, half-beast lifeforms called demi-beings before it was ruled by humans. The young man steps forward to engage the dragon and the narrator explains that Wa used to be a floating landmass, a “paradise in the sky” known as Hinoaruchi.

The prologue packs quite a punch as the colour, intensity of the art and the scene immediately draw in the reader, but the art style we get in this prologue is vastly different from the main story, which begins with more narration as Elder Gara of the demi-dragon utopia known as Ryujinkyō tells the story of the origin of the world to a group of young demi-dragons. In the beginning, the primordial world was a milky mist that God spun into a frenzy with his finger, which parted heaven and earth. From the lines he drew, two pillars emerged which he fashioned into a gateway through which Prana; the breath of God, could pass. The gate was called Kamudo, and the Prana that went through it created the first dragon, whose undulating movements created a spiraling flow of energy that spread across the world. Each time Prana passed through the Kamudo, it would throb like a heartbeat, something they called the Dragon’s Pulse – the source of all life that resides in everything. This also serves as an introduction to what will likely be the power system should it be expanded upon, as we see how daily life in Ryujinkyo is powered by Pulse and how it can be harnessed through rune-like engravings and drawings that can enchant items.

An Engrossing Start to the Series

The Art of Kamudo is Impeccable

The reason for the first chapter being split into two parts is to enable the first to focus on laying down the basic foundations of the lore, and introducing us to the way Hinoaruchi used to be when it was ruled by the demi-beings. The focus is the demi-dragon domain, Ryujinkyō, which is at the northernmost tip of the landmass and built on top of a giant “Pulse Tree”. Ryujinkyō is seen by most as a utopia, and spirits are high as they are about to celebrate new life with the Festival of the Newborn Winds, which takes place once every two “cycles” (years?) and will see festivities continue non-stop for ten days and ten nights. Himekawa’s use of exposition to set out the basic structure of the world comes together with an art style that reflects the fantastical setting brilliantly, makes it very easy to become engrossed with the happenings, and it is surprisingly easy to keep track of who is who because of the vastness of the demi-dragon designs.

Each panel is rich with detail and there are several pages that stand out for the way they are able to communicate the fantastical, magical construction of the world. After telling the children the story of the world’s creation, Elder Gara goes into “Dreamstate”, in which he receives visions and is able to communicate directly with the immortal first dragon, Lady Ryusui, who is the overseer of the Kamudo and has sustained life for aeons. She tells Gara the ominous news of her incoming demise, and tells him to look out for a sign. The first half of chapter 1 is thus used to present the lore, and introduce the world, while the second half focuses on the festival itself and the metaphysical problems that could arise because of Ryusui’s death.

Promising Character Writing

Characters Are Introduced With Intention

Towards the end of chapter 1.1, we are introduced to Shiguru, a travelling demi-wolf traumatized by the kidnapping of their son Kugui by demi-monkey bandits. Shiguru is recognized by the young demi-dragon girl Lyseri and is often in Ryujinkyo, so they walk around the festival for a while before going to the birthing chambers where new demi-dragons will be hatching soon, including the great-grandchild of the Elder. Shiguru’s travels have made them quite wise, and as they walk about, they encounter a demi-monkey child causing a stir, which may be evidence that the utopia is not a universal one, describing the child as one of the “Landless”; people who resent Ryujinkyō. This sets up the greater world beyond the part inhabited by the demi-dragons, and questions about the politics of Hinoaruchi. However, the build-up to the climax of the introductory chapter is paid off very well as a demi-leopard attempts to steal the final unhatched egg of the bunch – the unhatched egg being described as either the harbinger of either great misfortune or great calamity. It appears that dragon eggs fetch a mighty price – enough for one to “buy an entire country”, particularly one that is the descendant of the chief of the demi-dragons himself.

A brief fight ensues as Shiguru wrestles the egg back from the stranger and is lucky enough to watch it hatch safely. From it emerged a strange-looking baby with a draconic arm but otherwise human characteristics – something that had never been seen before. The chief takes this as the sign Lady Ryusui was talking about, and names the child Kamuna, meaning “child of god”, and we are thus presented with the series protagonist’s incredible origin as the very first human – a sign of the end of an age that has persisted for millions of years. Kamuna’s actual adventure begins in the second chapter, which skips a few years into his childhood. With its amazing art, interesting setting and approach to worldbuilding, Kamudo is definitely worth reading for fans of high fantasy.

Kamudo is available to read on VIZ Media’s website.