is a manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 by Yamanaka Akira. It ran in the shōnen

Shonen

The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...

 magazine, Comic Bom Bom

Comic Bom Bom

was a monthly Japanese manga magazine published by Kodansha and targeted at elementary school boys. Each issue had 700+ pages, with 80 of them being full-color advertisements. Similar to its rival CoroCoro Comic, it featured tie-ins with game makers and toy makers but toward the end of its run had...

, from November 9, 2004 to May 11, 2005. The manga is in no way connected to Ryoichi Ikegami

Ryoichi Ikegami

is a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005...

's Spider-Man: The Manga

Spider-Man: The Manga

Spider-Man: The Manga is a Japanese manga illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami which retold the story of Spider-Man in a Japanese setting. It was originally published in Japan from January 1970 to September 1971 in Monthly Shōnen Magazine....

.

Plot

In the year 200X, a supervillain who goes by the name Lord Gokibu wants to steal the fossil of the Insect King, 15 year-old Sho Amano uses his new spider powers to become Spider-Man J, to prevent this from happening. During his time as a superhero, he meets Japanese versions of Elektra

Elektra (comics)

Elektra Natchios, usually referred to only by her first name Elektra, is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.Elektra is a kunoichi – female ninja assassin – of Greek descent. She wields a pair of bladed sai as her trademark weapon. She is a love interest of the superhero...

, Dr. Doom, Blade

Blade (comics)

Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...

, and the Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...

.

Characters

is a 15 year old boy with the paranormal abilities of a spider. He keeps his identity as Spider-Man J a secret, fearing his family or friends might get hurt. The only person who knows Sho is Spider-Man J is Detective Makoto. He specializes in a number of weapons that he creates using his web-shooters. He is shy and clumsy, and barely has any friends. He has 3 pets, a cat named Leo a dog named Par and a bird named Don, a nod to Toei

Toei Animation

Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...

's Spider-Man Show, where Spider-Man

Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

 had a giant robot named Leopardon. In the English version, he is known as Peter Parker.

is a detective who became a cop because he wanted to protect people. He has a goofy sense of humor, but has a good heart and believes in justice. In the English version, he is known as Detective Flynn.

is Sho's young, happy go-lucky aunt. She loves Sho like he is her own son, and is overprotective of him. She owns her own dress shop. She is quite relaxed, and is known for her spicy curry. In the English version, she is known as Aunt May

Aunt May

May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...

.

is Sho Amano's classmate and girlfriend. She is a tomboy

Tomboy

A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...

, and is very careful for everyone, especially Sho, whom she is madly in love with. In the English version, she is known as Mary Jane Watson

Mary Jane Watson

Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...

.

is Sho's classmate and friend. He is a fan of Spider-Man J and Comic Bom Bom, judgeing by his shirt that reads "Bom". In the English version, he is known as Harold Osborn

Harry Osborn

Harry Osborn is a fictional character, a supporting character of Spider-Man in the . In addition to being Peter Parker's best friend, Harry was the second Green Goblin and is the son of Norman Osborn...

.

is the main villain of the manga. Not much is known about him, or his past. In the English version, he is known as Lord Beastius.

Reception

When the manga came out in Japan, it enjoyed a loyal fanbase of otaku

Otaku

is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...

s. However, the response from American fans was mixed, some positive, some negative.

Publishing

The manga was translated into English in Spider-Man Family, starting in issue 1, volume 2. and has been released also in 2 English sized tankōbon

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

, called "Digests

Digest size

Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...

" by Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

. The first volume was called "Japanese Knights" and the second was called "Japanese Daze".