Adabana (manga)

Adabana
Cover of the first volume
adabana -徒花-
GenreSuspense[1]
Manga
Written byNON
Published byShueisha
English publisher
MagazineGrand Jump
Original runMarch 18, 2020June 16, 2021
Volumes3

Adabana (adabana -徒花-; "Sterile Flower" or "Without Substance") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by NON. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Grand Jump from March 2020 to June 2021, with its chapters collected in three tankōbon volumes.

Plot

The mutilated body of Mako Igarashi, a high school student, is discovered in a rural town covered in snow. Following this, her classmate Mizuki Aikawa confessed to the crime. The subsequent investigation yielded two conflicting accounts of the events: one from the perspective of the confessed perpetrator, and another from the victim's perspective. Initially, official proceedings rely on Mizuki's testimony. However, evidence from six months prior, documented through Mako's experiences, presents a conflicting version of the incident's origins. This discrepancy becomes a central point of contention.

Both students came from severely dysfunctional families. Mizuki experienced intense academic pressure from her mother and came from a family with a history of suicide, including that of her older brother. Mako lived in poverty and was coerced into providing financial support to a relative. With no effective adult support systems in place, the two students became each other's sole means of emotional survival. Defense attorney Yutaka Tsuji and his associate Hayami undertake Mizuki's legal representation. Their investigation into the contradictory evidence, which culminated in a courtroom trial, is key to establish the truth behind the crime and the relationship between the two students.

Publication

Written and illustrated by NON, Adabana was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Grand Jump from March 18, 2020,[2] to June 16, 2021.[3] Shueisha collected its chapters in three tankōbon volumes, released from August 19, 2020,[4] to July 16, 2021.[5]

In February 2025, Dark Horse Comics announced that it had licensed the manga for English release in North America, with the first volume set to be released on September 2.[6][7]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 August 19, 2020[8]978-4-08-891634-7September 2, 2025[7]978-1-5067-4929-7
2 January 19, 2021[9]978-4-08-891772-6
3 July 16, 2021[5]978-4-08-892022-1

See also

References

  1. ^ 猟奇的な殺人事件、自首した少女が語るのは? 衝撃サスペンス『adabana―徒花―』. Da Vinci News (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. October 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  2. ^ 「ハレ婚。」のNONがGJで新連載、田舎町で暮らす少女を描くサスペンス. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 18, 2020. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  3. ^ 宇仁田ゆみがGJの読切で集英社初登場、水族館での男子高校生と年上女性の出会い描く. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 16, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  4. ^ 少女による凄惨な殺人に隠された秘密描く、NON「adabana-徒花-」上巻. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 19, 2020. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  5. ^ a b 【7月16日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 16, 2021. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  6. ^ Mateo, Alex (February 6, 2025). "Dark Horse Licenses Non's Adabana Mystery Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Adabana Volume 1 TPB". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  8. ^ 【8月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 19, 2020. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  9. ^ 【1月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 19, 2021. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.

Further reading