A Farewell to Beelzebub

Note: this article is spoiler free, focusing more on the series’ influence than its story.

As a hardcore Catholic, it’s difficult to explain my love for a series called Beelzebub. I’ve read manga before featuring fictionalized versions of my religious beliefs, but I’ve never encountered one that blatantly featured a rather tense subject matter in its title. However, the genius of its comedy made me instantly disconnect it from any controversy. I had no problem getting into the gag manga, which has recently ended its 240 chapter run in Shonen Jump magazine. It’s been one of the few manga in my life that I started reading when it was first serialized. Nearly six years later, I’m sad to see it go, especially on such short notice.

Truth be told, it’s not hard to see why it left so abruptly. Anyone who has read Bakuman, a manga about publishing manga, would know that comedy series tend not to do so well in Shonen magazines. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is an obvious example that comes to mind. The series lasted only 230 chapters (303 if you count its sequel) and, like Beelzebub, is beloved by comedy fans. Despite their huge fan bases, the series came nowhere close to the length of some of the great Shonen mangas of the past decade. It would be unfair to say they weren’t successes in their own rights, but they certainly won’t be remembered as epics.

Beelzebub wasn’t a perfect manga by any means, but I don’t think it was its critical faults that sent it packing. After all, Naruto has some of the most atrocious week by week writing I’ve seen lately, but it keeps getting voted high up in popularity and is showered in promotions and revenue. No, I think it’s because Beelzebub lacked an American audience.

One of the things Bakuman never touched on was the influence of the United States on Japanese manga. It’s likely the only thing that keeps Bleach alive and running today and a huge part as to why Naruto is so heavily endorsed. Beelzebub never got this push because, unlike Bleach and Naruto, it has no official English translation.

Here at Our Inked Obsession, we try to promote supporting publishers like Viz Media by either buying physical manga or supporting legal online readers like Shonen Jump Alpha. But that’s impossible for Beelzebub. There is no legal way for an English speaking person to enjoy the series. The most obvious reason that comes to mind as to why it’s not seen on store shelves is a cultural one. The title character, Beel, is a naked baby whose genitals are seen throughout the entire series. For Japan, child nudity isn’t seen as taboo, much like seeing a real naked baby here in the States. This isn’t a new conflict. It’s the same reason Dragonball was banned in American schools and libraries, for featuring a comedic scene where child Goku is fully naked.

Now that the series is completed, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see an English publication. It’s sad that the only way I can recommend the series is through scanlations, because it does deserve the support. It’s been rough for comedy manga outside of Japan. Bobobo only had a one shot volume and five random volumes from midway through its series with heinous misprints. Assassination Classroom, a very popular series going on now, is not seeing any signs of publication either (likely due to the overarching, albeit satirical, plot of a classroom of students trying to kill their octopus alien teacher). It’s a sad time for comedy manga and it doesn’t look like it’s getting better anytime soon.

Overall, I’d give Beelzebub a read if you like comedy. It’s got some great action sequences for die hard Shonen lovers and a cute romantic subplot. Of course, as is typical for most of my blog entries, I can’t go without commending its treatment of female characters as genuinely funny and interesting. It feels a bit rushed in the end, though that’s understandable, given that mangaka, Ryūhei Tamura, was likely pushed to finish it quickly.

It’s sad to see it go, but a new spin off is coming in May, 2014. It’ll be exciting to see what’s in store for the Beelzebub universe, but I wouldn’t expect anything unlike the sequel to Bobobo. We’re likely to have about 70 chapters before it’s cancelled. Still, only time will tell and I am eager to see what happens next.