Refreshingly dark new Shonen Jump title “Dear Anemone” deals with Darwin’s Law and evolution

Dear Anemone is the latest manga being serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. It made its debut in the magazine on February 19, causing a lot of excitement for its high-level art and unexpectedly dark plot and worldbuilding. 

Dear Anemone is a horror action manga that deals with themes such as evolution, mutation and Darwin’s Law, even featuring elements of gore and body horror. While Shonen Jump has serialized some manga titles with darker elements such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, Dear Anemone by Rin Matsui seems to take things to another level, both in visuals and in concept, making it a highly anticipated title among Japanese readers. 

The story of Dear Anemone is set on the Galapagos Islands, which have become a lawless zone beyond human control due to a mysterious toxic explosion that took place 10 years ago. The protagonist is a young boy enlisted in a 15-person expedition to research the islands. Once on the islands, the expedition encounters and is hunted by grotesquely mutated lifeforms, trapping them in a survival of the fittest situation. 

Although still at chapter one, many users already see something revolutionary in Dark Anemone, particularly in respect to how it stands out from typical Weekly Shonen Jump titles. Many have compared it to the acclaimed Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, although it seems to lean towards science fiction more than fantasy. 

Dear Anemone’s official English version is available on Manga Plus.