Although manga is often considered entertainment, most major Japanese publishers understand the value of the genre for education, especially history. One of the most famous educational manga series is Manga Gakushu: Sekai no Rekishi (Educational Manga: World History) by Shueisha. First released in 1986, the series was updated in 2002 with each volume featuring a new cover drawn by a different manga artist. The series is currently getting another update and the featured manga artist this time is none other than Hirohiko Araki of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Image via twitter.com

©荒木飛呂彦・集英社

The X account (formerly Twitter) of publisher Shueisha Jidōsho (Children's Books) announced the latest edition on April 23. The post previews the new edition's art of five historical figures (Muhammad Akbar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ramesses II, Elizabeth I and Mahatma Gandhi) and the cover of volume 10 of Araki.

[情報解禁!】ようやくお伝えできます。
集英社版『学習まんが　世界の歴史』(全18巻)が22年ぶりに全面リニューアルして2024年10月４日に発売になります!
表紙は、荒木飛呂彦をはじめ集英社で活躍するảnh. twitter.com/u48l2gg8Yh

— 集英社 児童書編集部（公式) (@sueishajidosho) Ngày 23 tháng 4 năm 2024

[Lệnh cấm vận được dỡ bỏ!] We can finally tell you.
Shueisha's Educational Manga: History of the World (18 volumes total) has been fully renewed for the first time in 22 years for release on October 4, 2024!
The covers feature illustrations of important historical figures drawn specifically for this series by manga artists active at Shueisha, including Hirohiko Araki.

This is the first educational manga about World History published with the latest curriculum guide!

https://kids.shueisha.co.jp/sekaishi/

The lineup of Shueisha manga authors besides Araki is also quite impressive. According to Shueisha's homepage, the authors providing cover art are:

Episode 1: Yasuhisa Hara (Kingdom) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©原泰久・集英社

Episode 2: Hiroyuki Asada (I will [Giỏ thế hệ]Tegami Bachi) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©浅田弘幸・集英社

Episode 3: Kōhei Horikoshi (My Hero AcadeKaren) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©堀越耕平・集英社

Episode 4: Kozueko Morimoto (Gokusen, Ashi-Girl) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©森本梢子・集英社

Episode 5: Yūki Tabata (Black Clover) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©田畠裕基・集英社

Volume 6: Fusako Kuramochi (Itsumo Pocket ni Chopin, Tennen Kokekko) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©くらもちふさこ・集英社

Episode 7: Posuka Demizu (The Promised Neverland) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©出水ぽすか・集英社

Episode 8: Io Sakisaka (Ao Haru Ride, Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©咲坂伊緒・集英社

Episode 9: Hikaru Miyoshi (Moriarty the Patriot) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©三好輝・集英社

Episode 10: Hirohiko Araki (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©荒木飛呂彦・集英社

Episode 11: Yūsei Matsui (Assassination Classroom, Elusive Samurai) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©松井優征・集英社

Episode 12: Masanori Morita (Rookie) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©森田まさのり・集英社

Episode 13: Satoru Noda (Golden Kamuy) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©野田サトル・集英社

Episode 14: Shin'ichi Sakamoto (Innocent) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©坂本眞一・集英社

Episode 15: Tatsuya Endō (SPY x FAMILY) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©遠藤達哉・集英社

Episode 16: Shin'ichi Sakamoto Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©坂本眞一・集英社

Episode 17: Mari Yamazaki (Thermae Romae) Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©ヤマザキマリ・集英社

Episode 18: Posuka Demizu Image via kids.shueisha.co.jp

©出水ぽすか・集英社

This is an amazing team of artists and each one captures the essence of the historical figures. For example, Noda's illustration of Vladimir Lennon documents the socialist movement in Russia in the late 1910s, and Endo's artwork of Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler evokes the struggles of World War II. So the manga's theme and author are quite suitable.

A little bit about educational Manga

For a long time, parents in Japan often advised children to read comic books for fear that they would be less intelligent. However, authors and publishers saw the potential of manga as an educational material. These include your historical novels like Tezuka Osamu's Buddha, Riyoko Ikeda's The Rose of Versailles or, more recently, Noda's Golden Kamuy. However, these series fall into the edutainment genre — having certain educational value but designed to entertain.

So what is educational manga? These are manga made by committee with the express purpose of supplementing children's education. Granted, there are elements of fiction in the stories presented, but they were developed with the attention of scholars and leaders in the field of research. Additionally, some educational manga also have a question and answer section after each chapter, like a traditional textbook, to help readers understand the content. So, while classified as manga in most major bookstores in Japan, educational manga also falls into limbo as far as educational materials are concerned. Therefore, you will likely see them mixed with other educational supplements or study guides.

This was neither the first nor the last time manga writers at Shueisha created covers for the publisher. Educational manga, especially for Araki. However, considering his age, we might just know a few more things from him. The Gakushu Manga: Sekai no Rekishi series will go on sale on October 4. Each individual volume will cost 1,100 yen and the complete set will be 19,800 yen (about $7 and $128, respectively). Pre-orders are available, however there is no information on where to pre-order the book. Shueisha's previous educational manga was available on Amazon Japan, so it's likely that the latest version will be available there as well. So if you love manga and are a history buff, check out the series when it releases.

Source: Shueisha website, Shueisha Jidosho X/Twitter accountMantan Web