Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 6, 2011

Posted under

News

Comments

46 Comments

Essay on Gouhou Drug’s return

This is a historical day for CLAMP fans. Specially those who have been waiting for this moment for 8 years now.

I’ve been hoping to be able to post about “the return of Gouhou Drug” since the series went on hiatus in 2003. We’ve had many hints that the manga would resume, and we had some false alarms too, but the timing was perfect: CLAMP had only 1 series, their Kadokawa series (Kobato.) came to an end and Nekoi didn’t have any series in which she worked as a primary artist.

I wasn’t at home when I saw the news, and I didn’t have any computer near me, I posted the news with my mobile so I had to be short, but I couldn’t wait to post it.

So first, let me give some more details about Gouhou Drug’s return.

It will be resumed on November 4, in the December issue of Young Ace magazine.

To promote the new series, Kadokawa is launching a campaign along with Kobato. Details are on this month’s Newtype magazine (but it’s not possible to read all the details from the leaked scan).

As part of the promotion, the previous 3 volumes of Gouhou Drug will be re-released with new covers starting on October 3.

New covers? Will volume 4 and on use the same cover design as these new covers? But I liked so much the design of the “old” cover =(

Young Ace is a shounen magazine, but we know that the magazine has never been such an issue for CLAMP (XXXHOLiC and Tsubasa were not exactly the typical shounen series and yet they both ran in Shounen magazines). CLAMP works cross genders so I’m expecting CLAMP will not change Gouhou Drug’s essence just because of its magazine.

Also, although Newtype is advertising the comeback as a “new series”, I don’t think it will be a new story from scratch. I think it will continue from where it left off, which is why they are throwing this campaign and re-releasing the previous volumes. They probably chose to use this term “new series” because it’s been a real long time since the last chapter was published and the resume will happen in a different magazine. I could be wrong, of course, but that’s what I think.

I am so happy with this news, so so happy I can’t put into words! I hope people who were losing faith in CLAMP will be happy about this and will join us to read the continuation of Gouhou Drug. This has raised my hopes for X and CLOVER, too.

I dedicate this and my previous post to starsdust, for being the one Gouhou Drug fan in my mind (I TOLD YOU I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU THIS NEWS!!!!!).

PS: I think Nekoi has lost a little her touch to draw Rikou. I’ve been noticing this for some time now looking at the doodles she posts in CLAMP’s official website, and now looking this new promotional drawing, Rikuou looks younger somehow, he looks like Doumeki. Nekoi has 3 months to sharp his design xD

Advertisement

46 thoughts on “Essay on Gouhou Drug’s return”

  1. I think it means more “new serialization” than “new series”. Also I don’t think that GD is so developed yet that a retelling is needed if they want to change the style of the story.

    Also, I don’t know if I want X to continue; lately I have been quite dissapointed with Clamp endings, and I fear a bit what they may do with X…

    Like

    Reply

    • Also, I don’t know if I want X to continue; lately I have been quite dissapointed with Clamp endings, and I fear a bit what they may do with X…

      This. Even though I’m extremely happy to see them resuming one of the unfinished series, I’m also extremely wary if they’ll be able to deliver.

      Like

      Reply

  2. I am so happy with this news, so so happy I can’t put into words! I hope people who were losing faith in CLAMP will be happy about this and will join us to read the continuation of Gouhou Drug. This has raised my hopes for X and CLOVER, too.

    Ditto so much on that last sentence. Just now, I said to my brother “SHOCK-GASP! Legal Drug is back! I’m stunned.” And he just said, “I know! They should be bringing back X!”

    Like

    Reply

  3. Li pouco de Gohou Drug, mas gostei bastante. Principalmente pela atmosfera parecidíssima com a de Holic. E o carinha que eu esqueci o nome, pela pose e o olho, tá lembrando bastante o Watanuki, assim como o Rikou tá lembrando o Doumeki.

    Eu esperava uma série nova, mas fico feliz pelos fãs – que sempre são muitos nos comentários de qualquer notícia do Clamp em sites de anime – que vão voltar a ler uma série que gostavam tanto.

    Like

    Reply

      • I just want to know more about it, this series was the least evolved of their unfinished works after yumegari (also an excellent premise) and honestly you can conjecture that X ends with Kamui saving the world anyway seeing as it is set in the past of the world xxxHolic is set in, no?) and I want to red about Rikuo and Kazehaya cause I loved their weird awkward relationship. It was really a precursor to Wata/Dou and Kuro/Fai.

        Like

        Reply

  5. I don’t know if Nekoi so much ‘lost touch’ drawing Rikuo. I think its more likely that her art style has evolved. She’s been drawing xxxholic almost exclusively for many, many years so its bound to change. I’m totally okay with that. Plus Rikuo is only 17 anyway so I think looking younger suits him.

    Like

    Reply

  6. You missed and S when typing my username! XD But thanks!!! T_T

    Ahhh, so happy T___T But I’m a bit scared about the magazine being seinen, I also hope that they won’t change the essence of GD. I like it the way it is, and I’ve been waiting for so long…

    Like

    Reply

  9. Yay ^-^. I agree with you that those old covers for Legal drug are awesome (but I’m sure they will do a good work with the new ones), and I too think that Nekoi draws Rikuo a bit weird. Maybe she just changed her design? If that’s so, then it will take me awhile to get used to it >.

    Like

    Reply

  12. I just literally keysmashed in you ;A;
    Such a good news, I’ve been waiting for this series to continue for forever and now it’s true. It makes me so happy! :DD

    Thank you for sharing the news!

    Like

    Reply

  13. I’m a bit surprise Gouhou Drug wasn’t really a success, i thought they were going to continue X … about the covers i don’t really like them they look a bit weird and fishy, so i guess Nekoi is going to change them to make them more “salable”
    sorry if i made any mistake but i’m french ^^

    Like

    Reply

  16. This’ll be interesting. I read all the stuff till now and am on the fence on still reading it; on one hand, the storyline itself is VERY much my style. On the other had…I can barely stand the yaoi… =.=

    I’ll wait for the continuation and read and see what’ll happen.

    Like

    Reply

  18. I am so excited about this, I started foaming at the mouth a little.

    CLAMP, help me restore my faith in you! …And for the love of God, please don’t fuck up the ending this time, okay?! >____

    Like

    Reply

  21. > This is a historical day for CLAMP fans. Specially those who have been waiting for this moment for 8 years now.

    Indeed, althought we knew chances were high for Gouhou Drug to get a new chance, better than X or Clover, it’s nice to finally see the confirmation.

    > To promote the new series, Kadokawa is launching a campaign along with Kobato. Details are on this month’s Newtype magazine (but it’s not possible to read all the details from the leaked scan).

    Which get my feeling we’ll see Kobato even stronger.

    > New covers? Will volume 4 and on use the same cover design as these new covers? But I liked so much the design of the “old” cover =(

    Me too! >. Young Ace is a shounen magazine, but we know that the magazine has never been such an issue for CLAMP (XXXHOLiC and Tsubasa were not exactly the typical shounen series and yet they both ran in Shounen magazines). CLAMP works cross genders so I’m expecting CLAMP will not change Gouhou Drug’s essence just because of its magazine.

    On the contrary, I’m expecting a change of tone, Gouhou Drug always change tone when it change magazine. In the Mystery DX, it was case solving oriented. In the Shoujo Teikaku, the gay stuff took more emphasis. In the Asuka it was all school manga drama. I don’t know what to expect from the Shounen Ace influence, but I expect a new light from the series.

    > Also, although Newtype is advertising the comeback as a “new series”, I don’t think it will be a new story from scratch.

    There’s no point in rereleasing the first three if it’s not a continuation.

    > They probably chose to use this term “new series” because it’s been a real long time since the last chapter was published and the resume will happen in a different magazine. I could be wrong, of course, but that’s what I think.

    We’ll be two to be wrong in this case.

    > I am so happy with this news, so so happy I can’t put into words! I hope people who were losing faith in CLAMP will be happy about this and will join us to read the continuation of Gouhou Drug. This has raised my hopes for X and CLOVER, too.

    It will mainly depend on the ending. To be honest, Tsubasa, xxxHolic and Kobato ending suck, too rushed, not conclusive enough and that’s all we got since Angelic Layer (2001) and Chobits (2002). The excellent ending of Rg Veda, Magic Knight Rayearth or Card Captor Sakura are long forgotten and most of the actual Clamp fans didn’t read these series a book at a time, they just rush into the series without having to wait to get the next chapter.

    > This has raised my hopes for X and CLOVER, too.

    Me too, like I said in another post, it’s the first time since 1993 that they haven’t published anything for Kodansha for more than three months, I’m sure they are working on their next Kodansha project. Also, maybe Blood+C drain more Clamp ressource that we imagine and that they will take another series when they will be done with their anime project this fall. I may be no coincidence that Gouhou Drug is starting in November.

    >I think Nekoi has lost a little her touch to draw Rikou. I’ve been noticing this for some time now looking at the doodles she posts in CLAMP’s official website, and now looking this new promotional drawing, Rikuou looks younger somehow, he looks like Doumeki. Nekoi has 3 months to sharp his design xD

    I noticed too, his face is less long that it used to, his eyes, nose and month are too big. ^^;
    Anyway, it’s been 8 years since Nekoi hasn’t draw Gouhou Drug, and she draw a lot in xxxHolic in the meanwhile, I expect use improovement in her drawing.

    Like

    Reply

    • On the contrary, I’m expecting a change of tone, Gouhou Drug always change tone when it change magazine. In the Mystery DX, it was case solving oriented. In the Shoujo Teikaku, the gay stuff took more emphasis. In the Asuka it was all school manga drama. I don’t know what to expect from the Shounen Ace influence, but I expect a new light from the series.

      You have a fair point there, but all three “changes”, we could still relate to Gouhou Drug. It wasn’t such drastic changes that would make us think “What is this manga I’m reading?”.

      I also think that Kodansha is CRAZILY asking CLAMP to draw another series for them. It’s just a matter of time.

      Like

      Reply

      • The Asuka change was quite drastic in fact, but it seems it’s more related to the new direction Ohkawa was giving to the story that the change of magazine. But still, a tankoubon long story with no almost Midori drugstore was quite a shock to me. o.O

        Anyway, I have been wondering since the end of Tsubasa in which magazine they could resume the serialisation among the Kadokawa title, the only shoujo left are Asuka and Ciel. Asuka was not an option and Ciel migh be pushing the gay joke a bit too far. ^^; I would never have guessed they would be placed in a seinen magazine, my bet was for a brand new shoujo magazine which Clamp name would help to promote.

        I’m not on Hinoto’s level yet. ^^;

        Like

        Reply

  22. I was ecstatic when I read this. x’3 I gave up hope, but Hallelujah! ^_^ Gotta go reread vol 1-3 again to refresh. XD
    Agree with you on the old covers, they looked like plain, but perfect at the same time. Colorful covers with the protagonists on them…doesn’t fit Legal Drug (imo), but who knows what they’ll come up with?

    Can’t wait, but I wonder how many fans will be returning to read it again? Usually hiatus manga doesn’t do so well…esp with recent CLAMP’s endings…

    Like

    Reply

  23. \\o/

    GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!! ^_^

    I’m so happy that one of the old series will finally resume.

    And for the new covers, I loved the old ones too. Their two color process was so in tune with the characters living in poverty. XD

    Since the series will be publish in a magazine oriented to young men, I’m expecting the girls to be more present. I want to know want happened to Tsukiko and Kei. It’s been years now. ~_~

    November is still far, but we waited so long that it won’t be that hard. ¬_¬

    SO HAPPYYYYYYYY! XD

    Like

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.