Super Doctor K (Japanese: スーパードクターK, Hepburn: Sūpā Dokutā K) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuo Mafune [ja]. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from April 1988 to October 1996, with its chapters collected in 44 tankōbon volumes. A second series, Doctor K, was serialized in the same magazine from October 1996 to October 1998, with its chapters collected in ten tankōbon volumes. A third series, K2, was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Evening from May 2004 until February 2023, when the magazine ceased its publication, and moved to the Comic Days [ja] online platform in March of that same year. Its chapters have been collected in 47 tankōbon volumes as of May 2024.

Super Doctor K
First tankōbon volume cover
GenreMedical drama[1]
Manga
Written byKazuo Mafune [ja]
Published byKodansha
ImprintShōnen Magazine Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runApril 6, 1988October 21, 1998
Volumes54
Series titles
  1. Super Doctor K (1988–1996; 44 volumes)
  2. Doctor K (1996–1998; 10 volumes)
Manga
K2
Written byKazuo Mafune
Published byKodansha
ImprintEvening KC
Magazine
  • Evening (2004–2023)
  • Comic Days [ja] (2023–present)
DemographicSeinen
Original runMay 11, 2004 – present
Volumes47

By September 2021, the overall manga franchise had over 15 million copies in circulation.

Publication

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Written and illustrated by Kazuo Mafune [ja], with medical supervision from Tohoru Nakahara,[2] Super Doctor K was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from April 6, 1988,[3] to October 2, 1996.[4] Kodansha collected its chapters in 44 tankōbon volumes, released from August 17, 1988,[5] to December 13, 1996.[6]

A sequel, titled Doctor K (rendered in Latin-script), was serialized in the same magazine from October 9, 1996,[7] to October 21, 1998.[8] Its chapters were collected in ten tankōbon volumes, released from April 17, 1997,[9] to November 17, 1998.[10]

Another manga series, titled K2 [ja], started in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Evening on May 11, 2004.[a] Evening ceased publication on February 28, 2023,[14] and the series moved to Kodansha's Comic Days [ja] online platform on March 26 of the same year.[15] Kodansha released the first tankōbon volume on November 22, 2004;[16] with the release of the 46th volume of K2 on December 21, 2023, the overall series reached 100 volumes.[17] As of May 22, 2024, 47 volumes have been released.[18]

Reception

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By September 2021, the overall manga franchise had over 15 million copies in circulation.[19]

Notes

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  1. ^ The series started in the 11th issue of 2004 (cover date May 25);[11][12] the bi-weekly magazine was published two weeks before the cover date (e.g. the 10th issue of that year, with cover date May 11, was released on April 27).[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Kazuo Mafune". Lambiek. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  2. ^ スーパードクターK. Mangapedia [ja] (in Japanese). Voyage Group. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  3. ^ 週刊少年マガジン 1988年17号. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  4. ^ 週刊少年マガジン 1996年42号. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  5. ^ スーパードクターK(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on August 17, 2004. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  6. ^ スーパードクターK(44) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 10, 2003. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  7. ^ 週刊少年マガジン 1996年43号. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  8. ^ 週刊少年マガジン 1998年45号. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "Doctor K(1)" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 19, 2003. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Doctor K(10)" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 19, 2003. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  11. ^ K2(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  12. ^ イブニング 2004年11号. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  13. ^ イブニング - 進行表 2003年12月9日号~2004年5月11日号. AD Station (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 2, 2004. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  14. ^ イブニングが23年間の歴史に幕、最終号に「アザゼルさん。」「ギャングキング」読み切り. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 28, 2023. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  15. ^ 【445話無料】漫画『K2』コミックDAYSの移籍新連載が本日(3/26)スタート。新たな“K”の物語を描く『スーパードクターK』シリーズの続編. Famitsu (in Japanese). March 26, 2023. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  16. ^ "K2(1)" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 25, 2004. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  17. ^ 「K2」最新刊でシリーズ通算100巻に到達、真船一雄のサイン会&トークショーが2月に. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 21, 2023. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  18. ^ 【5月22日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 22, 2024. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  19. ^ Evening [@eveningmagazine] (September 13, 2021). シリーズ累計1500万部突破! 医療漫画の金字塔「スーパードクターK」から「K2」へ――。 (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023 – via Twitter.

Further reading

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