Konjiki no Gash Bell Smartphone RPG: Toei Animation, GameOn, and NEOWIZ have recently revealed their collaboration on an upcoming smartphone game rooted in Makoto Raiku’s renowned Zatch Bell (Konjiki no Gash!!) manga universe. The game, aptly titled “Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Towa no Kizuna no Nakama-tachi” (Zatch Bell: Companions of Eternal Bonds), is on track for a release within the current year.
Steering the game’s development is NEOWIZ, the driving force behind this project. Prospective participants of Konjiki no Gash Bell can anticipate a closed beta testing phase of the smartphone RPG, which will accept applications from this day onward until September 6. This immersive testing period is slated to occur in the middle of September.
Originating its serialization in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine back in 2001, the manga series gracefully concluded in 2007, having amassed 33 meticulously compiled book volumes. Noteworthy is Viz Media’s release of the first 25 manga volumes across North America, a pursuit they later discontinued. Presenting a captivating premise, Viz elaborates: Kiyomaro Takamine, a prodigious junior high student burdened by his own lofty self-regard (often unsettling the grading curve), becomes a prime target for mockery within his school.
As an unconventional birthday gift, his father introduces Gash, a peculiar young boy, into the equation—whose primary purpose is to foster camaraderie and reconfigure Kiyomaro’s unfavorable disposition. Enclosed within Gash’s possession is a cryptic crimson tome housing spells, unveiling the latent magic Kiyomaro can evoke by traversing its contents. Yet, further revelations await, poised to reshape Kiyomaro’s destiny irrevocably!
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A profound manifestation of its popularity was the creation of a 150-episode televised anime, gracing screens from 2003 through 2006. In addition, cinematic adaptations included the cinematic delights “Zatch Bell: 101st Devil” and “Zatch Bell: Attack of Mechavulcan” in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Airing on Toonami, a total of 77 anime episodes captivated viewers’ attention between 2005 and 2007. Viz Media seized the opportunity to release the initial 100 episodes via comprehensive DVD collections spanning from 2005 to 2007.
Raiku’s association with Shogakukan saw a conclusion post the resolution of a legal tussle with the publisher, revolving around five of Raiku’s color art pieces that had been misplaced. Subsequently, in March 2022, Raiku ushered in “Konjiki no Gash!! 2,” marking its digital debut across various book services.
In 2009, Raiku embarked on a creative journey with “Animal Land” (Dōbutsu no Kuni), an engaging manga featured in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine, culminating its narrative tapestry in 2013. Fostering 14 meticulously compiled volumes, the series enjoyed North American publication through Kodansha Comics.
Noteworthy, too, is Raiku’s venture into the school fantasy genre with “Vector Ball,” introduced in April 2016, yet curiously curtailed in its narrative evolution come March 2017.