One Year Later, 2024’s Top and Most Controversial Manga Is Still Ongoing (With a Strong Narrative)

by

Despite sparking a lot of debate when it first came out, last year’s most controversial manga is still being published and has already reached 40 chapters. Many readers expected it to be cancelled quickly due to its divisive storyline, but it has continued to attract an audience with its unique narrative. Recently, Manga Plus shared year-end data, and this series was highlighted as one of the top new manga of 2024.

We judged candidates in this category by how many views their manga received in the first week after the first chapter was released. Many expected Ichi the Witch, a very popular new manga from last year, to win. However, Drama Queen by Kuraku Ichikawa took the lead. Released on December 1st, 2024, its first chapter quickly gained over half a million views. Despite some controversy surrounding the story, which initially led to concerns it might be cancelled, the series is still doing well and continues to attract readers.

Manga Plus’ Top Manga of 2024, Drama Queen, Is Still Going Strong

The story of Drama Queen begins in a world where aliens are revered as heroes for saving Earth from an asteroid. As a result, aliens receive special privileges and are held above the law, leaving humans with no recourse. The series focuses on how this imbalance of power affects everyday people, particularly through the eyes of its two main characters, Nomamoto and Kitama, who both strongly dislike and distrust the aliens.

The characters in Drama Queen are driven by an intense hatred of aliens, leading them to try and stop alien immigration at all costs. The story takes a bizarre turn when Nomamoto, the main female character, starts eating aliens, finding them to be a tasty treat. This sets up the core of the plot: Kitama is dedicated to killing aliens, Nomamoto consumes them, and together they work to rid their city—and potentially the world—of all alien life.

The series has become surprisingly complex as the story unfolds, building on its initially controversial premise. Even supporting characters, like Kitama’s companion Backbone, are now well-developed. However, the most significant growth has been with Kitama himself. Driven by a desire for revenge – his family was killed in an alien accident, and the responsible aliens were initially let off the hook – the series is now diving deep into his backstory. The narrative takes an exciting turn when Kitama finally confronts Lily, the alien who caused his family’s death, revealing a level of depth and complexity that viewers didn’t expect.

Drama Queen‘s Plot Is Surprisingly Strong and Has an Uncanny Resemblance to Real Society

Throughout the series, Kitami and Lily formed a close connection. It was later revealed that Lily’s twin brother, not Lily, was the one who killed Kitami’s family. Despite this, Kitami couldn’t bring himself to harm Lily, having developed an unusual bond with her that softened his normally harsh nature. Recently, Lily has even assisted Kitami in fighting other aliens and saved his life, creating a compelling mystery around how Kitami will react to these changes. The story now focuses on the events leading up to the car accident that took Kitami’s family, investigating the past with Lily’s brother, who is believed to be the killer.

This memory shows Lally is actually a young, innocent alien who had a crush on Kitami’s sister and went to school with her. The discrimination Lally faced from other students, particularly Kitami’s sister who clearly held a grudge, is a surprising detail and reflects how prejudice can exist in our own society. Unlike many other aliens we’ve seen, Lally hasn’t acted superior and even thinks it’s wrong that aliens are given special treatment.

The story in Drama Queen mirrors real-world problems and how people often form opinions based on the prejudices of others. It highlights the importance of knowing all the facts before making a judgment. Surprisingly, Drama Queen tackles these complex themes with a captivating storyline. What initially caused controversy – and ultimately helped the manga become 2024’s most popular – was actually a brave critique of societal inequalities. Fans now recognize this insightful commentary, which explains why the manga continues to be successful even a year after its initially divisive release.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/anime/news/shonen-jump-controversial-series-drama-queen-reprint/embed/#

Read More

2025-12-11 16:12