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Isekai Stories Stake New Territory: CoroCoro Comic for Grade-School Kids

It's no secret isekai stories are all the rage in the anime, manga, and light novel industries. While there are still some holdout manga magazines, the fad has finally hit an institution and bastion of children's manga magazines: none other than Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic imprint with the new series Ochikobore Shōgakusei, Isekai & Gendai de Saikyō Yūsha to Naru (literally, A Loser Elementary School Student Becomes the Strongest Hero in Another World & Real World) by Tamaki Nariko.

The Weekly CoroCoro Comic venue's X (formerly Twitter) account announced the new series on May 24. In the post, the account notes the series is a “ultra-by-the-books isekai story” about an underdog boy who rises to become the strongest in the world.

At first glance the new series is an odd choice for the CoroCoro Comic's brand. This is mainly because the publication is known more for its comedic and series based on established properties — for instance, the long-running Super Mario-kun and Pokémon series. That doesn't mean the publication hasn't had “serious” series in the past, but the image conjured in many Japanese people of the publication is of crass and low-brow comedy.

However, Ochikobore Shōgakusei isn't part of Monthly CoroCoro Comic magazine's lineup. Rather, it's part of the online Weekly CoroCoro Comic service. Unlike its physical sister magazine, the online magazine has a little more variety in terms of the stories it publishes. Nonetheless, the vast swath of comics in the publication still feature a protagonist who is in elementary school.

As of the writing, the first two chapters of Ochikobore Shōgakusei is available on Weekly CoroCoro Comic and new chapters are available every Friday at 9:45 a.m. Japan Time. It will be interesting seeing how this series develops as it has dropped some hints as to where the story will go.

Sources: CoroCoro Online, Ochikobore Shōgakusei, Isekai & Gendai de Saikyō Yūsha to Naru's first chapter, Weekly CoroCoro Comic's X/Twitter account