Vol.2 – Young Animal

Volume 2 cover variant released as an appendix of the magazine Young Animal n.23, December 2008.

It was the year 2008. Berserk by Kentaro Miura and March Comes In Like a Lion by Chika Umino were both serialized in Young Animal. The two authors, close friends and mutual admirers of each other’s work, crafted cover artworks for each other’s manga, resulting in one of the most iconic artistic exchanges of all time. The rest is history.

Miura’s cover is a bold statement, teeming with intricate details that spill beyond the page’s edges. Cats – Chika Umino’s beloved companions – are transformed into shogi pieces, poised for battle in a strategic duel, while the Kawamoto sisters look on with amused delight.

Each feline bears a kanji marking its rank on the board: pawns, knights, lancers, bishops…leading up to the king, safeguarded in the rear by its loyal forces.

A true feast for the eyes