Gold 愛 – Comic Bunch

Cover variant released as an appendix of the magazine Weekly Comic Bunch n.15, March 2010.

Is it, or is it not, the most Japanese-style cover variant you’ve ever laid eyes on?

• Cherry blossoms (sakura) exploding across the page like there’s no tomorrow
• Classic Sengoku-era samurai garb and flowing warrior hair
• The iconic hyōtan sake gourd, proudly on display
• A sparkling gold kanji that says “love” (愛)

It might not ring any bells for you, but this is Naoe Kanetsugu, the protagonist of this spin-off series from the more well-known Keiji by Tetsuo Hara.

Virtually unknown outside Japan, Kanetsugu is actually a famous historical figure: a Sengoku-era warlord from the late 1500s/1600s, best known for his helmet emblazoned with the kanji 愛 (ai = love) right on the forehead

But enough with the history lesson, this variant isn’t just rare, it’s luxurious. It hails from the same elite family as the Souten no Ken red variant, issued during the swan song of Comic Bunch magazine, a final year marked by an extraordinary burst of editorial ambition. In fact, Weekly Comic Bunch was discontinued in 2010, but that very year, the magazine released a series of stunning covers as special inserts, showcasing a level of commitment and visual flair rarely seen in weekly publications.

Shiny gold accents, elegant design choices, premium thick paper… it’s a bittersweet irony that these masterpiece variants were released in the magazine’s final year, but at least they’ve left behind treasures for collectors to fight over for years to come.

For hardcore Japanese history nerds only.