NO\NAME

NO\NAME, written by Edgerunners creator Rafal Jaki and manga artist Machine Gamu (assistant illustrator for Gachiakuta), is a supernatural manga series where the meanings behind people's names give them powers. For example, the main characters, two detectives named Ralf and Ursula, can control wolves and transform into a giant bear, respectively.

The world of this dark manga series is controlled by the Nordic Naming Bureau (NNB), a police state that assigns names to newborns. This system takes away individual choice, determining the powers and socio-economic class a person will have for life. The first chapter of No\Name is available to read for free on Manga Plus Creators.

While most manga series base their power systems on things like friendship, training, or birthright. However, No\Name has a unique premise where power comes from a person’s name. This process is strictly monitored, and the powers only appear if a child acknowledges their name. This concept opens up many exciting narrative and thematic possibilities for future chapters.

Official Synopsis

In a world where peoples' names grant them superhuman powers... Two agents from the Nordic Naming Bureau (NNB), an agency specialized in investigating crimes committed by "Namers", handle the case of a man and his missing wife and son.

Things take a turn, however, when the duo come face to face with the man, who wishes to give his son the same name as himself...^[1]

Premise

In the first chapter of No\Name, Ralf and Ursula, employees of the Nordic Naming Bureau, also known as NNB, are hired by a charismatic politician named Bodil Ipsen to find his wife and son, who also share his name. After investigating, they discover that the situation is not what it seemed; Bodil’s wife, Kara, left to escape his abuse and protect her child.

Bodil, whose name means "human commander," used his powers to control Kara, who had weaker abilities due to her common name. Besides severe physical and sexual abuse, he manipulated her mind to make her believe she wanted to keep their child. It's also revealed that Bodil used his political power to ensure his son inherited his name and his terrible abilities.

Reception

Rafal Jaki confirmed on his official social media that No\Name won the first-ever "Gold Award," earning the creative team one million yen. The manga will also be published on Jump+ and MANGA Plus. With two million readers already, No\Name could become a big success in the anime world.^[2]

External Links

• Official Website - Shonen Jump Plus (in Japanese)
• Official Website - MANGA Plus (in English)
• Official X Account (Formerly known as Twitter) - Writer (Rafal Jaki @GwentBro)
• Official X Account (Formerly known as Twitter) - Illustrator (Machine Gamu @machinegamu)

References