Title: Does anyone know where to read Kariage-kun online in English? (Deep dive/small rant)
Post Body:
Alright, I need to put out a signal flare for the three other people who remember this manga.
I’ve been going down a massive retro manga rabbit hole lately, and I keep circling back to Kariage-kun (狩牌くん) by Takashi Morimoto. For those who don’t know, this was a bizarre, often surreal gag manga that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump back in the late 80s/early 90s. The art style is that classic messy, high-energy late-80s Jump aesthetic (think early Ninku or Jungle King Tar-chan).
The premise is wild: Kariage is a hyperactive, delinquent-ish elementary school kid with a giant "狩" (hunt) character on his shirt. The "humor" is basically 50% slapstick, 40% weird cultural satire, and 10% "how did this get printed in Jump?" energy.
The Hunt (Pun intended): I’ve tried the usual spots (Mangadex, Batoto, etc.), but here is the problem: Kariage Kun Read Online
What I’ve Found so far:
The Ask: Does anyone know of a hidden gem blog, a dead LiveJournal scanlation group, or even a discord server that has attempted to translate Kariage-kun? Even just a summary of the chapters would be gold.
Alternatively, if you read this back in the day via Shonen Jump raws, I’d love to hear your memory of it. Is it as weird as it looks from the covers?
TL;DR: Trying to read a forgotten 80s Jump gag manga. The internet seems to have memory-holed Kariage-kun. Help.
Suggested Hashtags (for Twitter/X/Instagram):
#KariageKun #RetroManga #ShonenJump #MangaDeepCuts #ScanlationHunt #80sManga Title: Does anyone know where to read Kariage-kun
Image suggestion for the post: Attach a cropped screenshot of the manga cover (Volume 1) showing the chaotic art style and the giant "狩" kanji.
If you are searching for "Kariage Kun read online," you likely already have a suspicion that this manga will make you laugh. But let's solidify why this 40-year-old comic is still relevant.
Before diving into where to read Kariage Kun online, you must understand who you are reading about.
Created by the legendary manga artist Hisashi Eguchi (who also created the iconic Chibi Maruko-chan), Kariage Kun first appeared in the 1980s. The name "Kariage" is a pun. In Japanese corporate slang, Kariage refers to a temporary worker or a contractor who is "loaned out" to different departments or companies. His full name is rarely mentioned; everyone just calls him by his status: Temp Guy.
Kariage is cynical, lazy, and deeply sarcastic. He hates his boss, fears layoffs, loves beer, and dreams of quitting to do nothing. Sound familiar? Unlike the relentless heroes of One Piece or Naruto, Kariage’s goal is to survive until 5 PM without being yelled at. He is the anti-shonen protagonist. No Official Translation: It never got an English release
Kariage Kun (often localized as The Perm) is a hidden gem in the world of vintage Japanese comedy manga. Created by Tatsuo Kanai, this series is a masterclass in absurdity and slapstick humor. For fans of classic manga looking for a quick, laugh-out-loud read, finding Kariage Kun online offers a delightful trip back to the golden age of gag manga.
If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, or if you are a fan of classic "gag manga," you have likely heard the name Kariage Kun. For years, finding official translations of older, niche comedy manga was a struggle. But thanks to the digital age, revisiting this bald, bullying icon has never been easier.
Today, we are exploring the world of Kariage Kun, why it remains a cult classic, and how you can read it online today.
Kariage Kun is not handsome. He has a square head, a thick mustache reminiscent of a 1970s cop, narrow eyes that often turn into blank dots, and a perpetually hunched posture. He wears a cheap suit that doesn't fit quite right. This design is intentional. Eguchi wanted a character who looked like the exhausted man you see sleeping on the last train home.