Mangaka Shinji Ohara, widely recognized for his work on Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief, has officially launched a brand-new series titled Moto-Shojo Tantei, Yamada Chizuko: Saigo no Jiken kara Sūjūnengo (Former Girl-Detective, Chizuko Yamada: A Few Decades After the Final Case). The debut took place on Shogakukan's digital manga platform Yawaraka Spirits.
The narrative centers on Kazuo Sasauchi, a young man who relocates to Osaka for college and moves into an atmospheric, old western-style residence. There, he encounters the home's eccentric owner and his great-aunt: a kimono-clad, cigarette-smoking former girl-detective named Chizuko Yamada. As the premise unfolds, the shadows of her illustrious investigative past return to challenge her quiet later years.
Creative Pedigree and Origins
Shinji Ohara previously concluded the original Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief manga in 2007 following a successful five-year run spanning eight collected volumes. That initial success was quickly followed by the spin-off series Nijū-Mensō no Musume: Utsushiyo Yoru, serialized in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Flapper before concluding its run under Kadokawa with its 11th volume in 2014.
These prior works draw creative inspiration from the legendary Kaijin Nijū-Mensō (The Fiend with 20 Faces) mystery novels authored by pioneer suspense writer Ranpo Edogawa. The franchise previously expanded into broader media when the original manga adaptation inspired a 24-episode television anime series in April 2008. Readers can follow the new serialization directly via the official Yawaraka Spirits platform.
