Shin Kotaro Makaritoru! Juudouhen

Shin Kotaro Makaritoru! Juudouhen, or New Kotaro Makaritoru! Judo Edition, is a long-running manga series authored and illustrated by Tatsuya Hiruta. It serves as the second major installment in the expansive Kotaro Makaritoru saga, shifting the protagonist's focus from traditional martial arts to the competitive world of high school judo. The series began serialization in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine during the 1990s, continuing the author's trademark blend of slapstick comedy, over-the-top character designs, and technical martial arts sequences.

Hiruta’s design approach for this installment maintained the hyper-energetic aesthetic that defined his earlier work, though he refined the visual depiction of judo grappling techniques to better suit the series' more athletic narrative pivot. The work was generally well-received by the existing fan base of the franchise, who appreciated the familiar irreverent humor and the transition of the titular character, Kotaro Shindo, into a new sporting context. It remains a notable example of the 1990s shonen sports manga boom, highlighting the era's tendency to fuse adolescent school life with intense, stylized athletic training.