Welcome to the Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. This week’s lesson will focus on one of our recent JUMP START series—Ziga. Giant monsters terrorizing cities isn’t exactly a new concept, but Ziga still feels fresh because it’s something we haven’t seen in Shonen Jump recently. If you’ve enjoyed this round of JUMP STARTS, please show your support by voting for your favorite in the weekly survey!

YUME (ゆめ)

We’ve covered YUME before—it means “dream” or “dreams.” The first chapter of Ziga is all about the main character’s YUME and what they mean. The idea that the main character may be able to predict the future through his YUME adds another element of complexity to a series that already features a giant creature destroying the world!

AKUMU (あくむ)

The word AKUMU is made up of the kanji characters for “evil/bad” and “dream.” It means “bad dream” or “nightmare.” The main character being so haunted by his nightmares was one of the most intriguing aspects of the first chapter. How will this play out in the future?

GENJITSU (げんじつ)

GENJITSU means “reality.” As shown in the title for the first chapter, the start to Ziga is all about nightmares becoming reality. Main character Ko had a pretty happy life until the mysterious monster ruins it all. Can he overcome the trauma and use his talents to save others?

To read more Ziga, check out Weekly Shonen Jump today!