What is SHONEN SUNDAY? SHONEN SUNDAY is one of the largest weekly manga magazines in Japan. Containing some of the latest and hottest boys' manga series in Japan, SUNDAY has hosted such notables as RANMA 1/2 and the currently popular MEITANTEI CONAN.
Last issue's SHONEN SUNDAY update (1999 Issue 15) can be found here.

Selected Brief Updates:

INUYASHA
by Takahashi Rumiko

Overview: Kagome is a modern student teamed up with the strange boy Inuyasha in 15th or 16th century Japan, seeking to retrieve the fragments of the magical Shikon No Tama, and trying to stay one step ahead of the evil Naraku.
This issue: Through a complex set of events, Inuyasha has wound up in a demonic battle pit magically set up so that the lone survivor takes in the evil and power of its defeated foes and becomes a demon called "Kodoku". Kikyou, who has unknowingly come into Naraku's service, is drawn to the site. Just as she arrives, Inuyasha is facing his last opponent, whom he will unwillingly have to absorb if he wins. But the dead souls that Kikyou has been using to sustain herself are sucked into Inuyasha's opponent, and Kikyou falls into the pit. Meanwhile, Kagome senses yet another evil nearby—this time it is Naraku, who has come to claim the Kodoku he has created to use as his new body. Now Inuyasha must protect Kikyou and somehow escape the pit's magical curse.

ME GUMI NO DAIGO
by Soda Masahito

Overview: Asahina Daigo is a young firefighter with the "Me" Company, who has an unusual ability to find and rescue people in danger.
This issue: Daigo has become a media celebrity in Indonesia for his heroic cataloging of hot spots in the forest fire area. Meanwhile, Ochiai (who contributed half of the hot spot map) has become a celebrity in the field of entomology. Not only did she discover a certain beetle's previously unknown function of appearing in hot spots (thereby acting as a biological indicator of hidden hot spot locations), but the beetle itself appears to be a new species. She wants to name it Phyllopertha diversa Daigo. Later, as Daigo is about to leave for home, he gives the impulse water cannon to the Indonesian firefighter Panjal who fought the fire with him. When asked if he'll come back, he declares he's tired of the place and that Panjal should come to Japan.

JAJAUMA GROOMING UP!
by Yuki Masami

Overview: Although originally a city boy, young Kuze Shunpei has taken to working as a farm hand at the Watarai racing horse breeding farm; he also has taken to Watarai Hibiki, one of the Watarai daughters.
This issue: Shunpei, in recognition of his work, has been entrusted with a new, valuable horse who unfortunately has a habit of biting hard. Later that night, he has nightmares of his upcoming date the next day with Hibiki. The next day winds up rainy, so Shunpei and Hibiki hang out in his room. They find very little to talk about until the topic of the ill-behaved horse comes up (due to an accidental intrusion by spying Ume-san), and they are soon talking horses. But just as the topic shifts and things start getting romantic, Ume interrupts again. We leave this episode with Ume tied up and dangling from the ceiling.

GHOST SWEEPER MIKAMI GOKURAKU DAISAKUSEN!!
by Shiina Takashi

Overview: Mikami Reiko is a money-hungry, gorgeous female ghost buster, aided by her sex-starved and underpaid male assistant Yokoshima Tadao, as well as kind and gentle female ex-ghost O-kinu.
This issue: (Karasu is relating the story of how Mikami's parents met.) The year is 1978. Super-telepath Kimihiko (the father-to-be) purposefully becomes a vehicle for the demon that had been haunting Michie (mother-to-be); he wants the others to kill him as a way to get rid of the demon for good. Michie wants it back as her own "prey" for when she becomes a real exorcist. The demon, however, takes over Kimihiko's mind and goes off to take over the world. Scantily clad Michie pursues the possessed Kimihiko, using the demon's own power to zap it with lightning bolts, and thus inadvertently both saves Takahashi Rumiko and inspires the brand new (1978) manga series called URUSEI YATSURA. At last, Kimihiko regains control of himself. To "save" Michie, he leaps off a building to kill himself. But Michie leaps after him....