Doron Dororon (ドロンドロロン) is a Urban Fantasy Shounen manga written and illustrated by Gen Ōsuka (who previously worked on Golem Hearts), based on a one-shot published in Jump GIGA in 2021, and serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from November 2021 to August 2022.
Dora Sasaki promised his late mother that he'd become a samurai, and protect people from monsters called mononoke. However, while he has incredible physical strength, he has zero supernatural energy, which is essential for fighting mononoke. Then he meets Kusanagi, a friendly mononoke who only wants peace, and has the ability to morph into pretty much anything. After teaming up to save some children from a dangerous mononoke, Dora and Kusanagi decide to form a partnership, hoping to create a happy and kind world.
Doron Dororon contains examples of:
- Fire-Forged Friends: Dora and Kusanagi quickly form a bond during an incident with a large ape-like mononoke
- Hunter of Monsters: The Izanagi Force is dedicated to eliminating mononoke
- I'm a Humanitarian: Most mononoke eat humans
- It's Personal: Gyuuki is the mononoke that killed Dora's mother, and he flies into a rage upon seeing it again
- Lost in Translation: When Dora suggests that he and Kusanagi go get some dorayaki, Kusanagi visualizes it as Dora getting cooked over an open fire. There's a translator's note clarifying that in Japanese, "yaki" means "to grill".
- Muscles Are Meaningless: After his blood test, Dora easily drags a much taller and bulkier man to the back of the line
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Kusanagi is sweet, innocent, and kindhearted, in stark contrast to other mononoke. This comes as a surprise to Dora and other characters, who expect all mononoke to be evil.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Kusanagi instantly won a lot of fans because of how adorable s/he is. Even in-universe, Ginchiyo admits to having wanted to pet Kusanagi since their first encounter.
- Urban Fantasy: The series takes place in the modern world, but there are monsters called mononoke that pose an active threat to people.
- Word Purée Title: The title refers to the sound effect mononoke make when they die and disintegrate, playing on the word "doron" which means "to vanish".
- Would Hurt a Child: Most mononoke are not above eating children.
- Youkai: The main antagonists of the series, though they're referred to with the term "mononoke" (roughly translating as "vengeful spirits").
