Ishikawa Masayuki | Moyashimon

Japanese: もやしもん
English: Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture
Synonyms: Moyasimon, Bacterial Agriculture  University Legends, Fermentation stories, Moyashimon Tokubetsuhen, Sprouting Person, Sprouting Substances,
Type: Manga
Volumes: 13
Chapters: 159
Status: Finished
Published: Jun 21, 2004 to Jan 22, 2014
Genres: Comedy, Drama, School, Slice of Life, Seinen
Mangaka: Ishikawa Masayuki (Story & Art)
Serialization: Morning Two

Synopsis: Tadayasu Sawaki has a gift: he can see all kinds of microbes, from the ones that ferment sake to everyday bathroom mold. Not only that, but they're not scientifically accurate but instead cute chibi creatures. When he enters an agricultural university and a professor finds out about his gift, he begins to meet new people that help him discover more about his abilities and himself.(MAL)

Baka updates: Meet Sawaki Tadayasu, the second son of yeast preparation suppliers, who is forced to go to an agricultural university and continue the family business. He has the unique ability to see microbes. He and his friend, Kei, are taken in as students by the fermentation-process obsessed Itsuki-sensei. This manga follows Sawaki as he tries to make his way through university as discreetly as possible… which is almost impossible if you’re as unique as he is.

Related Manga

Adaptation: Moyashimon, Moyashimon Returns

Background

Won the Grand Prize for the 12th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the 2008 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga.  It was also nominated for the 1st Manga Taishō award in 2008.

Groups Scanlating

Gekkoukan High Scans

JE Gakuen Alice Scanlations

Offtopia

Operation Boredom

Licensed in English

Del Rey (2 Volumes - Defunct) 

Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates, Bato.to

Side notes: This manga is one of the problematic ones to get to read. There is no continuation for English translation after two volumes and no-one has picked it up since Del Rey dropped the project. As I hoped that Bato.to would have some information what's going on but there was no English chapters available (probably due of the license) and no other language translation was there either. Also it seems that there is no raws available either so no go for translations.>.< Still if no other way there is an anime available so that can help a bit to get around this series.^-^b

But something little about the manga though... (from 1st volume) the art is realistic and really good level but it also varies a lot and after the beginning the style went to the more plain style direction that I's not so keen on but it's still okayish. The characters and the story itself seem to be the ones that keep my interest up and I'm keeping the manga on hold in hopes that I get to read the rest of it later.^-^b

Main characters

Sawaki at Uni opening
ceremony

Tadayasu Sawaki (沢木直保)

Tadayasu Souemon Sawaki is the main protagonist of Moyashimon and attends an agricultural university in Tokyo as a freshman. His middle name is the yagō of his family home; it is usually omitted, and he is called "Tadayasu Sawaki". He is a childhood friend of Kei Yūki and his parents run a mold starter producer. He is able to see and communicate with bacteria and other microorganisms. 

At university opening

Kei Yuuki (結城 蛍)

Kei is a male childhood friend of Sawaki and, like him, a freshman. His parents run a sake brewery (making them customers for the mold starter from Sawaki's parents). 

returning after being
missing more than a
month

Haruka Hasegawa (長谷川 遥)

Haruka Hasegawa is a postgraduate student. She wears a lab coat over revealing clothing. She is a violent, somewhat sadistic woman from a wealthy, over-protective family. 

Her family arranged a marriage for her, against her will. However, she does not have to marry until she is finished with her studies at the university. This is the main reason why she decided to stay there until she receives her doctorate. Hasegawa is not very good at communicating with people, and her harsh personality is used to mask this handicap. She has known Itsuki since she was in middle school.

Keizou Itsuki (樹慶蔵)

Professor Itsuki is an eccentric professor at the Tokyo Agriculture University and an acquaintance of Sawaki's family, who know of his ability. His age is a mystery, but there are reports of his works back to World War II.

Supporting

Aspergillus oryzae (アスペルギルス・オリザエ)

Aspergillus oryzae is a fungus used to ferment soybeans to make soy sauce and miso. It is also used to convert starch into sugar, an important step in fermenting things like rice and potatoes to make alcoholic beverages and vinegar.

Source: MAL

Anime promotional video

2nd Season PV 1

Special version