Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 1 showed many promises for what more shōnen can offer. Yuto Tsukuda is the author of the Shokugeki no Souma series, a.k.a. Food Wars. This was Yuto Tsukuda’s way of revolutionizing shōnen; with this very classic, he pointed out that there’s more to shōnen beyond just young boys with superpowers in a fantasy world.
Though, Yuto Tsukuda is not the first author to revolutionize this concept, Tsukuda’s idea of implementing realism in his writing is not something everyone can do. With that said, it’s safe to say Tenmaku Cinema is in good hands, with fans speculating this to be the next big shōnen series.
Tenmaku Cinema is a story that follows Hajime Shinichi, who has an emotional connection with movies that many may lack. His liking for movies grew when he was hospitalized for a good portion of his childhood, making his only form of entertainment through movies. To Hajime Shinichi, the idea of watching movies to him means so much more than having good grades. Shockingly enough, Hajime Shinichi is also a prodigy when it comes to his educational career.
Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 1 gave us a lot of insight into the building blocks of the series. We’re here to brush you with what conspired in Chapter 1 and tell you about the international release dates, potential spoilers, and where to read.
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Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 1: Recap
It was made pretty clear In Chapter 1 that our main lead, Hajime Shinichi is an over-the-top movie fanatic, so much so that he is the club representative of the movie research club in his 3rd year of junior high, where he and his friends watch movies. At the same time, Shinichi acts as a cruel scorer with unrealistic scores ranging in millions. Though Shinichi may have a craze for watching movies, he wasn’t all too motivated when he was brought up with the idea of making one.
Hajime Shinichi has scored hundreds on loads of tests in his educational career. But he isn’t too pumped about it as much as his passion for watching movies. Even so, this makes Shinichi the model student teachers desire for his educational advancements.
In the first chapter, you see the anomaly of what this shōnen world offers. During math class, Shinichi’s hand was likely being possessed by a ghost, leading Shinichi to act quite unnaturally by trying to control his “possessed” right arm with his other arm, as his classmates look at him as a movie fanatic trying to imitate the live-action version of protagonists from a shōnen manga. Is this the author’s attempt at trying to break the fourth wall?
However, Shinichi blamed this bizarre event for fatigue from preparing for his high school entrance exam. But, on his way back home, he remembered a vision he had at the movie theatre last night of someone. The very same “someone” is after Shinichi. However, he could no longer ignore the ghost lurking behind him.
Once Shinichi notices him, we learn that it is indeed a ghost, a ghost of a former screenwriter, Takihiko Tenmaku. Takihiko admits he happened to possess Shinichi from the movie theatre that Shinichi visited last night. Takihiko died before he could complete a script for a movie he was working on with a collaborative director. So, Takihiko’s intention in possessing Shinichi was to use him as the transcriber while he dictated. And Takihiko promised to pass on to the next life after the script was handed over to the director.
However, the idea of a ghost possessing Shinichi willy-nilly did not sit right with him, leading Shinichi to outright decline. But, after Takihiko jokingly threatened Shinichi, he agreed to comply with the “GhostWriter.” Though it may have taken some convincing to let Shinichi be his transcriber, Shinichi was looking forward to what was to come as well since he found a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the work of a professional screenwriter.
When Shinichi inquired about the director’s identity, Takihiko’s answer shocked Shinichi to the core upon hearing “Ryu Shirakawa.” Ryu Shirakawa is a global figure renowned for various Japanese masterpiece titles cited by big shots like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas as inspirations. Coincidentally, Ryu Shirakawa also happens to be Shinichi’s favorite director. Unfortunately, however, Ryu Shirakawa, whom Takihiko once knew, is dead, and it is 20 years too late to have him direct this movie.
This left Takihiko’s dream shattered, with no reason to linger around the world of the living anymore. But, the only problem now is that Takihiko doesn’t know how to pass on to the after-life. Shinichi suspects this is because Takihiko still hasn’t found his salvation to pass on to the next life, resulting in his soul being bound to the world of the living until his dreams are fulfilled.
We then see a group of students gather around to meet the young actress Himeki Kurakui. Shinichi had a Eureka moment, as he thought so, he would be able to solve all his problems once he spoke to her. But, with the overwhelming crowd, Shinichi had no chance of meeting her, if not for a moment when their eyes met briefly, marking this as a potential character to be Shinichi’s love interest in the future.
We then see Takihiko adapting to the technologies of modern-day times and is surprised by the movie industry’s technological advances with live streaming services at the tip of one’s finger. When Takihiko was down about nobody suitable enough to direct his script, things turned for the better when Takihiko and Shinichi had a heart-to-heart conversation with each other. That’s when Shinichi truly wishes for Takihiko’s dream to come true.
There were some major developments at the school when Takihiko laid his eyes on Himeki Kurakui, awakening the screenwriter in him, leading Takihiko to completely take control of Shinichi’s body and use the opportunity to rush home and write a script from what he pictured upon looking at the beautiful actress (The act of Ategaki). Takihiko also had Shinichi take the script back to school and ask her to star in this movie before passing out right in front of the surprised actress.
As bizarre of an event as it may be, the chapter finally ends with Shinichi waking up in the nurse’s office and having Kurakui herself come and respond to Hajime Shinichi’s request that she would be delighted to play the lead role in his movie, marking the beginning of a Shinichi journey as a director.
Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 2: Potential Spoilers
The idea of Tsukuda’s free will to take control over Shinichi’s body is a terrifying idea. This could lead to more concerns about the extent Tsukuda would go to get things done. Could this possibly affect Hajime Shinichi’s high school entrance exams?
Though we don’t know Tsukuda’s intentions all too well, we still believe there would be internal conflicts between them, as there are two souls and only one body to work with.
Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 2: Release Dates
Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 2 is set to release on 16th April 2023 worldwide during the given time zones:
- UK (GMT): 03:00 PM on Sunday, 16th April 2023
- Philippines (PHT): 11:00 PM on Sunday, 16th April 2023
- USA (EST): 11:00 PM, Sunday, 16th April 2023
- India (IST): 08:30 PM on Sunday, 16th April 2023
- Korea (KST): midnight on Monday, 17th April 2023
- Australia (AEST): 01:00 AM on Monday, 17th April 2023
- Japan (JST): midnight on Monday, 17th April 2023
Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 2: Where To Read?
Tenmaku Cinema Chapter 2 will be included in the official volume release for the shōnen jump serialization after the series has racked up many chapters. You can now check out VIZ & MANGA PLUS for the digital copy for free.