Magic: The Gatheringis among the world’s most recognizable tabletop gaming brands, stretching its legacy across three decades. Yet, its excellent manga has only recently gotten localized in North America.Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Mangais a fascinating portal to Spring 1998, where Tokiwagi Middle School students have become enamored with the card game. This manga is an entertaining read, and forMTGfans aware of its original Japanese release, it even comes witha special bonus cardin each sealed copy.
Destroy All Humanswas originally published by Kadokawa Shoten, and its series has been ongoing since 2018.The manga was recently localized forMagic: The Gatheringfans on July 28, 2025,as they saw the budding friendship and rivalry between geek Hajime Kano and honor student Emi Sawatari. ForMagic: The Gatheringfans,Destroy All Humansis an entertaining look back at the game as it picked up steam in Japan after its release in 1995.
Magic: The Gathering Manga Is a Treat for Longtime Players
Plenty of Card Game Trivia in Destroy All Humans
Destroy All Humansintroduces readers to the cockyMagic: The GatheringenthusiastHajime, whose precocious talents as a student were soon overshadowed by Emi, who is seemingly better than him at everything. Comfortable in his passion for the card game, Hajime goes to a specialty store in Tominari City, where he discovers other enthusiastic players at home. Here, he encounters Emi, still comfortably in her element, but instead of crushing test scores, she’s equipped with a White deck and a veteran talent for the game to counter Hajime’s mono-colored Black deck.
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It’s a rivalry and classic contrast of play styles common for the era’sMagic: The Gatheringplayers, where the game typically favored “mono-color weenie decks,” but the two grow closer asDestroy All Humansprogresses. OtherMagictrivia surfaces,such as the series lining up with the release of theExodusexpansionand references to sought-after cards like “Cataclysm,” “Hatred,” and the underappreciated “City of Traitors,” which fans will surely gobble up. But for fans not satisfied merely with Hajime and Emi’s bond,Destroy All Humanshas another bonus.
Destroy All Humans Manga Has a Nostalgic Treat for Magic: The Gathering Collectors
It’s Also a Charming Look Back at 1990s Culture
While diehardMagic: The Gatheringfans already knew from the Japanese release,Destroy All Humansfeatures a special promotional card with each new volume released, sealed in an envelope behind the back cover.Destroy All Humansvolume #1 includes Diabolic Edict, while the fourteen known volumes also feature unique cards listed onmtgazone.com. But for those reading for reasons beyond card game trivia as a refreshing and grounded alternative tothe shenanigans ofYu-Gi-Oh!,theMagic: The Gatheringmanga is an excellent examination of 1990s pop culture in Japan.
Destroy All Humansis like a time capsule, referencingMTGtreasures likeIce AgeandAlliancesexpansions or 90s tech like mini Discmans,Final Fantasy VIII’sthen-upcoming release, and more. At one point, Hajime notes Emi’s glamorous casual style as a reference toTaiyou no Season,thedebut album of Namie Amuro, where the J-pop idol left a clear and impressive fashion legacy. Finally, inDestroy All Humans, while Hajime and Emi bond and grow over their mutual love forMagic: The Gathering,Emi’s fixation on Nostradamus' Great King Out of the Sky prophecy for 1999 dominates moments between chapters.
Destroy All Humansis far more than simple fanservice, being a grounded look at human connection through the card game, unlikeotherMagic: The Gatheringmanga. It’s a manga for fans but also for those deeply fascinated by the history and mechanics ofMagic: The Gatheringand even simply ’90s kids. Now, courtesy of VIZ Media, it’s available with its special pack-in bonus card for collectors everywhere, such asDestroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga, available as of July 01, 2025.
