Atsushi Okada is an active manga artist whose current work includes the new Shogakukan digital manga Tataki the Side Hustle, launched May 30, and character artwork for the Kodansha visual novel Buzz or Die, announced for a 2026 PC release.
Atsushi Okada, the creator of Nyankees, returned to serialized manga on May 30 with Tataki the Side Hustle, launched in Shogakukan's Manga ONE service. The story follows three young laundry workers who adopt heroic alter egos to fight criminals as a side job. The title leans on the same vigilante-adjacent crime action tone as his earlier work, now on a digital-first platform.
Three months later, Kodansha's Game Creators' Lab announced that Okada provides character portraits and event stills for Buzz or Die, a death game visual novel created by indie developer Bon. The announcement came on August 31 with a renewed Steam store page, a new key visual, and a first trailer. The game is set in a variety show where death row inmates compete by making short videos, with viewer likes deciding the winner. The loser faces public execution and becomes a model for slave androids.
Okada's two 2026 projects place him simultaneously in print manga and digital game art. The Buzz or Die announcement also revealed that Bon joined the Kodansha lab as a member, though Okada's own relationship to the lab is not stated. The game supports Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Aug 31
Kodansha Game Creators' Lab announced on August 31 that the visual novel Buzz or Die, created by indie game developer Bon, will launch on PC via Steam in 2026. The announcement came with a renewed Steam store page, a new key visual, and a first trailer. The game is set in a variety show where death row inmates compete by making short videos that expose their opponents' secrets, with viewers' likes deciding the winner. The winner gains acquittal and one wish, while the loser faces public execution on live broadcast and becomes a model for slave androids, described as permanent destruction of dignity. Gameplay splits into an Investigation Part, where players read conversations and recollections to dig into an opponent's past, and a Thumbnail Creation Part, where they combine images and words to make a thumbnail that shapes the partner's short video. Players partner with Sagishima Sho, a former leader of a new religious cult, and face opponents including a former entertainer turned bomber, a genius hacker girl, a revolutionary, and a cannibal chef. Character portraits and event stills come from manga artist Atsushi Okada. The game supports Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese. Kodansha also announced that Bon joined the lab as a member. The game contains violent and grotesque expressions and psychologically disturbing depictions.
Jun 2
Atsushi Okada, creator of Nyankees, launched a new manga titled Tataki the Side Hustle in Shogakukan's Manga ONE service on May 30. The story follows three young men working at a laundry service who adopt heroic alter egos to take on criminals as a dangerous side job.