Kodansha is a major Japanese manga publisher actively expanding its digital and international presence, while managing multiple series hiatuses and addressing creator complaints about editorial practices.
Kodansha's recent activity spans new licenses, digital expansion, and international ventures. At San Diego Comic-Con, Kodansha USA announced eight new manga licenses, including The Pool, Subaru and Subaru, and Kraken Mare, all set for spring 2027 release. The company also revealed a spring 2027 box set for The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity. Earlier, at Anime Expo, Kodansha USA announced seven print releases for spring 2026, including Witch Hat Atelier: Special Stories, Fatale Game, and Phoenix.
Digital growth continued with a partnership bringing 23 back-catalog titles to Crunchyroll Manga, including Attack on Titan and Tokyo Revengers, and a joint venture with Dai Nippon Printing to publish manga in India starting this autumn. Kodansha also released the live-action romance game Hamukoi on Steam and Epic Game Store, and streamed all 12 episodes of Drifting Dragons for free on YouTube.
Several series faced hiatuses due to creator health, including Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, Dead Rock, and Even the Student Council Has Its Holes!. The company also issued a public apology to Cells at Work! creator Akane Shimizu after she detailed years of editorial mistreatment. At the 50th Kodansha Manga Awards, Gachiakuta won the Shonen Prize, and Historie is set to premiere its anime in January 2027.
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Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine confirmed on Sep 9 that Gachiakuta is on hiatus, after chapter 174 missed its Aug 25 release with no word from the staff. The magazine apologized for the concern the unannounced delay caused but gave no cause and no resumption date. The confirmation follows weeks of silence after author Kei Urana and graffiti artist Hideyoshi Andou stepped back from X following a public fallout with toxic fans.
Kodansha announced that THINKpod, its business video media launched in June 2026, has passed 300,000 subscribers on its official YouTube channel. The company says the channel is drawing support from U35 next-generation business leaders. THINKpod positions itself against the AI era with the concept that knowledge is not meant to be immediately useful, and has editors from various fields act as planning producers for daily free content.
Kodansha Creators Lab released MissMon, a looter-strategy game for PC via Steam, on September 8, 2026. The game, developed solo by Mach Habanero, tasks players with forming parties of five mythic monsters, called MissMon, to defeat the Demon King. Battles are automatic, and success hinges on pre-battle decisions about equipment and formation placement. There are 30 types of MissMon, each with a role such as tank, attacker, healer, buffer, or debuffer, and monsters can learn new abilities at certain levels, allowing for varied builds of the same type. The game features four weapon types (sword, shield, staff, great sword), nine attributes like fire and lightning, and over 140 equipment items with random skills and options. Equipment affects stats and attributes can trigger status ailments that, if chained, may wipe out enemies. A unique mechanic involves the 'struggle for equipment,' where winning battles lets players take enemy weapons, while losing risks their own weapons being taken by the Demon King's army. After defeating the final boss, endgame content unlocks with progressively stronger enemies and powerful weapons obtainable only post-story. MissMon is priced at 980 yen, with a 10% launch discount to 882 yen until September 21.
Kodansha Game Lab opened the Steam store page for Catharsis ~The Last Atelier~, an immersive art adventure by creator Mana, on September 7, 2026. The game is planned for release within 2026. Players control a nameless being who knows nothing about humans, guided by a mysterious voice through ten paintings by Van Gogh, Klimt, and Monet. Each stage changes the viewpoint and controls: some are 3D walking spaces, others side-scrolling, and one involves traveling by boat. A wolf and an owl accompany the journey, letting the player ride across plains or fly to high places. The game has no game over and no time limits, and each stage takes about 10 to 20 minutes. Wishlist registration opened with the store page. Catharsis is Mana's debut work. Mana self-taught Unreal Engine after moving abroad, won Epic Games' Unreal Quest 5 contest, and was selected for Kodansha Game Creators Lab in February 2024. The game supports Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese, and is published by Kodansha.
Kodansha USA will host Saka Mikami, creator of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, at its Kodansha House pop-up in New York City on October 10 and 11. The event includes a Q&A and signing on October 10 and an additional signing on October 11. Tickets are allocated through a random drawing on kodanshahouse.com, with applications open September 3 to 10. The pop-up runs October 9 to 18 at 508 West 37th Street, during New York Comic Con.
Adachitoka, the manga duo behind Noragami: Stray God, will launch a new series titled Yadoya no Oinu-sama (The Inn's Dog) in the November issue of Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine, which goes on sale October 6. The story follows middle schooler Kasumi Kuromine, who lives in the countryside and falls down a mountainside during a school field trip.
Toshiko Machida's Hanako-gari manga ended with its final chapter on Kodansha's Pocket Magazine platform on August 27. The series launched in September 2025 and ran for three compiled volumes. Kodansha shipped the second volume on March 9 and will release the third and final volume on September 9. The story follows a Tokyo government organization that claims to protect spirits called Hanako but actually hunts and disposes of them.
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.
Weekly Young Magazine announced that its next issue will carry a special one-shot by Tohru Fujisawa serving as the finale of the Saejima Arc in GTO: Paradise Lost Kai. The story began as GTO: Paradise Lost in April 2014, went on hiatus, and returned under the Kai title in Magazine Pocket in April 2024.
Kodansha's K MANGA platform announced it has added Daiki Yamazaki's supernatural battle manga Golden Phantom as a simulpub. The series follows Shingo Asahina, who shelters a bloodied man at an amusement park and learns the park will become hell in 30 minutes. Yamazaki debuted the manga in Afternoon magazine on February 25; the first volume shipped in Japan on July 22.
MeetToMatch will hold its sixth annual Tokyo Edition from September 17 to 20, 2026, during the Tokyo Game Show 2026 period. The event connects Japanese game companies with overseas counterparts through pre-arranged business meetings. Japan-based companies can participate free of charge, with registration available on the dedicated website. Last year, 571 companies from 45 countries took part, including 120 Japanese firms, and 93% of meetings involving Japanese companies were with overseas partners. So far in 2026, 361 companies have registered on the platform, among them Bandai Namco Entertainment, Sega, Kodansha, Shochiku, Colopl, Drecom, G-mode, Kotobuki Solution, Crunchyroll K.K., 505 Games Japan, Active Gaming Media, Toylogic, and Chorus Worldwide. Meetings can be held at Makuhari Messe booths, public spots, rented rooms, restaurants, or online via Zoom, Google Meet, or a proprietary time-zone-adjusting system. Shochiku's Hiroaki Ishige noted that the most common contact he receives at conferences is from people who found him through MeetToMatch. The service is independent of Tokyo Game Show and not an official TGS offering.
Kodansha USA announced new manga releases during its panel at Anime NYC on Friday, including the horror license Trapped on Tape! and an omnibus print release for Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Spirit!. The company also announced two Kodansha Print Club titles: How to Grill Our Love in September 2026 and Abe-kun's Got Me Now! in December 2026.
Soborou's Jukebox manga ended on August 1 with the final part of its final chapter on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket platform. The third compiled volume ships September 16. The series follows odd residents of the Jukebox dormitory, including an angel, a demon, a wizard and apprentice, an amateur manga artist, and a genius Edo-era painter.
Yuri Sonoda's Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi manga resumed with a new chapter on Kodansha's Comic Days website on Friday. Sonoda put the manga on hiatus in January 2025 for health reasons. She said the series will proceed at a slower pace but that she will continue to draw each chapter with care.
Masamichi Sato announced on Kodansha's Comic Days platform that the Quality Assurance in Another World manga will take an extended hiatus while they recover from hospitalization for a hernia. The series will return at a later date to be announced. Kodansha ships the 18th volume in Japanese on Monday, and Kodansha USA releases the 17th volume on August 18.
Anime and manga accounts celebrated International Cat Day on August 8 with cat-themed art and messages. Participants included Cyberpunk 2077, Pragmata, Inherit the Winds, Black Torch, Akira Failing in Love, Kodansha, and Kojima Productions, among others.
Celsys announced the release of footage showing manga being drawn in space for Mission: SPACE COMIC, Kodansha's project to draw manga in space. The demonstration used the Kibo module's robotic arm on the ISS. Celsys provided technical support through CLIP STUDIO PAINT, its illustration and manga creation app.
Digital manga publisher Omoi announced at its Otakon 2026 industry panel on Friday that it will release Shinji Wada's Delinquent Detective: Sukeban Deka in English for the first time. The shojo crime thriller will be available exclusively on the Omoi: Manga Reader app this fall, with chapters accessible through the Omoi Premium subscription. The original manga ran in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume magazine from 1976 to 1982, and has inspired multiple live-action series and films, a 1991 video anime, and a 2006 live-action film. Omoi also revealed plans to add 54 Kodansha titles to its catalog, available for volume purchase, with early volumes from six titles available now, including After the Rain, Dororo, and Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun. Omoi Premium members receive a 20% discount on all volume purchases. The announcement marks a significant addition to Omoi's library of classic shojo manga, following its earlier license of The Sword of Paros.
Kodansha USA announced eight new manga licenses at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, including Gamon Sakurai's The Pool, Shuuichi Shigeno's Subaru and Subaru, and IZU and Hagane's Kraken Mare. The company also plans a spring 2027 box set for The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.
Kodansha released 'Hamukoi - Hamster ni Tensei Shita Boku to Sanshimai no Amaama na Hibi' on July 17 for PC via Steam and Epic Game Store. The live-action romance sim places the player as a hamster pampered by three sisters, played by gravure idols. The game faced multiple Steam bans before release, which developers discussed in an interview with Automaton.
Kodansha released the gravure mook 'FRIDAY GOLD 2026 Summer' on July 13, featuring talent and YouTuber Shinonome Umi on the cover and opening pages. The issue includes 30 pages of new photos of Umi, a selection of gravure photos from other talents including voice actress Kanon Shizaki, and a 100-minute making DVD. The mook is priced at 1,300 yen.
Negi Haruba's Go! Go! Loser Ranger! manga is going on hiatus due to the creator's health, according to the 32nd issue of Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine. The series will resume sometime in August. This follows a previous hiatus in February 2026, after which the manga returned and entered its final arc. The series launched in February 2021 and has two television anime seasons.
Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Sirius editor-in-chief Takashi Yamaguchi issued a public apology to Cells at Work! creator Akane Shimizu on July 3, acknowledging failures in medical supervision, working environment, editor conduct, and crediting of derivative works. Shimizu confirmed receiving the apology and said discussions with Kodansha are ongoing.
Kodansha USA Publishing announced during its Anime Expo panel on Thursday seven new print releases for spring 2026, including the prose collection Witch Hat Atelier: Special Stories, the yuri thriller Fatale Game, and the historical fantasy The Chronicles of Leënde. Other titles are The Serenade of Spring Thunder, Myther, and the classic Phoenix, along with Historié.
Akane Shimizu, creator of Cells at Work!, posted a series of allegations on X on July 1 and 2 detailing what she describes as years of editorial mistreatment during the manga's serialization. She claims Kodansha failed to provide promised medical supervision, dismissed her requests for professional assistants, and subjected her to personal criticism that contributed to severe mental health struggles, including suicidal thoughts.
The 30th issue of Kodansha's Morning magazine published the final chapter of Akane Torikai's Bad Babies Don't Cry manga on Thursday. The series, which launched in July 2024, follows four strangers who saved a 10-year-old girl from a train platform and must reunite years later to save her again. The manga entered its final arc on April 30.
Kodansha will begin localizing and publishing manga in India this autumn through a joint venture with Dai Nippon Printing, becoming the first Japanese publisher to directly enter the Indian market. The venture aims to release 200 titles per year in English and Hindi, printed locally to reduce costs and compete with pirated editions.
Kodansha announced on June 5 that all 12 episodes of the TV anime adaptation of Taku Kuwabara's manga Drifting Dragons will be streamed for free on the Full☆Anime TV YouTube channel from June 5 to July 5. The limited-time release coincides with the manga's 10th anniversary and the launch of its 22nd volume.
The television anime adaptation of Hitoshi Iwaaki's historical manga Historie will premiere in January 2027, with Nobunaga Shimazaki voicing the lead role of Eumenes. The announcement came via the July issue of Kodansha's Afternoon magazine on Monday, alongside a second teaser visual and the first promotional video. LIDEN FILMS is handling animation production. The cast also includes Ryota Suzuki as Eumenes' brother Hieronymus, Kazuya Ichijo as his father Hieronymus, Yuko Kaida as Teresila, Wataru Takagi as Charon, Satoshi Tsuruoka as Hecataeus, Anri Katsura as Trax, Tsuguo Mogami as Aristotle, Miki Kariya as Periala, Seiyu Fujiwara as Nicogenes, and Junya Enoki as Tormides. Iwaaki began serializing Historie in Afternoon in 2003 (some sources say 2004), and the manga has 12 compiled volumes as of June 2024, with over 4.7 million copies in circulation. The series previously won the 2010 Ministry of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival Award for manga, the 2012 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, and the Best General Manga category at the 49th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2025. Iwaaki noted he first conceived the story over four decades ago.
Hiro Mashima's Dead Rock manga ended its Academy Arc on Thursday and will go on hiatus before returning with a new Godfall arc this winter. Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine published the final chapter of the arc. The seventh compiled volume shipped on Friday.
Muchimaro's Even the Student Council Has Its Holes! manga is taking a break in Weekly Shōnen Magazine due to the artist's health, with a return scheduled for the 27th issue on June 3. The announcement noted Muchimaro's health is improving. The series, which launched in 2022, has 12 compiled volumes and is inspiring a television anime.
Crunchyroll announced a partnership with Kodansha USA to add 23 back-catalog manga titles to its Crunchyroll Manga app on May 18, alongside You Chiba's Dricam!! from Shueisha. The additions include major series like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Revengers, and Your Lie in April, marking a significant expansion of the app's library since its relaunch in October 2025.
Kodansha named the winners of its 50th Manga Awards on May 11, 2026. Gachiakuta, written and drawn by Kei Urana with graffiti art by Hideyoshi Andou, took the Shonen category. The series beat fellow finalists Ichi the Witch, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, and Utsuranain desu. Urana posted on X that she never expected the honor and would keep working at full speed. The prize includes two million yen, a certificate, and a bronze statue. In the Shojo category, Gin Shirakawa's Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn't Remember Me won. The manga adapts Eiko Mutsuhana's light novel Return from Death, with original illustrations by Yugiri Aika. Shun Umezawa's The Darwin Incident won the General category after being a finalist in two previous years. The series follows Charlie, a half-human half-chimpanzee raised by human parents, who is pulled into an eco-terrorist plot. Judges for the 50th awards included Hiro Mashima, Hikaru Nakamura, and Natsumi Ando.