Shogakukan's Weekly
Big Comic Spirits magazine announced in its 30th issue of the year
that mangaka Yūgo Kobayashi, recognized for his work on Aoashi,
will return with a new series in spring 2026.
This
announcement comes on the heels of the conclusion of Aoashi, the
hit football manga that ended in the same issue of the magazine. The work began
publication in January 2015, and had the collaboration of Naohiko Ueno in
the research and development of the plot until volume 17.
A
Successful Legacy with Aoashi
With 40
compilation volumes and more than 15 million copies in
circulation, Aoashi established itself as one of the most
outstanding sports works of the last decade. In 2020, it was awarded the award
for Best Overall Manga at the 65th Shogakukan Manga
Awards.
The anime
adaptation, produced by Production I.G, premiered on April
9, 2022, on NHK's educational channel, and was simulcast
on Crunchyroll. A second season, this time animated
by TMS Entertainment, is scheduled to premiere next year.
Success
off the pitch too
In addition
to his sports work, Kobayashi has also shone with the manga Fermat no
Ryōri, which began serialization in Kodansha's Monthly Shonen
Magazine in September 2018. This culinary history has reached a
circulation of 23 million copies and has five compilation
volumes, the most recent published on April 30.
The
popularity of this work has motivated the production of an anime
adaptation, which will premiere on July 5 on TV
Asahi and affiliated networks. It will be broadcast on Saturdays
at 11:30 p.m. (Spanish time) within the IMAnimation programming
block.
High
expectations for the new project
With two
high-profile manga and animated adaptations under his belt, expectations for
Yūgo Kobayashi's next work are high. Although details about the plot or genre
have not yet been revealed, its return to Weekly Big Comic Spirits in
2026 is already arousing enthusiasm among readers.
