Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, has debuted a horror one-shot titled Quit Laughing, Shijima on August 10, 2026. The story, available via Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app, moves away from superheroes to explore eldritch sea monsters in the fictional Konoshiro City.
Moving beyond the 430 chapters of My Hero Academia
Kohei Horikoshi has officially stepped away from the superhero mythos that defined his career for over a decade. According to the report, the creator of My Hero Academia spent two years in a creative transition following the conclusion of his magnum opus, which spanned 430 chapters in Shonen Jump. This shift was not a sudden whim;Horikoshi had reportedly been signaling a move toward the horror genre as early as 2022.
This pivot represents a significant strategic risk for Kohei Horikoshi. By abandoning the "quirk-possessing teens" of his previous world, the mangaka is testing his ability to build a different kind of atmosphere. The move suggests a desire to avoid the creative stagnation that often follows a long-term commitment to a single, massive global franchise.
The eldritch dread of Konoshiro City
In Quit Laughing, Shijima, the setting shifts to the coastal municipality of Konoshiro City. As reported, the story centers on a high school student named Azumi and her attraction to an enigmatic figure named Shijima. However, the romantic tension is undercut by the presence of sea-borne monsters that haunt the shoreliine and the murky waters.
Kohei Horikoshi utilizes a visual language similar to the one used for My Hero Academia villains like Tomura Shigaraki, Stain,and Dabi, but applies it to cosmic horror. Instead of combat-oriented conflicts, Quit Laughing, Shijima focuses on psychological walls and "eldritch dread," presenting monsters that threaten the mental stability of the city's students.
A genre pivot mirroring Yusui Matsui's samurai shift
This move mirrors a broader trend among Shonen Jump creators who seek professional reinvention after a major success. For instance, Yusui Matsui transitioned from sci-fi school life to a historic samurai adventure, while the creators of Gintama pivoted toward an absurd isekai narrative. This pattern suggests that the industry's top talent is increasingly wary of genre saturation, particularly in action-driven plots.
By diversifying his portfolio, Kohei Horikoshi is positioning himself to capture a demographic that may be disillusioned by the current abundance of battle-shonen.. The blend of coming-of-age romance and supernatural tension allows the author to explore emotional depths that were often secondary to the high-stakes battles of his previous work.
The Manga Plus platform and the question of serialization
While the one-shot is currently available on the Manga Plus application, it remains unclear if Quit Laughing, Shijima will evolve into a full-length series. The report notes that the project has already sparked significant social media buzz, but there is no official confirmation regarding a serialized manga or a broadcast series adaptation.
Furthermore, it is not yet known how the narrative of Quit Laughing, Shijima will resolve the mystery of the sea monsters or the true nature of the character Shijima. Because the current release is a one-shot, readers are left wondering if the story is a self-contained experiment or a pilot for a larger, more complex world.
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