Overview of Shaman King Yard
- The upcoming sequel, Shaman King Yard, is officially recognized as the concluding arc of the Shaman King franchise as confirmed by its creator, Hiroyuki Takei.
- Kodansha has yet to announce a specific date for the serialization of this new arc.
- Previously, the series Shaman King: The Super Star consisted of only 68 chapters and was released sporadically.
Following the conclusion of Shaman King: The Super Star, both Kodansha and Hiroyuki Takei revealed plans for an exciting new sequel titled Shaman King Yard. This sequel is set to mark the final chapter in the Shaman King saga.
While it is designated as the ultimate arc, this classification does not imply a brief narrative; rather, it signifies the end of the Shaman King storyline. Notably, past adaptations of this series have not extended to animation for Shaman King: The Super Star, though earlier adaptations remain accessible on platforms like Netflix.
At this moment, Kodansha has not revealed when Shaman King Yard will start its serialization. However, Takei is actively engaged in its development. The last volume of Shaman King: The Super Star is anticipated for release on January 8, 2025. It is common practice for publishers to leverage the launch of new volumes to unveil significant announcements, raising speculation that the serialization date for the new sequel could be disclosed at that time.
Navigating the Publication of Shaman King: The Super Star
Over its run from 2018 to 2024, The Super Star was comprised of only 68 chapters, culminating in a 10th volume. The serialization process faced challenges, initially appearing in Shonen Magazine Edge until its closure in October 2023. The series returned nearly a year later in August 2024, on the Magazine Pocket webmanga platform, pointing to potentially unanticipated publication lengths.
The Expansive Shaman King Universe
The original Shaman King manga first appeared in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump from 1998 to 2004. In addition to the main series, creator Hiroyuki Takei released Funbari Poem (2003-2004) and the prequel Shaman King: Zero (2011-2014). The groundbreaking series inspired a notable anime adaptation aired from 2001 to 2002, produced by studio Xebec. A remade version launched in 2021-2022, produced by Bridge, and became available globally on Netflix.
While working on Zero, Takei also began the serialization of Shaman King Flowers (2012-2014) under Shueisha, which collected six volumes and received an anime adaptation by Bridge immediately following the remake’s broadcast, also available on Netflix.
The narrative of Shaman King revolves around the main character, Yoh Asakura, who aspires to become the Shaman King, while the sequel focuses on the next generation. The protagonist, Hana Asakura, embarks on his own journey within the Shaman world.
Transitioning to Kodansha, Takei initiated Shaman King: The Super Stars, furthering the chronicles of Hana Asakura. Kodansha subsequently gained rights to the series, reissuing former Shaman King titles. Also, several spin-off stories crafted by Jet Kusamura — along with collaborations involving Kusamura and Kyo Nuesawa — have been serialized in various Kodansha manga magazines.
All Shaman King titles, including the Funbari Poem spin-off, are available in the US through Kodansha USA. Notably, Shaman King: The Super Star and works by Jet Kusamura have only been released digitally in English.
Source: Anime News Network
Leave a Reply