Tag Archives: Manga

Manga Anime

Gabriel DropOut Manga Is Ending After 13 Years — Final Chapter Incoming

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After 13 years of celestial slacking and demonic mischief, Gabriel DropOut is drawing to a close. Kadokawa’s Dengeki Daioh G magazine announced in its September 2026 issue that Ukami’s long-running gag manga will end in the series’ next chapter — making it one of the longest-running titles in the magazine’s history.

Gabriel DropOut Blu-ray and DVD launch campaign banner
Image courtesy of Kadokawa / Doga Kobo

What Is Gabriel DropOut?

Gabriel DropOut follows Gabriel White Tenma, a top-ranked angel who descends to the human world to complete her education — and promptly becomes addicted to online games. Flanked by the earnest demon Satanichia McDowell Kurumizawa, the no-nonsense angel Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha, and the surprisingly principled demon Vignette April Tsukinose, the series spent 13 years wringing comedy out of its delightfully backwards premise: the angel is lazy and self-absorbed, while the demons are often the most decent characters in the room.

Gabriel Dropout — via AnimaxAsia on YouTube

Thirteen Years in Dengeki Daioh G

Ukami launched Gabriel DropOut in the December 2013 issue of Dengeki Daioh G, Kadokawa’s gag manga magazine. It moved to monthly serialization in April 2014 and has run consistently ever since, amassing 16 compiled tankōbon volumes under the Dengeki Comics NEXT imprint — the most recent, Volume 16, shipped in Japan in September 2025. An English-language edition has been published by Yen Press, with volumes available through major online retailers.

Gabriel DropOut series logo
Image courtesy of Kadokawa / Doga Kobo

The manga inspired a 12-episode anime adaptation — plus two OVA episodes — produced by Doga Kobo and directed by Masahiko Ohta, which aired during the winter 2017 season. The anime earned generally positive reviews for its dry comedy and well-timed character dynamics, and introduced the series to a much wider audience across Southeast Asia.

Where Singapore Fans Can Watch and Read

The Gabriel DropOut anime is available on Crunchyroll in Singapore — all 12 episodes plus the OVAs are accessible under a standard subscription. For those who want to see how the story ends in manga form before the final chapter runs, Yen Press has the English edition up to Volume 16 available through Amazon and other international retailers that ship to Singapore.

Gabriel DropOut character promotional banner
Image courtesy of Kadokawa / Doga Kobo

For fans of long-running gag manga, Gabriel DropOut sits alongside titles like Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star as a defining work in the slice-of-life comedy genre. Thirteen years is a remarkable run for any manga, and the series leaves behind a warm, funny legacy that holds up well even for readers picking it up now. For more manga and anime news, check our latest posts.

Manga Anime

Laid-Back Camp Manga on Hiatus — Creator Afro Steps Back for Health

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Creator Afro is stepping back from their two active manga series after health concerns mounted from the pressure of running both at the same time. Houbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara magazine and the Comic Fuz website announced on 28 July 2026 that both Laid-Back Camp and mono are going on indefinite hiatus.

Nadeshiko smiling at night in a scene from Laid-Back Camp Season 4
Image courtesy of Yuru Camp △ SEASON 4 Production Committee

Two Manga, One Creator — The Toll of Dual Serialisation

Afro has been running two manga simultaneously: Laid-Back Camp (ゆるキャン△) in Manga Time Kirara, and mono in the same publisher’s Manga Time Kirara Carat and on the Comic Fuz platform. According to both publishers, the creator’s health is “worsening from the stress associated with serialising the two manga at the same time.”

No specific diagnosis has been disclosed, and no return date has been provided. Both editors confirmed the manga “will return at a later date,” with further details to be announced separately when Afro is ready.

What Is mono — Afro’s Second Series?

Many fans outside Japan may only know Afro for Laid-Back Camp, but mono is the creator’s follow-up work: a slice-of-life comedy set in a high school where the Photography Club and Cinema Club have merged to form the Cinephoto Club. Members Satsuki, An, and Sakurako agree to star as models for a manga artist, heading out across Japan to capture the country’s beauty through action cameras and gadgets. The series earned a TV anime adaptation that premiered in April 2025, giving it a wider international following.

For Laid-Back Camp fans who haven’t checked out mono yet, it carries the same warm, exploratory spirit and makes for ideal reading while waiting for both series to return.

Characters from Laid-Back Camp Season 4 in a surprised reaction
Image courtesy of Yuru Camp △ SEASON 4 Production Committee

Laid-Back Camp: A Decade of Camping and Cosy Storytelling

Laid-Back Camp launched in Manga Time Kirara in 2015 and has since become one of the most beloved slice-of-life franchises in modern manga. The story of introverted solo camper Rin Shima, her enthusiastic new friend Nadeshiko Kagamihara, and their school’s Outdoor Activities Club struck a chord with readers seeking quieter, gentler storytelling set against Japan’s real camping locations and mountain scenery.

The anime adaptations — Seasons 1 and 2 from C-Station, Season 3 from 8-bit, and a feature film — have all found audiences across the region, with the series available on streaming platforms in Singapore. English print volumes are published by Yen Press.

Season 4 Anime Still On Track for 2027

The reassuring note amid all this: the Laid-Back Camp Season 4 anime is proceeding as planned and is unaffected by the manga hiatus. The new season will be animated by FuRyu Pictures (succeeding 8-bit from Season 3), with director Shin Tosaka and series composer Pierre Sugiura returning. New character designer Ryūta Ura brings a fresh visual style, and the core voice cast is back. Artists Asaka and Eri Sasaki will handle the opening and ending themes respectively.

A teaser trailer dropped in March 2026, offering the first look at returning characters alongside new additions to the Outdoor Activities Club. Browse more anime news on GameTrader while you wait.

TVアニメ『ゆるキャン△ SEASON４』特報PV │ 2027 ONAIR — via FURYU Pictures Channel on YouTube
Chiaki and Rin alongside a bear mascot character in a Laid-Back Camp Season 4 teaser scene
Image courtesy of Yuru Camp △ SEASON 4 Production Committee

When Will the Manga Return?

There is no timeline yet. Both editors stated only that both series will return “at a later date,” with announcements to follow from each. Responses across social media and fan communities have been unanimously supportive — readers have urged Afro to rest for as long as needed and made clear that their health comes before any publication schedule.

For Singapore readers following Laid-Back Camp through Yen Press’s English editions, existing volumes are unaffected. New Japanese chapters are paused, which will eventually slow future English releases — but there’s time before that gap is felt. The main thing to hold onto: Season 4 is still coming, and Afro intends to return to both manga once they’re well.

Manga Anime

Horikoshi’s Horror One-Shot Hits Shonen Jump on 10 August — Read It Free in Singapore

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Two years after wrapping up one of Shonen Jump’s most celebrated runs, Kohei Horikoshi is heading back to the manga page. His new work, Warawanaideyo Shijima-san (Don’t Laugh, Shijima-san), is a 61-page horror one-shot landing in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #37/38 on 10 August 2026 — and it is already one of the most anticipated manga releases of the year.

Warawanaideyo Shijima-san horror composite showing the eerie horror face and the two protagonists
Image courtesy of Kohei Horikoshi / Shueisha

What Is Warawanaideyo Shijima-san?

Officially described by Shonen Jump News as a “boy-meets-girl horror” story, the one-shot centres on two high-school-age characters: a sharp-eyed blonde boy and a smiling black-haired girl who share a battered scooter. The official key visual pairs their deceptively ordinary school-uniform design with a horror close-up that makes clear this is no feel-good romance. Spanning 61 pages with a centre colour spread, the story runs roughly the length of three standard manga chapters — enough room for a complete self-contained narrative.

The title is a play on words: warawanaideyo (笑わないでよ) translates loosely as “don’t laugh” or “don’t smile,” while Shijima could be read as a character name meaning something like “silence” or “stillness.” The tension between the instruction not to laugh and the girl’s unsettling grin in the key visual says plenty about the tone Horikoshi is going for.

Horikoshi’s First New WSJ Manga Since MHA Concluded

My Hero Academia finished its multi-year Weekly Shonen Jump run in 2024, leaving a genuinely enormous gap in the magazine’s lineup. Horikoshi had spoken in interviews about his longstanding interest in horror — a genre that surfaced throughout MHA’s darker arcs — and Warawanaideyo Shijima-san represents that ambition finally reaching the page.

Kohei Horikoshi holding a Deku sketch alongside the Warawanaideyo Shijima-san promotional art
Image courtesy of Kohei Horikoshi / Shueisha

The one-shot arrives while the My Hero Academia 10th anniversary celebrations are still in full swing — a special popup shop opens in Japan on 28 August — making it a memorable return moment for fans who have been waiting to see what Horikoshi does next. Whether Warawanaideyo Shijima-san is a standalone exercise or a proof-of-concept for a longer horror series remains to be seen.

How Singapore Fans Can Read It

Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #37/38 goes on sale in Japan on 10 August 2026. Singapore readers’ best bet is Manga Plus by Shueisha, Shueisha’s free global platform, which has published major WSJ one-shots and new chapters simultaneously with Japan at no cost. Check Manga Plus on 10 August for the one-shot’s availability — no subscription is required to read chapters when they go live.

For collectors who want a physical copy, Japanese import editions of Weekly Shonen Jump typically arrive at local hobby and game retailers in Singapore within a few weeks of the Japan release date, though no confirmed SG distribution has been announced. Keep an eye on our manga coverage for any local retail news as August 10 approaches.

Manga Anime, News

Gachiakuta Season 2: First Look PV Out — No Date Yet

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The wait for more Gachiakuta just got a little shorter — and a little longer at the same time. The official anime website has released a First Look PV for Season 2, dropping the first proper footage from the upcoming run, while confirming there is still no premiere date on the horizon.

What the Gachiakuta Season 2 First Look PV Shows

Published on the official Gachiakuta anime website on 29 July 2026 and reported the same day by Crunchyroll News, the PV collects multiple advance cuts from Season 2’s main story — described by the production team as the first public showing of actual footage from the new season. The clip was first screened at the “Return to the Pit” panel at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on 3 July, where director Fumihiko Suganuma, voice actor Aoi Ichikawa (Rudo), and producer Naoki Amano presented it to a live audience for the first time.

Alongside the PV, the team released new character illustrations for Enjin and Zanka, two figures who will play significant roles in Season 2. The Zanka artwork was distributed as a limited-edition postcard at Anime Expo, while the Enjin piece was given out at the 25th Taipei Comics & Animation Festival on 26 July — both now going public for the first time.

Gachiakuta official anime key visual featuring the main cast
Image courtesy of BONES Film

No Release Date — And Production Is Still Early

Studio BONES Film, which produced all 24 episodes of Season 1 across two back-to-back cours (July to December 2025), is confirmed to return for Season 2. What is not confirmed is when it will arrive. No premiere window has been announced, and reporting following the Anime Expo panel indicated that production is still in early stages — placing a 2026 release firmly off the table and a 2027 window at the optimistic end of the range.

Enjin character artwork for Gachiakuta Season 2
Image courtesy of BONES Film

In the meantime, the franchise has been expanding across other media. A stage adaptation ran in Tokyo (May 2026) and Kyoto (June 2026) with a live cast. A survival action RPG, Gachiakuta: The Game (working title), was also revealed earlier this year, with no developer or release window announced for it yet.

Where to Watch and Catch Up in Singapore

The full 24-episode Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll, which is available in Singapore. Gachiakuta was Crunchyroll’s most-viewed anime in July 2025 — the month it launched — and the platform is confirmed to carry Season 2 as well. If you haven’t started the series yet, now is the time: 24 episodes of sharp post-apocalyptic action from the studio behind My Hero Academia and SK8 the Infinity makes for a solid catch-up before the next chapter eventually drops.

Zanka character artwork for Gachiakuta Season 2
Image courtesy of BONES Film

Check the Manga Anime section at GameTrader.SG for updates as more Season 2 news comes in.

Manga Anime

Marvel x Kadokawa: Spider-Man of Shibuya Manga Announced

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Marvel heroes are getting a manga makeover — and the results are stunning. At San Diego Comic-Con last weekend, Marvel Comics and Kadokawa announced a five-title manga line that reimagines Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Gwen as characters rooted in the streets of Tokyo. The first volume, Spider-Man of Shibuya, is set to launch by the end of 2026, as confirmed by Anime News Network.

Spider-Man in Shibuya — A New Hero, A New Japan

The flagship title, Spider-Man of Shibuya, is drawn by tokitokoro — the manga artist known for Jeff the Land Shark, Marvel Rivals character work, and Doctor Strange art that has already won a following among Marvel’s manga-savvy audience. The hero is Hitojima Shosuke (人鳥 桜朱), a Tokyo high school student who inherits Spider-Man’s powers and starts his career in a modified blue hoodie — a homemade first suit — before graduating to a final design that blends the classic red-and-blue spider iconography with streetwear and urban Japan style.

Hitojima Shosuke character design draft showing his first hoodie suit and high school uniform
Image courtesy of Marvel Comics

The design drafts revealed at SDCC show both the early hoodie look and the finished suit in front-and-back views — clear evidence that the creative team is thinking about this as a full character arc, not just a costume swap. Shibuya as a setting makes sense: it is one of Tokyo’s most internationally recognised districts, a crossroads of fashion, youth culture, and the kind of high-energy street life that suits a high school wall-crawler perfectly.

Daredevil in Shinjuku, a Yakuza Punisher

The Marvel x Kadokawa line does not stop at Spider-Man. The SDCC panel revealed design sheets for two more characters who appear in the Spider-Man of Shibuya story:

Daredevil takes on an oni-masked form — red-horned, sharp-dressed, and armed with a chained blade. The design sheet shows a civilian mode in a sleek black suit alongside the full battle form, channelling the idea of a devil-themed vigilante who looks right at home in Shinjuku’s neon-lit underworld.

Daredevil design draft showing oni-masked combat form and civilian suit
Image courtesy of Marvel Comics

The Punisher is recast as a katana-wielding, skull-haori yakuza enforcer — a reimagining that is simultaneously obvious and genuinely inspired. Frank Castle’s skull motif is now a bold clan emblem on the back of a flowing grey cape, and his combat mode trades guns for blades in a way that reads as completely coherent within a Japanese context.

Punisher design draft showing yakuza-style combat outfit and skull cape
Image courtesy of Marvel Comics

Five Titles in Total — Spider-Gwen Among Them

The full Marvel x Kadokawa line will span five manga volumes. Beyond Spider-Man of Shibuya, the second confirmed title is a Spider-Gwen manga handled by Ryuusei Yamada — previously known for the assassin-and-samurai series Revenger and work on Marvel Rivals. The remaining three titles have not yet been named.

Marvel and Kadokawa logos side by side at the SDCC 2026 panel announcement
Image courtesy of Marvel Comics and Kadokawa

The initiative is tied to Marvel’s new Asia Originals push. C.B. Cebulski — who recently stepped down as Marvel Comics editor-in-chief — is now based in Tokyo leading Marvel’s Asian content strategy, working alongside Kadokawa’s editorial team to oversee the collaboration. This is Marvel’s first major manga partnership since ending its relationship with Shueisha earlier in 2026.

Singapore Readers: What to Expect

Spider-Man of Shibuya and the Spider-Gwen title are targeting a late-2026 launch. No Singapore-specific release date or local pricing has been confirmed, and English-language editions have not yet been officially announced. For now, Singapore manga fans who want to pick these up on day one will likely be looking at Japanese imports through major bookshops and online retailers that carry Japanese titles. Watch this space — with Cebulski heading the Asia push, English distribution details should follow before too long.

Manga Anime

Millennium Family TV Anime Announced — Seven Immortal Siblings, TBS Broadcast

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Seven immortal siblings who have survived a thousand years of human history are finally making their anime debut. PartsCraft will adapt Akira Kasugai’s Odoru Sennen Kazoku — known in English as Millennium Family — into a TV anime airing on TBS, with an announcement PV already out and a broadcast window still to come.

Theo and the immortal siblings from the Millennium Family anime
Image courtesy of 踊る千年家族 Production Committee

Seven Siblings, One Thousand Years — The Millennium Family Anime Story

The premise lands hard: seven siblings born in England carry the ultimate gift — eternal life. Over centuries they drifted apart, living separate lives across different eras and corners of the world. Then they reunite in the modern day and move back in together as one very unusual household. The problem? Word has gotten out. Criminal syndicates, corrupt medical institutions, and international military organisations all want a piece of the family that cannot die, turning their reunion into something considerably noisier than planned.

It is an action-comedy built around a sibling ensemble, and the immortality hook gives each character a completely different century to have shaped them. Kasugai has been running the manga in Young King OURs (published by Shōnen Gahōsha) since March 2021. Eight volumes are currently in print, and the ninth arrives on 30 July — a well-timed milestone that lines up neatly with the anime announcement and gives newcomers a substantial run to read through before the first episode airs.

PartsCraft at the Helm — Production Team and Voice Cast

PartsCraft is handling animation production. Masato Jinbo takes on double duty as both director and series composition writer, keeping a single creative voice steering the adaptation throughout. Hiroshi Yoneda joins as character designer and chief animation director — his work on the key visual keeps the seven siblings visually distinct even in ensemble shots.

One cast member has been confirmed: Rikuya Yasuda voices Theo, the main character placed front-and-centre in the key visual — blue eyes, a ‘FAMILY’ hoodie, and the expression of someone who has outlived empires and still finds his siblings exhausting. The remaining cast has not yet been announced.

Watch the Announcement PV

『踊る千年家族』TVアニメ化決定PV — via TBSアニメ on YouTube

The teaser PV blends manga panels with newly animated cuts to introduce the sibling ensemble and the conflict at the story’s core. It is a brisk announcement video rather than a full trailer, but it establishes the tone clearly: punchy, colourful, and firmly leaning into the action-comedy half of the premise. The tagline — Shichinin Shichishoku, Shinenai Kazoku (七人七色、死ねない家族, roughly “Seven people, seven colours, the family that cannot die”) — sums up the series energy well.

Streaming and Singapore Availability

The series is confirmed for TBS and affiliated stations in Japan, but no international streaming platform or premiere window has been announced. Given that the announcement received immediate coverage from Crunchyroll News and major English-language anime outlets, international distribution looks likely — though Singapore fans will need to wait for a formal streaming announcement before adding it to their watchlists. An air date for Japan has also not been set.

Odoru Sennen Kazoku serialised in Young King OURs manga magazine
Image courtesy of 踊る千年家族 Production Committee / Shōnen Gahōsha

If you want to get ahead of the anime, the manga is the place to start. Nine volumes will be in print as of 30 July, giving newcomers a solid run to work through. Follow @sennenkazoku on X for official updates on cast, broadcast, and streaming. For more manga and anime news relevant to Singapore fans, check back here regularly.

Manga Anime

Blue Lock Live-Action Movie Opens 7 August — Full Cast and What to Expect

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Blue Lock’s punishing soccer crucible is getting the full live-action treatment — and the film is arriving faster than you might think. Movie 『Blue Lock』, produced by CREDEUS and distributed by TOHO, opens across Japanese cinemas on Friday, 7 August 2026. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup dominating the global sports calendar and Blue Lock consistently ranking as one of the most-read manga in Singapore, the timing could not be sharper.

Blue Lock Team Z character visual
Image courtesy of TOHO / CREDEUS

What Is the Blue Lock Live-Action Movie?

The film adapts the opening arc of Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura’s manga, in which the Japan Football Union launches a radical — and brutal — training programme called Blue Lock. Three hundred high school strikers are locked inside a facility and forced to compete until only one remains standing. That survivor earns the right to become the nation’s ace striker for the World Cup. The premise strips football of any sentimentality and turns it into pure ego combat, which is exactly why it has resonated so hard with readers worldwide.

Manga author Kaneshiro visited the set during production and reportedly described the facility as so convincingly built that it felt like a real Blue Lock facility had been constructed — a reaction echoed by co-creator Nomura, who said the atmosphere on set resembled the actual “Blue Prison” from the story.

Full Cast: Who Plays Who

The film covers Team Z’s journey through Blue Lock’s first selection stages and fields a cast of sixteen players plus the architect of the whole programme:

  • Fumiya Takahashi as Yoichi Isagi (protagonist)
  • Masataka Kubota as Jinpachi Ego (Blue Lock director) — Kubota previously starred in the live-action Tokyo Ghoul and Death Note films
  • Kaito Sakurai as Meguru Bachira
  • Kyōhei Takahashi as Hyoma Chigiri
  • Kōta Nomura as Rensuke Kunigami
  • Yuzu Aoki as Gurimu Igarashi
  • Sho Nishigaki as Asahi Naruhaya
  • Yuki Tachibana as Gin Gagamaru
  • Raizo Ishikawa as Jingo Raichi
  • Joey Iwanaga as Okuhito Iemon
  • Shunya Asano as Wataru Kuon
  • Yuki Sakurai as Yudai Imamura
  • Yuki Kura as Ryosuke Kira
  • Kohei Higuchi as Zantetsu Tsurugi
  • K as Seishiro Nagi
  • Keito Tsuna as Reo Mikage
Blue Lock anime key visual showing Isagi, Bachira and Chigiri
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Blue Lock Production Committee

From Manga Page to Real Pitch

Director Yūsuke Taki oversaw a physically demanding production. The cast underwent extensive soccer training under former Japan national team midfielder Daisuke Matsui, who served as soccer supervisor for the film. Matsui noted the commitment the actors brought: “The actors showed incredible dedication — no matter how busy they were, they always found time to train seriously,” as relayed by Animehunch. Filming took place at the J-Village soccer field in Fukushima Prefecture, with full cooperation from the Japan Football Association and J.League to ensure the matches looked authentic on screen.

The screenplay was written by Tetsuo Kamata, and the film is produced by Shinzō Matsuhashi. TOHO — the studio behind countless Japanese blockbusters — is distributing the film across approximately 350 screens in Japan.

Watch the Official Teaser

Movie 『Blue Lock』 Teaser Footage [Opens 7 August 2026] — via 映画『ブルーロック』チャンネル on YouTube (Japanese)

Singapore and SEA: When Can We Watch?

The film opens in Japan on 7 August 2026 with no Singapore or Southeast Asia release date confirmed at the time of writing. TOHO’s international distribution of manga-based live-action films has expanded in recent years, and given how strongly Blue Lock’s manga and anime have performed in Singapore — the series regularly charts at major local bookstores and was one of the top-selling manga titles of 2024 and 2025 — a regional theatrical release is not out of the question. Check local cinema websites and our manga and anime coverage for updates as they come.

For context, the international assassins arc of the Blue Lock anime has also been confirmed, with Studio MAPPA returning to adapt the story beyond what the film covers. So whether you are catching up on the anime or planning a trip to Japan in August, the Blue Lock universe is nowhere near finished.

Manga Anime

One Piece Chapter 1189 — Scopper Gaban Saves Luffy as Imu Wields the Weapons of the 19 Kings

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Spoilers ahead for One Piece Chapter 1189. The chapter, titled King of the World, is out now on MangaPlus and Viz Manga — free to read for Singapore fans on MangaPlus with a catch-up from last week’s chapter 1188. And it delivers one of the biggest moments the Elbaf arc has built towards.

Imu Escalates — The Ancient Weapons of 800 Years Ago

Picking up mid-battle, Imu presses the offensive against a helpless Luffy. The World Government’s shadowy ruler is not fighting with ordinary strength — each weapon deployed belongs to one of the 19 Kings who founded the World Government 800 years ago, relics of the Void Century now wielded in person. Chapter 1189 names three of them: the Spear of Holy Command (Longinus), the Sword of Wrath (Gram), and the Sea God Sword (Fragarach). Imu uses these to literally pin Luffy to a tree, the blades draining life energy as they hold him in place.

To twist the knife further, Imu mocks Luffy by name-dropping his fallen brothers Ace and Sabo — a deliberate psychological blow at the Straw Hat captain who has already lost so much. A flashback to Shanks warning Loki that the "King of the World" possesses undefeatable power underlines just how outmatched Luffy currently appears.

Luffy alone in the snowy Elbaf landscape — One Piece official teaser art
Image courtesy of Toei Animation / Shueisha

Scopper Gaban Arrives — Still Bandaged, Axes in Hand

With Imu raising the Xingtian Axe for the killing blow, the chapter’s final pages deliver the moment fans have been waiting for: Scopper Gaban steps in front of Luffy and blocks the attack. He is still wrapped in bandages from injuries suffered earlier in the arc, but both axes are drawn and his expression is calm. One Piece goes on break next week — so this is the cliffhanger we sit with for two weeks.

Gaban, one of Gold Roger’s original crewmates and among the most anticipated characters to see in action in the modern era, has been circling the margins of the Elbaf arc since his reintroduction. The anime already gave Singapore viewers a first taste of the character in Episode 1169. Now the manga is delivering the real showdown.

ONE PIECE | Elbaph Arc Official Trailer — via Toei Animation on YouTube

The Rest of the Chapter

Chapter 1189 checks in on several other threads. Zoro and Sanji remain overpowered by the enhanced Holy Knights, with no clear path to victory shown yet. Usopp gets a moment of sharp instinct — he senses that something has gone terribly wrong for Luffy, even from a distance. And Gunko remains unconscious, the melted ice around her buying some time but no resolution.

The cover story is a lighter touch: Nami is lecturing a trio of monkey-transformed crewmates — Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji — which is exactly the kind of absurd One Piece side-story energy the main chapters often pair with the heaviest plot beats.

Imu faces Luffy in the One Piece Elbaf arc — official Elbaph arc trailer still
Image courtesy of Toei Animation / Shueisha

One Week Break — and Where to Read in Singapore

One Piece will be on break for one week following this chapter, returning in the week after next. Chapter 1190 is not yet confirmed but should arrive roughly two weeks from today.

Singapore fans can read Chapter 1189 right now on MangaPlus by Shueisha — it is completely free, same-day as Japan, and does not require a subscription. Viz Manga subscribers can also read it via the Viz website or app. For more manga coverage, check our ongoing One Piece archive.

Manga Anime

Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up Gets TV Anime

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DMM Pictures announced on 23 July that Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up — the popular romance manga by Mitsuki Mii — is getting a TV anime adaptation, with Passione and Hayabusa Film on animation. A teaser PV is already live on YouTube, and the timing could not be better: Volume 8 hits Japanese shelves on 28 July, just days after the announcement.

Two Reinventions, One Complicated Situation

Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up anime key art featuring the two lead characters
Image courtesy of DMM Pictures

The story centres on Keisuke Shizuki, who completely reinvented himself before starting high school — new look, new social circle, new confidence — after a rough middle school experience. His one remaining problem: he still freezes up around beautiful girls. Enter Shizuka Kusunoki, the school’s most striking student, who has pulled off an equally dramatic transformation but has no idea how to actually connect with people. She asks Keisuke for help fitting in. The two quietly bond over their shared history of reinvention, and what starts as an awkward favour slowly becomes something more.

Serialised on Pixiv Comic under Ichijinsha’s Comic Pool imprint since October 2022, the manga has gathered a solid readership over its eight volumes. The English edition from Kodansha USA is available through major online retailers, so SG readers chasing a romance manga with genuine heart and a self-improvement angle can already dig in ahead of the anime premiere.

The Studio and Creative Team

Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up official anime title logo
Image courtesy of DMM Pictures

Passione — the studio behind Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf and High School DxD Hero — is co-producing with Hayabusa Film. Midori Yui directs and handles series composition. Character designs come from Kōji Haneda, who drew the expressive, character-driven visuals for The Faraway Paladin. Composing the score is Hyadain, known for the catchy, high-energy soundtrack work on Rent-a-Girlfriend.

Watch the Official Teaser PV

Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up Teaser PV — via DMM Pictures on YouTube

Lead Voice Cast

Character art from the Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up anime adaptation
Image courtesy of DMM Pictures

Yūto Uemura — familiar to fans as Fuutarou Uesugi in The Quintessential Quintuplets — takes on Keisuke Shizuki. Voicing Shizuka Kusunoki opposite him is Tomori Kusunoki, known as Shirokusa Kachi in Mix Ore. The casting is a neat touch: Tomori Kusunoki is playing a character who shares her surname, which should be a talking point among fans once the anime airs.

No premiere season or streaming platform has been confirmed yet. Watch the official anime site (Japanese) for updates, and check back on GameTrader’s anime coverage as more details land.