Anime
Manchuria Opium Squad: Anime Announced, Manga Continues
After the death of artist Shikako, Tsurushima takes over the illustrations. First production drawings accompany the anime announcement.
Manchuria Opium Squad is being adapted into an anime. The production committee announced the project on October 5, 2026, and showed first drawings from the ongoing animation production. At the same time, publication of the manga of the same name resumed with a new artist after a lengthy interruption.
A Crime Story in Manchuria in 1937
The story is set in 1937. Japanese soldier Isamu Higata loses the sight of his right eye on the battlefield and is assigned to an agricultural unit. There he discovers poppy plants that serve as the raw material for opium. To be able to pay for the treatment of his sick mother, he begins illegally producing the drug.
What begins as an attempt to provide for his family leads Higata into a dangerous business. The manga tells a crime story against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Manchuria. Author Tsukasa Monma combines the historical setting with power struggles, criminal networks and the protagonist's struggle for survival.
The official anime key visual shows several character designs and working materials from the production. Which studio is working on it, who is directing and when the adaptation will premiere has not yet been announced. The exact anime format is also still open.
Manga Continues After the Artist's Death
With the announcement, the manga in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine also resumes publication. The previous artist Shikako died on November 8, 2025. The series had been put on hiatus as a result. The new artist Tsurushima, who knew Shikako from their joint work in the circle around Kingdom, continues the artwork.
In issue 45 of October 5, chapter 216 with Shikako's final drawings and chapter 217 with Tsurushima's work appear. Shikako remains credited as the originator of the original character concept. A dedicated manga visual was published for the restart.
In Japan the source material now comprises 22 volumes, and according to Pony Canyon it has reached a circulation of more than 3.5 million copies. The anime adaptation is another announced adaptation of a dark manga series; the current lineup includes, for example, TANK CHAIR and Tougen Anki.
Further production details are to be published via the official anime website and the series' channels. A German streaming partner has not yet been determined.