Why Kohei Horikoshi’s New Manga Quit Laughing, Shijima Feels Like Jujutsu Kaisen and Makoto Shinkai
Two years after concluding his historic 430-chapter run on My Hero Academia, manga creator Kohei Horikoshi returned on August 10, 2026, with a standalone horror project titled Quit Laughing, Shijima. Released on Shonen Jump and distributed globally via the Manga Plus app, the one-shot trades superhuman heroics for coastal folklore and Eldritch horror, drawing immediate comparisons to Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen and the atmospheric direction of Makoto Shinkai.
From Quirk-Saturated Streets to Eldritch Coastal Horror
Yet, as noted in reports by ScreenRant, the mangaka made it clear as early as 2022 that his next creative endeavor would pivot away from mainstream shonen tropes toward explicit horror. Quit Laughing, Shijima realizes that ambition, shifting the narrative focus from superhero training grounds to Konoshiro City, a fictional region burdened by dark generational rituals.
The story follows a protagonist named Azumi, who finds himself drawn to his cheerful classmate, Shijima. Beneath the ordinary high school dynamic lies a grim supernatural reality: the town survives by feeding a recurring sea entity human sacrifices to keep surrounding waters calm. According to ComicBook.com, only Azumi possesses the ability to see these terrifying silhouettes and the lingering spirits of past victims begging to break the cycle. When Shijima is chosen as the next offering, Azumi rejects the decree, arming himself with a singular purpose to eradicate the demanding entity.
The Structural Parallels to Modern Dark Fantasy
The narrative framework of Horikoshi’s new release shares distinct DNA with contemporary dark fantasy hits. In Jujutsu Kaisen, society relies on elite sorcerers to exorcise Cursed Spirits born from humanity’s collective negative emotions—entities that remain invisible to ordinary humans. Quit Laughing, Shijima replicates this exact dynamic on a localized scale. Azumi acts as a lone anomaly in a community blind to its own supernatural predation, utilizing a resolute, vigilante mindset.
By the conclusion of the one-shot, Azumi’s visual design and rogue disposition bear a striking resemblance to Deku’s darker, solitary phase during the final arc of My Hero Academia. This fusion of familiar character artistry with bleak, ritualistic horror has ignited intense online speculation regarding a potential full serialization or anime adaptation.
Industry Impact and the Weekly Shonen Jump Landscape
For a publication like Weekly Shonen Jump, introducing grounded horror elements offers a strategic break from decades of heavy reliance on super-powered action formats. Historical precedent shows that major creators frequently refresh their portfolios by swapping genres—similar to how Assassination Classroom creator Yūsei Matsui pivoted from sci-fi school life to historical action with The Elusive Samurai.
While Shueisha has not yet confirmed whether Quit Laughing, Shijima will expand into a serialized project, the initial reception proves that Horikoshi’s artistic range extends far beyond the boundaries of U.A. High School.
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