The 13th issue of this year’s Weekly Young Jump magazine, published by Shueisha, revealed on Thursday the title of the upcoming manga by Aka Akasaka, Aoi Kujira, and Ajichika, along with its scheduled launch in the magazine’s 16th issue on March 19. The new manga is titled Märchen Clown (Fairy Tale Clown).
Notably, the katakana spelling of “クラウン” in the title could also be interpreted as “crown.” Akasaka is credited with writing the story, Kujira (Geek Circle Crisis) is handling the series composition, and Record of Ragnarok artist Ajichika is responsible for the artwork.
The magazine describes the series as a fairy tale story featuring a prince and princess brought together by fate.
Meanwhile, Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari’s Oshi no Ko manga concluded on November 14, with the 16th and final compiled volume released in Japan on December 18.
Akasaka (Kaguya-sama: Love is War) and Yokoyari (Scum’s Wish) first launched the manga in Weekly Young Jump in April 2020. The series is available digitally in English through Shueisha’s MANGA Plus service, while Yen Press has licensed it for a physical print release.
The manga received several prestigious awards, winning first place in the seventh “Next Manga Awards” (Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Taishō) in 2021 and securing the Best General Manga category at the 46th annual Kodansha Manga Awards in 2022.
It was also nominated for the 26th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize that same year and earned nominations for both the 14th and 15th Manga Taisho Awards.
Aka Akasaka’s New Manga
Additionally, in the 2022 edition of Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) by Takarajimasha, the series ranked #7 on the top 20 list for male readers. To date, Oshi no Ko has surpassed 3 million copies in circulation.
The television anime adaptation premiered in Japan in April 2023, featuring a 90-minute first episode. HIDIVE streamed the anime as it aired in Japan and also provided an English dub.
According to the company, the anime became the streaming service’s “#1 series launch in the streamer’s history.”
The second season of the anime debuted in July 2024, airing on Tokyo MX and over 29 additional channels across Japan, with simultaneous streaming on ABEMA. HIDIVE is also streaming the English dub.
A third season of the anime is set to premiere in 2026. Beyond the anime, Oshi no Ko inspired a live-action adaptation consisting of both a television series and a film.
The live-action series premiered worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on November 28 with eight episodes, followed by a sequel film that was released in theaters on December 20.
Additionally, a stage play adaptation of the manga’s “2.5D Stage Play Arc” was performed at the Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka from December 26 to 29.
Most recently, the franchise announced its first official puzzle game on February 2.
