Renowned manga creator Paru Itagaki, best known for her works Beastars and Sanda, has debuted her latest series, Taika no Risei (Taika’s Reason), in the seventh issue of Weekly Shounen Champion on Thursday. This marks Itagaki’s second new serialization in three months, following the October 2024 debut of her web manga Ushimitsugao on Champion Cross.
Taika no Risei introduces a unique duo as its protagonists: Ao, a high school girl, and Taika, a “dogman.” The story blends Itagaki’s signature imagination and innovative storytelling. The editor-in-charge described the series as “overflowing with Paru Itagaki’s creative world” and urged readers to immerse themselves in its unconventional yet captivating premise.
The release of Taika no Risei comes on the heels of Ushimitsugao, a sensual horror-comedy centering on Megumi Sano, a 33-year-old housewife with strong spiritual sensitivity. The plot follows Emi’s unsettling encounters with a ghost that starts appearing nightly during the witching hour, blurring the boundaries between horror and dark humor. This series, which debuted on October 16 last year, explores themes of intimacy, the supernatural, and human vulnerability in Itagaki’s distinctively bold style.
A television anime adaptation of Sanda by animation studio Science SARU is scheduled for a Fall 2025 airing. Weekly Shounen Champion serialized the manga from July 2021–July 2024, with Akita Shoten compiling it into 16 volumes.
Itagaki serialized Beastars in Weekly Shounen Champion for 22 volumes from September 2016 to October 2020. Produced by CG animation studio Orange, the first two anime seasons aired in Fall 2019 and Winter 2021. The first part of the final season debuted on Netflix on December 5 last year.
Source: PR Times