After 2 Years, My Hero Academia’s Creator Finally Returns With a Near-Perfect Follow-Up
Kohei Horikoshi, creator of the best-selling manga series My Hero Academia, has returned to manga storytelling with his first major work in two years. The new one-shot manga, Quit Laughing, Shijima, was published in the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump and marks Horikoshi’s return to active manga creation.
Since My Hero Academia concluded two years ago, Horikoshi has stepped back from the grueling weekly manga production schedule. During his hiatus, the creator has remained active by sharing illustrations that showcase his artistic talents, earning the affectionate “unemployed Horikoshi” meme among fans. Despite the apparent break, Horikoshi expressed interest in working on a horror manga back in 2022, and Quit Laughing, Shijima fulfills that desire.
The one-shot is positioned as a horror story featuring a supernatural adventure with teenage protagonists encountering creepy creatures. While the work succeeds as an entertaining supernatural tale, reviews suggest it falls short of the highest standards set by manga’s most celebrated horror works. The story demonstrates Horikoshi’s continued creative output and willingness to explore new genres beyond the superhero narratives that defined My Hero Academia’s unprecedented success.