When the guy who wrote a decade of superheroes says his next move is horror, you pay attention. Horikoshi is switching lanes, and it's a bold one.
## What dropped My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi is returning to Weekly Shonen Jump with a new one-shot titled "Don't Laugh, Shijima-san" (Warawanaide yo Shijima-san). The 61-page "boy-meets-girl horror" story runs in the combined Issue #37/38, on sale in Japan August 10, with a center color page. It's his first Jump work since MHA wrapped in August 2024 — a series that moved over 100 million copies.
## Why it hits This is an artist refusing to get boxed in. Horikoshi spent ten years defining a genre — the safe move is another shonen. Instead he's chasing horror, a lane that lets him take swings his hero name couldn't. That's the same instinct as a rapper who blows up in one sound and then flips the whole formula on the next project. Respect the risk.
## The read One-shots are how mangaka test new energy without committing to years of grind. "Don't Laugh, Shijima-san" is a peek at what a post-MHA Horikoshi wants to make when nobody's expecting Plus Ultra. Whether it becomes a series or stays a curiosity, it's the most interesting thing on that week's Jump slate.
## The move Issue #37/38 drops August 10 in Japan — watch for it on the MANGA Plus app. If MHA raised you, seeing where Horikoshi's head is at now is a must-read.
## Sources - Anime Corner — Kohei Horikoshi Returns With New One-Shot Horror Manga (Jul 29, 2026): https://animecorner.me/my-hero-academia-creator-kohei-horikoshi-returns-with-new-one-shot-horror-manga/ - Comic Natalie: https://natalie.mu/comic/news/682768