Cyberpunk Edgerunners Creator Rafal Jaki’s New Manga: Brain Alive

Brain Alive has entered the manga world with the signature of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners creator Rafal Jaki and artist Machine Gamu. According to Anime News Network, the series tells the story of a father who enters his son's dreams to save him. The father has to fight creatures from Slavic folklore and Japanese yokai in his child's nightmares. The series' English release is planned for fall 2026.

Jaki is a familiar name in the anime and gaming world. The Polish creator was involved in the writing process of Cyberpunk 2077 during his time at CD Projekt Red; he then made a big breakthrough as the showrunner of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, produced by Studio Trigger. The series, released on Netflix in 2022, was chosen as Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, becoming one of the most important works of the genre in recent years. Brain Alive is considered Jaki's first major step into the manga field following this success.

The most striking aspect of the new series is that it brings Eastern and Western mythology together in a single story. The terrifying creatures of Slavic folk beliefs and the iconic yokai of Japanese folklore come face to face in the same dream universe. This setup promises a series that blends action and horror elements with an emotional core built around the father-son bond. In particular, the human drama narrative Jaki demonstrated in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners may make Brain Alive resonate with readers.

The announcement of the English translation within the same year shows that the series will reach readers with a global launch. This is a noteworthy development at a time when Western creators are becoming increasingly visible in the manga industry. Fans are already wondering which platform Brain Alive will be published on and whether the series will get a Turkish translation. Announcements expected to clarify in the coming months will provide more clues about the series' future.