BEASTARS Creator Paru Itagaki's Horror Series Witching Hour Comes to an End
One of the most unique and award-winning names in the manga world, Paru Itagaki, has announced the final date for her latest series, Witching Hour (known in Japanese as Ushimitsu Gao). The series, published on Weekly Shōnen Champion's digital platform Champion Cross, will officially conclude with the chapter to be released on May 13, 2026. Following the global success she achieved with BEASTARS, Itagaki, who has been writing in different genres, managed to surprise her fans with this short but impressive horror story.
Witching Hour follows the story of 33-year-old housewife Megumi Sano, her extreme sensitivity to spiritual entities, and her strange relationship with a ghost that suddenly appears in her bedroom. Blending traditional horror elements with the psychological depth and humor that have become Itagaki's signature, the series began its publication in October 2024. The manga, which has also been licensed in English by Viz Media, drew attention with the unusual perspective it offered on modern marriage and personal desires.
Mangaka Paru Itagaki became a worldwide phenomenon, especially with her BEASTARS series, which features anthropomorphic characters and questions social hierarchy. The artist, who has won many prestigious awards such as the 11th Manga Taisho and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, had completed her Sanda series, a dystopian interpretation of the Santa Claus legend, following BEASTARS. Although the artist's father is Keisuke Itagaki, the creator of the famous Baki series, Paru has established an independent place in the industry with her unique drawing style and storytelling.
The finale of Witching Hour will also allow Itagaki to focus more on her other projects, such as Taika no Risei (Taika's Reason), which is still ongoing in Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine. With the artist's 10th-anniversary exhibition having opened its doors in Tokyo in March 2026, this finale news has created a bittersweet joy for fans. Readers are now eagerly waiting to see what Itagaki's next "strange" and thought-provoking story will be.
