Iron Knight Creator Tomohiro Yagi Returns to Shonen Jump+ with New Manga "Hitoner"!
Tomohiro Yagi, known as one of the talented yet unlucky names in the manga world, has made a major comeback! Yagi, known for series like Iron Knight and Red Sprite, officially began serializing his new manga Hitoner on the Shonen Jump+ platform as of April 22, 2026. The one-shot version, which was previously published in 2024 and broke records by receiving over 1.9 million views in just one week, is now appearing as a regular series on Shueisha's digital platform.
The story takes place on a planet in the farthest corner of the universe inhabited only by animal-humans (Kemono). In this world, "humans" are known only as scary and mythological beings mentioned in legends. However, one day, the landing of a human on this planet changes everything. The series' title, Hitoner, is actually a reference to the Japanese term "Kemoner" (animal-human fan/furry), representing those in this world who are interested in humans. The series, which released its first two chapters simultaneously, promises both a science fiction mystery and an emotional atmosphere centered on the struggle of different species to understand one another.
Tomohiro Yagi has a very interesting career in the manga industry. His previous series published in Weekly Shonen Jump, Iron Knight (2013) and Red Sprite (2016), were cancelled in a short time due to the magazine's fierce competition, despite their impressive art and original worlds. However, instead of giving up, Yagi used the creative freedom offered by the digital platform to rise from the ashes with Hitoner. The fact that even giant names like My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi praised the series and it became a trending topic on social media is proof of the manga's quality and potential.
So what awaits us? Hitoner will be updated every Wednesday on Shonen Jump+ and via MANGA Plus for international readers. The series is expected to have a profound structure that questions the nature of humanity through an external observer (the animal-humans). If you are looking for an unconventional world-building, detailed character designs, and strong storytelling, you should definitely give Tomohiro Yagi's new adventure a chance!
