Kodansha revealed in Young Magazine‘s 45th issue that it will be publishing a second issue of Young Magazine USA. Submissions for Japanese creators seeking to share their manga abroad are open until December 13, with the theme of outcasts.
The first Young Magazine USA released in August 2025 as a celebration of Young Magazine‘s 45th anniversary. It had 1044 pages and 18 separate series. They included Under Ninja and Subaru and Subaru. The cover art was done by Ghost in the Shell creator Masamune Shirow. The application process requires a storyboard for a chapter, alongside three sample manuscript pages. Kodansha will hold a poll for readers to vote on five series to get serialization. The previous winners were:
- Still You
- Godmother
- The Knight of Blasphemy
- The Journey of a Dark Elf with Fading Powers
- Fascination
The same issue of Young Magazine announced that an anime adaptation of the Manchuria Opium Squad manga by Tsukasa Monma and late artist Shikako is in production. The release date, staff members, and cast details of the series are currently unknown.
Kodansha describes the first volume of Manchuria Opium Squad as follows:
In the corrupt, conflict-ridden Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, the illegal opium trade is a perilous path to quick riches-or a swift death. Desperate to save his doomed family, the young Isamu Higata seizes a dangerous opportunity, using his botanical expertise to make mind-blowing opium in hopes of cashing in. But when sinister gangs and the oppressive state catch wind of his operation, Isamu is thrust deeper and deeper into a treacherous world of deceit and depravity to protect himself and those he loves. This series is a work of fiction and contains graphic depictions of intense violence, drug abuse, and other shocking imagery.
