Zashisu Manga by Masanori Morita Takes Break Until January

In the 20th issue of Shueisha’s Grand Jump magazine for this year, it was announced that Masanori Morita’s suspenseful horror manga “Zashisu” will be taking a hiatus, with its anticipated return slated for January 2024.

The narrative of “Zashisu” revolves around Umi Yamauchi, a middle school teacher, who becomes entrapped in a web of intrigue when he stumbles upon a news report detailing the murder of his old middle school friend, Yūki Suzuki.

Matters take a chilling turn when Umi’s girlfriend, Tamao Yagisawa, a budding editor at a literary publication, observes eerie parallels between the murder and a plotline in an unpublished novel, one that had once vied for a prestigious literary prize.

Morita commenced the manga in December 2022 within the pages of Grand Jump, and its debut compiled volume saw the light of day on April 18.

Notably, Morita’s previous work, “Rookies,” laid the foundation for a 2008 live-action television series and the subsequent 2009 film adaptation, “Rookies: Graduation.” Additionally, the manga “Rokudenashi Blues” by Morita served as the source material for a 1992 anime film and the 1993 “Rokudenashi Blues” anime.

Further adding to Morita’s portfolio, “Beshari Gurashi” made its debut in Weekly Shonen Jump back in 2005 and wrapped up in March 2015, spanning an impressive 19 compiled book volumes. This series even inspired a live-action television adaptation that graced screens in July 2019.