A diagram of a methane molecule appeared first, followed twenty-four hours later by a cryptic sketch pairing a wooden pencil with a revolver. With those two visual teasers, manga creator Uoto announced on Friday and Saturday that he will launch two brand-new serializations across rival publishing houses. The author gained global prominence through orb 100 meters, earning critical acclaim for historical and athletic drama. Now, Uoto is preparing both a solo manga and a high-profile creative partnership. [1]
Two Manga Debuts Across Two Publishers
Uoto split his announcements across two consecutive days. On Friday and Saturday, the creator confirmed that readers will receive two distinct stories under two separate publishing banners. The first project, titled Hallucination Meat, brings Uoto back to Shogakukan’s Weekly Big Comic Spirits as both writer and illustrator. The second title, Test Taker/Cheaters, marks a major creative partnership: Uoto will write the story, while manga artist Kyō Yoneshiro provides the artwork for Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine. [1]
Launch schedules remain unconfirmed. Neither publisher has committed to an official issue number or newsstand date for the upcoming premieres. Uoto stated that he expects Hallucination Meat to arrive before the end of this year, while Test Taker/Cheaters will likely premiere at the start of next year. Both magazines cater to seinen demographics, yet their editorial traditions offer distinct creative environments for serialized fiction. Exact release dates will depend on editorial printing queues. [2]
Dual launches across rival publishing giants remain rare, especially when an author must simultaneously coordinate with editorial departments at both Kodansha and Shogakukan to maintain demanding serialization timetables. Building on the acclaim of orb 100 meters, Uoto will shoulder two contrasting production roles, drafting full manuscript pages for Shogakukan while scripting narrative chapters for Yoneshiro to visualize at Kodansha. Two magazines demand simultaneous attention. Readers now face two impending premieres without exact calendar deadlines. [1]
Solo Science Fiction at Spirits Magazine
A simple diagram of a methane molecule preceded the announcement. Uoto posted the chemical structure online without text, teasing what he soon revealed as Hallucination Meat. [1]
What does a methane molecule have to do with hallucination and meat? The juxtaposition of organic chemistry and sensory delusion suggests an unconventional premise that aligns with Uoto’s preference for intellectual curiosity. Weekly Big Comic Spirits served as the original home for his historical astronomy narrative, making the upcoming serialization a direct homecoming to Shogakukan’s weekly lineup. Uoto handles both the writing and illustration duties alone on this series, maintaining complete creative authority over every panel. The magazine has welcomed ambitious literary projects this season, including the August 3 launch of Kaneshiro’s Netsuzō: Chijin no Ai (Fabrication: A Fool’s Love), an adaptation based on Junichirō Tanizaki’s 1924 novel Chijin no Ai. [2]
Because Uoto expects the solo series to launch before 2026 concludes, demanding weekly serialization pressures will return to his drawing table within just a few short months across Japanese newsstands. Spirits appears on newsstands weekly. Weekly deadlines impose strict delivery quotas, requiring dozens of completed pages every month without interruption. Shogakukan has not disclosed narrative summaries or preview artwork beyond the initial chemical teaser. Readers must wait for upcoming promotional issues to discover the core story premise. [1]
Teaming With Kyō Yoneshiro at Afternoon
The second announcement arrived with a striking visual contrast. When Uoto shared a sketch pairing a standard wooden pencil with a lethal handgun, the unexpected combination officially introduced Test Taker/Cheaters for Kodansha’s seinen publication, Monthly Afternoon. The title points toward high-stakes examination drama where academic testing intersects with lethal danger. Uoto serves strictly as the story writer for this project. Kyō Yoneshiro oversees all interior illustration. [2]
Yoneshiro brings extensive creative experience to this new collaboration. The artist previously launched the sci-fi drama Ageku no Hate Kanon (translated as And he arrived at the KANON) in Shogakukan’s Monthly Spirits magazine before following up with Ōjōgiwa no Imi o Shire! in Weekly Big Comic Spirits in 2020. Both creators built reputations for psychological tension and unconventional character dynamics within Shogakukan’s publications. Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon offers a receptive editorial home for ambitious concepts. Their partnership unites two distinctive voices in modern seinen manga. [1]
Can an academic pencil outmaneuver a loaded weapon? The symbolic friction between quiet academic testing halls and deadly firearms creates immediate curiosity about narrative stakes, expanding the storytelling ambition that first emerged during orb 100 meters. Uoto expects Test Taker/Cheaters to debut at the start of next year, allowing the creative duo time to assemble manuscript drafts and character designs. Neither Kodansha nor the artists have designated an exact premiere issue. The collaboration was unexpected. The project confirms Uoto’s intention to alternate between solo creation and specialized writer-artist partnerships. [2]
Orb 100 Meters and Critical Acclaim
Uoto’s standing in contemporary manga rests on a string of critical breakthroughs. When readers examine orb 100 meters, they encounter distinct creative milestones that reshaped sports drama and historical fiction. Uoto launched Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Chi -Chikyū no Undō ni Tsuite-) in Weekly Big Comic Spirits in September 2020, chronicling the perilous struggle to defend heliocentric astronomy against religious persecution. The series concluded in April 2022 after twenty-six months of serialization. Readers embraced the story. [1]
Industry accolades accumulated rapidly across Japan following the conclusion of the series. In April 2022, Uoto made industry history by becoming the youngest creator ever to capture the Grand Prize at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize awards at just 24 years old. Recognition broadened throughout that milestone year. The manga earned a nomination for the 68th Shogakukan Manga Awards in 2022 and placed at #22 on Da Vinci magazine’s ‘Book of the Year’ manga list. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the series for English readers, distributing compiled volumes to overseas audiences. The manga broke records. [2]
Screen adaptations broadened the author’s cultural reach. A 25-episode anime adaptation of the historical astronomical epic premiered in October 2024, streaming worldwide on Netflix and domestically on ABEMA directly after each television broadcast concluded in Japan. Animated adaptations frequently drive publishing interest across the medium, as observed with production updates for the My Sword Saint Master anime. Shogakukan published the eighth and final compiled book volume of Orb in June 2022, concluding the physical release schedule. International interest remains high. [1]
Comedy Beetles and Future Launch Timetables
Uoto explored collaborative storytelling well before announcing his upcoming Kodansha project. In January 2025, he partnered with manga artist Furumachi to launch Dr. Muscle Beetle in Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine. Uoto provided the original concept for the first volume, exploring comedic exaggeration before the short-lived serialization concluded in May 2025 and Akita Shoten shipped the second compiled book volume on July 8. Furumachi drew the interior art. That brief comedic run demonstrated Uoto’s willingness to experiment across diverse demographics and publishing houses. [2]
His creative range continues to widen across distinct storytelling genres. From athletic sprinting in 100 Meters to heliocentric heresy in Orb and insect humor in Dr. Muscle Beetle, Uoto repeatedly avoids repeating narrative formulas. The pace remains relentless. The simultaneous announcement of Hallucination Meat and Test Taker/Cheaters represents his most demanding undertaking yet, dividing creative focus between solo work and co-authorship. Readers following the legacy of orb 100 meters will soon watch how Uoto manages two conflicting deadlines across rival editorial desks. [1]
Official launch dates now sit at the center of manga community discussions. With Hallucination Meat expected before the end of 2026 at Shogakukan and Test Taker/Cheaters slated for early 2027 at Kodansha, both magazines will reveal exact issue placements through upcoming cover announcements. The author faces an exacting production schedule as both publishing giants prepare their promotional campaigns for the new serials. His journey is underway. [2]
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, September 12). Orb, 100 Meters manga creator Uoto to launch 2 new manga series. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network Newsroom. (2026, September 12). Orb, 100 Meters manga creator Uoto to launch 2 new manga series. [Article Link]
