Kodansha House is pulling in some serious manga star power this July, with creators from Blue Lock and Witch Hat Atelier scheduled to appear from July 2 to July 12.
The guest list includes Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura, the writer and artist behind the football survival manga Blue Lock, plus Kamome Shirahama, the creator of the fantasy manga Witch Hat Atelier.
For anime and manga fans in Malaysia and SEA, this is the kind of creator appearance worth paying attention to even if we are not flying out for the event. Blue Lock has become one of the biggest modern sports anime names among local fans, especially because it hits that perfect mix of football obsession, shonen ego, and tournament-style drama. Meanwhile, Witch Hat Atelier has long been one of those manga that art-focused readers keep recommending because of Shirahama’s gorgeous linework and fantasy worldbuilding.
Kaneshiro and Nomura first launched Blue Lock in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine in August 2018. The manga later received a TV anime adaptation that premiered in Japan in October 2022 on TV Asahi and its affiliates through the NUMAnimation block. That first season ran for 24 episodes, with Crunchyroll streaming it as it aired and also offering an English dub.
The anime continued with BLUE LOCK vs. U-20 JAPAN, its second TV season, which debuted in October 2024 and ran for 14 episodes. Crunchyroll also streamed that season while it aired. The franchise is not slowing down either: a third season is already on the way, adapting the “Shin Eiyū Taisen” or “New Hero Wars” arc.
That matters for Malaysian fans because Blue Lock is still very much active in the anime conversation. Whether you are watching legally through streaming, arguing about best striker rankings, or seeing Isagi and Bachira pop up in merch booths at local anime events, the franchise has become a reliable crowd-puller.
On the fantasy side, Shirahama launched Witch Hat Atelier in Kodansha’s Morning two magazine in July 2016. Kodansha USA Publishing began releasing the manga in English in April 2019, making it more accessible for international readers. The series is also inspiring a TV anime that premiered on April 6.
Shirahama’s work is especially interesting because her art career stretches beyond manga. Besides creating Witch Hat Atelier, she has illustrated covers for Western comics including Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, and Wonder Woman. That crossover appeal is a big reason her name travels well outside the usual manga-only crowd.
Kodansha House has also hosted Shirahama before, with a previous appearance in October 2024. Around the same period last year, the venue also featured major manga names such as Atsushi Ohkubo of Fire Force and Soul Eater, Fujita of Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, and Suu Morishita of A Sign of Affection.
For SEA fans, the big takeaway is simple: Kodansha is clearly treating these creator appearances as major fan-facing moments, not just quiet industry stops. Even if most Malaysian fans follow from afar through social clips, interviews, and announcements, events like this help keep manga creators visible — and that visibility usually feeds back into anime hype, merch demand, cosplay trends, and local convention chatter.
Blue Lock fans should keep an eye out for anything tied to the upcoming third season, while Witch Hat Atelier readers will likely be watching closely now that its anime is finally here.
Source: Anime News Network