Kodansha’s Manchuria Opium Squad is officially making the jump to anime.
The announcement came through this year’s 45th issue of Weekly Young Magazine, which revealed that the manga by writer Tsukasa Monma and late artist Shikako is getting an anime adaptation. No studio, cast, staff, release window, or format details were included in the source, so for now, this is very much a “confirmed, but wait for more info” situation.
Still, this is a pretty notable title to see entering the anime pipeline. Manchuria Opium Squad is not exactly your standard comfort-watch anime material. Based on Kodansha’s English description via its K MANGA service, the story is set in 1937 Manchuria, where Isamu Higata is sent to serve in the standing army of the Japan-controlled puppet state of Manchukuo. After losing sight in his right eye during battle, he is pushed into an agricultural facility and abused by commanding officers.
Then he finds a field of poppies — the raw material for opium. Desperate to earn money for his seriously ill mother, Isamu chooses to produce the illegal drug, setting off a chain of consequences that could affect both his future and Manchuria itself.
Yeah, this one sounds heavy.
The Manga Has Also Resumed
Alongside the anime news, Manchuria Opium Squad resumed serialization in Weekly Young Magazine on Monday. The manga returned with two chapters, and new artist Tsurushima is now drawing the series.
There is a meaningful connection here: Tsurushima was Shikako’s senior colleague while working as an assistant on Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom manga. That background matters because Manchuria Opium Squad is continuing after Shikako’s death, and the source makes clear that the handover is being treated carefully.
Chapter 216 was originally planned as a 16-page chapter, but Shikako had completed 11 pages before passing away. Monma arranged the 12th page, which does not include any characters, while the assistant or assistants who had supported Shikako handled the background. From chapter 217 onward, the manga begins its next phase with Tsurushima’s artwork.
Shikako died on November 8, 2025, due to choroidal melanoma, a rare cancer that develops in the eye. According to the report, Shikako had wanted someone else to complete the manga in their place, and Weekly Young Magazine staff previously said they would respect that wish.
Why This Matters For Malaysia And SEA Anime Fans
Analysis: For Malaysia and SEA viewers, this is one to keep on the radar if you like anime that leans darker, more historical, and more morally messy. The premise already has the kind of tension that could hit hard in animation: military abuse, survival, crime, family desperation, and a setting shaped by real historical power structures.
It also feels like part of a wider anime trend where more mature seinen manga are being considered for adaptation, not just safer mainstream action series. If handled well, Manchuria Opium Squad could land closer to gritty historical crime drama than typical seasonal hype anime.
But big caveat: we do not yet know who is producing it, when it will air, or where it will stream. Until those details are announced, SEA fans should treat this as an early confirmation rather than a near-term watchlist lock.
The manga originally launched on Kodansha’s Comic Days service from April 2020 to September 2021, before moving to Weekly Young Magazine in September 2021. Kodansha shipped the manga’s 22nd compiled volume in November 2025.
So yes, the anime is real — but the bigger story is that Manchuria Opium Squad is also continuing in manga form, in line with Shikako’s wishes. That gives this announcement extra weight beyond the usual adaptation headline.