Kohei Horikoshi is back on the page, but this time he is not drawing another school of future superheroes.
After My Hero Academia wrapped its manga run more than two years ago, Horikoshi has returned with a new horror one-shot titled Quit Laughing, Shijima. And based on the source material, this is not simply “MHA but scary.” The more interesting read is that Horikoshi seems to be playing with a darker supernatural framework — one that feels closer to Jujutsu Kaisen, only filtered through his instantly recognisable art style.
The setup is pretty grim. Quit Laughing, Shijima takes place in a part of Japan troubled by paranormal activity. The catch: only the male lead, Azumi, can actually see what is happening. As the story opens up, we learn that the area has maintained an old ritual for generations. Every so often, one chosen person must be sacrificed to keep the surrounding waters calm and stop them from consuming the city.
That already sounds cursed, bro.
The emotional hook comes when the newest chosen sacrifice is revealed to be Shijima, the girl Azumi has feelings for. Instead of accepting the ritual as “tradition,” Azumi decides the whole cycle needs to end. His goal becomes clear: remove the spirit behind the sacrifices and stop the system from continuing.
This is where the Jujutsu Kaisen comparison makes sense. JJK is built around sorcerers dealing with Cursed Spirits, entities tied to supernatural forces that ordinary people generally cannot perceive. In Horikoshi’s one-shot, Azumi also sees things others cannot — including previous victims who are still crying out, begging for the ritual to end.
It is not a one-to-one copy, and the source frames Quit Laughing, Shijima as having fewer supernatural layers than JJK. But the bones are familiar: hidden spirits, old systems, a lead character who can see the truth, and a mission that feels like exorcism mixed with personal revenge.
The visual comparison is just as spicy. By the end, Azumi reportedly takes on a vigilante-like role, with a design that strongly echoes Deku’s rogue look from My Hero Academia’s final arc. So if you ever wanted to see Horikoshi draw a darker, ghost-hunting version of that energy, this one-shot sounds like exactly that lane.
Analysis / SEA angle: For Malaysia and SEA readers, the key point here is not availability, pricing, or release timing — the source does not mention those. What matters is Horikoshi testing a tone that could hit well with fans who grew up on big Weekly Shonen Jump titles but now want something moodier. A horror-leaning shonen with Horikoshi’s expressive character art and a more grounded curse/ritual premise could stand out, especially at a time when supernatural action series have trained fans to expect big emotional stakes behind every monster fight.
The slightly painful part? Quit Laughing, Shijima is only a one-shot for now. The source notes there is no news of Horikoshi returning with a full new serial anytime soon. Still, the concept feels like it has room to grow: a vigilante protagonist, lingering legacy ghosts, and a town trapped by ancient rules is the kind of pitch that could easily become a weekly obsession if expanded properly.
For now, it is a fascinating glimpse at what Horikoshi might do after MHA: less classroom heroism, more haunted tradition, and a main character who looks ready to punch generational trauma in the face.