Shonen Jump's Newest Series Is My Hero Academia Meets Beastars With An Addictive Mystery Hook
Published Jun 9, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT
An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.
His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.
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The Spring 2026 season may already be dominated by some truly exciting anime, but that hasn't stopped the world's most popular manga distributor from cooking up something new all the same. It's frankly needed, too, as while exciting new series like Kagurabachi continue to take off and receive thrilling animated adaptations, the regular waves of cancellations among promising new manga can be discouraging for longtime readers. But the latest series from Weekly Shonen Jump shows a grounded world, a comedic twist on mysteries surrounding crimes committed using animal-inspired powers, from an established Shonen Jump+ talent, no less.
Joining forces with illustrations by Syd Craft: Love Is a Mystery's Taishi Tsutsui and author Robinson Haruhara of 'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess, Animal Signal is the latest new manga to join Weekly Shonen Jump. Featuring a quirky central duo of Kokone Otowa and Tsubasa Makise of the Anima Control Center (ACC), Animal Signal focuses on this special agency as it deals with the wave of crime emerging out of humanity's increasing presence of abnormal births bearing animal traits, named Anima. Balancing a My Hero Academia-style power system and lighter tone, and the surprising mystery potential and animal traits of Akita Shoten's Beastars, it seems off to a solid start.
Shonen Jump's New Manga Has A Bestial Spin On My Hero Academia's Quirks
Part of the immediate fun of Animal Signal is in just how carefully it implements these animal traits, intermingling them with those of humans, to create a truly endless pool of possibilities. Anima functions essentially like Quirks from My Hero Academia, with the first chapter quickly demonstrating a Dr. Stone-like fixation on the animal kingdom and the numerous evolutionary gifts each species boasts. As a perfect staging ground for such a series, Animal Signal first goes to a zoo where they must track down the Arson Anima, with animals at the zoo ultimately yielding clues for his exposure and capture.
It's also the perfect introduction for two wildly different heroes who complement each other surprisingly well. Competitive ACC agent Kokone's bat abilities mix with her human traits, amplifying a bat's echolocation to effectively read minds for up to three minutes. Rookie agent Tsubasa claims he can't use an Anima, instead being recruited by the ACC for his encyclopedic knowledge of animals. This may suggest Kokone has a more direct handle on any given situation, but at first they fail to synergize, with Kokone continuously drawn in by Tsubasa's obsessive, unfiltered thoughts draining her powers.
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Yet, these same thoughts, at the risk of nearly causing Kokone to nearly pass out, give her the clues she needs. Tipped off by Tsubasa's elephant trivia, namely that they can regulate their temperature by flapping their ears, Kokone learns the animals at the zoo are quietly suggesting exactly where their target can be found. But due to the Arson Anima's fatal flaw and the peculiar superheating Anima nearly drowning him in open air, the first chapter of Animal Signal ends without a fight, but a surprising amount of tension.
The result is a fun first chapter establishing a grounded power system intent on understanding its own rules and limitations. It feels particularly reminiscent of My Hero Academia's Quirks, particularly the wild possibilities for unique character abilities, while keeping its initial batch of characters crucially balanced. This particularly includes Kokone's three-minute cap on her "Brain Wave Echolocation", to the Catfish Anima's Premonitions not always being accurate. Tsubasa keeps a level head, but his adorably dorky obsession with animals perhaps reminding viewers of a more sedate take on Deku's internal monologuing, while also setting up an engaging mystery premise.
Animal Signal Could Easily Become Shonen Jump's Most Addictive New Mystery Manga
While Animal Signal's comparison to Beastars has particularly strong caveats, especially since its tone creates a lighter comedy-mystery atmosphere, its balancing of My Hero Academia-style powers and animal traits make for an interesting mixture here. It makes each panel far more fun to re-explore, keeping readers more enticed to follow every little detail of trivia Tsubasa spews out, as they could be the clues inadvertently sent by animals for the ACC to track down criminals. But what's more enticing is its mixture of fascinating animal-based abilities based on their traits with human physiology to create something resembling mutant abilities, its power system a delightful mystery in itself.
Animal Signal now has ample opportunities to adopt any number of directions, especially depending on what sort of Anima are introduced in future chapters. It could simply become another battle shonen series when characters with the inevitably combat-oriented Anima emerge. But it could also just as easily create arcs similar to the first chapter, in which even those discovering their powers can still risk exhaustion like Kokone, or even personal injury like the Arson Anima. Animal Signal has the potential to turn future criminals hunted by the ACC into individual, fascinating mystery arcs, with its central duo working immensely well together.
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Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name?
AVegeta BKakarot CBardock DRaditz
✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth.
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Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto?
AThe Ten-Tails BThe Curse Mark CKurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox DThe Rinnegan
✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage.
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In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called?
ASacred Gears BZanpakuto CNen Weapons DBankai Blades
✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.”
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In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed?
APlanet Namek BPlanet Vegeta CPlanet Sadala DEarth
✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential.
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My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia?
AStands BJutsu CQuirks DCursed Techniques
✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person.
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Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called?
AHollows BDemons CCursed Spirits DTitans
✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise.
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In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns?
ASun Breathing BWater Breathing CFire Breathing DThunder Breathing
✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first.
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Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024?
ANaruto BDragon Ball COne Piece DDemon Slayer
✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin.
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As usual, though, the first few months are among the most crucial for any new Shonen Jump serial. After all, Alien Headbutt only lasted 16 chapters, with other promising manga over the years meeting similarly abrupt cancellations. For those who wish to see Animal Signal at least try to go the distance, be sure to follow the series either on VIZ Media's Shonen Jump portal and Manga Plus, and be sure to engage with the series via social media, either through Shonen Jump's handles, or especially by following and supporting Haruhara and Tsutsui.
Cast Mayumi Tanaka, Junko Takeuchi, Masako Nozawa, Masakazu Morita, Daiki Yamashita, Natsuki Hanae, Junya Enoki, Megumi Han, Kazuyuki Okitsu, Mamoru Miyano, Nozomu Sasaki, Gakuto Kajiwara, Yûsuke Kobayashi, Ayumu Murase, Sumire Morohoshi, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Kensho Ono, Ryôtarô Okiayu
Created by Takashi Isono, Kazuhiko Torishima
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