When I was first getting into anime in my late teens and early 20s, new episodes of Shaman King on Saturday mornings were appointment viewing for me. Sadly, I never got to finish the original series which is why I’m so excited to hear that a brand new anime adaptation of the popular manga series will hit Japanese airwaves in April 2021! According to the announcement, the new series will adapt all 35 volumes of the manga series.
Originally a manga series created by Hiroyuki Takei that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1998 to 2004, Shaman King was originally adapted into a 64-episode anime series that ran from 2001 to 2002 and aired in countries and territories all over the world. Viz Media published the Shaman King manga in English from 2003 to 2011 but they no longer hold the rights.
If you’re unfamiliar with the shonen battle series, MyAnimeList describes the plot as:
A battle is about to begin in Tokyo: the Shaman Fight, a tournament held every five hundred years where shaman—those who can command spirits—confront each other in combat. The victor of this contest becomes the Shaman King and the only one who is able to contact and control the Great Spirit, allowing them to reshape the world as they please through its immense power.
During a late night walk, Manta Oyamada runs into his classmate, the carefree You Asakura, who invites him to come stargazing with some friends, who, to Manta’s horror, turn out to be ghosts from a local cemetery! However, the knowledge that Manta possesses—a rare sixth sense that allows Manta to see these spirits—endears the boy to You. So when You finds out that his new comrade has been beaten up by a local gang, he decides to avenge him with the help of Amidamaru, a samurai ghost whose tomb was broken by the gang leader.
Soon Manta uncovers more about the world of spirits, including the Shaman Fight, in which his new friend You aims to claim victory.
Source: Comic Natalie
