The Promised Neverland, a series known for its dark fantasy narrative, is set to return with a new manga chapter. This new installment will be a 36-page one-shot that will appear in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 39, scheduled for release on August 24. This event coincides with the series' 10th anniversary, which will be celebrated with a series of projects.
The original manga, created by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump for four years, from 2016 to 2020. It presented a disturbing world where human children are raised in orphanages to serve as food for demons, blending themes of innocence with intense horror. The series achieved significant success, earning critical acclaim and becoming a bestseller.
The anime adaptation, which premiered in 2019 and was produced by studio CloverWorks, initially garnered praise for its first season. However, the second season proved highly controversial due to significant deviations from the manga's storyline, culminating in an ending that many found unsatisfactory. Some critics drew parallels between the anime's reception and that of the final season of Game of Thrones.
While the anime adaptation faced considerable criticism, some discourse within the fandom suggests that issues may also stem from the latter half of the original manga. Certain readers found the post-orphanage narrative to be rushed and convoluted, plagued by plot holes. A frequently cited grievance among fans is the anime's decision to omit the Goldy Pond arc, a segment widely regarded as a high point of the manga and crucial to its plot.
Details about the upcoming one-shot chapter remain scarce, though it is confirmed to be set after the conclusion of the original manga. This marks the fifth one-shot connected to The Promised Neverland. In the official guidebook, The Promised Neverland 0: Mystic Code, Shirai indicated that the manga's ending was influenced by chapter length constraints, suggesting this new chapter could provide an expanded or alternative resolution.
Viz Media is responsible for publishing the English volumes of The Promised Neverland. The anime series is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.