Even though Kohei Horikoshi wrapped up his massive, 400-plus chapter hit My Hero Academia over two years ago—with the anime only recently bringing the screen adaptation to a definitive close—the manga’s footprint is still strongly felt. Now, Horikoshi is back with a brand-new horror one-shot titled Quit Laughing, Shijima. While the artwork instantly triggers memories of My Hero Academia, the actual plot feels heavily inspired by the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Quit Laughing, Shijima centers on a Japanese community plagued by supernatural phenomena that are entirely invisible to ordinary people—except for the male protagonist, Azumi. The story soon unveils a dark, generational tradition: to keep the local waters from flooding and destroying the town, a designated individual must periodically be sacrificed. Azumi refuses to let this happen when his crush, Shijima, is chosen as the next offering. Armed with a personal mission, he sets out to destroy the malevolent spirit demanding the sacrifices, echoing the exact duties of a sorcerer in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Quit Laughing, Shijima Is a Perfect Blend of My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen
At its core, Jujutsu Kaisen relies on specialized sorcerers hunting down Cursed Spirits born from human negativity—ancient phenomena largely hidden away in specific pockets of Japan. Because these entities can only be perceived by the gifted, sorcerers must utilize cursed energy and unique techniques to banish them. This dynamic mirrors the premise of Quit Laughing, Shijima, where Azumi is similarly isolated by his ability to see the spirits, including the lingering phantoms of past sacrifices who desperately plead for an end to the cycle.
By the time the one-shot concludes, Azumi takes on the persona of a vigilante, sporting a aesthetic that strongly recalls Deku’s gritty, rogue phase from the final arc of My Hero Academia. Ultimately, the project reads like a slightly grounded, horror-tinged take on Jujutsu Kaisen filtered through Horikoshi’s iconic artistic lens. It’s definitely a pity that the story is currently confined to a single chapter. There is immense potential for Horikoshi to expand this concept into a full-fledged shonen series featuring lighter fantasy elements, focusing on a vigilante dismantling lingering generational curses.
A longer run would introduce a refreshing change of pace to Weekly Shonen Jump, injecting some variety into a magazine lineup that has heavily leaned into massive supernatural action for years. Shonen horror remains a largely underutilized genre, and a project like this could easily break new ground. While Horikoshi hasn’t announced any immediate plans for a full return, fans would undoubtedly jump at the chance to read a serialized version of Quit Laughing, Shijima—or any new creation that pairs My Hero Academia‘s visual flair with a Jujutsu Kaisen-style narrative—on a regular basis.