The highly anticipated Terraformars manga, written by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana, is slated to resume serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump magazine on December 18. The return will be featured in the magazine’s third 2026 issue. This marks another return for the popular science-fiction horror series, which has experienced several hiatuses in recent years.
A Pattern of Pauses and Returns
Terraformars has been subject to frequent breaks in its serialization, largely due to author Yu Sasuga’s health issues. The manga most recently went on hiatus on April 10, 2025, after having just returned from a significant four-year break in April 2024. Prior to that, the series was on an indefinite hiatus since December 2019, also citing Sasuga’s health as the primary reason.
The creators and publisher have consistently expressed their commitment to the series, with Tachibana stating in August 2021 that the manga would resume once Sasuga had recovered. While the manga’s return was initially planned for summer 2025, and then delayed to fall, the staff confirmed on November 4 that it was still aiming to resume before the end of the year.
The Story So Far: Humanity’s Fight on Mars
First serialized in Shueisha’s Miracle Jump in January 2011 before transferring to Weekly Young Jump in April 2012, Terraformars plunges readers into a futuristic battle for survival. The premise involves humanity’s ambitious plan to terraform Mars using mold and cockroaches.
Centuries later, a manned mission to Mars discovers that the cockroaches have evolved into giant, aggressive, humanoid creatures known as “Terraformars,” possessing incredible physical strength. To combat this new threat and uncover the mystery of a deadly virus plaguing Earth, genetically modified humans with insect-like abilities are sent to Mars, leading to brutal and often deadly confrontations.
Manga Volumes and Adaptations
As of July 2024, Terraformars has 23 collected tankōbon volumes in Japan. Viz Media licenses the manga for English release in North America, with the 23rd volume released on November 18.
The popularity of the series has led to multiple adaptations:
- Anime Series: A 13-episode television anime series adapting the “Annex 1” arc premiered in September 2014, followed by a second season, Terraformars Revenge, in April 2016. Crunchyroll has streamed both series.
- OVA Series: Two original video animation (OVA) episodes adapting the manga’s “Bugs 2” arc were released in 2014, bundled with manga volumes. Additional OVAs were released with volumes 21 and 22 in 2018.
- Live-Action Film: A live-action film adaptation directed by Takashi Miike premiered in Japan in April 2016.
Fans eagerly await the continuation of the intense sci-fi narrative, hoping for a steady serialization following this latest return.
