Studio Bones President Expresses Interest In Adapting Kohei Horikoshi’s Don’t Laugh, Shijima-San To Anime

Studio Bones president Masahiko Minami has expressed interest in adapting Kohei Horikoshi’s newly released horror one-shot, Don’t Laugh, Shijima-San, into an anime, saying the studio would be eager to bring the manga to life if the opportunity arises.

Minami made the comments during an interview with ComicBook at Otakon 2026, where he discussed the legacy of My Hero Academia and Horikoshi’s latest manga.

Interestingly, Minami admitted that he had not known Horikoshi was working on a horror manga until learning about it during the interview.

“I was not aware that Horikoshi-sensei was making this short story horror; I’m learning of that here for the first time,” Minami said.

He added that he was “very interested and excited” to see Horikoshi apply his creativity to the new work.

Minami further expressed his interest in seeing the one-shot receive an anime adaptation, with Bones willing to take on the project, stating, “If there is an opportunity, myself and Studio Bones would be very interested in bringing the anime to life.”

Don’t Laugh, Shijima-San was released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump on Aug 10, marking Horikoshi’s return following the conclusion of My Hero Academia in December 2024.

The one-shot has been praised for its artwork, unsettling concepts and balance between horror elements and Horikoshi’s familiar storytelling style. While some readers felt the one-shot did not fully fit the conventional horror genre, many appreciated how it blended creepy imagery and disturbing ideas with the optimistic, human-focused writing associated with Horikoshi’s previous work.

Several readers also noted that the premise could potentially be expanded into a full series, a possibility supported by Horikoshi’s track record of developing one-shots into serialized works.

The return also aligns with comments the manga creator made during the final arc of My Hero Academia, when he revealed an interest in exploring the horror genre.

Source: ComicBook