Tomato Akase, the Japanese artist known for the manga adaptation of Higurashi: When They Cry, is starting 2026 with a new project. This week, the author officially launched the series Isekai Mahou Shoujo Radical Haruna on the digital platform Comic Walker. The work arrives as a new venture for the artist, who concluded her work on the Higurashi franchise in March 2024, after years immersed in its suspense and psychological horror stories.
Thus, the new narrative marks a significant genre shift. The story follows the magical girl Haruna, who, due to an accident, is transported to a completely unknown fantasy world. However, this new kingdom has a major problem: it has no magical girl to protect it. Despite the different setting, evil still plagues the land, and so Haruna decides to continue her fight to protect people’s smiles, adapting her powers to this unusual reality.
Trajectory and Genre Transition
The launch of this series represents a fresh chapter in Tomato Akase’s career. The artist dedicated recent years to the dense universe of Higurashi, a franchise famous for its mysteries and disturbing twists. Now, with Isekai Mahou Shoujo Radical Haruna, she explores a lighter, yet no less challenging, territory. Furthermore, publication through Kadokawa’s Young Ace Up platform guarantees immediate visibility with the digital manga audience.
Therefore, fans who followed her previous work can expect recognized quality art, now applied to a fantasy and adventure context. The premise of a heroine displaced in a world without references to her own craft promises unique conflicts and interesting character development. Thus, Akase has the opportunity to show her versatility as a storyteller, moving from horror to an extremely popular subgenre in Japan and Brazil.
The success of this new venture, however, remains uncertain. The isekai and mahou shoujo manga market is vast and competitive. Still, the name Tomato Akase, established by her work on one of the most respected horror franchises, certainly attracts readers’ curiosity. Thus, the year 2026 begins with a promising reinvention for the artist, who seeks to win smiles in the real world with the adventures of her new heroine in the world of fantasy.
