Masahiro Anbe is returning to Weekly Shōnen Champion with fresh material. The acclaimed manga creator announced that Badokon!, a comedy series centered on girls' badminton, will debut in the magazine's 34th issue on July 23, 2026.

Anbe is best recognized for Squid Girl (Shinryaku! Ika Musume), which ran in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 2007 to 2016 and became a successful multimedia franchise. The series spawned two 12-episode anime seasons in 2010 and 2011, plus original video releases. Both seasons remain available on Crunchyroll and HIDIVE.

Most recently, Anbe completed Cheeky Devil Cop! (Akuma de Fukei!), which ran in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine from February to September 2025. Seven Seas Entertainment acquired the English license and plans to release the first volume in September 2026.

Before that, Anbe wrapped up Assemble! Mystery Research Club (Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyū-bu) in July 2024, a series that had been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion since September 2016 and ran for 20 volumes.

With Badokon!, Anbe is shifting back to his original publisher and taking on a sports-comedy premise. The title plays on the Japanese word for badminton (バドミントン), creating a pun that suggests both the sport and comedic energy. Given Anbe's track record with character-driven humor and his ability to craft engaging ensemble casts, fans of his previous work will likely find plenty to enjoy in the new series.

The return to Weekly Shōnen Champion marks a homecoming of sorts for Anbe, whose most celebrated work originated there. Whether Badokon! will eventually receive an anime adaptation remains to be seen, though Squid Girl's success suggests there's interest in bringing Anbe's creations to the screen.