Hiro Mashima, the acclaimed manga artist behind the smash hit FAIRY TAIL, is celebrating the series' 20th anniversary this year with a brand-new short-term serialization! This marks a triumphant return for the series, nine years after its original conclusion in 2017.
Originally slated to kick off in the combined 36th/37th issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine, hitting shelves on August 5th, the new series is now dropping a week early! And the reason, according to the Magazine editorial department? None other than Mashima-sensei himself, known for his "lightning-fast drawing speed," blew past editorial expectations with his manuscript progress!
The Magazine editorial department made a special announcement regarding the sudden early release:
"Due to factors related to the editorial scheduling of Weekly Shonen Magazine, and more importantly, because Hiro Mashima-sensei's manuscript progress far exceeded our wildest imagination, we decided to launch the serialization early to get the manga into readers' hands sooner."
This short-term serialization is a special project commemorating FAIRY TAIL's 20th anniversary, promising brand-new adventures for Natsu and the gang.
Hiro Mashima's official X (formerly Twitter) account also announced the early release of the new short-term serialization, urging fans not to miss the updated schedule.
While some fans expressed concern that Mashima-sensei might burn himself out, most were simply stunned by his unbelievable productivity. Who knew a manga could ever be released *early* because the artist was too fast?
Netizens chimed in, noting that they usually only hear about delays, never a manga actually getting *ahead* of schedule. "Only Hiro Mashima could pull off something like this, LOL!"
Mashima has long been celebrated for his legendary time management skills. At one point, he was simultaneously serializing three works: "FAIRY TAIL: 100 Years Quest" (as the original story creator, handling plot and storyboards), "EDENS ZERO" (both art and story), and "DEAD ROCK."
What's more, in his 28 years as a professional manga artist, Mashima has never once taken a hiatus during a serialization! He even once dropped a triple-chapter bombshell (128 pages!) for two weeks straight in a weekly serialization. The man is an absolute manga genius!
And let's not forget his gaming prowess! Even while juggling multiple manga series, he blazes through games faster than the average player. Late last year, he even posted his picks for the top 10 games of 2025. The fact that a serialized manga artist has time to play so many games, most of them completed, and these aren't even the *only* games he plays, leaves everyone scratching their heads wondering how he gets it all done.
It's truly incredible how Hiro Mashima utilizes his time in a way that seems unmatched, never dragging his stories. Seriously, his liver must be made of vibranium, or maybe Hiro Mashima isn't just one person? Perhaps he truly is the man with his own personal Hyperbolic Time Chamber! XD