Soul Eater was a massive hit with anime fans when it launched in 2008. It was weird and dark, but charming and funny. So many were naturally sad to see it conclude. But its creator – Atsushi Ohkubo – went on to other projects. This includes the likes of Fire Force – an action series about superpowered firefighters in their efforts to combat a mysterious phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion. The series launched in 2015 in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine where it just saw the publication of its 14th volume in August. And now it’s the very next project by this creator to receive the TV anime treatment.
The announcement came from the likes of David Production. The studio helmed the recent hit, Cells at Work. But they also drove the immensely successful anime adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The series is in good hands, there. Though fans might raise their eyebrows at it a bit. Studio Bones adapted Soul Eater, and their filmography is padded with many hits. Noragami, Kekkai Sensen & Beyond, and My Hero Academia all fall into Studio Bones’ catalog. So it’s an interesting development. Of course, it’s entirely possible that other Studios weren’t interested in the project. Or perhaps other studios had too much on their plates at the moment.
No information exists, yet, on when the anime is set to air. However, the project likely airs next year. As for the manga, the 15th volume ships in Japan on Friday. But Kodansha Comics shipped the 12th volume in the west in October. This also acts as somewhat of a deviation. Soul Eater was published by Square Enix and licensed by Yen Press. So the shift in studios mimics the change in publishers. Either way, the mangaka’s trademark style is still very much present in Fire Force so it should be interesting to see what David Production does with it.
