Yusuke Murata, the artist behind the manga adaptation of “One Punch Man,” has announced the opening of his own animation studio in Japan, also revealing five new promotional videos for his new project, the original short film titled “Zaiyuki.” The artist is well-known for captivating audiences with his detailed art and original, innovative use of new technologies, as well as his presence on social media. Therefore, opinions about his entry into the world of animation studios are somewhat divided among fans.
Murata had previously announced that he was working on an original work since March 2023, and decided to kick off his personal project on the first day of 2024, revealing the tremendous news and showcasing the promotional videos for his upcoming anime. In them, it’s possible to appreciate one of the most acclaimed aspects by the social media community: the exciting and dynamic combat sequences reminiscent of his work on “One Punch Man.” These elements will also be an important factor in “Zaiyuki.” It was right after showing these videos on Twitter, on January 1st, that the talented artist finally announced the creation of the studio
Zaiyuki, from Village Studio
The original anime “Zaiyuki” will be the first work of Yusuke Murata‘s Village Studio. Want to know what it’s about? Well, it tells us about Goyjo, a kappa boy who doesn’t do well in activities his brothers excel in, like sumo or swimming, and eventually becomes an outcast. A very fortunate event finally gives him the opportunity to leave his hometown and go abroad.
As we all know, every good story has surprises and unexpected events, and “Zaiyuki” is no exception. While waiting in the airport queue, an old man hands him a strange egg, which later hatches into a monkey skilled in martial arts, very similar to Sun Wukong who inspired “Dragon Ball.” But, unfortunately, he gets mixed up with two fugitives and is pursued as an accomplice to the criminals.
This is not Yusuke Murata‘s first foray into the world of animation. As we all know, he had previously made a dynamic short of “One Punch Man,” as well as an anniversary clip for “Eyeshield 21.” During his work on the pages of “One Punch Man,” Murata had already experimented several times with the potential of digital manga, reproducing scenes that pushed the art of manga into the future. In recent months, the artist has been extremely active; in addition to working on his new anime, he announced that “Eyeshield 21” will release a new chapter consisting of 51 pages, and participated in the monthly drawing of the covers of “Dragon Ball” volumes by different mangakas, all this while publishing new chapters of “One Punch Man.”
Perhaps because of that intense schedule, the latest chapters of “One Punch Man” have been shorter than ever, averaging 15 pages in the last three chapters, instead of the 35 to 50 pages fans were accustomed to. While the news about Murata‘s new studio is very good, it raises many doubts within the community about whether he will be able to continue working on the “One Punch Man” manga at the same pace as before. His new venture requires a lot of time, added to the entire foundation phase, registrations, etc. We can only wait to see the limits of the talented Yusuke Murata, and everything he is truly capable of doing.
Tell us, what do you think about the news about Village Studio? If, like us, you are looking forward to Murata‘s work, come on, leave us your opinions in the comments! We will be reading as always! 🙂
Images Source: YouTube, Crunchyroll News Official Page
