Fire Force’s Creator May Retire Before Much Longer

When it comes to mangaka, there are few more talented than Atsushi Ohkubo. The 43-year-old is one of the best-known artists in the industry, and their works speak for themselves. From Soul Eater to Fire Force, Ohkubo has put out a string of hits, but a new report suggests the artist may retire way sooner than we expected.

The update comes from Italy as fans headed to its Lucca Games Convention this past week. It was there Ohkubo appeared as a special event, and the artist admitted he’s considering retirement from the manga industry. Of course, the artist hasn’t committed to anything at this point, but Ohkubo is certainly open to the idea of retirement.

Ohkubo’s Career to Date

Of course, fans of the artist are horrified by this update, and you can hardly blame them. After all, Ohkubo has done a lot of good work since he began his professional career at age 20. After studying manga in school, Ohkubo went on two assist Rando Ayamine as an assistant before publishing his first series B. Ichi. The artist went on to publish Soul Eater in 2004 and worked on it for nearly a decade before Fire Force ran from 2015 to 2022.

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Ohkubo has been in the game since 2001, and given his success, you can see why the artist is willing to early retire. He’s got the money to do so, and obviously, the artist has no series holding him down at the moment. There is nothing tying the artist to  a busy workweek, so why not relax in retirement? The artist could use a break, and of course, he could always jump out of retirement a la Hayao Miyazaki if inspiration were to strike.

Want to know more about Ohkubo’s top two series? You can read the blurbs for Fire Force and Soul Eater below:

Fire Force: “The city of Tokyo is plagued by a deadly phenomenon: spontaneous human combustion! Luckily, a special team is there to quench the inferno: The Fire Force! The fire soldiers at Special Fire Cathedral 8 are about to get a unique addition. Enter Shinra, a boy who possesses the power to run at the speed of a rocket, leaving behind the famous “devil’s footprints” (and destroying his shoes in the process). Can Shinra and his colleagues discover the source of this strange epidemic before the city burns to ashes?”

Soul Eater: “Maka is a weapon meister, determined to turn her partner, a living scythe named Soul Eater, into a powerful death scythe – the ultimate weapon of Death himself! Charged with the task of collecting and devouring the tainted souls of ninety-nine humans and one witch, Maka and her fellow meisters strive to master their weapons as they face off against the bizarre and dangerous minions of the underworld. But the meisters’ own personal quirks may prove a bigger obstacle than any sultry enchantress!”

What do you make of this latest report about Ohkubo’s career? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.