One of the most renowned mangaka of all time, Hiro Mashima, has worked on several manga since 1998, including serialized series and one-shots. Among the many series he created, the one that significantly contributed to Mashima gaining global recognition was his action fantasy series, Fairy Tail. The manga was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 2006 to 2017 and even won the prestigious Kodansha Manga Award for Shonen manga in 2009. While the main story ended after the wizards restored peace in Fiore, the story continued in a sequel series, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, which was released in 2018.
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It’s an official sequel manga written by Mashima and illustrated by Atsuo Ueda, and is being serialized in Kodansha’s official platform Magazine Platform. The manga even released an anime adaptation by J.C. Staff in 2024 and has yet to renew the anime for a second season. Unlike the original story, which was adapted by A-1 Pictures, the sequel anime received a controversial reception due to its animation quality, and hasn’t shared any information on a sequel. Luckily, the manga is commemorating its 20th anniversary this year, and fans can look forward to several exciting projects.
Fairy Tail Will Return With New Projects in 2026
The official X handle of ACG Labo Shop, known for selling merchandise related to events held at their Harajuku gallery and various Marui stores, announced a new collaboration with Fairy Tail for the anniversary. There will be a special pop-up event of the anime from January 9th to 20th at Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. The event is limited only to Japan, but that’s not all the series has in store for fans.
The official handle of Mashima’s editor quoted the post from ACG Labo Shop and promoted the event before sharing, “To reiterate, 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the original Fairy Tail. We’ll be announcing various projects from this account moving forward, so stay tuned.”
While the anniversary actually takes place in July this year, the festivities have already begun. On January 7th, 2026, a new visual by Mashima was shared for fans, highlighting the beloved main cast Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Grey Fullbuster, Wendy Marvell, Happy, Carla, and Erza Scarlet, who is holding the 20th anniversary flag. The 20th anniversary is a major milestone for any manga, and the series clearly has exciting surprises for fans.
Soon after the anniversary visual was revealed, Mashima shared on his official X handle, “This year marks the 20th anniversary of Fairy Tail! It’s all thanks to all of you who’ve been cheering us on all this time! We’re planning lots of things this year, so stay tuned and look forward to it!”
The anniversary celebration has piqued the interest of fans, with many of them discussing what the hype could be. However, apart from the special visual and the pop-up event, nothing major has been confirmed so far. Although the main story has long ended, a number of special projects, such as a film, spin-off series, or anime revival, can be announced. Additionally, the sequel series is still ongoing, so the anime might share new updates this year as well.
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