Yusuke Murata has long been handling the artist duties for One-Punch Man’s manga, though this isn’t the only manga series that the creator has had a major role. In his past, Murata played a big part in creating the sports manga known as Eyeshield 21, a series that focused on characters playing the American iteration of football. To help in celebrating the recent anniversary of the sports anime’s creation, Murata and other creators have been taking cracks at one another’s respective universes. While Murata has drawn characters from My Hero Academia, One Piece, Bleach, and more so far, the artist has now set his sights on The Elusive Samurai.
Sports anime has seen some major success in the medium in recent years. Most specifically, the soccer series Blue Lock has become a major hit and was able to become the top-selling manga series of 2023. Soccer isn’t the only sport seeing success in the anime world as Haikyu, the anime focusing on volleyball, also got a big year in 2024. Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle was one of the most profitable anime movies of the year and goes a long way to showing how big sports anime has grown recently.
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The Eyeshield Samurai
While Eyeshield 21 hasn’t confirmed any new anime projects, Yusuke Murata’s work will be adapted to the small screen in the future. J.C. Staff is once again returning to the Hero Association as One-Punch Man has confirmed that a third season is in the works. While the anime has yet to reveal a release window for Saitama’s animated comeback, it’s sure to make waves when the news hits the internet.
If you haven’t had the chance to catch the first season of The Elusive Samurai, it is available to stream on Crunchyroll. Here’s how the streaming service describes “In the year 1333, the Kamakura shogunate government comes crumbling down. A trusted vassal, Ashikaga Takauji, betrays the shogunate and organizes a rebellion. Hojo Tokiyuki, the rightful heir, escapes the massacre with a Shinto priest named Suwa Yorishige to Kamakura. On the run and fighting to stay alive, Tokiyuki sets in motion his plan to reclaim his birthright.”
Want to see what other crossovers Murata creates in the near future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for the latest on anime crossovers and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
