2026 is proving to be one of the most exciting years for shonen manga and anime series with quite a few massive shonen series making their big comeback, which also includes Gachiakutaby Kei Urana. The anime series is blowing up, but its manga is just as good, if not better. Appearing in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine from February 16, 2022, this series has been making quite a few waves in the Shonen world.
Over the past few years, Gachiakuta manga has delivered quality content consistently, and its stellar performance has recently earned it the title of the best shonen manga of 2026 by the publisher at the prestigious 50th Kodansha Awards. Gachiakuta could be set to become one of the biggest series of the 2020s, with huge success and hype behind it.
Gachiakuta was officially selected as the Best Shonen Manga of 2026 at the 50th Kodansha Awards
In Japan, the land of anime and manga, there are quite a few awards to honor the best anime and manga series, held every year. Among these awards, the most anticipated awards include the Kodansha Awards. The Kodansha Awards have been running for decades, making them incredibly reputable, and this year marks their 50th anniversary. Kodansha's last awards ceremony took place on May 11, 2026, and featured many award categories, such as the Best Shoujo Manga Award, Best Manga, and of course the Best Shonen Manga award. This year, the nominees for best shonen manga were quite exciting and included the following series:
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Utsuranain Desu
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The fragrant flower blooms with dignity
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Ichi the witch
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Gachiakuta
Among this series, however, only one can be named the very best, and this year's winner was none other than Gachiakuta. For those who don't know, Gachiakuta is a manga series by talented manga creator Kei Urana. It has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since February 16, 2022. The series is still ongoing, and at the moment. Although no exact sales figures have been revealed, it is undoubtedly very popular, appearing in the top 20 of Oricon repeatedly. Its manga sales definitely experienced a significant increase after the 2025 anime adaptation.
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Gachiakuta's Huge Potential at Crunchyroll Awards 2026
Gachiakuta has achieved tremendous success among manga series at Kodansha's 50th Awards. That said, the series still has even more potential for big wins going forward, especially as the Crunchyroll Awards approach. Gachiakuta's anime began airing on Crunchyroll on July 6, 2025. It ended on December 31, 2025, with a total of 24 episodes. The reception was definitely amazing, and it became one of the most watched Crunchyroll anime of the year.
Due to airing in 2025, it qualifies for the 2026 Crunchyroll Awards. On April 2, 2026, Crunchyroll officially announced its nominees, and Gachiakuta was nominated for quite a few awards, most notably the Anime of the Year award, which is considered the most prestigious and anticipated of the bunch. Gachiakuta definitely has a great chance to win this award, especially since it stands as a creative series with a unique style that has captivated a new, growing fan base. It definitely has some stiff competition, though, in the form of My Hero Academia's Final Season and The Apothecary Diaries Season 2. If supported by fans, it could come out on top.
The results of the Crunchyroll Awards will be revealed on May 23, 2026. If Gachiakuta doesn't win Anime of the Year, it still has the chance to win in some other categories, such as Best New Series, Best Opening Sequence, and Best Action, among others. It all depends on the opinion of the jury and the support of its strong fan base.
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The future of the Gachiakuta series
Gachiakuta is still an ongoing manga series. Usually, the series releases a new chapter every week, and the end of the manga is not near. With that in mind, Gachiakuta still has a very long run ahead of it, and with an anime adaptation, its popularity will only increase further. After seeing the huge success of Gachiakuta Season 1, the series was immediately renewed for a second season. This means that Gachiakuta Season 2 will be released very soon, potentially in 2027 or 2028.
With the conclusion of the My Hero Academia anime, it seems that Studio Bones has found its new golden child in which it has placed enormous faith.
