Kaiu Shirai, the author of The Promised Neverland, is working in collaboration with Amano Yuichi, author of Ana no Mujina, on a new one-shot manga. The new story, titled APPLE, will be released on December 9, 2025, in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Given the authors' prior histories, it can be assumed that Shirai will be penning the story, while Yuichi will be the one-shot's illustrator. Described as Action Noir, the series will likely include darker elements and a serious tone.

Following the conclusion of The Promised Neverland, Shirai continued working with series' illustrator, Posuka Demizu, on releasing a collection of one-shots written throughout their time working together, as well as a short series titled Miroirs, to celebrate a collaboration with CHANEL. APPLE will be Kaiu Shirai's second one-shot without Posuka Demizu handling the art, following Kubigesho, released in January 2024.

The Promised Neverland Is a Divisive Series

The Series Has Devoted Critics and Defenders

The Promised Neverland manga was extremely successful, spanning 20 volumes over a four-year span. The anime adaptation by CloverWorks was arguably even more popular, gaining fanfare and critical acclaim for its superb first season. Unfortunately, the second season became infamous for a steep drop in overall quality, as well as completely cutting important sections of the story.

While the anime did considerable damage to The Promised Neverland's reputation, a large portion of the series' fanbase already believed that the manga suffered in its latter half, abandoning the personality traits and believability of its characters that made them so likable. On the other hand, both the first halves of the manga and anime remain applauded by fans for its unique story, masterful world building, and shocking twists that feel natural and earned. And Shirai's writing skills may shine in a shorter one-shot, which doesn't allow for as many moving pieces.

The One-Shot Format May Play Into the Writer's Strengths

The popular perception of Kaiu Shirai's work on The Promised Neverland is that the series began extremely strong, and just sort of lost its way over time, as the story and its world expanded. A one-shot's shorter format may play to Shirai's strengths as an author, allowing for a more focused, restricted setting and smaller cast. If APPLE does incorporate the darker subject matter its Noir tag is typically comprised of, The Promised Neverland is proof enough of the writer's proficiency in writing dark themes.

Artist Amano Yuichi's Ana no Mujina gained moderate fanfare and praise for its unique story, though the series has been on hiatus for several years. The Promised Neverland is a divisive series, having both hardcore critics and defenders, but nevertheless is a story that rightfully gained a sizable following over time. And the APPLE promises to keep a similar, darker tone that author Kaiu Shirai has already had success with. The one-shot will be worth checking out for any fans of the author's most well-known work.