Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine has released the final chapter of the Nigejouzu no Wakagimi (The Elusive Samurai / 逃げ上手の若君 ) manga by Matsui Yuusei. The final chapter was released in the magazine’s 12th issue of 2026.
The manga’s 24th tankoubon volume will be released on March 4th, 2026. Reportedly, the manga’s 25th issue is scheduled for release on May 1st, 2026, the 26th issue on August 4th, 2026 and the 27th and final volume on October 2nd, 2026.
Matsui (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu, Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro) launched the manga in January 2021 in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and the manga’s first volume was published in July 2021. The latest volume, number 23, was released in December 2025.
Viz Media releases the manga in English under the name The Elusive Samurai, and it will release the manga’s 19th volume on March 3rd, 2026. Viz Media describes the manga story below:
“After the massacre of his family by the traitor Ashikaga Takauji, Tokiyuki flees with the help of a handful of loyal retainers who have also survived the purge. One of them is Suwa Yorishige, an ally of the Hojo clan and lord of Suwa Province. The slightly odd Yorishige also claims to be clairvoyant and foretells that Tokiyuki will one day become the ruler of Japan. But for the moment, escaping from enemy territory is the priority!”
The manga was adapted into a TV anime in July 2024, and the anime’s second season will premiere in July 2026. All 12 episodes of the anime’s first season can be streamed on Crunchyroll under the name The Elusive Samurai. Crunchyroll describes the anime’s story below:
“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.”
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6A5NHaXvvk&t=1s]
