New manga centers on famous Shinsengumi vice commander in last year of his life

This year's 23rd issue of Kodansha 's Evening magazine announced on Tuesday that Shuu Akana will draw a new manga tentatively titled Hijikata . The manga will launch in the magazine's first 2020 issue on December 10. Akana posted several images on his blog to preview the manga on Sunday.

The magazine teases the story as centering on the "last battle" of the famous Japanese historical figure Hijikata Toshizō. The story will begin in 1868, both the first year of the new Meiji era, and the year before Hijikata's death during the Battle of Hakodate in 1869. The magazine also teases that the story will center on Ichimura Tetsunosuke, another member of the Shinsengumi, who "oversaw Hijikata's last moments." Toshizō was the vice commander of the Shinsengumi paramilitary force, which also participated in the battle and met its end in 1869.

Akana previously drew the Yugo manga series, with Shinji Makari writing the manga. The original Yugo manga ran in Kodansha 's Afternoon magazine from 1994 to 2004 and moved to Evening under the title Yugo the Negotiator in 2004. Kodansha has published a total of 41 compiled book volumes for the series. Makari and Akana ended the Yugo Final sequel manga in November 2015. The Yugo the Negotiator television anime series premiered in Japan in 2004, and ADV Films released it on DVD in North America.