This week's issue of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine revealed on Sunday that Yusei Matsui's The Elusive Samurai would be the next manga in its lineup to receive an anime adaptation. An official website and Twitter account were also launched for the series, with a teaser trailer and key visual being posted.
Yusei first launched The Elusive Samurai manga back on January 25, 2021, and is still going with nine compiled volumes. The story follows Hojo Tokiyuki, a deposed young samurai lord plotting his return using an unconventional supernatural ability: running and hiding. The series has been picked up for simultaneous English publication online by Viz on its Shonen Jump website, as well as Japanese publisher Shueisha itself through its Manga Plus app.
The next step for The Elusive Samurai will be this newly announced anime adaptation. Following the announcement in Shonen Jump magazine, the website for the series was launched. It includes the key visual depicting main character Tokiyuki alongside early story and character descriptions. A teaser trailer was also posted, again with the key visual. The official Twitter account has also followed through on these announcements, posting comments from the staff and promising further updates on the production as it moves forward.
CloverWorks will be the studio producing the series, with Yuta Yamazaki directing it. Series composition will be by Yoriko Tomita, who had previously written for the My Dress-Up Darling anime adaptation. Character designs will be by Yasushi Nishitani, known for animation work on both Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us, and Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You! Further information on the anime, presumably including cast, more crew, and an expected release date, will be coming in a stage presentation at Aniplex's booth at AnimeJapan on March 25.
This is not Yusei Matsui's first outing getting adapted for anime. His earlier work included the manga series Assassination Classroom, which began in 2012 and ran for 21 volumes. That series inspired two seasons of anime, as well as a movie, and a few other spin-offs. Fans will have to wait and see if The Elusive Samurai's anime treatment will go on to the same sort of success.