Two manga adaptations of the hit light novel series 86 Eighty-Six have officially been canceled due to their respective illustrators’ health concerns, according to two separate official statements released by Square Enix JP. The manga adaptation titles 86 Eighty-Six and 86: Run Through The Battlefront will no longer be published.
The statement above details discussions between 86 Eighty-Six (manga) illustrator Motoki Yoshihara and the editorial board at KADOKAWA Dengeki Bunko, leading to the complete cancellation of the manga adaptation rather than a continued suspension of serialization. The statement also detailed that Yoshihara has been dealing with health issues since July 2021.
The 86 Eighty-Six manga adaptation of the original light novel series by Asato Asato began publication under Square Enix in 2018 and was supposed to cover the entire first story arc of the light novel (Volume 1). The manga and the light novel are licensed under US-based publisher Yen Press. Volume 3 of the English version is set to release on September 20, 2022.
86 – Run Through the Battlefront, which hasn’t received English publication, was officially canceled after Volume 1 due to illustrator Hakuya Yamasaki’s health. The manga was first serialized in 2021 on Square Enix’s Manga UP! app. Volume 1 of this adaptation, not to be confused with the main manga series mentioned above, was intended to cover the second story arc (Volume 2 and Volume 3) of the light novel. Yamasaki has been dealing with health issues since September 2021, according to the official statement from Square Enix.
While both the original manga adaptation and 86: Run Through the Battlefront have been officially canceled, the manga 86: Fragmental Neoteny illustrated by Shinjo Takuya is still currently being published, with Volume 2 set to release on June 22, 2022.
For many years, the Republic of San Magnolia has been at war with the neighboring Giadian Empire. Faced with the relentless might of the Empire’s Legion of autonomous drones, the Republic counters with unmanned weapons of their own, creating a battlefield that is supposedly without casualties. However, beyond the fortified walls protecting the eighty-five Republic territories lies the “nonexistent” Eighty-Sixth Sector. The young men and women of this forsaken land are branded the Eighty-Six and, stripped of their humanity, pilot the “unmanned” weapons into battle…
Source: Square Enix JP Website
© Asato Asato, Motoki Yoshihara/KADOKAWA