A recent teaser illustration posted by Dengeki Bunko sparked widespread speculation across social media, with many fans convinced it was the long-awaited return of Black Bullet, the light novel series by Shiden Kanzaki and Saki Ukai which has been on indefinite hiatus since 2014. However, it seems that the teaser is actually promoting a completely new title by Ryu Hidari, one that just happens to share a significant connection to Black Bullet: the date April 2014.
How a Teaser Sparked Black Bullet Hiatus Return Belief
The original teaser featured the lines: “April 2014… Coming Soon! The story begins to move again.”
Paired with a monologue on guilt, loss, and “that girl I wanted to protect,” as well as silhouettes that resemble the Black Bullet main characters Rentaro and Enju, many fans assumed this was a continuation of the story left unresolved more than a decade ago.
To add to the confusion, Black Bullet is the only Dengeki Bunko title known to have ended or gone on hiatus in April 2014, following the release of Volume 7 and the airing of its anime adaptation that same year. The combination of timing and visual style created what seemed like a perfect setup for a return. The post had over 500,000 views within a few hours.
The text in the background roughly translates to:
“The story begins to move again.”
“I’ll carry this sin… and keep living.”
“I’ve felt their stares piercing through me.
Back then, I was mostly the one being blamed.
…But around 30% of them were people from behind me—
classmates from my junior high days.
From that part of my life…
Sure, I did things that drew attention.
But it was all misunderstood.
They said I’d been forced to quit.”
“I’ve kept living since then—
with memories, both good and bad.”
“There was once… that girl.
The one I most wanted to apologize to.
The one I most wanted to thank.”
The Real Work: 悪役ムーブで青春リスタート！
However, the teaser seems to be promoting a new light novel series titled 悪役ムーブで青春リスタート！悲劇のヒロインを金と権力で救い出す, which roughly translates to Restarting My Youth as the Villain! Saving the Tragic Heroine with Money and Power. It is written by Ryu Hidari and will feature illustrations by Fujiko. It will release on August 8, 2025.
The story follows a former rich high schooler who dies saving a stranger and wakes up in April 2014, the same day his high school life originally began. Realizing he has a second chance, he resolves to protect a girl he once failed, using his past life’s experience, money, and influence.
Shortly after the teaser went live, the author Ryu Hidari himself retweeted it, confirming the connection to the project and putting the Black Bullet speculation to rest.
So, What About Black Bullet Returning From Hiatus?
Black Bullet was written by Shiden Kanzaki and illustrated by Saki Ukai. It was published under ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki Bunko imprint, running from July 2011 to April 2014, and releasing a total of 7 volumes. There is also a manga adaptation by Morinohon (2012-2014), as well as a 13-episode anime adaptation by Kinema Citrus and Orange (2014). In a pair of tweets on March 9, 2015, author Shiden Kanzaki explained that the hiatus was due to overwork during the anime’s production:
March 9, 2015: “I often get messages asking, ‘When’s the next volume of the main story coming out?’ I touched on this briefly before, but around the time of the anime, both my editor and I were new to the whole adaptation process. We didn’t really know how to pace things and ended up cramming way too much into the schedule. As a result, I pushed myself too hard and had a mental breakdown.”
March 9, 2015: “I’m currently taking it easy. I’m really sorry for making everyone worry. I’ve (more or less) recovered!”
No further updates were shared since then.
Source: Dengeki Bunko Official Website, Official X
© Ryu Hidari, Fujiko
Black Bullet © Shiden Kanzaki, Saki Ukai / ASCII Media Works
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