Creator Arata Aki is back in the pages of Kadokawa's Monthly Comic Gene with a brand new series, Enma Note: Jigoku Idol Project. The manga, which launches in the magazine's October issue, takes a comedic look at the afterlife by focusing on the overworked residents of hell. To boost morale and inspire hope among the damned, the story follows the launch of an idol audition program specifically for the young men residing in the underworld.
Aki is a familiar name to readers of the magazine, having previously serialized Kawaii Sekai Seifuku there starting in 2022. The creator is perhaps best recognized for the long-running series A Destructive God Sits Next to Me, which concluded in 2020 after a seven-year run. That title saw significant success, spanning 12 compiled volumes and inspiring a 12-episode television anime adaptation.
With the shift from the chaotic school-life comedy of previous works to a supernatural idol premise, it remains to be seen how Aki will balance the series' darker setting with the idol genre's typical high-energy tropes. Given the author's history with long-running projects in this specific magazine, this new launch marks a notable addition to the current Comic Gene lineup.
