The Chained Soldier manga is taking a break. On October 4, Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ announced that Takahiro and Yōhei Takemura's series (*Mato Seihei no Slave*) is on hiatus because of an injury to artist Takemura's right wrist. The tentative return date is November 14.
What happened
Per Takemura's statement, reported by ANN, they damaged the fibrocartilage in their right wrist in June and have been drawing in a brace since then. Drawing kept putting strain on the joint, which caused pain and slowed recovery. Since a full recovery will take a long time, Takemura has stopped work on new chapters for now. The Jump+ editors said November 14 is the target, but recovery comes first, and the pace after the return will be decided with both creators based on medical advice.
Where the anime stands
The anime isn't affected yet. Season 1 aired in January 2024 and season 2 premiered January 8, 2026. HIDIVE streamed both as they aired, with English dubs. A third season is in production, and the manga has run on Jump+ since January 2019, so there's plenty of source material ahead of it. SenpaiRanks currently has season 2 at 6.92 and season 1 at 6.70.
Yen Press publishes the manga in English. Season 3 status and where to watch both seasons are in our Chained Soldier season 3 guide. The season 1 page is open for ratings if you're catching up.
More SenpaiRanks rankings and guides
- Gachiakuta Manga Hiatus Continues: Season 2 & Where to Watch
- Black Bullet Returns: New World Order Reboot, Where to Watch & Is It Good
- Best Webtoon & Manhwa Anime, Ranked (2026) | Where to Watch
- Best Cyberpunk Anime, Ranked — Where to Watch Every Pick in 2026
- Best Soccer Anime, Ranked: Where to Watch Every Pick (2026)
- Chiikawa Is 2026's Biggest Movie in Japan — the Year's Anime Box Office, Ranked