Otakus fond of finding gems among the plethora of new anime hitting the streaming platforms every season must be acquainted with the brilliant shonen series Ishura by now. The new action-fantasy series debuted early this year and is getting discovered more as the series progresses.
Originally adapted from the light novel series of the same name by Keiso, the story of Ishura had humble origins, first appearing in the novel posting websites Kakuyomu and Shōsetsuka ni Narō. Due to the brilliance of the plot, it was soon picked up by ASCII Media Works and started getting published with illustrations by Kureta under their Dengeki no Shin Bungei imprint on Sept. 17, 2019.
The light novel series then soon sprouted a manga adaptation with illustrations by Meguri and began serialization in Kodansha’s Monthly Shōnen Magazine in March 2021. After finding success as a manga, an anime adaptation was inevitably next in line. The anime adaptation of Ishura was first announced on Feb. 12, 2023, and finally premiered a year later on Jan. 3, 2024.
What is Ishura about?
Set in a fantasy world, the series follows “Shuras,” a group of demigods who have taken over the world after the death of the Demon King. As the identity of the one who slew the Demon King remains a mystery, all the gods strive to be called the “True Hero.” This eventually leads to an epic battle among the Shuras to determine the mightiest of the mighty.
Sounds intriguing? So how to catch the whole story?
Where to watch Ishura?
If you guessed Crunchyroll, this one’s not on it. Ishura is available to watch in the United States exclusively on Walt Disney Company’s streaming platform Hulu. For viewers outside the States, Disney Plus is the streaming home of Ishura worldwide except for Latin America. Star Plus has reserved the distribution rights of the series in Latin America.
The series is currently running on its eighth episode, following a weekly release schedule. New episodes of Ishura drop every Wednesday at 11:30 pm JST on Tokyo MX. The series is available to watch with English subtitles, though, no release schedule for the English dub has been announced yet.
With that being said, Ishura is not available on Netflix, Crunchyroll, or any other digital platform for streaming. In Japan, the series is televised on Tokyo MX and other networks. So, you better get that Hulu subscription now. As of Feb. 2024, Hulu offers a variety of subscription plans to fit all budgets and entertainment needs. However, fans would need the Disney Bundle plan to watch Ishura.
The cheapest Disney Bundle subscription is the Duo Basic plan, costing $9.99/month where eligible subscribers get Disney Plus (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads). On the other hand, the Duo Premium plan costs $19.99/month, offering the two services with no ads. There is currently no free trial for the Disney Bundle.
