Chained Soldier is scheduled to resume serialization with Chapter 189 on 12 December 2026, following a delay linked to illustrator Yohei Takemura’s health. Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ announced the revised date on 12 November, moving the manga’s planned 14 November return.
A revised date for Chapter 189
The next installment will arrive on Saturday, 12 December, according to the announcement. The change leaves readers waiting almost a month longer than originally planned, after the manga had been on hiatus since October. The series is written by Takahiro and illustrated by Yohei Takemura.
“Taking into consideration the health of illustrator Yohei Takemura, we are postponing the resumption of serialization. Work has resumed, and the next chapter, Chapter 189, is scheduled for Saturday, December 12. We apologize to readers who have been looking forward to it, and thank you for your continued support.” — Shonen Jump+
Takemura previously said that a right-wrist injury suffered in June damaged the wrist’s fibrocartilage. The illustrator continued working with a wrist brace, but the strain made recovery more difficult. Takemura later stopped working on manga drafts to allow the injury to heal, providing the health context behind the postponed return.
The manga reaches a new circulation milestone
The scheduling announcement comes as Chained Soldier continues to expand its commercial reach. Shonen Jump reported that the manga had surpassed 7 million copies in circulation around the release of its 22nd volume earlier in November. The milestone covers the series’ reported circulation rather than a single volume’s sales.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Next chapter | Chapter 189 |
| Scheduled date | 12 December 2026 |
| Original planned return | 14 November 2026 |
| Reported circulation | More than 7 million copies |
For readers in the Philippines and Southeast Asia who follow the manga through its digital publication channels, the new date is the key change: Chapter 189 is planned for release in December rather than November. The announcement concerns the manga’s serialization schedule and does not change the status of any anime adaptation or other version of the franchise.
- Chapter 189 is scheduled for 12 December 2026.
- The return was postponed from 14 November because of Takemura’s health.
- Chained Soldier has surpassed 7 million copies in circulation, according to Shonen Jump.
The delay allows Takemura additional time to recover while work on the manga resumes. No plot details from the upcoming chapter have been disclosed in the announcement.
