Anime & Manga Weekly — 2026-03-22

1 sources

beebom.com

beebom.com

📖 Manga Releases This Week

One Piece — Chapter 1177 & 1178 (March–April 2026 Schedule)

• Release date: Rolling out through late March 2026
• Key moments: The Elbaf Arc continues to build steam, with the current schedule confirmed through April — giving fans a packed stretch of new chapters to look forward to.
• Where to read: Viz Media / Manga Plus

Gachiakuta — Chapter 163

• Release date: Week of March 17–21, 2026
• Key moments: The Kodansha hit continues its near-weekly cadence; new chapters arrive regularly and the story's momentum is keeping fans hooked.
• Where to read: K Manga / Kodansha

North American Manga Shelf (March 15–21, 2026)

• Release date: March 15–21, 2026
• Key moments: This week's North American physical and digital shelves received Sakamoto Holidays manga and the OMORI manga adaptation, alongside light novel arrivals — a surprisingly strong haul for casual readers and collectors alike.
• Where to read: Available through major retailers and Viz, Yen Press, and Kodansha digital storefronts.

🎬 Anime Episodes Worth Watching

2 sources

animenewsnetwork.com

animenewsnetwork.com

animenewsnetwork.com

animenewsnetwork.com

Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- — Ongoing (Winter 2026)

• What happened: The second season of the breakout isekai-adjacent action series continues airing this week, with Sung Jin-Woo pushing deeper into shadow monarch territory as the stakes escalate dramatically.
• Fan reception: The Crunchyroll simulcast remains one of the most-discussed shows of the winter season, with viewers praising the upgraded production values and faster pacing compared to Season 1.

One Piece — Elbaf Arc (Netflix Debut)

• What happened: The highly anticipated Elbaf Island Arc of One Piece finally received an official Netflix release date this week, giving cord-cutters and non-Crunchyroll subscribers a path to the new arc without additional subscriptions.
• Fan reception: The announcement caused significant social media chatter, with fans debating whether Netflix's release model (batch vs. simulcast) will affect the experience.

Spring 2026 Preview — Witch Hat Atelier, STEEL BALL RUN & Daemons of the Shadow Realm

• What happened: With Spring 2026 premieres just around the corner, this week's coverage spotlighted upcoming debuts including the Witch Hat Atelier adaptation, the much-anticipated STEEL BALL RUN anime, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm — all confirmed for the spring slate.
• Fan reception: The STEEL BALL RUN announcement continues to generate massive excitement among JoJo fans, while Witch Hat Atelier has manga readers eager to see the lush art style translated to animation.

🔥 Community Buzz

• Chainsaw Man manga reportedly approaching its end. A video circulating this week from a dedicated Chainsaw Man analysis channel claims the manga may be nearing its conclusion, citing recent chapter pacing and narrative signals. The community is divided — some fans believe creator Tatsuki Fujimoto is building to a definitive finale, while others suspect a time-skip or sequel arc is incoming. The announcement was paired with recap of recent Anime Japan 2026 news.

• One Piece × Netflix: A new era for the franchise? The confirmation that the Elbaf Arc will stream on Netflix has reignited the perennial debate about simulcast fragmentation. Many fans question why One Piece is split across platforms (Crunchyroll for backlist, Netflix for new arc), while others welcome the accessibility boost.

• Spring 2026 hype train is fully boarded. Anime News Network's "Read It First" feature this week covered source manga and light novels for all major Spring 2026 adaptations. Dorohedoro's return, STEEL BALL RUN, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm are the most-discussed titles. The piece is driving a notable uptick in manga sales for source material.

• Anime Japan 2026 aftermath: Multiple outlets this week continued digesting announcements from the recent Anime Japan convention, including new One Piece theories and upcoming title reveals. Community discussion boards remain active with speculation on unannounced projects.

1 sources

hypebeast.com

hypebeast.com

🌟 3 Picks for Newcomers

• Gachiakuta (Action / Dark Fantasy) — A gritty Kodansha series about a boy banished to a trash-filled underworld who fights back using the power of objects. If you love kinetic action manga with strong visual storytelling and don't mind morally complex protagonists, this is an easy entry point — and new chapters drop nearly every week.

• Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- (Action / Fantasy) — Season 1 is streamable now, making this the perfect moment to catch up before the second season's finale. Ideal for viewers who enjoy power-scaling narratives and clean action animation with a clear protagonist arc.

• Witch Hat Atelier (Fantasy / Slice-of-Life) — With the anime adaptation arriving this spring, now is the ideal time to start the manga. The story follows a girl who discovers magic is real and joins a school for witches — it's visually stunning and perfect for readers who enjoyed Made in Abyss or Ancient Magus' Bride.

📊 Top Airing Anime (MyAnimeList)

Based on the MyAnimeList top airing rankings page (screenshot captured 2026-03-22), the current top airing anime by score are listed below. Note: Specific scores and full rankings may shift daily — please verify directly on the page for the latest data.

1. (Top-ranked currently airing title — verify at MAL)
2. (2nd ranked currently airing title — verify at MAL)
3. (3rd ranked currently airing title — verify at MAL)
4. (4th ranked currently airing title — verify at MAL)
5. (5th ranked currently airing title — verify at MAL)

⚠️ The MyAnimeList rankings page was captured as a screenshot during research, but specific title names and scores could not be reliably extracted from the image without risk of error. Please check directly for the most accurate current standings.