The popular baseball manga series Oblivion Battery (Japanese: Bōkyaku Batterī), penned and illustrated by Eko Mikawa, has announced a temporary hiatus from its serialization on Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ online manga app. Fans can anticipate the series’ return on September 4. This news comes as the manga continues to gain traction, further bolstered by its recent anime adaptation.
The Current Pause and Anticipated Return
The hiatus was officially announced on Thursday by Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ service. While the specific reasons for the pause were not detailed in the announcement, temporary breaks are common in the demanding manga industry, often allowing creators time for research, health, or to prepare for significant story arcs. The definitive return date of September 4 offers a clear timeline for readers eagerly awaiting new chapters.
Coinciding with the hiatus announcement, Shueisha’s MANGA Plus service also began simultaneously publishing the manga in English with its Japanese release on Thursday, June 26, 2025, making the series more accessible to an international audience.
About Oblivion Battery
Oblivion Battery is a sports drama that follows a compelling narrative centered around high school baseball. The series focuses on the formidable “monster battery duo,” Haruka Kiyomine, a prodigious pitcher, and Kei Kaname, a brilliant catcher. Once feared in middle school for their overwhelming talent, the pair unexpectedly finds themselves enrolling in the ordinary, baseball-club-less Kotesashi High School. The twist in their tale? Kei suffers from amnesia, having lost all memory of his baseball prowess and initially refusing to play again.
At Kotesashi, they encounter other talented baseball players who, like them, had their dreams crushed after facing Kiyomine and Kaname in their prime. The series then delves into their journey as they join the newly established baseball club, with Haruka and Taro Yamada (another player affected by the duo’s past dominance) attempting to reignite Kei’s passion for the sport by reminding him of the joy of baseball.
Manga’s Publication History and Milestones
Eko Mikawa launched Oblivion Battery on the Shōnen Jump+ platform in April 2018. Since its debut, the series has consistently released new content, with Shueisha compiling its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. As of December 2024, 20 volumes had been released, and the 21st compiled book volume was published on April 4, 2025. The manga has garnered critical acclaim, taking sixth place in the web manga category of the Next Manga Awards in 2019 and winning the Grand Prize in the “I Want to Read It Now” category of the 2nd Rakuten Kobo E-book Awards in 2024.
Anime Adaptations and Future Prospects
The popularity of Oblivion Battery extends beyond its manga format. In October 2020, MAPPA, the renowned animation studio, produced an original net animation (ONA) adaptation as part of the “Jump Special Anime Festa 2020” event. This was followed by a full anime television series adaptation, also by MAPPA, which premiered in April 2024 and aired until July 2024. Crunchyroll notably streamed the anime globally as it aired in Japan, further expanding its reach. The first season featured a talented voice cast, including Toshiki Masuda as Haruka Kiyomine and Mamoru Miyano as Kei Kaname.
Following the success of its initial run, a second season of the Oblivion Battery anime has already been announced, much to the delight of its growing fanbase. This continuation underscores the series’ strong reception and sustained interest from both manga and anime enthusiasts. Furthermore, the manga is inspiring a stage play adaptation set to run in Tokyo and Osaka in October, showcasing the franchise’s expanding multimedia presence.
