6 Manga Legends Celebrate FAIRY TAIL’s Return with Exclusive Anniversary Artwork
FAIRY TAIL is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a collection of commemorative illustrations from some of Japan’s biggest manga creators as Hiro Mashima’s brand-new series, FAIRY TAIL RE:FANTASIA, officially begins serialization.
Created by Hiro Mashima, FAIRY TAIL first debuted in 2006 and grew into one of the world’s most popular fantasy manga series, inspiring multiple anime adaptations, movies, games, stage productions and a huge range of merchandise before the original story concluded in 2017.
The franchise continued in recent years with FAIRY TAIL: 100 Years Quest, the official sequel illustrated by Atsuo Ueda from Mashima’s storyboards, which also received a television anime adaptation between 2024 and 2025.
Now, Mashima has returned to Weekly Shonen Magazine’s Issue 35 with FAIRY TAIL RE:FANTASIA, an all-new story designed as a short-term serialization, which is his first in the magazine in two years.
To celebrate both milestones, a number of acclaimed manga creators from across the industry have contributed special illustrations of Natsu and other FAIRY TAIL characters, with each piece accompanied by a personal message.
The anniversary artwork includes contributions from George Morikawa of Hajime no Ippo, Yoshihiro Togashi of HUNTER x HUNTER, Yudetamago of Kinnikuman, Kouji Seo, Miki Yoshikawa and FAIRY TAIL: 100 Years Quest artist Atsuo Ueda, creating a rare crossover celebration that extends beyond individual publishers and editorial teams.
The illustrations offer a unique opportunity to see FAIRY TAIL’s cast reimagined through the artistic styles of several legendary manga creators while highlighting the lasting influence the series has had across the industry.
The celebration will continue later this year with the release of the first FAIRY TAIL RE:FANTASIA collected volume, which will be available in both a standard and special edition, with the latter including a set of 16 postcards featuring artwork by Mashima alongside the anniversary illustrations from the guest creators.
Further celebrations are also planned as Hiro Mashima is preparing to hold a nationwide autograph tour, with application details and additional information set to be released through the official FAIRY TAIL 20th anniversary website.
The first collected volume of FAIRY TAIL RE:FANTASIA is scheduled to go on sale in Japan on October 16, 2026.
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