MikotoHako (みことはこ)
Author: Shintaro Tengan (天願真太郎) — story and art
Serialisation magazine: Shōnen Jump+ (少年ジャンプ＋)
Serialisation began: 4 August 2026
Brief plot summary
Mikoto Ren is a first-year high-school student from a family of exorcists. His mother died because of a curse linked to a mysterious black box. While investigating a series of disappearances in a village, he meets Hako, a girl whose face is completely covered by a black cubic box. The two form an unlikely partnership to exorcise evil spirits and uncover the secret of the box. Between supernatural missions, family inheritance and curses, their daily life is mostly filled with constant bickering and offbeat dialogue. The series blends action, comedy and supernatural mystery in an “exorcism buddy-comedy” style.
Main characters and their psychology
Mikoto Ren (神子戸蓮)
A first-year high-school student and born exorcist who can see spirits. He is pragmatic and sarcastic, with a dry sense of humour and a habit of complaining about the complications forced upon him. Behind this reluctant attitude lies a strong sense of duty, driven by the desire not to let the family’s power be misused. The death of his mother (a previous owner of the box) weighs heavily on him: he carries the burden of an inheritance he did not choose and swings between stoicism and irritation when faced with absurd situations. Despite himself, a protective side emerges in his interactions with Hako.
Hako
A girl whose face is hidden by a black cubic box (which can change shape according to her will). Isolated since childhood in a shrine because of this phenomenon, she has developed an eccentric and playful personality, often coloured by absurd humour that masks deep loneliness. Curious, bold and capable of decisive action in danger, she above all longs for freedom. Once partially freed from the box, she reveals a cheerful and optimistic side when faced with the small pleasures of everyday life. Her psychology mixes trauma, isolation and a desire for human connection.
Their dynamic rests on contrast: Mikoto’s weary pragmatism against Hako’s eccentricity and hidden wounds, expressed through sharp, often comic exchanges that gradually reveal mutual understanding.
Author and publication context
Shintaro Tengan is a manga creator for whom MikotoHako is his first regular series. He had already published a one-shot of the same title in 2022 on Shōnen Jump+, which proved highly successful (around 1.4 million views) and was later included in an anniversary anthology of the platform. He also created the one-shot Blood Null (2018). The series is published exclusively digitally on Shōnen Jump+, Shueisha’s digital magazine/app, with a simultaneous English translation available on MANGA Plus. It updates bi-weekly (on Tuesdays).
The story expands and enriches the original one-shot by developing Mikoto’s past, the origins of the box and the family stakes surrounding exorcism.
