The 13th Footprint Manga Ends: Final Chapter & Kei Sanbe's New Projects

Fans of Kei Sanbe's The 13th Footprint (13-kai Me no Ashiato) received news on December 19, 2025, as Kadokawa's Comic Newtype web manga site published the final chapter of the supernatural mystery series. The manga, which launched in March 2023, concluded its run after telling the story of a family's adventure following mysterious prophetic postcards. Kei Sanbe, the acclaimed creator behind the award-winning ERASED (Boku dake ga Inai Machi) manga, brought The 13th Footprint to readers through Kadokawa's digital platform. The series followed Touya, Haru, and their son Ao as they received postcards that detailed events that would occur the following day. This unique premise allowed the family to help others while unraveling the mystery behind the prophetic messages. The manga's sixth compiled book volume was published in Japan on November 10, 2025, with the series likely to be collected into approximately seven or eight volumes total. For English-speaking readers, Yen Press has been releasing the manga, with Volume 2 published on December 2, 2025. Given the usual three-to-four-month release cycle, Volume 3 is expected in early 2026, allowing international fans to continue following the story as the final volumes are released. Yen Press describes The 13th Footprint as a story where "following their son Ao's release from the hospital, Touya and Haru were all ready to start a new life with him in their picturesque new home. But that was before the postcards arrived... Each postcard details an event—one that won't happen until the next day. Follow this family on an adventure to unravel the mystery, stopping to help everyone they can along the way." Kei Sanbe is a prolific manga creator known for his suspenseful storytelling and supernatural mysteries. His most famous work, ERASED, was serialized from 2012 to March 2016 and received widespread acclaim. The manga was nominated for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize 'Reader Award' in 2014, the Manga Taisho Awards in 2015, and 2017's Seiun comic award. ERASED received an anime adaptation that premiered in January 2016, with Aniplex of America licensing the series for streaming on Crunchyroll, Daisuki, and Funimation. The manga also inspired a live-action film that opened in Japan in March 2016, and Netflix produced a Japanese live-action series adaptation that premiered in December 2017. Sanbe has continued to create compelling works following ERASED. He launched For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams (Yume de Mita: Anoko no Tame ni) in Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine in July 2017, ending it in July 2022. Yen Press is releasing this manga in English. He also created Island in a Puddle (Mizutamari ni Ukabu Shima) in Kodansha's Evening magazine, which ran from November 2019 to September 2021. Kodansha USA Publishing released this manga in English as well. In addition to The 13th Footprint, Sanbe has been working on multiple projects. He launched another manga in March 2023 titled Reto the Protector in Square Enix's Big Gangan magazine. This series is ongoing, with the fourth volume released in Japan in April 2025. Square Enix's Manga UP! is publishing the manga digitally in English, making it accessible to international readers. Most recently, Sanbe launched a brand-new horror-suspense series titled Snow Drop ~Anata no Shi o Nozomimasu~ (Snow Drop ~I Desire Your Death~) in Square Enix's Young Gangan magazine on November 7, 2025. This series follows a girl trapped in a "swinging pendulum" of repeating days, yearning for tomorrow, showcasing Sanbe's continued exploration of time-based mysteries and psychological horror. Looking ahead, Sanbe has announced a new sword-fighting period drama titled Otogi no Hako no Reto, scheduled to debut on March 25, 2026. This project features collaboration with an organization dedicated to Ainu culture, representing a departure from his usual contemporary mystery settings and demonstrating his versatility as a creator. For fans of The 13th Footprint, the series remains available through multiple channels. English readers can find the manga through Yen Press, with print and digital versions available. The manga is also available on the BookWalker Global service, providing additional access for digital readers. As the final volumes are collected and released, fans can continue to follow Touya, Haru, and Ao's journey as they help others and uncover the truth behind the mysterious postcards. The conclusion of The 13th Footprint marks the end of another compelling mystery from Kei Sanbe, while his continued work on Reto the Protector, Snow Drop, and the upcoming Otogi no Hako no Reto ensures that fans of his distinctive storytelling style will have plenty of new content to enjoy in the coming years.