Draw This, Then Die!

Draw This, Then Die! is an anime about the hard work and the joy of making comics. It is based on an award-winning manga by Minoru Toyoda. His comic has run in Shogakukan's magazine Monthly Shonen Sunday since November 12, 2021, and it had ten books by July 2026. It won the 16th Manga Taisho award in 2023 and the 70th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2024. In 2026, it was also nominated for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, which is named after one of the most famous manga artists ever. The anime was made by Shin-Ei Animation and directed by Hiroaki Akagi. It aired on Nippon TV from July 3 to September 25, 2026, with 12 episodes, and a second season has already been announced.

The Japanese title, Kore Kaite Shine, sounds harsh, but it is a joke and a challenge at the same time. It is the kind of thing a passionate fan might say about a work they love: 'Draw this, and then you can die happy.' The show is full of that kind of big, strong feeling about stories.

The main character is Ai Yasumi. She is a first-year high school student who lives on Izu Oshima, an island that belongs to Tokyo but lies far out in the sea. Island life is slow and quiet, with the ocean always nearby. Ai is a huge fan of manga, the Japanese comics that she reads again and again. For her, reading is the best thing in the world. She has never really thought about making her own.

Then something important happens, and it changes how she sees herself. Ai decides that she does not only want to read stories. She wants to create them. This is not easy. She has to learn how to draw, how to plan a story, and how to put pictures in boxes so a reader can follow along. She must also learn how to finish a work, show it to others, and hear what they think, even when it hurts.

Ai does not go on this journey alone. Other people at her school, including Rei Teshima, Kokoro Fujimori, and Sachi Akafuku, play big parts in her story. Some share her love of stories, and some push her to try harder. Together they help show how different people can see art in very different ways.

The series is a coming-of-age story, which means it is about a young person growing up and finding out who they are. It mixes funny school moments with honest looks at how making art feels. There is the pain of a blank page, the fear of not being good enough, and the pure happiness when an idea finally works. Anyone who has ever dreamed of writing, drawing, or making something of their own will find a lot to love here. If you enjoyed Bakuman or Blue Period, this is a warm, heartfelt next watch.