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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Hiroya Oku, creator of Gantz, is the manga artist behind Thunder 3, which Kodansha USA credits to Yuki Ikeda. ComicBook.com reported that Oku revealed the pseudonym was chosen to preserve the impact of the manga’s opening reveal. The available sources support that attribution, but do not establish a formal retirement or verify the wider “action hit” framing.
Who is behind Thunder 3?
ComicBook.com identified Hiroya Oku as the person behind the Yuki Ikeda pen name. Kodansha USA’s English-language series page credits Thunder 3 to Yuki Ikeda, so readers may encounter that name in the publisher’s catalog even though the report attributes the work to Oku.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Thunder 3 volume 1 | $10.30 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Thunder 3 volume 8 | $13.86 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Thunder 3 volume 2 | $11.86 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Thunder 3 volume 3 | $10.46 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Thunder 3 volume 5 | $10.44 | Buy on Amazon |
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Oku is known as the creator of Gantz. The story about his involvement in Thunder 3 is a creator-identity reveal; it does not change the name under which Kodansha USA lists the manga.
Why did Oku use the name Yuki Ikeda?
ComicBook.com reports that Oku said he used a pen name so that readers would be surprised by the reveal in the first episode. The outlet reproduces wording attributed to Oku’s X post, explaining that using his real name would have weakened that impact. Because the original post was not independently verified, this is best treated as ComicBook.com’s account of his explanation rather than a directly confirmed quotation.
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What kind of manga is Thunder 3?
Kodansha USA categorizes the series as science fiction and action/adventure. Its publisher description highlights the combination of contrasting art styles, hard-SF elements and meta-comedy. That is Kodansha’s characterization of the work, not an independent critical assessment.
The “new sci-fi action hit” wording in the headline is promotional framing. The cited sources provide no audience, sales or popularity figures to establish “hit” as a measurable claim.
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Where can readers find the manga?
Kodansha USA lists both print and digital editions and provides links to purchase options on its Thunder 3 series page. Its catalog page labels the series “Ongoing” and displays eight volumes at the time represented by that listing. Those are English-language catalog details; they do not, by themselves, establish the status of the original Japanese serialization.
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Not on the evidence cited here. ComicBook.com connects the reveal to retirement-related comments, but the underlying comment was not independently verified. The report alone is not enough to establish that Oku formally retired, or to clarify whether the remark referred to a pause, a joke or something else.
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Has Thunder 3 ended?
The cited sources do not settle that question. ComicBook.com describes the manga as ended, while Kodansha USA’s English-language catalog labels its listing “Ongoing.” These statements may refer to different publication contexts, but the evidence available here does not verify that explanation. Treat the status as unresolved rather than assuming either source establishes the other edition’s serialization status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What about the anime?
ComicBook.com also discusses an anime adaptation, Netflix availability and a second season. Those details have not been independently confirmed by an official anime or streaming source in the material cited here, so this article does not present them as established release or renewal information.
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