The multi-volume series will be released in 2026.
It has been revealed in a report by Variety that the upcoming animated feature film “Mfinda” is getting a prequel manga series. The movie’s production company N LITE has partnered with Japanese manga conglomerate Kodansha to bring this project to life. The Mfinda manga will be a prequel to the movie, and expand upon the Congolese mythology that resides within the centre of the story.
Mfinda
Author: Christiano Terry
Illustrator: Tom Lintern, Koma Warita
Publisher: N LITE, Kodansha
Release window: 2026
What do we know about the Mfinda manga so far?
As per the report, N LITE’s founder Christiano Terry will be writing the story of the manga. Studio art director Tom Lintern illustrated it in collaboration with Koma Warita, a Japanese storyboard artist. The series will debut in Kodansha’s Biblio Sirius Magazine sometime in 2026. The manga has been planned as a multi-volume series.
The manga will give the audience a deeper understanding of the Congolese culture, mythology, and sacred forest that’s at the centre of the film’s narrative. Nasambi and Odi, the dual protagonists of the series, will guide the readers through the various origin stories which will later be a part of the Mfinda movie.
Christiano Terry spoke about the collaborative project, saying:
It has been a true honor to collaborate with Kodansha, a legendary publishing house that not only helped define my creative perspective but also defined generation after generation of anime and manga. The Sirius editorial team are incredible creative partners, and we’re thrilled to bring Mfinda to the pages of Sirius magazine, uniting timeless storytelling, Congolese mythology and Japanese craft.
What is the Mfinda movie about?
The upcoming movie Mfinda is created by Patience Lekien and Christiano Terry. Studio N LITE and MOCCO are in charge of animation production while JuVee Productions and GKIDS are also collaborating with N LITE to produce the film. Christiano Terry and Masao Maruyama are the producers while Eric Beckman, Viola Davis, Joel Embiid, and Jaden Smith are the executive producers. Gisaburô Sugii is directing the movie with Christiano Terry, Donald Hewitt, and Mika Abe writing the screenplay.
Jaden Smith is also voicing the character Kozo in the movie.
The official website of N LITE describes the story as:
A 13-year-old Congolese girl is transported to the Mfinda, a primordial forest of spirits, gods, and ancestors. There she joins another young girl from a different time and embarks on a journey to find her way back home during a time of conflict between humans and the spirits of nature.