Shogakukan Inc. has released “The True Form of Hardship: How to Undo the ‘Curses’ That Erode Your Life” — a new book by popular VTuber Kanae-sensei of Criminology Classroom — on May 15, 2026. Priced at 1,760 yen (tax-included) and totaling 176 pages in shiroku-ban (4-6) softcover format, the book quickly sold out across online bookstores after the author announced it on his YouTube channel, with a pre-release reprint already confirmed and the book generating widespread buzz.

“I’m releasing a new book” — Instant Sellout, Pre-Release Reprint Confirmed

Drawing on his experience as a former juvenile reform officer (law enforcement instructor), Kanae-sensei has become a popular VTuber known for case commentary and life advice. This work sold out at online bookstores one after another after his announcement on his YouTube channel “Criminology Classroom’s Kanae-sensei V Criminologist,” triggering a pre-release reprint and generating significant pre-launch buzz.

Some physical bookstores reportedly still have stock, and since pre-orders may otherwise be required to secure a copy, anyone interested may find it worth visiting a nearby bookstore.

The Book’s Theme: The “Curse of Words” Affecting Modern Life

“My income isn’t going up despite my efforts,” “I’m looking for a partner but can’t find a good match,” “I feel sad when I see news of incidents or accidents on TV or online,” “The influencers I see on social media are dazzling and it bothers me” — these everyday worries may look disparate, but Kanae-sensei argues in this book that they can actually stem from a “curse of words.”

The book’s premise is that words others speak to us can be either magic phrases that lift our spirits or curses that bind us throughout our lives. Moreover, in many cases people unknowingly cast “cursed words” upon themselves, and the book systematically explains how to undo them.

Diagrams and Illustrations Make It Accessible Even for Younger Readers

The book highlights important points throughout, making the key takeaways easy to grasp even for readers without much time for reading. Diagrams are placed at critical junctures, and difficult vocabulary or jargon is largely avoided, leaving even elementary and junior-high school students able to follow along comfortably.

Chapter 3, “SNS is a Nest of Sickness,” uses a diagram to lay out three solutions for people who feel down after browsing social media: “distance yourself from SNS,” “sort out whether the issue actually concerns you,” and “if you can’t help looking and it still depresses you, see a psychosomatic clinic.” The book grounds modern hardship in concrete, actionable suggestions throughout.

Book Information and Author Profile

“The True Form of Hardship: How to Undo the ‘Curses’ That Erode Your Life” is authored by Kanae-sensei of Criminology Classroom, priced at 1,760 yen (tax-included), 176 pages in shiroku-ban softcover format, released on May 15, 2026, and published by Shogakukan. The ISBN is 978-4-09-389855-3, and the book’s information can be checked on the official Shogakukan product page.

The author, Kanae-sensei, is Japan’s first male VTuber who was formerly a national civil servant — specifically a juvenile reform officer at a juvenile detention center. He primarily worked with youth facing developmental disabilities or communication challenges, and dedicated himself to their social rehabilitation. Today, his motto is “raising society’s resolution through case commentary,” and he has run a YouTube channel since September 2020. He also contributes educational content as a member of the academic VTuber unit “Manabui” to the STEAM Library of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s “Future Classroom” project, expanding the scope of his activities.

Looking Ahead and Message to Readers

“The world has become one in which the harder people are doing their best to live today, the more they feel hardship,” Kanae-sensei writes in the book, positioning the work as something to help protect oneself and the important people around oneself. With a pre-release reprint already in place, expansions at bookstores nationwide and follow-up streams by the author himself are also expected.

This book serves as a guide to undoing the “curses of words” that trouble modern life. Insights from an author who has continued to face listeners’ worries through his streaming activities have now entered a phase where they can reach a much wider audience in book form.

Commentary and Outlook

VTubers publishing books through major publishers around themes such as “case commentary” and “life advice” is a category whose presence has clearly grown over the past few years. In particular, Kanae-sensei’s communications — backed by concrete on-the-job experience as a juvenile reform officer — are well regarded for balancing entertainment and social significance, making him an ideal fit for a publication of this kind. As the news of a pre-release reprint shows, the case has been freshly demonstrated that the VTuber fanbase wields substantial purchasing power even through traditional channels like the bookstore distribution network.

Source: PR TIMES