10 Longest-Running Manga That Never Got To Finish Their Story - CBR - Comic Book Resources

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A sad reality of the manga industry is that not all titles are meant to be finished. Sometimes this is due to personal reasons, while other times, it’s because of editorial mandate. Either way, these titles will forever be a case of “what could’ve been” than anything else.

Unlike long-running manga like Detective Conan or the sporadically updating Berserk, which have no end in sight, these ten titles have no hope of ever getting a worthy finale or being concluded the way their creators hoped them to one day be.

10 Highschool Of The Dead – Daisuke Sato Passed Away Just As A New Arc Started

Highschool Of The Dead stopped being serialized in 2013 after only 30 chapters because its author passed away. Out of respect, illustrator Shoji Sato and his publishers left the zombie apocalypse unfinished and instead diverted their attention to the ongoing Triage X.

The anime wrapped up with 12 episodes and didn’t adapt anything after the escape from the Takagi’s mansion. It ended with an original beach escapade in the OVA. Shoji Sato mentioned that he wouldn’t mind continuing Highschool Of The Dead, though he admits that the loss of his creative partner makes this easier said than done.

9 Phoenix – Osamu Tezuka Passed Away Before Finishing His Magnum Opus

The God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka’s most ambitious work was Phoenix–a time-hopping epic about immortality, reincarnation, and different people from different times who encounter the legendary Phoenix. Starting way back in 1954, Phoenix managed to get 38 chapters out before it was stopped in 1989, following Tezuka’s death.

Despite it never being completed, Phoenix was adapted several times. Phoenix has one live-action movie, two anime movies, a 2-episode OVA, and a 13-episode anime. All of these ended in their own way, but not exactly the way Tezuka planned. All that’s known of Tezuka’s planned conclusion is written and drawn in his leftover notes.

8 Barefoot Gen – Keiji Nakazawa Fell Ill And Never Recovered

Barefoot Gen’s tenth volume ends with the words “End of Part 1,” revealing that the horrors and tragedies of the Hiroshima atomic bombing that Gen Nakaoka endured were just the beginning. Nakazawa was planning to show Gen’s new life as an art student in Tokyo but was forced to abandon this and prematurely retire in 2009 due to his failing eyesight.

Three years later, Nakazawa passed away, leaving Barefoot Gen at 54 chapters. When things were going to get good for Gen. Since Barefoot Gen is based on Nakazawa’s own experiences, it’s safe to say that Gen was bound for greater things, such as becoming an influential mangaka. Unfortunately, this part of his life will never be seen in the manga.

7 Getter Robo – Ken Ishikawa Passed Away Before Finishing The Getter Robo Saga

The classic mecha manga Getter Robo was going to end epically with Getter Robo Arc, the planned grand finale of the five-part saga. However, the one-two-punch of Super Robot Magazine’s cancellation and Ishikawa’s sudden death ended Getter Robo Arc before it even hit its midpoint.

On its own, Getter Robo Arc churned out 14 chapters. As a part of the bigger franchise, Getter Robo Arc prematurely ended the overall story at 73 chapters. This didn’t stop other creators from trying to give Ishikawa’s legacy a fitting conclusion, with sequels and spin-offs made from his notes and a Getter Robo Arc OVA coming in 2021.

6 With The Light: Raising An Autistic Child – Keiko Tobe Passed Away At The Halfway Point Of Her Manga

With The Light may very well be one of a unique manga ever published, as it tackles the struggles and joys of Sachiko – a young mother – raising her autistic son, Hiraku. The manga was praised for raising autism awareness and for its emotionally resonant story. Some time in 2009, With The Light, went on temporary hiatus, but this later turned permanent.

In early 2010, Tobe’s family revealed that she passed away. With The Light was left unfinished, with 92 chapters collected in 15 tankobon or 8 English-language omnibuses. For what it’s worth, the then-incomplete manga was adapted as a TV drama in 2004, though it’s hard to watch for anyone outside of Japan.

5 Cyborg 009 – Shotaro Ishinomori Passed Away During A Hiatus

With 114 mainline chapters and countless spin-offs, Cyborg 009 is notable for accomplishing many things, especially introducing manga’s first super-powered team in Dr. Gilmore’s Cyborgs. Promising to end his magnum opus on the New Millennium, Ishinomori took a break but died in 1998, leaving Cyborg 009 in perpetual stasis for decades.

Cyborg 009 was eventually finished in 2012 with Cyborg 009: Conclusion GOD’S WAR, made by Ishinomori’s son Joe Onodera and his assistants. The finale polarized the faithful since the creative team took some creative liberties from Ishinomori’s notes and ideas. The Cyborg’s fight may have ended, but Ishinomori’s true vision may never see the light of day.

4 Act-Age – Tatsuya Matsuki’s Arrest Prematurely Ended The Manga

At its peak, Act-Age was praised for being a different kind of shonen title that broke the demographic's norms and audience stereotypes. However, the manga was abruptly halted at Chapter 123 after Matsuki was charged with groping and harassing minors–accusations he later confessed to when questioned by the police.

Weekly, Shonen Jump ended the manga without warning, while illustrator Shiro Usazaki removed all mention of Act-Age on her social media. Act-Age readers rallied support for Usazaki, and she has since moved on to other projects. Shonen Jump and Usazaki voiced their support for Matsuki’s victims and haven’t mentioned him since.

3 Vagabond – Takehiko Inoue Hasn’t Updated It Since 2015

From the creator of Slam Dunk comes Vagabond, which is one of the most critically acclaimed jidaigeki manga ever published. Vagabond is a retelling of the legendary ronin Miyamoto Musashi’s life. The manga has been in publication since 1998 but suddenly stopped after hitting Chapter 327 in 2015.

Since then, Takehiko hasn’t offered any updates on when Musashi’s tale will continue – if it ever will. His busy schedule isn’t helping either, and it’s been said he’s currently focusing his energies on finishing his other manga Real, the critically-acclaimed story of a team of wheelchair basketball players.

2 Hunter X Hunter – Yoshihiro Togashi Completing His Work Is Becoming More And More Unlikely

There’s no incomplete manga as notorious as Hunter X Hunter, which owns the record for having the longest hiatuses in manga history. These breaks result from Togashi’s back problems, which are so bad that his medical breaks can last anywhere between months and years. There are currently 390 chapters, with the latest chapter dating back to 2018.

Because of this, Togashi has a failsafe ready. Reportedly, his wife–Sailor Moon creator and legendary mangaka Naoko Takeuchi–has been practicing his art style and has all the notes for the series’ end. If ever Togashi permanently can’t finish Hunter X Hunter, Takeuchi will complete it in his stead.

1 Crayon Shin-Chan – Yoshito Usui Passed Away After A Hiking Accident

With 1,126 chapters, Crayon Shin-Chan remains one of the longest-running manga ever made since its 1992 debut. Unfortunately, it will never be completed the way Usui wanted. This is because he died while hiking Mt. Arafune in 2009. After a hiatus, Usui’s assistants continued the manga until its end in 2010, understandably dropping whatever long-term plans they originally had.

Crayon Shin-Chan is still going strong with its revival New Crayon Shin-Chan and countless other spin-offs. In fact, Shin-chan himself is still a pop culture icon in Japan. That said, Usui’s original vision for Shin-chan’s irreverent hijinks and the rest of his friends can never be truly continued and replaced.

NEXT: 10 Assistants Who Became Famous Mangaka