The process of starting a manga to completing it can take years or even decades. The scope of the manga can be very large and require a tremendous amount of time. The artists who work in this medium give it everything they've got. It is a true labor of love and fans can feel that whenever they pick up a manga and flip through the pages. However, tragically, sometimes a manga ends abruptly due to the loss of its artist.
Many great manga creators pass after retiring, basking in the afterglow of their legacies. But there are instances when the sudden passing of a manga artist happens while they are still working on their latest creation. Often, this truncates the manga, leaving it unfinished and unresolved. While these manga may not have the endings their creators planned for, they have fans that will remember them.
10 Shindere Shoujo To Kodoku Na Shinigami Mixes Levity With Mystery
A romance, a comedy, and a supernatural mystery manga, Shindere Shoujo To Kodoku Na Shinigami is a story about a boy who is surrounded by death and a girl who constantly dies. It opens with Matsushirou Nishigami warning his class to stay away from him as he brings death to those who are close. Akira Wakanae dislikes his attitude and defies him. One thing leads to another and Akira falls to her death, only to be revived by the snake goddess of the island.
The manga was published on September 22, 2011. Its writer was Masaki Himura and its artist was Yoshie Katou. Due to Himura's illness, the manga went into hiatus on March 28, 2013. They would pass away 2 years after that.
9 Reincarnation Hijinks In Maou Gakuin No Futekigousha
Written by Shuu and illustrated by Haruka Kaya, Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha is a light twist to the familiar magical high school power fantasy story. Anos Voldigoad is the former Demon King. He died two thousand years ago only to reincarnate in the present time. He attends the Demon King Academy to reestablish himself but no one recognizes him. Anos must use his overwhelming abilities to prove himself the Demon King.
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Sadly, the manga was discontinued after Haruka Kaya's death on July 6, 2021. Before their passing, Kaya thanked all of their fans for reading and supporting the manga.
8 Katsute Mahou Shoujo To Aku Wa Tekitai Shite Ita Is Cute And Amusing
Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita is a slice of life romantic comedy where Miller falls in love with Mimori. The catch is that Miller is a leading figure of an evil organization and Mimori is a magical girl. It uses the binary as a setup for its cute jokes. Instead of being intimidating or ruthless, Miller is shown as an overprotective figure in Mimori's life.
Cocoa Fujiwara wrote and drew the manga. Some of her previous works include Inu x Boku SS and Dear. She died on March 31, 2015, and Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita was discontinued 5 days later.
7 High School Of The Dead Is Full Of Adrenaline
A relentless spring of sex appeal and pulp horror, High School of the Dead is the marriage of anime fan service from the 2000s with the zombie horror genre post-George A. Romero. It is giddy with its gore, action, and violence. Full of ludicrous provocative imagery, this has garnered the manga equal amounts of notoriety and adoration. It embraces what it is.
The manga went on hiatus in 2013 due to writer Daisuke Satou's failing health. Upon his passing in 2017, the manga was officially discontinued.
6 MM! Is A Face-Slapping Comedy
MM! is both a light novel and manga written by Akinari Matsuno. It goes through the comedic dealings of Taro Sado, a high school boy seeking help to get rid of his masochism. His call for help is answered by Mio Isurugi, a short and spunky girl who is determined to beat the masochism out of him.
The publication of the manga came to a halt after 4 years due to Matsuno's death in 2011. Artist Issei Hyojou was able to keep the manga going for almost a year after Matsuno's passing, but the manga eventually caught up to the light novel's content.
5 Itazura Na Kiss Is 90s Shojo To A Tee
Itazura na Kiss follows the quintessential shojo formula with a classic shojo couple. Kotoko is an energetic and ditzy girl who wears her emotions on her sleeve, while Naoki is the hyper-intelligent and cold guy who cannot stand Kotoko's personality. Circumstances force the two closer, where they grow to like each other and become the other's foil. It plays with the clashing personalities of the leads, deriving a lot of the romantic tension and comedy from their contrasting natures.
Tragically, the manga creator Kaoru Tada died suddenly on March 11, 1999. The manga would end without reaching a conclusion, leaving many fans mourning the loss of their favorite manga author.
4 The Comedic Innocence Of Crayon Shin-Chan
Following the daily hijinks of a young child named Shin, the manga is a collection of short gags. The jokes revolve around Shin's innocent and mischievous nature. There is a genuine depiction of his childlike nature and how that affects the adults around him, especially his mother.
Crayon Shin-chan was published for 20 years, spanning 50 volumes and 1126 chapters. It felt like one of those legendary gag manga that could go on indefinitely, joining the ranks of Kochikame and Sazae-san. It would eventually reach a similar level of prestige, but its run was cut short when its manga creator, Yoshito Usui, passed away in 2009.
3 Doraemon Is The Gag Manga's Icon
While there is a plethora of iconic gag anime and manga, nothing quite stands out like Doraemon. The premise gives us the titular Doraemon, a cat-like robot from the future, trying to help a boy named Nobita through his daily life. Each day and event involves a special gadget from the future. It will usually complicate things and set up funny visual gags. The manga is expressive, charming, and timeless.
Fujio F. Fujiko worked on the manga for almost 30 years, allowing for numerous spin-offs and anime adaptations. Its impact on the medium has made it almost synonymous with the gag genre, becoming the gold standard for comedy in manga. It ended in 1996, shortly after Fujio F. Fujiko passed away.
2 Phoenix Is The Lifework Of A Legend
Osamu Tezuka is known as the Father of Manga. He is the pioneer of the medium, creating numerous manga that would define the field in moods, style, and artistry. While works like Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Black Jack would become his most well-recognized achievements, it is Phoenix that would stand as the representative of his life's work.
Spread across 12 volumes, Phoenix is a collection of stand-alone stories loosely tied to the concept of immortality. These volumes were written throughout Tezuka's lifetime, starting in 1954 and ending in 1988. Each volume captures a different era of Tezuka. The earlier ones showcase his simplicity while the later volumes exhibit his experimentations with the form of manga and its themes. No one loved the medium as much as Tezuka did and Phoenix shows that.
1 Berserk And Its Unrivaled Beauty
The recent passing of Kentaro Miura has shaken the manga community. For years now, his magnum opus Berserk has been considered one of the greatest manga of all time, if not the very best. It is a tale of ambition, redemption, healing, rage, darkness, and friendship. It has given the community some of the most iconic characters in Guts, Griffith, and Casca. The art from the manga has influenced and inspired generations of artists with its intense detailing and grand scale.
For 31 years, Berserk chronicled a legendary story, received awards, sold in dozens of countries, and fostered a massive fanbase that genuinely loved it. Kentaro Miura will be remembered as one of the most important and beloved manga creators.