20 Years Later, Shonen Jump Fans Are Still Waiting for This Anime to Return

There’s no denying that when it comes to Shonen series, supernatural fantasies will always grab all the spotlight. One of the most standout original series of Weekly Shonen Jump is D.Gray-man, written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino. The manga began serialization in 2004, but it wasn’t long after the debut that it started facing several hiatuses due to Hoshino’s health issues. In April 2018, the series moved to the quarterly magazine Jump SQ. Rise, leading to a far slower trickle for new chapters. Furthermore, although the manga is still ongoing, the latest chapters are only available in Japan.

Official platforms such as Viz Media and Shonen Jump only have 245 chapters available. On the bright side, the newer chapters are available in the latest Volume 29, which was only released recently. It’s the first manga volume released in three years, which is all the more reason why fans are hyped for the new release. The manga is commemorating its 20th anniversary since it debuted on October 3rd, 2026. Even 20 years and several hiatuses later, the series still maintains a wide global fan base, which is all the more reason why the anime needs to return as soon as possible.

D.Gray-man Returned With a Disappointing Sequel 10 Years Ago

While the anime originally debuted in 2008, it was an ongoing show that released weekly episodes. It didn’t take long before the anime caught up with the manga until there was no new content for the animation studio to adapt. The anime wrapped up after 103 episodes, leaving its future uncertain. This is all the more reason why its comeback with D.Gray-man Hallow in 2016 was supposed to be a big deal. Fans were enthusiastic to watch the sequel to their beloved show, but it wasn’t what they expected at all. The sequel should have received more hype since it was expected to be more visually polished.

Unfortunately, not only was the animation underwhelming, but the sequel even suffered from rushed pacing and several changes from the manga. Even so, despite the long wait, the sequel was a massive flop, and even the home video release was cancelled by Aniplex later on. The anime hasn’t confirmed any sequel for over a decade, even though there are enough chapters since the manga returned from hiatus. The anime has covered around 200 chapters, and it ended at a crucial phase right before around the time the story was getting even more intense.

D.Gray-man Needs a Reboot More Than a Sequel

There’s no denying that at this point, the anime would do better as a reboot since the earlier chapters weren’t always adapted perfectly either. Not to mention that since Hallow was a massive flop, the chances of a sequel being released are next to none. The anime fails to capture the gritty details and the true essence of the story that actually made it special. Not only that, but the 2000s animation and the long-running format aren’t that attractive to newer viewers either, which is why it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the series to rise in popularity. With the anime industry growing rapidly, fans have all kinds of new anime as options that have flashy animation on top of having an exceptional story.

While Hallow was definitely one of the worst adaptations, the original anime wasn’t exceptional either. Since it followed a weekly schedule, it suffered from slow pacing and even fillers. Even so, the biggest reason why the anime needs a reboot is just so it can perfectly capture the tone of the story. The manga is a lot darker than the anime portrayed it to be, which only got more intense as the story continued. Hoshino’s art style continued to evolve, further highlighting the brutality of the world Allen was forced to live in.

The mangaka’s art is deeply inspired by Gothic architecture, religious iconography, and classical European influences, which didn’t hit the same in the anime since it failed to properly capture these elements due to production constraints. Even though it might be a risky gamble, there’s no denying that fans would be more interested in the reboot if another studio decides to pick it up. The manga has over 27 million copies in circulation, which is a huge milestone for any series. It’s even more impressive considering that these sales are recorded after several hiatuses.

Head down to the comments to tell us if you are excited for the anime to return, or should it get a brand new adaptation instead? Or you could tell us your favorite D.Gray-man moment.

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