One of Anime’s Longest Running Comedies Has Come to an End

While the world-ending battles of Dragon Ball and the high-seas adventures of One Piece might be some of the most memorable aspects of anime, there have been plenty of hilarious moments that have populated the medium. Shows like Great Teacher Onizuka, Bocchi The Rock, Gintama, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World, and Kaguya-Sama: Love is War have all brought plenty of smiles during their runs. Unfortunately, not every anime comedy runs forever, as a prolific manga series has released its final chapter, with one last volume arriving to wrap this month to close a convenience store for good.

Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store doesn’t focus on a former assassin running a convenience shop like Sakamoto Days, but it still delivers hilarity in the locale, all the same. Releasing its first chapter in 2013, the manga by creators Matsukoma and Hashimoto has been running for thirteen years as its stars try to survive a more mundane lifestyle. The series focuses on protagonist Matsukoma, who holds the same name as the manga’s writer, as he tries to train newcomer Tomoharu Nii in the ways of running the store. While the final manga chapter arrived last month, the last volume is hitting stands today, February 27th. While the series has maintained its run thanks to its hilarious scenarios, there is another unique aspect of the franchise that might surprise you.

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Mr. Nietsche’s Wild Ride

One of the most surprising aspects of Mr. Nietzche in the Convenience Store is that the long-running manga didn’t just bypass receiving an anime adaptation; it brought to life a live-action adaptation. Releasing in 2015, the television series had ten episodes to its name, adapting the hilarity of the manga’s mundane tales. While the series hasn’t officially made its way to North America, the ending of the manga might light a fire in terms of fan interest in Matsukoma’s nine-to-five. The manga, overall, has close to three million copies in circulation, proving that there are plenty of readers who have experienced this convenience store that never received an anime adaptation.

Crunchyroll had helped air the live-action series in Japan, though it didn’t do the same in the West. Here’s how the streaming service describes Nietzsche’s time working behind the counter: “Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store tells the story of part-time convenience store worker Matsukoma, and the new part-time worker, Tomoharu Nii, nicknamed Nietzsche-sensei. Despite Matsukoma’s enthusiastic approach to his job, his teachings are lost on Nietzche-sensei, who, much like his namesake, has a bleaker outlook on things.”

As for the other major anime franchise taking place in a convenience store, Sakamoto Days is in the throes of its final saga in its manga. The shonen franchise has been riding high thanks to both its popularity in Weekly Shonen Jump and its anime adaptation currently airing on Netflix. With the anime’s second season currently in the works, Taro Sakamoto’s life is only getting bigger.

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