Katsura Hoshino’s beloved classic D.Gray-man debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2004 and made its anime debut in 2006. Following a two-decade-long legacy, the series still maintains a dedicated fanbase thanks to its brilliant world-building, unique power system, stellar art, and a thrilling story. However, due to the constant hiatuses, the series never got the recognition it deserved, nor did the studio adapt the anime in time. The manga went through several transfers over the years because of consecutive hiatuses and Hoshino’s poor health. Set in the late 19th century, the story follows Allen Walker, a young and talented exorcist with a unique eye that allows him to see the souls of the Akuma, artificially created monsters that exploit the souls of human beings.
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The Millennium Earl, the one responsible for creating those Akuma, seeks to destroy those gifted with the powers to become exorcists and recreate a cataclysmic event from centuries ago. With the help of special abilities, Allen joins the Black Order, an organization created with the sole purpose of defeating the Millennium Earl. However, as his journey continues, he gets closer to the horrifying truth about the Earl, the legendary Noah Clan, as well as his own identity. The story is a perfect balance of action, horror, suspense, and even humor, which will work wonderfully well in modern animation.
D.Gray-man Releases New Chapters Only for Japanese Fans
In April 2018, D.Gray-man moved to the quarterly magazine Jump SQ. Rise, leading to a far slower trickle for new content. Additionally, on October 4th, 2022, the manga released its Volume 28, covering chapters from 237 to 245, the beginning of a much slower print release pattern, with non-Japanese fans waiting (as usual) far longer. After three long years, the manga released its 29th volume on July 4th, 2025. Unfortunately, the English release date of the volume has not yet been announced. The official platforms, such as Viz and the Shonen Jump app, have only 245 translated chapters, while readers on Manga Plus are left in the cold with no access to the series.
Chapter 246 was released in January 2023, and the latest Chapter 255 was released at the end of July 2025. Although the manga’s release schedule has been disappointing for global fans, it still doesn’t change the fact that it has more than enough material for an anime remake. There are plenty of reasons why the anime remake will prove to be a smart choice for either TMS Entertainment or any other studio, for that matter.
What Happened With the Original D.Gray-man Anime?
Debuted in 2006, the anime aired 103 episodes till 2008 before it stopped production due to a lack of material, part of a trend of early cancellations, like with Black Clover before its return. TMS Entertainment released a sequel, D.Gray-man: Hallow, in 2016 and aired 13 episodes without ever announcing a sequel. The anime has covered more than 200 chapters, so they likely require more content to begin production for a sequel, which may take many more years, given the current release schedule. Hoshino deserves to take as much time as needed, but an anime remake would be able to carefully readapt the material at a reasonable pace, allowing the story’s vision to proceed undisturbed.
Since the original anime was long-running, following the trend of the 2000s, it altered the manga’s pacing, which led to tonal inconsistencies and a break from the darker tone. Not only that, but despite being visually polished, Hallow skipped significant plot points and didn’t adapt the manga faithfully. Because Hallow was released several years after the original anime, even the cast was changed, leaving fans more confused than ever.
D.Gray-man Anime Remake Can Fix the Major Problems With the Original
The inconsistency in the manga’s schedule has damaged a lot of chances for the anime to expand the series’ fanbase, especially in the modern day. With subpar animation of the 2000s and filler episodes, the anime just doesn’t appeal to the new and casual audience when options like Jujutsu Kaisen and Dandadan are right in front of them, with high-quality animation and intriguing storylines. However, that can all be fixed if a remake is released, which follows a seasonal format, allowing the studio to adapt the manga more faithfully while also giving breathing room in between seasons.
Most importantly, the manga is a lot darker than the anime portrayed it to be, which only got more intense as the story progressed. Hoshino’s art style and the story’s tone 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. Unfortunately, the anime failed to fully capture these elements due to production constraints. Let’s also not forget that, with a story of that caliber, modern animation, and effective marketing, the series will be able to attract a much wider audience than it has now, which in turn can bring the manga to a broader audience once again. In a world of constant shonen comebacks, D.Gray-man deserves its time in the sun, or in its case, basking in the moonlight.
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