Although it isn’t common, there are a lot of reasons why an author might allow someone else to work on or complete their manga series. They could want to work on other projects, prioritize their health, or see how another author interprets their world. However, it’s most common that a manga series will be continued by someone else after the original author passes away.
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Without the efforts of the second author, the manga may otherwise remain incomplete, but that doesn’t make their job simple. Interpreting and replicating the style, plot, and intent of a manga for fans takes time and respect. Luckily, some beloved series were able to manage the transition.
10Berserk
Kentarou Miura’s passing was one of the most painful losses for manga fans in 2021. His masterpiece,Berserk, made an everlasting impression on the community for its detailed art style and complex character-driven plot. The thought thatGuts’ traumatic and compelling storywould never reach its intended conclusion was heartbreaking.
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Although some fans of theBerserkseries can’t believe that the series would continue without Miura, others have accepted and appreciate the level of detail that Miura’s friend, Mori Kouji, and the otherBerserkstaffhave been putting into the story since his passing. Each chapter the team has released has been better than the last, making fans optimistic about a fantastic ending.
9Souten Kouro
Souten Kourofollows the last Chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period and his attempts to break China’s reliance on tradition. The series began in 1994, written by Hagin Yi and illustrated by King Gonta. However, Yi passed away in 1998 due to cancer, leaving the series to Gonta.
The series tied withGambling Apocalypse: Kaijifor the general category of the 22nd Kodansha Manga Award in 1998, and Gonta continued the story until its completion in 2005. Between its award and its longevity, Souten Kouro remained well-received throughout its publication.
8Doraemon
Doraemonis one of the most iconic manga made for kids. Thefamous robotic catcreated by Fujiko F. Fujio (real name: Fujimoto Hiroshi) and Fujiko A. Fujio (real name: Motoo Abiko) made children laugh while sometimes teaching life lessons. The duo went separate ways in 1987, but Fujiko F. Fujio continued working on the series until he passed away in 1996.
Since then, the serieshas been picked up by Fujiko Pro, a production company made up of assistants who worked onDoraemonalongside the original creators. Fujiko Pro has released several successful spin-off series, anime movies, and tv shows.
7Ajin: Demi-Human
In 2012, Tsuina Miura and Gamon Sakurai worked together to create adark and disturbing storyabout immortal people with the ability to summon violent demons. However, they only collaborated onAjin: Demi-Humanfor a short time before Tsuina Miura decided to pursue another project,High Rise Invasion,at the start of 2013.
Starting from the second volume, Gamon Sakurai became the writer and illustrator forAjin: Demi-Human. By the end of 2013, His work on the series made it top the charts and helped it win third prize in a competition hosted on Comic Natalie. Its success continued to be celebrated in 2014 when it was nominated for the 18th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the 38th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards.Ajin: Demi-Humanalso became an anime at the start of 2016.
6Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac)
Saint Seiya, sometimes known asKnights of the Zodiac,was created by Masami Kurumada. It follows an orphan on a quest to find his sister and become a great warrior known as a saint. The original series was completed in its entirety by Kurumada.
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However,Saint Seiyahas a few spin-off series where other authors were given the creative freedom to shape the world how they pleased. It is most well-known that this was the case forSaint Seiya: Episode Gby Megumu Okada andSaint Seiya: The Lost Canvasby Shiori Teshirogi, two prequel series. Kurumada expressed his confidence in the other authors for both spin-offs, and each sold thousands of copies shortly after being released.
5Crayon Shin-chan
Crayon Shin-chanwas created by Yoshito Usui and is one of themost famous comedy manga and animeseries ever released. He began the series in 1990 and continued sharing the silly adventures of a young boy named Shin-chan until he died in 2009.
Following his death, Usui’s assistants and production team published unreleased manuscripts, allowing the originalCrayon Shin-chanto continue through the start of 2010. The assistants began a sequel to the series,New Crayon Shin-chan, later that year. Altogether the manga series has sold over 145 million copies worldwide, while the anime has become one of the longest anime series of all time.
4The Familiar Of Zero
Originally released as a series of isekai light novels about a powerless witch and her skilled familiar,The Familiar of Zeroby Noboru Yamaguchi was adapted into a manga series in 2006. The manga was written by Yamaguchi and illustrated by Nana Mochizuki, and it was completed in 2009 before Yamaguchi’s passing in 2011.
However, Yamaguchi was unable to finish the light novel series. He entrusted a dictated version of the ending to his editors before his death, allowing final volumes ofThe Familiar of Zerolight novels to be released.
Two separate spin-off manga series by Takamura Masaya and Higa Yukari continued releasing new chapters following the original author’s passing.The Familiar of Zerois known for popularizing the isekai genre and inspiringhit series such asRe:Zero.
3Iryu: Team Medical Dragon
Iryu: Team Medical Dragonis a medical series about a skilled yet outcast surgeon who agrees to perform a risky surgery for an assistant professor’s thesis project addressing corruption in the Japanese medical system. The series was written by Akira Nagai and illustrated by Tarou Nogizaka.
Iryu: Team Medical Dragonbegan in 2002, but Nagai and Nogizaka only worked together for two years before Nagai passed away in 2004. Nogizaka carried the series to completion under the supervision of Mie Yoshinuma, winning the general category of the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award along the way.
2Golgo 13
Golgo 13is one of thelongest-running manga seriesof all time. It has over 200 volumes, and there are 300 million copies in circulation.Golgo 13was created by Takao Saito to tell the story of an exceptional professional assassin who shares the same name as the series.
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With endless targets and missions for the assassin to complete, Takao Saito wanted the series to continue after his death and entrusted it to Saito Production, a manga production company that he had worked alongside since the 1960s. After Saito passed away in 2021, Saito Production continued the story by releasing new volumes and creating new spin-off series for some of the most popular characters inGolgo 13.
1Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
It is impossible to discussBoruto: Naruto Next Generationswithout first acknowledging the success of its precursor,Naruto. Narutowas created by Masashi Kishimoto and quickly became one of the most popular series published in Shonen Jump. Two years afterNarutoended, Ukyo Kodachi began writingBoruto: Naruto Next Generationsunder the supervision of Kishimoto.
Kodachi completed the first thirteen volumes of the series before stepping down. Luckily, Kishimoto decided to continueBoruto: Naruto Next Generationsand fans can be assured that the series is in good hands with the creator who ledthe beloved jutsu usersto fame.
