10 Years Later, One of The Best Shonen Jump Series of All Time Is Still Awaiting a Sequel

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Created by Katsura Hoshino, D.Gray-man is a highly acclaimed series that originally appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump. It’s considered one of the magazine’s best publications, and…

Katsura Hoshino’s popular manga series, D.Gray-man, first appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2004 and was adapted into an anime in 2006. Despite a strong following built on its imaginative world, creative power system, beautiful artwork, and exciting plot, the series hasn’t received the widespread recognition it deserves. This is partly due to frequent breaks in publication and the author’s health issues, which led to the manga being moved between publishers several times. The story is set in the late 19th century and follows Allen Walker, a gifted young exorcist who can see the souls of the Akuma – artificial monsters created by exploiting human souls. Allen joins the Black Order, an organization dedicated to stopping the Millennium Earl, the creator of the Akuma, who aims to destroy exorcists and unleash a devastating event. As Allen progresses, he uncovers terrifying truths about the Earl, a powerful group called the Noah Clan, and his own mysterious past. D.Gray-man skillfully blends action, horror, suspense, and humor, making it a great fit for a modern animated adaptation.

D.Gray-man Releases New Chapters Only for Japanese Fans

Starting in April 2018, the manga D.Gray-man began being published in the quarterly magazine Jump SQ. Rise, which meant new chapters came out much less frequently. The 28th volume, containing chapters 237-245, was released in October 2022, and this marked a significant slowdown in how often new volumes were printed – especially for fans outside of Japan. After a three-year wait, the 29th volume was published on July 4th, 2025, but there’s still no news on when it will be available in English. Currently, Viz and the Shonen Jump app only have chapters up to 245 translated, and readers using Manga Plus don’t have access to any new content.

Chapter 246 came out in January 2023, and as of late July 2025, the series has reached Chapter 255. While the release schedule hasn’t always pleased international fans, there’s clearly enough content now to justify a new anime adaptation. An anime remake would be a good investment for TMS Entertainment, or any other animation studio, for a number of reasons.

What Happened With the Original D.Gray-man Anime?

The anime series first appeared in 2006 and ran for 103 episodes until 2008, when production halted because there wasn’t enough source material – a common issue for shows like Black Clover before they continued. A sequel, D.Gray-man: Hallow, was released by TMS Entertainment in 2016, but it only had 13 episodes and didn’t receive any further announcements. The anime has adapted over 200 chapters of the manga, meaning more content is needed before a new season can begin, and given the current production pace, that could take a long time. While Hoshino, the creator, should take all the time they need, a complete remake of the anime would allow for a careful and well-paced adaptation of the story, ensuring the original vision isn’t rushed.

Watching the original anime felt different from reading the manga, especially considering how long it ran back in the 2000s. It seemed the pacing was changed, which unfortunately led to some shifts in tone and moved away from the darker elements of the source material. While the animation was definitely slick, the series skipped over important parts of the story and wasn’t a very faithful adaptation. To make things even more confusing for long-time fans, the voice actors were different this time around, as the new series came out years after the first one.

D.Gray-man Anime Remake Can Fix the Major Problems With the Original

The manga’s irregular release schedule has hurt the anime’s potential to gain new fans, particularly now. Compared to newer shows like Jujutsu Kaisen and Dandadan, which have excellent animation and compelling stories, the anime feels dated with its older animation style and unnecessary filler episodes. A remake, released seasonally, could fix this by allowing a more accurate adaptation of the manga and providing time for quality production between seasons.

Honestly, if you thought the anime was intense, the manga takes things to a whole other level – it gets much darker as the story goes on. You really see how Hoshino’s art and the overall mood of the story developed, making Allen’s world feel even more brutal and hopeless. It’s amazing because you can tell Hoshino was deeply inspired by things like Gothic architecture and classic European art – religious imagery especially! Sadly, the anime just couldn’t fully bring those details to life, probably due to limitations with production. But I really believe this series deserves a modern reboot. With today’s animation quality and a good marketing push, it could reach so many more people! It would also be a fantastic way to reintroduce the incredible manga to a whole new generation. In a time when so many classic shonen series are making comebacks, D.Gray-man absolutely deserves its moment – a chance to shine, or maybe bask in the moonlight is more fitting for this series!

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2026-05-15 05:12