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10 Years Later, One of The Best Shonen Jump Series of All Time Is Still Awaiting a Sequel
Written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino, D.Gray-man is one of the best series ever published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. While the manga began serialization in 2004, it faced multiple hiatuses due to the creator’s poor health and never got the attention it deserved. In April 2018, the series moved to the quarterly magazine Jump SQ. Rise, leading to a far slower trickle for new content. While the official platforms, such as Viz and the Shonen Jump app, have only 245 translated chapters, the original story continues on Japanese platforms. Meanwhile, the anime originally debuted in 2006 as a long-running series and concluded in 2008.
The series returned in 2016 with a new sequel titled D.Gray-man Hallow and received countless criticisms due to poor animation quality and significant pacing issues. Even the home video release was cancelled due to the controversy, and the anime never returned again. Although the manga’s release schedule has been disappointing for global fans, it still doesn’t change the fact that the series has more than enough material for a well-adapted sequel.
Why Did The Original D.Gray-man Anime Discontinue?
Debuted in 2006, the anime aired 103 episodes till 2008 before it stopped production due to a lack of material. TMS Entertainment released a sequel, D.Gray-man: Hallow, in 2016, which aired 13 episodes and might never return with another sequel. The anime has covered more than 200 chapters, but following the manga’s return, there is enough content to at least announce another 12-13 episode sequel.
Since the original anime was long-running, following the trend of the 2000s, it altered the story’s pacing, which led to tonal inconsistencies and a break from the darker tone. Not only that, but despite being visually polished compared to the original series, 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, disappointing fans even further.
D.Gray-man Anime Remake Can Fix All The Major Problems
At this point, it’s much better for the series to release a remake instead of a sequel since there are plenty of reasons why a reboot will prove to be a smart choice for either TMS Entertainment or any other studio, for that matter. The inconsistency in the manga’s schedule has damaged a lot of chances for the anime to expand the series’ fanbase, especially now.
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 Demon Slayer are right in front of them, with high-quality animation and condensed storylines. However, that can all be fixed if a remake with a seasonal format is released, 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 continued. Hoshino’s art style and the story 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 fully capture these elements due to production constraints.
What Is D.Gray-man About?
Set in the late 19th century, the story centers around Allen Walker, a young and talented exorcist. He possesses a unique eye that allows him to see the souls of the Akuma, artificially created monsters that exploit the souls of human beings. The boy joined the Black Order, an organization created with the sole purpose of tracking down the Millennium Earl, the one responsible for creating those Akuma.
The villain also seeks to destroy those gifted with the powers to become exorcists and recreate a cataclysmic event from centuries ago, in hopes of plunging the world into chaos once again. As his journey continues, he gets closer to the horrifying truth about the Earl, the legendary Noah Clan, as well as his own identity.
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