Legendary Shonen Manga Is Officially Ending After 17 Years

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When people talk about popular action manga (shonen) in 2026, titles like One Piece, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End are usually mentioned. However, many older, once-legendary shonen series have become less well-known, often because of poor anime adaptations or long breaks. Blue Exorcist is one of those series. It was incredibly popular and influential, and now, the author has officially announced that the story is nearing its conclusion.

Blue Exorcist Is A Legendary Shonen Manga

Blue Exorcist is a popular manga series that started in 2009, created by Kazue Kato, who both writes and illustrates it. The story centers on twins Rin and Yukio Okumura. After their adoptive father dies, Rin discovers he’s the son of Satan and decides to become an exorcist, training to become strong enough to defeat him.

After a long run, Blue Exorcist now includes 33 volumes and over 160 chapters. However, the series has had its share of problems. The anime production changed studios at one point, leading to a noticeable dip in quality. Adding to this, the manga’s creator, Kazue, has struggled with health issues, which have slowed down the release of new chapters. Even after 17 years, the manga is still being created.

Blue Exorcist Creator Kazue Kato Reveals The Manga Is Ending

Blue Exorcist was a standout shonen manga and anime series in the early 2010s, gaining a large and dedicated following. Though the pace of new releases has slowed, it remains popular with many fans and is considered by some to be a truly legendary series in the shonen genre.

After 17 years, the popular manga series is nearing its conclusion. Creator Kazue Kato announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the story will end soon, and she’s committed to making the final chapter satisfying for fans.

“Thank you all for the warm replies—they really help. Thank you so much!

Because the story is released a little bit at a time each month, the ending might be quite far off still, but I’m going to work hard to make sure the final chapter is really satisfying for readers!” — Kazue Kato (@katohhhhhh on X)

Fans are disappointed with the manga’s sudden ending. After 17 years, many readers feel it’s too early to conclude the story, predicting a rushed finale and believing the narrative could have benefited from at least one more story arc.

Some readers are misunderstanding the author’s recent message. While some fans think she’s referring to the end of the current story arc, it appears she’s actually talking about the conclusion of the entire series, which is planned for Summer 2026.

Blue Exorcist Anime Is Still Ongoing

The Blue Exorcist manga is nearing its conclusion in the coming months, but the story will continue through the anime. While fans are excited about the anime, it’s faced some challenges. The animation quality has noticeably decreased since the switch from A-1 Pictures (which handled the first two seasons) to Studio VOLN for the newer seasons.

If given enough time and with a capable team, these problems are definitely solvable. Hopefully, another studio will take on Blue Exorcist in the future, or at least VOLN will commit to a quality adaptation when the series returns, giving it the attention it deserves.

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2026-02-13 05:35