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Demon Slayer Manga Ends, Short Spinoff Series Planned
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga ended in this year's 24th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on Monday. The issue also announced that Ryōji Hirano will launch a short spinoff manga titled Kimetsu no Yaiba: Rengoku Gaiden centering on the Flame Hashira character Kyōjurō Rengoku. The magazine did not give a premiere date for the spinoff.
Hirano (Bozebeats manga) wrote the Kimetsu no Aima! four-panel spinoff manga that ran on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ app and website in 2019. Hirano also drew the two-chapter side-story manga "Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tomioka Giyū Gaiden" that debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in April 2019.
Weekly Shonen Jump is also offering a reprinted manuscript of the final chapter. The B5-size manuscript will include a reprinting of the 21 black-and-white and two color pages from the final chapter in a manuscript envelope. The set will cost 3,850 yen (about US$36).
The magazine also teased other developments for the manga, such as crane game merchandise in Bandai Namco game centers from May 21-June 28, a collaboration with medical supplies company Hakujūji from June 1 through August 31, and upcoming lotteries through the magazine for merchandise.
This manga reached the story's "climax" in the 23rd issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on May 11. Gotouge launched the manga in Weekly Shonen Jump in February 2016.
The franchise as a whole now has more than 60 million copies in circulation as of Wednesday. That number includes digital copies and about 2.8 million copies of the 20th volume, which also shipped on Wednesday. The 21st, 22nd, and 23rd compiled volumes will all have special versions that will bundle merchandise.
Viz Media is publishing the manga in English digitally and in print, and Shueisha's MANGA Plus online service is also publishing the manga digitally in English.
The manga inspired a 26-episode television anime that premiered in April 2019. Aniplex of America has licensed the series and is streaming the show on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and FunimationNow. Adult Swim's Toonami programming block premiered the television anime last October. The anime will receive a sequel anime film that will open in Japan on October 16.
The manga has also inspired three novels, a stage play, and upcoming smartphone and PlayStation 4 games.
Source: Weekly Shonen Jump issue 24
