The 7 Best Manga on Hiatus That Fans Can't Wait to Come Back

Perhaps one of the most critically acclaimed manga on hiatus currently is Vagabond, the historical manga by Takehiko Inoue, the creator of the iconic sports series Slam Dunk.

Even though Inoue made his name as a sports manga legend, Vagabond proved just how versatile he is. Aside from having incredibly beautiful art, the series also features a moving story that explores deep themes.

This series is both acclaimed critically and successful commercially, though it has been nearly nine years since the last chapter. That’s because Vagabond went on hiatus on May 21, 2015.

Inoue has become active again recently, though there’s sadly no indication that he is returning to his historical manga work anytime soon.

Hunter x Hunter is a series that’s synonymous with the word hiatus. After all, it has gone on multiple long hiatuses that there’s even a fan-made tracker of the manga’s status.

Fans are understanding of the circumstances though, as creator Yoshihiro Togashi suffers from chronic back issues, meaning he can’t work for extended periods.

Unlike Vagabond though, Hunter x Hunter is practically confirmed to return at some point. That’s because Togashi recently started sharing new progress updates on X (formerly Twitter).

It’s not clear when it will return, but there’s a chance that it will do so later this year.

RELATED: Hunter x Hunter - All 6 Nen Types Explained

Nana is an icon of the 2000s, with many anime fans falling in love with the series’ memorable characters and story that expertly blends, drama, fashion, and music.

Even though the series has become a huge hit, Nana went on hiatus back in May 2009, effectively meaning that the series has not gotten new chapters in 15 years.

Since the hiatus, series creator Ai Yazawa has worked on various projects, but she hasn’t started any new manga series.

Given that Yazawa hasn’t officially retired, some fans are still hoping for an eventual return for the series even though it seems highly unlikely at this point.

The most recent manga hiatus in this list is Dragon Ball Super. Previously, the series has gotten new chapters every month, but that all changed with the tragic passing of manga legend Akira Toriyama.

Even though Toriyama passed the illustration work for Super to Toyotarou, he was still in charge of writing the series. So, it’s no surprise that Dragon Ball Super went on an indefinite hiatus following his death recently.

This is a similar case with Berserk, which also went on hiatus following the death of Kentaro Miura. As that series eventually returned, Super will likely also come back in the future.

YOU MIGHT LIKE: All of Dragon Ball’s Timelines Explained

Detective Conan creator Gosho Aoyama also has other notable works, including Magic Kaito, an action mystery series that follows a teenage magician who is secretly a phantom thief.

The series has gotten new chapters sporadically since it went on hiatus way back in 1988. In fact, new chapters of the manga were released in April 2024.

Given how long it takes for new chapters to come out, it’s likely that fans will need to wait a couple more years before the series continues.

Thankfully, the fact that it returned recently indicates that Aoyama is still interested enough in it to continue the story.

The same can’t be said for Glass Mask, a classic shojo manga that began its run way back in 1976. This romance drama follows the stage actress Maya Kitajima along with her rival Ayumi Himekawa.

Unlike many manga classics from the 70s and 80s, this series has not gotten a proper ending, with its last chapter being released in 2012.

Back in 2009, creator Suzue Miuchi indicated that she planned to end the series, though it has since entered an indefinite hiatus in 2012, with no return date in sight.

As this series is one of the best-selling shojo manga of all time, it would be a shame if it did not get a proper finale. Thus, some fans are still hoping for an eventual return.

ALSO READ: The Best Shoujo Anime for Beginners

The artist group CLAMP is incredibly prolific, as its members have created lots of manga and character designs for anime in the past decades.

While CLAMP works generally have a proper ending, one of the exceptions is X, the dark fantasy series that was serialized from May 1992 to March 2003.

Since it began serialization, X has gone on hiatus multiple times. In March 2003, the series went on a permanent hiatus, with CLAMP moving on to other works.

Of the titles in this list, X has been on hiatus for the longest. As CLAMP has moved on to work on many other projects, the chances of them returning to one of their most iconic projects are slim.