Chihayafuru manga creator Yuki Suetsugu revealed on her Twitter
account on Tuesday that the manga will likely not end until at least October,
when the third television anime season will premiere.
Suetsugu said
that even when discussions about a third anime season started years ago, she
was told then that the season would not air until 2019. She was also privately
asked if the manga would still be running in 2019, and she thought at the time
that the manga would end around this spring. She added that being able to
continue until the anime's third season comes out is "like a dream."
The anime's
staff reported in November that the new season would start this
spring, but then announced on Monday that the season has been delayed to
October. The anime is also scheduled to air for two cours (two quarters of a year).
Suetsugu
launched the manga in Kodansha's Be-Love magazine in December
2007. Kodansha published
the 40th volume on November 13, and will publish the 41st volume on March 13. Kodansha Comics is releasing the manga digitally in English.
The first
25-episode television anime season ran from October 2011 to March 2012. The
second season, Chihayafuru 2, premiered in January 2013 and also ran for 25 episodes. Crunchyroll streamed both seasons in several countries as they
aired in Japan. Sentai Filmworks released both seasons
with an English dub on home video. HIDIVE is also streaming the first season with Japanese subtitles
and an English dub.
Suetsugu's
manga has also inspired three live-action films. The first film, Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku (Chihayafuru: Upper
Phrase), opened in Japan in March 2016. The second film, Chihayafuru: Shimo no Ku (Chihayafuru: Lower
Phrase), opened in Japan in April 2016. The third film, Chihayafuru: Musubi, opened in
Japan in March 2018. A five-episode live-action tie-in series,
titled Chihayafuru -Tsunagu-,
premiered on Hulu Japan in February 2018.
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Chihayafuru Creator: Manga Will Not End Until At Least October