Beyond the Season Finale: 5 Manga You Need to Continue Right Now

In many ways, anime can be seen as an advertisement for the source material it is based on, whether that be light novels, video games, or manga. There’s a lot of planning and effort that goes into producing an anime for this promotion, but as a result, many of these adaptations are not always able to fully realize the visions of their source materials. Sometimes an anime can’t continue because it is catching up to an ongoing manga; maybe it ends due to a lack of interest, or maybe it ends at a perfect point despite there technically being more story to tell. However, I think one of the most frustrating things to come across is an anime that stops just before things get even better, and I can’t help but wonder what is going on beyond the anime finale. Today, I want to take a moment to sit down with a couple of manga that all had really solid anime adaptations and why you should pick up the manga right where those shows left off.

1) My Dress-Up Darling

I think the mark of a good slice-of-life story is that it has a strong romance at its core, but ultimately still feels satisfying when the show ends before that romance makes any real definitive progress. My Dress-Up Darling is a story that wears many different hats. In some ways, it is wish fulfillment; in others, it serves as a good introduction to the world of cosplay; and in others, it is a story about confronting deep-seated insecurities brought about by engaging in unconventional hobbies. The first two seasons of My Dress-Up Darling did a fantastic job of satisfying two of those three narrative beats. While I would argue it pulled off those beats well enough to feel still relatively satisfying, I can’t ignore the glaring fact that the romance between the two leads was ultimately left unresolved. Thankfully, there is more material to cover. While I am patiently waiting for season three, I can happily engage with the source material, where the romance can be the focus.

Gojo has just overcome his fear of engaging in his doll-making hobby and has finally made friends outside of Marin. Marin, who has been aggressively crushing on Gojo throughout most of the show’s run, is now left wondering when the right time would be for them to take another step forward finally. Now is the proper time for the two to really get into the throes of what type of relationship the two want to have outside of engaging with cosplay, but that doesn’t mean that the cosplay element is lessened or abandoned for the sake of this new narrative focus. The manga still focuses on introductory-level cosplay ideas and even throws in other elements that come with being a cosplay influencer online. The way social media and the pursuit of large audiences play into the larger story feels realistic, while new characters are introduced to advance those themes.

But what makes this next arc great is how it ties Marin’s cosplay journey with an actual romantic breakthrough. Seeing Marin stand up for the kind of relationship she wants, and Gojo finally reach a point where he can say he even wants a relationship, is a huge step for him, given where he started. I highly recommend people check out the rest of the manga. I do think it would only take about one more season to fully wrap everything up, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy reading beyond the anime’s rough cliffhanger.

● Read My Dress-Up Darling on BookWalker

2) NANA

NANA is a very tricky manga to recommend because I don’t see any reality in which people walk away from it feeling happy. It starts fantastically, with Ai Yazawa writing about young adults as they start a new life and struggle to understand the different types of love. They are masters at writing dialogue that feels real, with the right amount of self-awareness. The relationship between the two Nanas, as well as the relationship they have with the many people that come in and out of their lives, is honestly intoxicating. I use the word “intoxicating” because not all of those relationships are good or healthy, but I still desperately want the characters to find their happy ending, and that’s why I keep coming back for more. The anime ends in an inconclusive state after some major emotional and practical life decisions are made, with Hachi moving in with Takumi, the poster child for a piece of garbage with the strangest moral compass I’ve ever seen.

The relationship between the two Nanas lies at the emotional crux of the entire series. Their friendship and chemistry are what keep the audience’s attention, even when there were constant roadblocks and uncomfortable circumstances. The fact that the anime ends with a definitive catalyst that threatens to tear apart their close bond is devastating, and the manga doesn’t pull any punches about it. There are constant teases that the characters will eventually make the best of the unfortunate circumstances. There’s always a lingering feeling that things could be so much better than they are. It’s funny that there were also a lot of grand gestures teased in the following chapters of the manga, like Ren wanting to propose to NANA, and what that kind of dynamic would do to the major bands involved. But those big gestures aren’t what draws you in; it’s the little moments when characters stare at each other. It’s about waiting for the right opportunity to say how they feel, only to never quite get that moment.

It is very unlikely that the NANA manga will ever truly finish, as it has been on hiatus for almost two decades due to Yazawa’s health issues. If you thought that a continuation from the anime would leave you with a sense of hope and optimism for the future, then I don’t know what series you thought you were getting yourself into. This has always been a character piece, exploring different sides of love, lust, and longing.

● Read NANA on BookWalker

3) Blue Box

Blue Box is a series that perfectly balances the appeal of a sports series, a slice-of-life series, and a teen drama, all wrapped into one. While the goals of the protagonists, Taiki and Chinatsu, are typical of a sports series, it’s really how the characters balance these elements in their lives that creates its main appeal. In the first season, the anime ended by really leaning into the dramatic tension, whether it’s Taiki dealing with the fallout of a love triangle with his childhood friend or even the doubts creeping up as he prepares to go to nationals. Season one ends with him finally working up the resolve to confess his feelings to Chinatsu. The next major arc of the series focuses on developing Chinatsu as a character, leaning into the goals and aspirations behind her desire to dominate the basketball world.

Personally, I thought Chinatsu was one of the weaker elements of this series, but much of that is because both the anime and manga don’t show her perspective very often. The story is mostly told from Taiki’s perspective, but the following arcs establish Chinatsu as a secondary main character by introducing a rival who both challenges her as a player and spurs her own romantic feelings. This is the next major step in how the characters balance the various elements of their lives, as everyone around them constantly says they need to pick and choose. However, what makes Chinatsu and Taiki so special is that they want to have both. They want the freedom to choose their relationships while also having the resolve to achieve their sports dreams. At the time of this writing, season two is right around the corner, so if you were at all dissatisfied with season one and how it ended, I highly recommend checking out the manga, because I can assure you it only gets better from here.

● Read Blue Box on BookWalker

4) Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!

Uzaki-chan is a strong pillar in what I like to call the “teasing genre,” a type of story revolving around an annoying young woman constantly getting on the nerves of her male co-lead, and in some ways, the audience. Uzaki-chan was one of the less egregious examples of this genre, ultimately about a young kouhai who teases her upperclassman, who is more of a loner type. Their banter was OK, but it was clear they enjoyed spending time together despite a lot of bickering. However, the series could obviously only really go in one direction, with season two finally leaning into romantic developments after a lot of meandering. Sakurai finally learns that Uzaki has feelings for him, and he comes to the same conclusion about his own feelings after trying desperately to avoid the issue. The anime ends with that classic cop out where he decides it’s not the right time to confess, but thankfully, that is not where the story ends.

The manga follows through on this plot point, with Uzaki and Sakurai eventually getting together just a few chapters later. In fact, not only do they get together, but I have to commend the series for doubling down on the teasing element of its appeal by making the intimacy of their new relationship a basis for their banter. While the series does get a bit more explicitly adult, it never loses the original charm. Those insecurities that Sakurai has towards the tail end of season two are now made manifest in this relationship. At the same time, Uzaki realizes that there’s a lot more fun to be had with this new dynamic. This is without even getting into how the side characters react to their relationship, which does yield some funny comedic potential. While I do think the era of this genre has passed, there is a lot to enjoy in this manga, and who knows, maybe some of you out there might miss these silly young adults, considering it’s been a while since the anime ended.

● Read Uzaki-chan Wants To Hang Out on BookWalker

5) Skip and Loafer

Skip and Loafer was an adorable anime that I think really showed the appeal of a typical slice-of-life story. A girl named Iwakura moves to the city to start a new life at a new school, where her more innocent sensibilities clash with the cynicism of many of her classmates, leading to some interesting interactions. I liked the way her friend group formed, and the clear romance she was developing with Shima, a nice boy who has a mountain of his own issues that he doesn’t let show on the surface. However, while a good chunk of the show’s appeal was seeing Iwakura interact with the larger cast, some of the show’s most heart-wrenching moments occurred in Shima’s story and in how he dealt with his personal trauma.

The manga only continues those explorations beyond the anime, especially as Iwakura and Shima start getting closer in a more romantic way. How those insecurities and trauma affect the friendship or eventual romantic relationship between the two actually goes in a surprisingly grounded direction. How will all these teenagers who constantly overthink things contextualize the relationships they want with others? It’s not just Iwakura and Shima, either; the side characters in their friend group are also processing different issues as they navigate love and attachment. The manga avoids overly dramatic tropes like indulgent love triangles. All of this is done without the series ever losing its sense of innocent, youthful charm. If you finish the anime, I highly recommend checking out the original manga to see just how much further the story goes.

● Read Skip and Loafer on BookWalker

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