Black Butler Manga Goes on Hiatus Before the Climax Begins

On Monday, June 17, 2024, the official X (previously known as Twitter) account for Square Enix’s G Fantasy magazine revealed that the Black Butler manga will be going on an indefinite hiatus. The post also featured a statement from mangaka Yana Toboso, in which she disclosed her plans to conduct research and make preparations for the manga’s climax during the hiatus.

Similarly, Toboso’s statement further confirms that her Black Butler manga series will reach its climax upon its return, although the exact date is still unknown at the time of writing this article. The G Fantasy magazine and its official X account will announce the final date of the manga’s return once it has been determined.

Black Butler manga set to enter final arc upon return to serialization

As of writing this article, there is currently no new information available on the status of the Black Butler manga’s hiatus, potential return, or the anticipated climax. However, based on the regular serialization of Toboso’s manga since its inception in 2006, it is likely that an update will be provided within the next few months. Her past record suggests that although she may take a break to prepare for the climax, the hiatus will not be extensive.

When Toboso’s manga returns, it is anticipated that the ongoing Blue Revenge Arc will be concluded before the start of the manga’s climax. While it is speculated that the climax will consist of a single arc with an epilogue, this is not confirmed at the time of writing. However, fans can at least expect the end of the Blue Revenge Arc to lead into the climax, if not be a significant part of it.

The extensive length of the arc, spanning over 60 chapters and more than five years of real-world serialization, reinforces this idea. Additionally, Toboso’s decision to take a hiatus before concluding the ongoing arc rather than after, strongly implies that the arc’s finale will directly contribute to the climax.

Toboso’s Black Butler manga series was first released in September 2006 in Square Enix’s Monthly G Fantasy manga magazine, as mentioned earlier. It has been consistently serialized there, with a total of 212 chapters released to date. Currently, 34 manga volumes have been compiled, with 33 of these volumes translated into English as of the writing of this article.

In 2008, the initial television adaptation of Toboso’s manga was released, followed by the Black Butler II anime in 2010. Subsequently, in 2014, Black Butler: Book of Circus was also released. Funimation, the distributor of all three adaptations, also released the Black Butler II OVA project, the Book of Murder OVA, and the Book of the Atlantic film on home video. Most recently, on April 13 of this year, the anime debuted its newest season, titled the Public School Arc.