The Case Study of Vanitas manga enters two month hiatus due to author’s health issues

On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, an official announcement was made that The Case Study of Vanitas manga will be taking a two-month hiatus due to the current health concerns of author and illustrator Jun Mochizuki. The manga is anticipated to resume in October 2024, but the announcement also states that the series will continue to take breaks as necessary for Mochizuki’s well-being.

Despite the popularity of The Case Study of Vanitas manga, its fanbase is well aware of the frequent hiatuses that have occurred in recent years. This indicates that Mochizuki has been facing ongoing health issues, which have resulted in her having to dedicate less time to the creation and release of her manga series.

The Ongoing Struggle with Hiatuses in The Case Study of Vanitas Manga

The current hiatus for Mochizuki is an extension of her previously announced break that began in May 2024. The series was expected to resume this month after the hiatus, but instead, an announcement was made to prolong the hiatus. According to an official statement posted on Mochizuki’s X (formerly Twitter) account in May 2024, her “condition has been deteriorating since February.”

Between 2016 and 2020, The Case Study of Vanitas manga released a total of 51 chapters. However, in the years 2021 to 2024, only 21 chapters have been published thus far. This recent gap in releases means that at most, only 24 chapters could be released during this period, assuming a monthly publication schedule starting from October. This equates to a release pace that is less than half of what it was during the manga’s initial five years of serialization, which accounts for around half of its total lifespan.

As a result, the production of the highly acclaimed television anime adaptation of the series by studio BONES has also been put on hold. The anime, which aired from July 2021 to April 2022 for 24 episodes, has not yet been renewed for a sequel despite its overwhelming popularity. This is most likely due to the limited source material available for adaptation, which may also affect BONES’ decision to produce another 24 episode season for the series.

The story centers around Vanitas, the protagonist, who encounters vampire Noé Archiviste during a journey on an airship to Paris. Vanitas introduces himself as a vampire doctor who possesses the power to cure the malnomen, a condition that forces vampires to act violently without their control. He achieves this through the use of The Book of Vanitas, which has a connection to the original Vanitas, a powerful Vampire of the Blue Moon. In order to heal their fellow vampires, the two form an alliance, but they soon find themselves facing mysterious adversaries.

Mochizuki’s manga has been serialized in Square Enix’s Monthly Gangan Joker magazine since December 2015 and it is still ongoing. So far, 10 compilation volumes have been released, collecting 56 out of the 63 chapters. The most recent volume was released in Japanese in May 2022 and will be released in English in October 2023.