It's been a year of endings for some of the world's greatest manga. In August, readers said goodbye to Kohei Horikoshi's long-running superhero manga My Hero Academia. And just last month — less than two weeks ago — Gege Akutami's supernatural fantasy adventure manga Jujutsu Kiasen came to an end.
Sadly, we just learned that another beloved manga is ending soon. Aka Akasaka's award-winning seinen manga Oshi no Ko is set to conclude in just four chapters
Announced on social media, the manga is set to return from its hiatus on October 24 and will release four more chapters consecutively, with the final chapter of the manga arriving in this year's 50th issue of Weekly Young Jump magazine on November 14, 2024. It was also announced that a special edition of Volume 16 — which will close out the series — will be released on December 18th.
Written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari, Oshi no Ko debuted in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump in April 2020. Peeling back the curtain of the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry, the series follows a doctor who is reborn as the son of the young starlet Ai Hoshino after her delusional stalker murders him. The series is licensed for release in North America by Yen Press, which describes Volume 1:
Gorou is an ob-gyn with a life far removed from the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry—the world of his favorite idol, rising star Ai Hoshino. But when the two are unexpectedly brought together, their fates become intertwined in ways that defy all reason. For the good doctor, it’s time to stan(d) and deliver!
There's also an anime adaptation of the manga produced by Dogo Kobo. The series, which streams on HIDIVI, just concluded its second season with a third already announced. Adding a bit more context, the anime synopsis reads:
When pregnant young starlet Ai Hoshino appears at Dr. Gorou Amemiya’s clinic, he takes it upon himself to safely (and secretly) deliver her child so Ai can make a scandal-free return to the stage. But on the eve of her delivery, Gorou is slain at the hands of Ai’s deluded stalker — and is subsequently reborn as Ai’s child, Aquamarine Hoshino! The glitz and glamor of showbiz hide the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry. Can he help his new mother rise to the top of the charts?
The Oshi no Ko manga has been nominated for numerous awards, including Best Suspense Manga at the 2023 Japan Expo Awards. The anime adaptation has also received positive reviews.