There are some fantastic manga series out there that haven’t been slated for an anime adaptation yet for one reason or another. Perhaps the project hasn’t been found by the right studio yet, maybe no studio dares touch it?!— or maybe the author simply doesn’t want an animated adaptation of their comic. All are valid reasons. Are there any series you love that you’re just dying to see animated? Let’s jump right in and take a look at some fantastic comics that are yet to make it to the screen.

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare © 2015 Yuhki KAMATANI

Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare is a highly unique and deeply moving manga about transfer student and high school boy Tasuku Kaname, who is terrified that he has just been outed at his new school as gay. Written and drawn by non-binary creator Yuhki Kamatani, this manga provides an extremely valuable and singular insight into what it can mean to be LGBT in Japan.

When I first read this manga a few years ago, I was painstakingly importing each volume from Japan, convinced it would never see a translation — I am delighted to have been proven wrong. The storytelling and character drama in this manga is fantastic and the artwork is just stunning; every page penned with great care and loving detail.

I can think of a few reasons as to why this hasn’t been picked up by a studio for a TV anime, most of which are not very cheery ones. Japan is a relatively conservative country and has many issues when it comes to its LGBT population. That being said, I am just fine with it not seeing an adaptation. Sometimes when you hold a manga series very dear, you can expect too much from the anime and end up letting yourself down no matter how good it is. Either way, I am very much of the opinion that not everything needs to move — the manga is perfect, read that instead!

You can read this series in English as published by the fantastic Seven Seas — or if you’re feeling brave, read the series as intended in its original language and order a copy in Japanese! Make a Request on our proxy-shipping service Otsukai now!

The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún

© 2015 Nagabe

Another fantastic series brought to us by Seven Seas, The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún is a gorgeously-crafted supernatural story by master mangaka Nagabe. Young girl Shiva lives in a world split between the Inside and the Outside, a realm haunted by a mysterious curse that nobody seems to understand. Seemingly abandoned by society, Shiba lives on the Outside — the other side — with one known only as Teacher, an individual who has been touched by the curse yet remains impossibly tied to their humanity.

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún has some of the most unique visuals I have ever seen in a manga, which perhaps explains in itself as to why this series has yet to be picked up for an adaptation. Wit Studio and Production I.G. did produce a short OVA episode that was bundled with the eighth volume in Japan, but there has been no talk of a full-on TV adaptation. The unique visual style of this series makes me feel a little grateful that no one has tried to recreate it — an impossible feat, at least in my eyes!

For those of you in the business of reading manga in Japanese, this one is great for anyone just starting out! All of Shiva’s dialogue is in hiragana and is very simple and easy to understand, so I would recommend this series to anyone who wants to read something contemporary in Japanese but is nervous about where to start. Otsukai is here to help you get your copy!

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededededestruction

「デッド デッド デーモンズ デデデデデストラクション（1）」読了。
地球に侵略者が現れても、なんだかんだで変わらない日常、というのが面白い。
キャラもみんな魅力的。
あとタイトルが言いにくい。（笑） #ebookjapan pic.twitter.com/TYKZtqGpp4

— kineko (@kineko9218) January 3, 2015

Any avid manga fan is familiar with mangaka Inio Asano, famous for his previous works Goodnight Punpun and Solanin. His latest comic venture Dead Dead Demon’s Dededededestruction is, at first glance, considerably more light-hearted than his previous manga but just as visually stunning.

Three years ago, large alien ships suddenly appeared in Japan and have been looming over towns ever since. Weapons have no effect on them and Japan’s economy is in shambles. With society becoming more and more radicalized, the Japanese Self Defence Forces have been fighting guerrilla battles against these mysterious invaders all across Japan. But this may just be the mundane story of young high school girls who just wish the world would end already…

None of Asano’s works have seen animated adaptations, and I suspect this is at his own wishes. His works have always given me a very strong impression that they are something he has complete and absolute control over; every word and page is decided by him. It’s impressive how every mark he makes is absolutely owned by him — none of his sense is lost through the publication process. A manga can, theoretically, be made by one person alone, or a mangaka and their small team of assistants, and even after going through the team of editors and publishers, it’s not unthinkable that a book could be largely unchanged from when it was originally presented to the publisher. However, anime production requires teams of tens if not hundreds of people. Many authors feel very understandable apprehension at the thought of that many hands touching, shuffling, remixing and recreating their original story and characters.

There is also another very simple reason as to why Asano’s series Goodnight Punpun, for instance, doesn’t have an anime — the MC doesn’t speak, and most of the dialogue in the series is internal thought and monologue. He’s also not even human — he’s a weird little bird-shaped creature, at least for the earlier chapters of the series, whereas the rest of the manga and its characters are drawn with breath-taking realism. All these things call for some seriously difficult production and direction choices, plus there’s also the argument of whether the series would even benefit from an anime adaptation. Dead Dead Demon, however, could be quite different! Be sure to show your support for Asano and his work and pick up a copy today!

Delicious in Dungeon

１月１５日発売、九井諒子『ダンジョン飯』１巻。迷宮の奥深くでドラゴンに襲われ、装備も仲間も失った冒険者・ライオス一行。ドラゴンに喰われた仲間を救うため、モンスターを食べながら迷宮を攻略せよ!! 九井諒子初の長編、ついに発売！→ pic.twitter.com/nmeJVN54Qa

— ハルタ (@hartamanga) January 13, 2015

For those of you who have read our old article about manga that still don’t have anime, this is a familiar title! Delicious in Dungeon is a super-popular series by creator Ryoko Kui and has still yet to see an animated adaptation.

Delicious in Dungeon follows Laius and his friends who are on a mission to save his sister, who has been eaten by a dragon. However, they are completely flat broke and have to resort to eating monsters to survive?! Laius’ new dwarf friend Senshi introduces him to the delicious world of ‘dungeon meshi’ — delicious cuisines made from ingredients such as the flesh of giant bats, walking mushroom, or even screaming mandrakes.

This series is very visually striking, and unlike some of the titles I have previously mentioned, it is well suited for an animated adaptation. In fact, to celebrate the release of the eighth volume in Japan, super-famous studio Trigger produced a short animated commercial last year!

In essence, Delicious in Dungeon is a super nerdy cooking manga, with in-depth visual and verbal descriptions on how to prepare mysterious yet delightful-looking dishes made from the flesh of foul dungeon beasties. English-language publications have already seen the release of the seventh volume, and the ninth volume in Japanese is estimated to be released this year. What are you waiting for? Get yourself a cheeky copy now!

The Way of the House Husband

絶対面白いと思った買って正解だった#極主夫道 pic.twitter.com/Dapzloz0zW

— えび子（♀） (@ebk_0930) August 24, 2018

He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him “the Immortal Dragon.” But one day he walked away from it all to travel another path—the path of the househusband! The curtain rises on this cozy yakuza comedy! (Source: VIZ)

This hilarious yazuka-comedy manga exploded with popularity almost the moment it was published, and recently has even had a live-action promotional video directed by and starring legendary voice actor Tsuda Kenjiro!

After seeing the video, I definitely feel like this series is better suited to a live-action drama or movie adaptation as opposed to an animated one. If you watch the video, you’ll see exactly why.

Yotsuba&!

NEWS: "Yotsuba&!" Manga Next 14th Volume Set to be Released on April 28

🍀Read: https://t.co/u4R4JV7h1p pic.twitter.com/XEdcd1H5KF

— Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) February 27, 2018

Perhaps an obvious choice, but a good choice all the same. World-famous manga Yotsuba&! has been running since 2003 yet, like everything else in this article, has no anime.

Yotsuba is a strange little girl with a big personality! Even in the most trivial, unremarkable encounters, Yotsuba’s curiosity and enthusiasm quickly turn the everyday into the extraordinary! Join Yotsuba’s adventures as she explores the wonders of the world around her! (Source: Yen Press)

Yotsuba&! is probably another case of the creator wishing to keep their work in manga-form only, and I would presume the reason for this is that the role of Yotsuba is just too hard to fill. She’s such a strange and whimsical little girl, her complete naivete and raw curiosity would be incredibly hard to perform even for the most talented and experienced voice actor, let alone a child actor! Even so, somehow she has a clear voice somewhere in my head when I read her dialogue, despite her never being cast one.

This manga is another great choice for those of you who are thinking about starting reading manga in Japanese and has been recommended to learners of the language countless times. Here’s one more! Go read Yotsuba&!!

Witch Hat Atelier

とんがり帽子のアトリエって漫画ほんとにオススメ！！
ミュシャっぽい綺麗な絵に惹かれて読んだけどストーリーも面白いし何よりワクワクするような魔法の世界が丁寧に描かれてて画集として持っておきたいレベル pic.twitter.com/A0ThsTd3Mf

— ポケモンは剣派ひすいさん (@0724_hisui_0711) March 2, 2019

Witch Hat Atelier is a relatively new manga series written and illustrated by mangaka Kamome Shirahama, who is maybe better known in the west for her work on Marvel and DC comic book covers. A truly gifted artist, it’s a delight to read a comic penned entirely by her, and her unique style and sense is a real breath of fresh air.

Coco lives in a world filled with magic spells and dragons, and she wishes for nothing more to be something special and become a witch. However, in this world, magicians are born and not made, and Coco has no aptitude for magic. One day, on the verge of giving up on her dream, she meets the handsome and mysterious traveling magician Qifrey, and what happens next changes her life forever…

With its gaining popularity, Witch Hat Atelier is a series I definitely foresee receiving an anime adaptation at some point in the future. While its art style is very detailed and unique, it wouldn’t be too hard to adapt and simplify into an anime-suitable style. I would love to see the gorgeous magic spells in this book animated. In the meantime, I shall continue poring over the delicious details Shirahama has penned for us.

Whew, I know what I’m gonna go and do now — go and read some great comics! While it can be a shame when a series you want to see animated just doesn’t seem to be getting noticed by any studios, don’t forget that anime isn’t the be-all and end-all. Anime and manga are two very different mediums that have two completely different sets of rules and devices at their disposal for telling stories visually. Both are unique and wonderful in their own ways, so let’s appreciate comics for being comics and anime for being anime! What’s your favorite series on this list? Let us know!