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Blue Exorcist Manga Goes on Hiatus Due to Author's Illness, Recovery from Operation

Manga author Kazue Katō announced on her X (formerly Twitter) account on September 4 that her Blue Exorcist manga is going on hiatus in the October issue of Shueisha's Jump SQ. magazine, which released on September 4, and will return in the magazine's December issue, which will release on November 1. The manga also did not appear in the September issue on August 2. Update: The December issue will release on November 1, not November 4 as this article previously stated.

Katō explained that she got a routine health check-up in March and that was when she was diagnosed with an illness. She added in the past few months, she has been going to the hospital while working on the manga. She also stated she recently had a successful operation, and she has already been released from the hospital, but the postoperative treatment and recovery will take some time, and is the reason for the manga's hiatus.

Katō added she does not want to reveal her illness for now, but assured readers that it is not life-threatening.

The manga went on hiatus in July 2021, and resumed in May 2022. The series also went on hiatus in January and resumed in May 2023. The manga more recently took a one-month hiatus in October 2023, as Katō recovered from COVID-19. The manga's 31st compiled book volume shipped in Japan on June 4.

Viz Media is releasing the manga in English, and it describes the story:

Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth—the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin's veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won't be easy, especially when drawing his father's sword releases the demonic power within him!

The manga inspired a 25-episode television anime series in 2011, and the Blue Exorcist: Kuro Runs Away From Home OAV also premiered in 2011. The Blue Exorcist movie then premiered in Japan in December 2012. The Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga television anime premiered in 2017 and aired for 12 episodes.

The Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga anime premiered in Japan on January 6. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan, and also streams an English dub.

The latest anime's sequel titled Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga (Ao no Exorcist: Yuki no Hate-hen) will premiere on October 5. The new anime will have two cours (quarter of a year), with Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga being the first cours, and the second cours Blue Exorcist: The Blue Night Saga will air in January 2025. Crunchyroll will stream the anime as it airs.

The franchise also includes several novels and a series of stage plays.

Source: Kazue Katō's X/Twitter account