Umi Shiina’s popular supernatural romance manga, I Want to Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die (Aono-kun ni Sawaritai kara Shinitai), is set to conclude its serialization in the November issue of Kodansha’s Afternoon magazine, which officially ships on September 25. The announcement was made by author Umi Shiina on X (formerly Twitter), confirming the series will also receive an epilogue after its main run.
The End of a Haunting Romance
The manga’s finale brings an end to a seven-year serialization that began in December 2016 in Monthly Afternoon magazine. Fans have followed the unique and often unsettling love story between Yuri Kariya, an airheaded high school student, and the ghost of her deceased boyfriend, Ryūhei Aono. The series explores themes of horror, romance, and the complexities of an impossible connection, where the living and the dead struggle to maintain their bond despite not being able to touch.
A Journey Through the Supernatural
I Want to Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die quickly garnered attention for its distinctive blend of genres and its poignant portrayal of grief and obsession. The story kicks off when Aono-kun tragically dies in a car accident just two weeks into his relationship with Yūri. Distraught, Yūri attempts to take her own life, only for Aono’s ghost to appear and convince her to live, promising to stay by her side. Their continued “relationship” involves Yūri pretending to talk on the phone to converse with him, leading to strange and often disturbing supernatural encounters, including Aono’s ability to briefly possess her body.
Milestones and Adaptations
The manga entered its final arc in May 2021, signaling the impending conclusion. Over its run, Kodansha has collected the chapters into thirteen tankōbon volumes as of August 22, 2025. The series’ unique premise also led to a live-action television drama adaptation, which aired on Wowow from March to May 2022. Shori Sato, a member of the Japanese boy band Sexy Zone, starred in the show.
Kodansha Comics has been publishing the manga digitally in English, making the series accessible to a global audience. The English publisher describes the story as a “difficult and almost too sincere love story” built on the premise of “I would die if it would allow me to touch you. That is my love.” The manga has been nominated for prestigious awards, including the 25th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the 45th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2021.
As the final chapters are set to be released, readers prepare to bid farewell to Yuri and Aono’s unforgettable journey, anticipating how their unusual love story will ultimately resolve.
