D.Gray-man

Katsura Hoshino crafted D.Gray-man, a dark shōnen manga that blends Gothic horror with action in an alternate 19th century. The story follows Allen Walker, a young exorcist who joins the Black Order to fight the Millennium Earl and his demonic army of Akuma. These monsters use Innocence, an ancient substance, to destroy humanity while seeking the Noah's Ark. Hoshino draws from her earlier drafts and previous works like Zone to build this complex world filled with tragic figures and moral ambiguity. She once even rewrote a violent scene because she felt it was too harsh for her audience. Serialization began in Weekly Shōnen Jump in May 2004 but faced frequent pauses due to the author's health issues. The series moved to Jump Square in November 2009 before going on an indefinite hiatus in January 2013. It returned in July 2015 via Jump SQ.Crown and later shifted to Jump SQ.Rise in April 2018. As of July 2025, the chapters collected into 29 tankōbon volumes. Viz Media licensed the English version and released 28 volumes by November 2023. The franchise also spawned a spin-off novel called D.Gray-man: Reverse and two anime adaptations produced by TMS Entertainment. Over 27 million copies circulate worldwide, placing the title among Shueisha's bestsellers. Critics praise the visually appealing character designs and the effective use of Gothic elements, though some note that fight sequences can become hard to follow. Individual volumes frequently appeared in top-ten sales lists in both Japan and North America.[edit]