Upcoming Hiatus for “More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers”
The beloved manga “More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers,”created by Yuki Kanamaru, is set to embark on a prolonged hiatus. This announcement came from both the author and Kadokawa’s Young Ace Magazine via their X (formerly Twitter) accounts on March 25, 2025. Consequently, readers will not find a new chapter in the forthcoming issue of the magazine.
Long-term Break Announced for Popular Manga
The editorial team at Young Ace Magazine confirmed in their statement that the hiatus aims to provide Yuki Kanamaru the necessary time to effectively prepare and present the final parts of the manga. Since its debut in March 2018, this romantic comedy series has been a staple in Kadokawa’s Young Ace magazine, culminating in 13 tankobon volumes.
According to the announcement made by Kadokawa’s Young Ace (@YA_Henshubu) on March 25, the manga will officially enter its hiatus starting with the May issue, which will hit shelves on April 4, 2025.
In their message, the editorial department stated:
“Thank you for always reading ‘More than a couple, less than a lover’. The graduation of Jiro and the others is approaching, and the story is moving toward its conclusion, but after discussions with Mr. Kanamaru, we have decided that we need some preparation time in order to thoroughly reconsider the development up to the end, and to continue posting at a stable pace, so we will be taking a long hiatus from this month’s issue.”
The editorial team expressed regret to fans eagerly anticipating the latest chapter, and they promised that updates regarding the resumption of serialization would be communicated via the main magazine and the official X account.
Yuki Kanamaru also shared an extensive statement reflecting on the series’ development and underscoring the importance of quality storytelling as the motivation for the hiatus. In their personal update on X, Kanamaru conveyed:
“I’m very sorry to everyone who always supports me for keeping you waiting for the continuation of the story. I am doing well myself. This decision was made because I wanted to once again cherish the idea of each month’s story coming together into one big narrative.”
Notably, in the endnotes of the 13th volume, Kanamaru indicated that the manga will enter its final arc with the upcoming 14th volume, although the total number of chapters remaining has yet to be specified.
Reception and Popularity
“More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers”has surged in popularity, particularly following its anime adaptation, which aired 12 episodes from October to December 2022, produced by Studio MOTHER. Crunchyroll made these episodes available for international audiences during their original broadcast in Japan.
Story Overview
The plot centers on Jiro Yakuin, a high school student paired with Akari Watanabe for a class assignment referred to as the Marriage Practical. Tasked with living and acting as a married couple to earn credits, Jiro and Akari initially intend to gain points necessary to switch partners with their true crushes. However, as they navigate their faux marriage, they find themselves developing deeper feelings for each other.