Rei Taki’s After School I’ll Be You Manga Comes to an End

Kodansha’s Magazine Pocket published the final chapter of Rei Taki’s manga After School I’ll Be You on Tuesday, bringing the series to a close.

The story follows Akiba, a second year high school student who quietly indulges his love of cosplay in the school’s English club room. One day, while dressed as his favorite idol, he is spotted by his lovely classmate Shibuya. From there a sweet, secret relationship blossoms between the two, who seem like complete opposites on the surface.

The manga began on Magazine Pocket in June 2024. Kodansha released its first collected volume in September 2024 and reached the third volume on April 9.

Taki has a varied body of work. Earlier titles include Last Gender, which ran from 2021 to 2022 and was brought to English readers by Kodansha USA, and a tutoring themed comedy that ended in early 2023. More recently, Taki teamed with Tetsu Tsutsui on the charming I Just Want to Turn Into a Big Cat, which wrapped up in December 2024.

My take: A gentle romance built around a shared secret like cosplay is exactly my kind of story. I am a little sad to see it end, but I hope it gave Akiba and Shibuya a satisfying finish.