GA Bunko announced 21st volume as final volume in January earlier this year
Image via GA Bunko’s X/Twitter account
© Shirow Shiratori/SB Creative Corp.
SB Creative is lsiting the 21st and final volume of Shirow Shiratori’s The Ryuo’s Work Is Never Done! light novel series with a July 15 release date. SB Creative’s GA Bunko light novel label revealed on January 4 earlier this year that the 21st volume will be the final volume.
The novels’ main story ended with the 20th volume in June 2025. However, when Shiratori announced the ending in the 18th volume, he said that while the main story will end in the 20th volume, he still wanted to write more about the characters, and also write spinoff stories.
The novel series’ 14th volume, which shipped in Japan in February 2021, launched a new “season” for the story, and also started the last arc of the novels.
Shiratori began releasing the novels under SB Creative’s GA Bunko label in 2015. Shirabi illustrates the novels. BookWalker Global is releasing the novels digitally, and it describes the story:
The Ryuo’s Work Is Never Done! is about a teenage boy named Yaichi Kuzuryuu who happens to be the strongest shogi player in history, holding the top title of “Ryuo” (Dragon King). One fateful day, shogi-loving elementary student, Ai Hinatsuru, appears before him claiming that he promised to be her master. But was such a promise really ever made? Thus began their master and disciple relationship!
Who can match their level of intensity and passion for shogi?
The novels inspired a television anime adaptation in January 2018. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan.
Kazuki and Kogetaokoge launched a manga adaptation in Square Enix’s Young Gangan magazine in October 2015, and ended it in August 2019. Square Enix published the manga’s 10th and final volume in August 2019.
Entergram developed a game for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch based on the novels that shipped in December 2020.
Source: SB Creative
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global, and J-Novel Club are subsidiaries of KWE.
