Is Undead Unluck a Good Candidate For A Sequel?

Undead Unluck is one of the latest big series to end in Shonen Jump, with a successful 5-year run that inspired many fans, numerous light novel spinoffs, and even a hyped anime series from David Productions, known for their passion projects. But as this series came to an end, a question that faces many Jump series arose. Will it, and should it receive a sequel?

Jump is no stranger to sequel series, and many people would say that the mark of a successful story is making people want more of it. But when is an ending a perfect stopping point, and when is a sequel a good idea?

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Is Undead Unluck Worthy of a Sequel?

What Makes a Series Deserving of a Sequel?

Sequel announcements can inspire many different feelings in the mind of a fan. For some, it’s the continuation of a story they love, and the chance to continue to follow the adventures of characters that have become a staple in their lives. For others, it is a sign that the story they love is about to be overworked to the point of losing a lot of what they came to love it for in the first place. But before a sequel is allowed to entertain or disappoint, what makes it worth considering in the first place?

Now, for incredibly popular series like Naruto, Dragon Ball, or Yu-Gi-Oh, continuing the series with sequels, spinoffs and more is a simple business decision. But there are also opportunities to simply continue telling an incredibly compelling story, which warrants the decision to make a sequel. In that case, what sets up a series for sequel contention?

How Sequels Can Succeed or Fail

There are many different forms that a sequel series can take, with the outlook of the series of determining how much impact the original will have on the new one. For example, a common approach to a sequel series is when a story continues right where the original left off, continuing the adventures of the previous entry. But, this comes with risks.

You can take away a lot of the hype from the original series if you jump into a sequel series too early. A lot of successful stories stay with fans because they leave off on a satisfying end to a journey. While questions may remain, it is nice to think that your characters accomplished something, therefore bringing the story to a neat close. If you jump back into another adventure too soon, you risk cheapening the effect of the original series, setting your new one at a disadvantage.

Another approach that sequels take, has the story move into a much more distant time from the original plot, though similar pitfalls can occur. Many sequels might see the new story following the descendants of the original cast, which could prove to be an interesting dynamic. From this angle, it could be interesting to see how failures or plotholes from the original series are handled in a new age, yielding interesting storylines. However, you could also have an issue much like the previous method. If your new adventure is too grand, it could take away from the accomplishments of the original story.

No matter which route a sequel series takes, what is most important is the spirit in which it was created. One reason often cited for fans wanting a sequel, is that they want to “correct” or right the wrongs of the original story. In the case of Undead Unluck, there is one aspect of the original that some fans would like to “right” with a sequel…

Did Undead Unluck End too Early?

An Undead Unluck Sequel Could Give More Time to Elements from the Original

One argument for why Undead Unluck deserves a sequel, revolves around how people perceive the timing of its ending. For many fans, events felt very rushed, with the final battle coming dozens if not a hundred chapters too soon. In events like these, it isn’t unreasonable to desire a sequel or some spinoff series to try and set things right.

But was this ending unfulfilling and unsatisfactory to the point that a sequel is NEEDED. Well, that is a bit harder to argue. In the end of Undead Unluck, the main characters accomplish their goals in a rather fulfilling way; for example, we see our main character, Fuuko, succeed in achieving the love story she wanted since page 1 of the manga. While this ending arrived sooner than expected, the events that transpired were ultimately rewarding, and wrapped up a lot of the loose ends of the series. But there is still a difference between a satisfactory ending and a good ending. What would a sequel do for the series?

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What Would An Undead Unluck Sequel Look Like?

How Could A Sequel Best Serve the Story?

For fans of the series, used to seeing the characters experiencing hardship and turmoil, it might be nice to see what these characters’ lives would like when they finally have time to be themselves. A sequel to Undead Unluck could follow the Union, Fuuko, and Andy, as they travel the world and help others without the use of their Negator abilities or the threat of Master Rules. This could provide a lot of fun slice of life moments not as prevalent in the original. But, for the fast-paced, hectic nature of Jump, it seems like this would be out of the ordinary. That being said, there is perhaps another interesting opportunity for Undead Unluck.

What about an Undead Unluck Prequel?

Prequel series are a little rare to come by for Jump, but in the case of Undead Unluck it could prove to be an amazing opportunity. When the series ends, our characters are a part of the “101st time loop”, leaving millenia of unexplored time in the story. We could still see previous battles with the Master Rules. More of Andy and Victor’s backstory, and even how the previous loops Negators felt about their fortunes. Undead Unluck offered a lot of interesting lore, and while the series might be too neatly wrapped up for a sequel, a prequel would be an incredibly unique opportunity.

Undead Unluck is available to watch on Hulu where available. You can read the Undead Unluck Manga on VIZ’s Shonen Jump website or app.

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Undead Unluck

Release Date

October 7, 2023

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