Unfortunately for fans of Rin Mikimoto’s Lightning and Romance manga series (I’m one of them), it has just been announced in the May issue of Kodansha’s Bessatsu Friend magazine that the mange is going on hiatus.
No reason for the Lightning and Romance manga hiatus was given, or any time frame at which point it will return.
The manga series debuted in the magazine in January, 2021 and has since been collected into five volumes, with a sixth on its way later this year.
Kodansha USA publishes the Lightning and Romance English-language versions, with the fifth volume in the series coming out in February this year.
They describe the manga’s plot like this:
Sumire wants to experience romance…but will she get the chance, when her new seat-mate is a 20-year-old with swirling rumors surrounding him?
The rom-com manga series (aka 稲妻とロマンス in Japanese) is a fun story about opposites attract, featuring Sumire, a cool, smart female protagonist and Reo, a handsome male protagonist whose personality is actually quite cute, and who is far more than he first appears.
The two together are fabulous.
Lightning and Romance is receiving solid ratings via sites like My Anime List and Anime Planet, so hopefully this hiatus won’t last for long.
As for prolific mangaka Rin Mikimoto, she is also the author of Kira-kin Today, Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Love’s Reach and 17-Sai, all of which were completed several years ago, so she’s definitely not working on those.
Let’s hope then she’s not sick and will be back soon, as Lightning and Romance fans like myself would be devastated if the story ends with us simply left hanging.
We will update you as soon as more information about Mikimoto’s Lightning and Romance hiatus is announced.