Vermeil in Gold Artist Yoko Umezu Dies at 2026
The manga's abrupt end with the July issue, announced alongside Umezu's death, leaves the series' uncollected chapters in limbo, with the editorial staff yet to confirm how they will be published.
Key Facts
- Yoko Umezu died on July 7 due to an ischemic stroke, as announced by Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine's editors on August 12.
- Vermeil in Gold ended with the chapter that ran in the magazine's June 12 issue, after serializing since August 2018.
- Square Enix published the manga's 11th compiled book volume on June 11.
- The manga's television anime adaptation premiered in July 2022, directed by Takashi Naoya at Staple Entertainment.
- Umezu also drew the Minidura spinoff manga of Durarara!!, which ran in Dengeki Maoh from 2013 to 2015.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Corner.
Yoko Umezu, the manga artist behind Vermeil in Gold, died on July 7 due to an ischemic stroke, according to an announcement from the editors of Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine on Wednesday. The editors stated that a private funeral was held, attended only by close relatives. The magazine also announced that Vermeil in Gold, which Umezu illustrated and Kouta Amana wrote, has ended with the chapter that ran in the June 12 issue. The editorial staff said they will announce details regarding the publication of the series' uncollected chapters at a later date. Amana and Umezu launched the manga in Monthly Shonen Gangan in August 2018. Square Enix published the manga's 11th compiled book volume on June 11. The manga's television anime adaptation premiered in July 2022, directed by Takashi Naoya at Staple Entertainment, with scripts by Tatsuya Takahashi and character design by Kiyoshi Tateishi. HIDIVE streamed the anime as it aired in Japan, and also streamed an English dub. Umezu also drew the Minidura spinoff manga of Ryohgo Narita's Durarara!! light novel series, which ran in Kadokawa's Dengeki Maoh magazine from 2013 to 2015.
The announcement came via the Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine's official X account and was picked up by Comic Natalie. The editors did not specify the exact date of the private funeral, only that it was held with close relatives in attendance. Vermeil in Gold's serialization ran from August 10, 2018, to June 12, 2026, spanning 11 compiled volumes. The manga's English digital release is handled by Square Enix's Manga UP! Global service and Comikey. The anime adaptation, which aired in summer 2022, featured lead voice actors Maaya Uchida as Vermeil, Yuuya Hirose as Alto Goldfilled, and Wakana Kuramochi as Lilia Kudelfaate. Umezu's earlier work on the Minidura spinoff of Durarara!! ran in Dengeki Maoh from 2013 to 2015. The editorial staff's promise to reveal details about the uncollected chapters at a later date leaves the series' completion uncertain.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News Vermeil in Gold Manga Artist Yōko Umezu Dies
- Anime Corner Youko Umezu, Illustrator of the Vermeil in Gold Manga, Has Died