Future Diary
| Company type | Manga series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manga, Anime, Live-action drama |
| Founded | January 2006 |
| Founder | Sakae Esuno |
| Defunct | December 2010 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Manga volumes, Anime series, Live-action drama, Visual novel |
Future Diary is a Japanese manga series authored by Sakae Esuno, which was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace magazine from January 2006 through December 2010. The narrative was collected into 12 tankōbon volumes. The plot revolves around the Diary Game, a lethal battle royale involving twelve participants who each receive "Future Diaries" that forecast upcoming events, granted by Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space. The ultimate survivor inherits dominion over the universe.
The series was licensed for English release by Tokyopop, which published ten volumes before halting its North American operations, leaving the final two volumes' availability uncertain. A "pilot anime" DVD was bundled with the 11th manga volume in December 2010. The anime adaptation, produced by Asread, aired in Japan from October 2011 to April 2012 and was licensed in North America by Funimation. Additionally, an eleven-episode live-action drama aired between April and June 2012.
Esuno expanded the universe with three side-story manga: Future Diary: Mosaic, which centers on Diary Holder Minene Uryu and uncovers previously unexplored plot details (2009–2010); Future Diary: Paradox, serialized in Young Ace, which explores an alternate timeline featuring characters Aru Akise and Muru Muru; and Future Diary: Redial (2013), serving as an epilogue to the main series.
Plot
Yukiteru Amano (), a solitary fourteen-year-old boy, spends his time documenting daily occurrences on his mobile phone. His only companions are Deus Ex Machina (), the deity governing Space and Time, along with his assistant Muru Muru (). Deus transforms Yukiteru’s phone into a Future Diary capable of predicting events up to ninety days ahead. Yukiteru discovers that he, along with eleven others, is thrust into a battle royale where diary holders must eliminate each other; the last remaining participant will succeed Deus as god and prevent the impending Apocalypse. Yukiteru is guarded by Yuno Gasai (), a psychotic classmate whose obsession with him borders on dangerous.
Among his notable adversaries is Minene Uryu, a terrorist driven to eradicate religion after losing her parents in a war fueled by faith. Another key figure is police officer Keigo Kurusu, who seeks to terminate the game but betrays Yukiteru and Yuno upon learning of his son's terminal illness. Kurusu assassinates diary holder Karyuudo Tsukishima and frames Yukiteru and Yuno for the murder; Minene later reveals Kurusu’s wrongdoing, prompting his suicide.
John Bacchus, the city mayor and mastermind behind the Future Diaries, manipulates Yukiteru’s indebted father Kurou to steal Yukiteru’s diary. Kurou's attempt fails disastrously when he accidentally kills his ex-wife Rea before being killed himself by Bacchus’ henchmen. Determined to win and resurrect his parents, Yukiteru targets remaining diary holders including Minene, Bacchus, and Kamado Ueshita, who manages an orphanage. Meanwhile, Yukiteru’s friend Aru Akise and detective Nishijima investigate three bodies discovered in Yuno’s residence, casting doubt on her true identity.
Kamado possesses a diary capable of creating substitute diaries and connects to a supercomputer distributing Future Diaries throughout the city as part of Bacchus’ plan for human evolution. Yukiteru, Yuno, Minene, Nishijima, and their allies launch an assault on Bacchus’ headquarters. Bacchus locks himself inside a bank vault accessible solely through Yuno’s fingerprints. Minene sacrifices herself attempting to destroy it; Aru witnesses Yuno kill Bacchus inside. Deus reveals to Aru that he is an artificial human tasked with maintaining balance in the game but confirms suspicions surrounding Yuno.
Yukiteru eliminates several diary holders including Kamado. Aru confronts Yuno, destroying her diary only to discover she possesses a backup. Before Yuno can behead him, Aru presents evidence regarding her origins. As the Apocalypse approaches, Yukiteru and Yuno’s bond intensifies until Yukiteru uncovers that Yuno originates from another timeline. Muru Muru confirms this: Yuno won in a previous timeline but failed to resurrect the dead; she then traveled back in time, creating an alternate timeline by killing her other self.
Yuno and Muru Muru generate a third world timeline pursued by Yukiteru and Minene—both empowered by Deus as wild cards—who clash over the fate of this third world's Yuno and her parents. Unable to kill Yukiteru, Yuno traps him within a dream world where she does not exist while attacking her alternate self. With assistance from the second world’s Muru Muru, Yukiteru escapes and halts Yuno. Despite requesting that she kill him so she may live, Yuno chooses instead to end her own life. Yukiteru ascends as god but is drawn toward the second world by Muru Muru.
Ten thousand years later, a sorrowful Yukiteru has done nothing with his divine powers except sever all connections between worlds while preserving the third world's deus. Mourning the first world’s Yuno—the only one he truly loved—he endures solitude until interdimensional barriers collapse. The third world’s Yuno returns bearing memories of the first world thanks to an atoning Muru Muru. United as gods of their respective realms, Yukiteru and Yuno prepare to fulfill their promise of stargazing together.
Characters
Future Diary follows Yukiteru "Yuki" Amano, a socially reserved participant engaged in a high-stakes survival contest; Yuno Gasai, his fiercely loyal companion; Minene Uryū, a well-known terrorist challenging divine authority; and Aru Akise, a young detective investigating the game's hidden motives and unveiling Yuno's mysteries.
Manga
The series was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace magazine from January 2006 through December 2010. The manga was later compiled into twelve main volumes along with two supplementary side-story collections titled Future Diary: Mosaic and Future Diary: Paradox. Tokyopop initially acquired the North American rights and published ten volumes before halting operations in 2011. Currently, Viz Media holds the license and has made nine volumes available digitally.
A sequel manga, Future Diary: Redial, was previewed in May 2013 and released as a single volume in July 2013.
Anime
The anime adaptation was created by Asread with Naoto Hosoda serving as director, premiering in October 2011. Character designs were crafted by Eiji Hirayama and Ruriko Watanabe. A pilot DVD came bundled with the manga’s eleventh volume in December 2010. The series includes four theme songs, split evenly between two openings and two endings. Funimation secured North American licensing rights, streaming it on Niconico simultaneously with its Japanese broadcast and later distributing it on home video. After Sony's acquisition of Crunchyroll, the series was transferred to that platform.
An original video animation (OVA) titled Future Diary: Redial functions as an epilogue, released on Niconico in June 2013 and included with the manga sequel volume. Its musical themes are "Kyōki Chinden" by Yōsei Teikoku and "Happy End" by Faylan.
Other media
Kadokawa Shoten developed a visual novel named Future Diary: The 13th Diary Owner (未来日記 -13人目の日記所有者-) for the PlayStation Portable, launched in Japan on January 28, 2010. A reissued version featuring enhanced graphics, updated artwork, and voice performances from the anime cast was released on April 26, 2012.
An eleven-episode live-action drama titled Future Diary: Another:World aired on Fuji TV from April 21 to June 30, 2012. This adaptation presents an original storyline separate from both the manga and anime versions. Its opening theme song is "Another World" performed by Ko Shibasaki.
Reception
By mid-November 2008, the seventh volume of Future Diary had achieved the position of twenty-first best-selling manga in Japan and remained within the top thirty titles the following week. As of April 2012, total domestic sales had reached four million copies.
The Japanese title also influenced the naming of the Mirai botnet malware.
External links
- Future Diary: Another:World at Fuji TV