Kodansha’s Bessatsu Friend magazine has confirmed that it will release the final chapter of the Ai ga Nakereba Idol Dekinai (Without Love, I Can’t Be an Idol/愛がなければアイドルできない ) manga by Kitagawa Yuka, in the magazine’s May 2026 issue, available for sale on April 13th, 2026.
Kitagawa started the manga in April 2014 in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Friend magazine, and Kodansha published the manga’s first tankoubon volume in October 2024. The manga’s fourth volume was released in January 2026.
The story centres on Noa, a hardcore fan of Ibuki, a member of the super-popular idol group ILY. After a live performance, the two coincidentally meet in the pudding section of a convenience store and knowing that Ibuki is under a lot of stress, Noa tries to hide the fact that she’s a hardcore fan. Out of nowhere, Ibuki drags Noa to a “one-night-only getaway.”
