We are only a couple of weeks into the new year, and we have some heartbreaking news for BL (Boys Love) anime fans. The much-anticipated movie adaptation of the Ten Count BL manga by Rihito Takarai has been canceled due to production issues.
Ten Count was originally planned to release in 2020 as an anime series. But the team was unhappy with the direction of the series, so they pivoted to a film adaptation in 2022. The film was planned for theatrical release in the end of 2023 but that day never came. Now, the production team (Synergy SP and East Fish Studio) have confirmed that we will never see that day.
“Regarding the theatrical animation “Ten Count,” which was scheduled to be released in 2023, we have been moving forward with the release, but due to production reasons, we have decided to cancel the production,” says the statement shared on the official website and X (formerly Twitter).
Furthermore, to add salt to the wound, the production team confirmed that the Ten Count official website and X account will be shuttered on March 31, 2024.
This is disheartening news for fans who had been waiting to see the forbidden love story of Tadaomi Shirotani and Riku Korose come to life. However, as fate would have it, we will have to use word of mouth to friends know how good (and popular) this boys love manga is, and why they need to pick it up right now.
To give you a brief introduction, Ten Count tells the story of a forbidden love relationship between the two protagonists, Tadaomi Shirotani and Riku Korose. The former is a young man with obsessive-compulsive disorder which makes him an extreme germophobe. The latter aims to helps Shirotani by having him follow a “10 step” exposure therapy program. The two develop a deeper relationship over time, and how they navigate their feelings is what Ten Count is all about.
Have you read Ten Count? how would you rate it? Share your experience with the much-loved BL manga in the comments section.
