Ongoing
Ongoing is a publication status: the manga is still being written and released, with new chapters continuing to come out. It's the live, in-progress state of a series — the opposite of a completed series that has reached its ending. The phrase "ongoing manga" is a common way readers filter for series they can follow in real time.
Ongoing as a Publication Status
Ongoing describes the series, set by its serialization status. An ongoing title is actively running in a magazine or platform, has a live release schedule, and may occasionally pause for a hiatus before resuming. It hasn't been concluded by its author or cancelled by its publisher.
Ongoing vs. Currently Reading
These two are easy to mix up because both involve "in progress," but they describe different things:
- Ongoing — the series is still publishing
- Currently Reading — you are actively reading it
A series can be ongoing while you've set it On Hold, or already completed while you're still reading through it.
Why It Matters for Tracking
Ongoing series are precisely the ones a tracker is built for. They keep releasing, so you need to remember your place and catch each new chapter. In MangaTime, ongoing titles in your library trigger new chapter alerts the moment they update — turning the wait between releases into a notification instead of a chore.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about this topic.
What does 'ongoing' mean for manga?
Ongoing is a publication status meaning the series is still being written and released — new chapters continue to come out and the story hasn't reached its ending. It's the opposite of a completed series, which has finished publishing.
What's the difference between ongoing and currently reading?
Ongoing describes the series itself — it's still publishing. Currently Reading describes you — you're actively reading it. A series can be ongoing while you have it set to On Hold, or completed while you're currently reading it.
Why do readers filter for ongoing manga?
Some readers love following ongoing series for the weekly anticipation and community discussion; others avoid them to skip the wait between chapters. Filtering by ongoing status lets each reader find what suits their style.