Is the Anime Really Finished?#
If you are planning to dive into Love Lab, you might be wondering if the anime provides a complete story. While the anime adaptation was released in 2013, it is important to note that the original manga source material continued long after, with the main series concluding in October 2019.
Because the manga ran for several years past the anime’s release, viewers who watch only the anime will likely miss a significant portion of the narrative and the final resolution of the characters’ journeys. To get a truly satisfying conclusion, we highly recommend continuing with the source material. You can buy the Love Lab manga here to see how the story officially ends.
What is Love Lab About?#
Love Lab is a romantic comedy centered around the halls of an all-female middle school. The story follows Riko Kurahashi, known as “Lady Wild” for her tomboyish nature. Her life takes a turn when she discovers the seemingly perfect Natsuo Maki practicing maneuvers to woo boys in the student council room.
Riko agrees to keep Maki’s secret, but in exchange, she is tasked with teaching Maki how to attract boys—despite the fact that Riko has absolutely no experience with the opposite gender herself. This leads to a series of comedic mishaps as the student council members attempt to “research” love. As Riko navigates these lessons, she finds that romance might be closer than she expected, especially when she reunites with a childhood acquaintance.
If you enjoy school-based comedies with a focus on awkward romantic endeavors, this is a great pick. You can watch the anime on Prime Video to start your journey.
Recommended Watch and Read Order#
Depending on how much of the story you want to consume, there are a few different paths you can take. For a detailed breakdown of how the series and its spinoffs connect, please refer to the relationship tree provided on this page.
Release Order#
If you want to experience the series as it was released to the general public:
- Love Lab (Anime)
- Love Lab (Manga)
- Love Lab: Renai Kenkyū Report (Spinoff Manga)
Completionist Order#
For those who want every bit of content in the most logical narrative flow, we suggest starting with the original source and moving through the adaptations and extras:
- Love Lab (Manga)
- Love Lab (Anime)
- Love Lab: Renai Kenkyū Report (Spinoff Manga)
Source Material Path#
If you don’t mind skipping the anime and prefer the original art and full story:
- Love Lab (Manga)
- Love Lab: Renai Kenkyū Report (Spinoff Manga)
Additional Information#
For fans looking to collect more of the series, there is various Love Lab merchandise available to celebrate your favorite characters.
If you found this guide helpful and want to support our research into whether your favorite series are actually finished, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi!
Love Lab • manga • 2006-10-02 (guest chapter in Manga Home, Nov 2006)
└─(adaptation)→ Love Lab • anime • 2013-07-04
└─(spinoff)→ Love Lab: Renai Kenkyū Report • manga • 2020-03-06 to 2020-06-05 (serialized in Manga Time, Apr - Jul 2020)
