In the world of manga, works with low popularity or sales often face cancellation. However, there are also many titles that overcame the threat of cancellation and become a Hit.
Media Adaptations: Major Reversals from Cancellation Threats
It’s not uncommon for manga to be canceled due to various circumstances. However, there are works that, despite once facing the threat of cancellation, recovered and have since grown popular across various media, including anime and games.
For example, ‘Jujutsu Kaisen‘ (written by Gege Akutami) was among the titles facing a potential cancellation at the start of its serialization in ‘Weekly Shonen Jump’ (Shueisha). Set in a world with ‘Cursed Spirits’ that harm humans, the story follows Yuji Itadori, a student at ‘Tokyo Jujutsu High School,’ an institution that trains ‘Jujutsu Sorcerers’ to counter these threats.
According to Akutami-sensei’s appearance on the variety show ‘Manga Dou Kobayashi,’ the initial reception of the series was poor, prompting a strategy to bring forward the ‘Curse Womb Must Die’ arc, originally planned as a later climax, to the early stages.
The incident involving Cursed Spirits at a detention center, where Itadori and his classmates Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki are dispatched, drew attention, especially with the foreshadowing of ‘one of them dying.’
Then, in a shocking development early on, the protagonist Itadori loses his life, leaving a strong impact on readers. This kickstarted the series’ popularity, leading to a serialization that lasted approximately six years until 2024.
Additionally, the anime adaptation includes the prequel movie ‘Jujutsu Kaisen 0’ and two seasons of the TV anime series, with a third season, the ‘Culling Game’ arc, also confirmed for production.
Similarly, ‘Darwin’s Incident‘ (written by Shun Umezawa), scheduled to begin airing as a TV anime in January 2026, faced ‘straight-to-cancellation sales’ shortly after the release of its second volume. Serialized in ‘Monthly Afternoon’ (Kodansha) since 2020, the story follows Charlie, a ‘Humanzee’ (half-human, half-chimpanzee) protagonist, who confronts himself through various encounters.
The story centers around Charlie, who is similar yet different from humans, and a human woman named Lucy, exploring social issues like racism and terrorism.
While initially less known, exposure through media like the TV show ‘Kawashima/Yamauchi’s Manga Swamp’ after the release of the first volume helped the series’ appeal reach a wider audience. As a result, it avoided cancellation and even gained critical acclaim, winning the ‘Manga Taisho 2022’ Grand Prize.
‘I Want to Die Alone‘ (written by Kaoru Curryzawa), serialized in the manga app ‘Comic DAYS’ (Shogakukan), also faced a cancellation crisis at the start of its serialization. Due to the unfortunate timing of the first volume’s release coinciding with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, sales struggled, and there were discussions about canceling it after the second volume. However, Curryzawa-sensei’s appeals on X (formerly Twitter) and word-of-mouth recommendations gradually boosted sales, ultimately leading to a revival from the cancellation threat.
Despite its rocky start, the series has since been recognized, winning an Excellence Award in the Manga Division at the 24th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2024. A drama adaptation starring Haruka Ayase is scheduled to air in June 2025.
