Mangaka Urges Fans to Buy Physical Copies

“If the Paperback Doesn’t Sell, We’ll Cancel It”: Mangaka Urges Fans to Buy Physical Copies

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Being an up-and-coming manga artist is no easy job. It takes hard work, dedication, sleepless nights, and a breakthrough story to stay relevant in the industry. But despite all that, a series can still be canceled if its sales don’t meet expectations.

Yosuke Matsumoto, the mangaka of “Monochrome Days”, recently shared a message thanking fans for the success of their artist drama series. However, the message also revealed something that came as a surprise to many.

In a post on X/Twitter, Matsumoto mentioned that when Monochrome Days began serialization, the editorial department of Shonen Jump+ warned them that if it didn’t achieve strong sales, the series would be canceled by Volume 2.

“Monochrome Days started serialization with the words, ‘If it’s not popular, end it with the second volume.’ Thanks to everyone for reading, I managed to get past that hurdle,” Matsumoto wrote.

Although the series has avoided cancellation at Volume 2, the struggle isn’t over for the mangaka. Now aiming for four volumes, Matsumoto urged readers to support the manga by purchasing paperback copies.  

“The next goal is Volume 4, and I’ve been told, ‘If the paperbacks don’t sell by then, it’s over!!’ So if you’re enjoying it every week but haven’t bought a physical copy yet—why not? The storyboards are created with the book format in mind, so it’s twice as fun to read!”

Unfortunately, Matsumoto isn’t the first mangaka to face this situation. In 2019, Nariaki Narita, author of “Abyss Rage” and “Muscle Island”, revealed that series survival on Jump+ depended primarily on book sales.

In 2021, Narita’s Abyss Rage ended after just eight volumes. The following year, his new series Muscle Island was serialized on Jump+ but was axed in August 2024 at Volume 5—despite strong viewership (500k views per chapter) but low paperback sales.

It’s clear that the criteria for survival on Shonen Jump+ keep changing. While 500k weekly views may be the minimum threshold, paperback sales remain a major factor in determining whether a series continues.

Monochrome Days Volume 1 sold 3,000 copies in four weeks and currently maintains strong viewership on the Jump+ app (550k views per chapter). However, with its numbers just above the axe range, only manga sales can secure its future.

Written by Yosuke Matsumoto, Monochrome Days follows two adults, Hanaichi Fudo and Saori Wakaba, who once gave up on their dreams for stable jobs. Finding their passion reignited, they decide to give it another shot and form an aspiring mangaka duo.

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