2 Years Later, Major Shonen Jump Series Confirms It Saved Itself From Cancellation

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A popular series in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine recently avoided cancellation and has been running successfully for two more years. Shonen Jump has faced a period of change lately. After several long-running series ended, many new titles were launched, but quickly cancelled as the magazine searched for its next big hit. This has made things especially difficult for newer and less established series.

Shoichi Usui’s Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi didn’t initially gain much traction with readers when it first appeared in Shonen Jump in 2024. However, it has since become a consistently popular series in the magazine. Recently, a bonus feature in a new Japanese volume (noticed by @WSJ_manga on X) revealed that the series was nearly cancelled after just three months, but it surprisingly turned things around and became a hit.

Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi Saved Itself From Shonen Jump Cancellation

According to the most recent installment of the Toji Shuten series, plans were made to end it around the time Toji debuted as one of the Three Grand Crosses. These characters were introduced as incredibly powerful exorcists, and Kiyoshi needed to prove himself to them to become a Grand Cross exorcist himself. Looking back, this makes sense because the story seemed to be building toward a climax with the introduction of the Great Demon Lord Asuta Roth in Chapter 19 – a point where many manga series are cancelled.

The story initially presented Asuta Roth as the most powerful demon, setting up a major conflict with Kiyoshi. However, strong sales prevented the manga from being canceled. Later, supplemental material revealed that the plot had to be altered mid-way because the original plan for a single, ultimate showdown wasn’t feasible. This explains why Asuta Roth wasn’t the only Great Demon Lord – instead of being the Great Demon Lord, he became one of three after the central conflict concluded.

What’s Going On With Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi?

The story of Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi has felt like it was building to an ending for a long time. Each new story arc seemed like it could be the last, but it always introduced even more powerful demons. This is a common tactic in Shonen Jump manga – a series of wins just leads to increasingly difficult challenges. However, throughout all of this, the manga has likely been at risk of being canceled.

This approach has given the series a special feel, different from anything else in the magazine. It’s been fun watching each story arc build to a huge, climactic battle, only to discover there’s an even bigger conflict coming up next. This has made the series really engaging so far, and it’s likely to stay that way, potentially leading to an anime adaptation in the future.

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HT – @WSJ_manga on X

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2026-05-02 21:10