While it might have come as a surprise to see the extremely unique manga, No/Name, depart the Shonen Jump+ platform, series creator Rafał Jaki expected that this was going to happen and recently recounted in detail exactly how the series came to an end. Contrary to popular belief, Jaki clarifies that the series was not canceled or axed and confirmed that there is some good news in that disappointing development.

In a new interview by Aftermath, Jaki (also known for being the showrunner on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners) talked about No/Name and the historical precedence it set. He revealed that the manga was, in fact, not canceled, but it was agreed upon before serializing that No/Name would last a certain number of chapters. There was also an agreement that if the series did end up becoming a hit, it would go on for more than the 2 volumes it was promised, but unfortunately, fate had different plans.

No/Name's Future Had Already Been Decided

Shonen Jump And Jaki Started The Project With A Specific Number Of Chapters In Mind

When the manga began, the series had a very strong readership, garnering 900K views on Shonen Jump+ in Japan and 250K+ internationally. However, the series experienced a sharp decline in readers, and the final hope was strong sales when the first volume would be released in the country. Unfortunately, the sales were not high enough for the series to continue past its initial run, leading Shonen Jump to inform Jaki and No/Name artist Machine Gamu that the series would end with the second volume as stipulated.

First, they wanted to see more finished chapters to review them and see our ability to continue and execute, but also, they asked for the first arc of the story. I’m a ‘discovery’ writer, which means that I tend to do my best work while I’m writing the actual script vs having a detailed outline (so the plan of events and stakes and characters involved) as a starting point. But they needed to see an outline, which requires a pretty detailed plan (meaning scene by scene, chapter by chapter). To do that, we needed to settle on a page count that resulted in a number of volumes that Jump+ is committing to publishing physically in Japan.

We of course asked if we could continue past two volumes, and they said that it is a possibility only if it becomes a hit. So we went to work hoping it will become one and gave our best. The reality was that it was popular in the West (but not a top hit) and doing barely ok in Japan, so they kept their word, and we ended it according to the outline we provided before we even started the serialization

No/Name is the first series of its kind, being the product of two creators who were not Japanese. By winning the top spot in Shueisha's Shonen Jump+'s Creators competition, where anyone from anywhere in the world could submit. While Jaki's reputation certainly helped, the pilot's story and art were of professional standards. Ultimately, the unique premise and exciting thriller aspect secured the manga a spot on the publisher's platform, even if it ended abruptly. Fortunately, the ending, in case the series would only last 2 volumes, was written beforehand, and the conclusion did a decent job of tying up loose ends.

Jaki And Gamu Could Return Once Again

The Duo Are Already Working On Something New

At the end of the manga, the editors left a note that even Jaki was surprised by. The editors thanked fans for reading the manga and told them to look forward to Jaki and Gamu's future work. This motivated them, and it seems like the two No/Name creators could one day return for a new series, especially given that they've worked with Shonen Jump before.