The manga series "Make Heroine wo Katasetai!!" (I Want to Make the Losing Heroine Win!!), written by Michiru Nakayama and illustrated by Tatsuwaipu, announced today (July 23) that it will cease serialization and all publication through its publisher, Akita Shoten.
In a joint statement posted to X, artist Tatsuwaipu and author Nakayama detailed the reasons behind the drastic decision, citing a laundry list of ongoing issues with the editorial department that forced them to repeatedly pick up the slack. The situation has sparked backlash from fans, who have directed their frustration at the publisher.
"Make Heroine wo Katasetai!!" began its run on Akita Shoten's Champion Cross platform in August 2025. The series blends school romance with meta-commentary, following a protagonist who tries to help his childhood friend—the archetypal "losing heroine"—win against a formidable new transfer student. Two collected volumes have been released so far.
The official X account for the series stated: "Thank you for your continued support. Following the latest update, 'Make Heroine wo Katasetai!!' will cease serialization and publication with Akita Shoten."
The announcement also revealed that after their publishing contract with Akita Shoten expires at the end of this year, the series is scheduled to be re-released and resume serialization under the publisher Number Nine around January 2027. The creators explained their decision bluntly: "It has become difficult to maintain a relationship of trust with the publisher, so the authors have decided to terminate the serialization and publication. We apologize to all the readers who have supported us." Details on the new serialization schedule will be announced on the official account in the future.
In a more detailed joint statement, Nakayama and Tatsuwaipu laid out the timeline of events. Before the series even began, they had an agreement with their former editor: "If sales for Volume 1 are poor, the story might need to wrap up early, so we asked the publisher to provide accurate sales data." About a month after Volume 1 launched, the creators inquired about its performance. Their editor at the time told them, "Sales are great, so it's highly unlikely we'll have to end it at Volume 5."
However, as serialization continued, the creators allege that a slew of editorial problems emerged, including: delayed storyboard reviews that impacted their workflow, prolonged cover art confirmation processes, the final cover design using a different illustration from the one they submitted, slow communication with other partners, and incomplete information handovers. Editorial meetings became non-functional, leaving the writer and artist to handle nearly all story production themselves.
The creators noted that they were constantly forced to step in and do work that should have been handled by the editorial staff. They raised these concerns with both their former editor and the editor-in-chief in an attempt to rebuild trust. Despite a change in the editor assigned to them, they say that basic confirmation, reporting, and communication did not improve.
Things came to a head when a delay in Volume 2's release was compounded by the former editor's failure to properly hand over production materials, causing further disruptions. Later, while reviewing their e-book sales statements, the creators discovered a massive discrepancy between the actual sales figures and the "great" performance their former editor had described. After confirming with their current editor, they learned the truth: "The first month's sales for Volume 1 were not strong enough to be considered a hit." It was only then that the creators were informed for the first time that the series' continuation beyond Volume 5 was contingent on the sales of Volume 2.
The creators said they had previously asked their former editor about future plans for the series and whether different plotlines were being considered in case it had to end at Volume 5. His response was: "I never once thought the series would end at Volume 5, so I didn't consider any of that."
In response, the creators requested a face-to-face meeting with the former editor, with the editor-in-chief present, to clarify his statements and the entire situation. The editor-in-chief agreed to arrange the meeting.
However, when the meeting began, the creators were informed that the former editor had already left at the editor-in-chief's direction and would not be participating. The creators stated that dismissing the key person involved without any prior notice made it impossible for them to ever trust Akita Shoten again. This was the final straw that led to their decision to part ways with the publisher.
In addition to "Make Heroine wo Katasetai!!," the creators confirmed that due to this incident, all of their works published by Akita Shoten will be removed from sale and distribution on December 31, 2026.
Finally, the creators once again apologized to their readers and reiterated that "Make Heroine wo Katasetai!!" is expected to relaunch under Number Nine around January 2027 to continue the story. They promised to continue pouring all their effort into their work and asked for fans' continued support.
The incident has left many fans deeply disappointed with Akita Shoten's editorial department, with comments pointing out that these were easily solvable problems. The fact that the situation escalated to the point where the creators felt they had no choice but to leave has led many to criticize what they see as an appalling culture within the publishing industry.
As of press time, Akita Shoten has not released a public statement on the matter. However, major blunders by Japanese publishers are becoming increasingly common, painting a disheartening picture of the manga industry's culture.