My Hero Academia Takes an Unplanned Hiatus From Shonen Jump

The My Hero Academia manga will take a sudden one-week off from updating in Shonen Jump, marking its third hiatus of the year.

The My Hero Academia manga will unexpectedly go on a one-week break.

According to Shonen Jump News, Kōhei Horikoshi's highly popular manga My Hero Academia will go on a sudden break. This is the third time in four months that My Hero Academia has announced a pause in the updating schedule. While the tweet cited "production reasons," many fans have guessed it is more than likely that Hōrikoshi's poor health played a role in the recent hiatus. Chapter 385 will release on April 16.

MHA Fans Fear For Kōhei Horikoshi's Health

Fans have met the announcement with worry about the mangaka's health. One commenter wrote, "I think Horikoshi needs to take a minimum 1 month break." Another similarly called for Horikoshi to rest more, writing, "It breaks my heart to see that he needs to take sudden break every month or so." Horikoshi took his first two-week break in February 2023 and took another two-week break a month later due to his health. He apologized for the hiatuses, saying, "My schedule is a mess. I'm getting back on track."

Manga Fans Call For Shōnen Jump Reformation

After his second break in March, fans have expressed concern, calling for a "reformation" of Shōnen Jump, the manga's serialization platform, as it has a history of overworking and over-exhausting its creators. Hunter x Hunter's creator Yoshihiro Togashi was forced to put the series back on hiatus after its recent return due to his debilitating health condition. Although this work culture is indicative of Japan as a whole, where employees work upwards of 40 hours a week, the manga and anime industries have garnered more and more criticism. MAPPA has been at the center of such criticism, where many animators have spoken out about the low pay and long hours, especially as the studio grows more prominent and takes on more projects.

My Hero Academia's Massive Success

One of the most popular series of all time, with numerous manga volumes landing on the New York Times Bestseller List, My Hero Academia began serialization in July 2014. The series has inspired a successful anime franchise, video games, stage plays and a live-action adaptation. Set in a world of heroes and villains, the story follows Izuku Midoriya, who inherits a powerful Quirk called One for All from his idol All Might and must contend with a formidable villain named All for One who seeks to steal his Quirk. Horikoshi hinted the series' end might come soon when he indicated that My Hero Academia's 8th popularity poll may be the last.

My Hero Academia Chapter 385 releases on April 16.

Source: Twitter