One Piece Manga Failed to Outrank Boruto and Jujutsu Kaisen in 2024 and the Potential Reasons

Despite being the best-selling manga series in the world with over half-a-billion copies in circulation, One Piece’s readership base is inherently limited due to certain production aspects. This is particularly evident in the current era of manga importation and localization, where platforms like Shueisha’s MANGA Plus only provide the three most recent chapters out of the 1100+ total for the series.

Despite being a monthly series, author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s manga series One Piece faces challenges in maintaining viewership on modern platforms such as MANGA Plus. This is in contrast to series like Boruto and Jujutsu Kaisen, which have consistently outperformed One Piece on the platform throughout the 2024 calendar year.

Despite the series’ lengthy run and the pressure it may impose on potential readers, One Piece’s inability to surpass Boruto and Jujutsu Kaisen is not solely attributed to these factors.

Similarly, there are a combination of underlying problems with the series’ publication history, as well as more manageable factors such as the current events within the series and why they may discourage casual readers from picking up recent releases.

One Piece’s MANGA Plus readership problems are more than just the series’ length and scope.

As previously stated, the One Piece manga series, at the time of writing this article, is still waiting for the release of its 1114th chapter which is an impressive number. This series is often put on hold by dedicated manga readers who prefer to wait until the entire series has concluded before starting it.

In a similar vein, Oda’s recent announcement of the Final Saga also advises potential readers to hold off on starting the series until it has concluded.

This sentiment is reinforced by the fact that the mangakas of My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Black Clover have been given special treatment during the final arcs of their series. They have been provided with release schedules and necessary breaks, comparable to a “red carpet”treatment, on their journey towards concluding their respective stories.

With Oda’s series currently holding the title of Weekly Shonen Jump’s crown jewel, this will continue to hold true for Oda and whatever resources he requires to complete the story.

The narrative focus of The Final Saga continues to play a significant role, with its events primarily centered on lore, worldbuilding, and narrative payoff rather than high-octane action.

Despite being classified as an action-adventure rather than pure action, the reveals that satisfy dedicated fans may potentially alienate more casual readers. As a result, the series may struggle to gain traction on platforms like MANGA Plus and others alike, leading to a stagnation in its popularity.

Additionally, not only does it contribute to the stagnation of the series, but it also compels casual readers to seek out other options. Sadly, a majority may turn to Boruto and Jujutsu Kaisen, currently the only two series on MANGA Plus that have surpassed Oda’s series in popularity.

Regardless of which third series they choose, the important aspect in this situation is that they are not reading Oda’s series due to feeling disconnected from current events.

Furthermore, there is a concern regarding the anime adaptation of the series. Typically, anime adaptations are intended to promote the original source material. As a result, fans of the anime would be motivated to purchase the source material after watching it.

Both Boruto and Jujutsu Kaisen have achieved success, although the latter series has been praised for taking a “preferred”or even “superior”approach.

Despite the anime having almost as many episodes as the manga has chapters, Oda’s manga does not reap the same benefits. This is because the anime is over 40 chapters behind the manga. As the anime is crucial in attracting potential manga readers, this is another reason why One Piece is noticeably lagging behind its peers.