As the second month of 2026 rolls in, Shonen Jump prepares to end more promising series with some disappointing cancellations. Last month, both the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ digital platform ended eight series in total, out of which seven of them were cancelled before they got a chance. Not to mention that some of the cancelled titles, such as Otr of the Flame and Harukaze Mound, were quite major series in the WSJ magazine. Shonen Jump often cancels series, although unofficially, when they are unable to gather a wide audience or profit in volume sales. However, there are also times when series are meant to be serialized for a short amount of time so they reach their conclusion in just a few chapters.
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So far, it appears February will be yet another challenging month for new manga, as Shonen Jump+ is all set to end another underrated yet promising manga. The Bateren Tales by Yu Miki was released in October last year, and has released 11 chapters so far. The author confirmed on X that the manga will go on an indefinite hiatus before entering its final arc.
The Bateren Tales Enters Indefinite Hiatus to Prepare For The Final Arc
Miki shared, “To everyone reading this, thank you so much as always. And my deepest apologies—despite having you all start the serialization after I’d stocked up a decent amount in advance, I’ve been caught up in the blink of an eye. I don’t plan to make this a long story, so I hate to impose, but please wait just a little while until the next update…!”
The author is taking a break because of the backlog, implying the hiatus shouldn’t be for long. Mangaka often prepare multiple chapters ahead of time, but that’s not always the case, given how hectic their schedule is. Not to mention that meeting tight deadlines is often difficult when a manga is being serialized.
The Bateren Tales released chapters on a biweekly schedule, and hasn’t released many chapters so far. It’s also difficult to determine if the series is being axed, given its low viewership and almost no social media presence. However, since Miki has extra time to prepare for the finale, at the very least, the story won’t reach an anticlimactic conclusion.
What Is The Plot of The Bateren Tales?
The story is set in early 1900s Japan, when Christianity was still banned, forcing many to abandon their faith and convert. The Kirishitan residence was once a prison used to house the fallen Kirishitans during an era of turmoil. When the harshest period was over, only a handful of officials and servants remained alive, including Nagayo Jobei, whose parents were persecuted for being Kirishitans shortly after he was born.
During the spring of his 21st year, he began noticing an unsettling change in the residence. The number of guards suddenly increased, and the magistrate of religious affairs began showing up at the residence. While trying to figure out what was going on, he learns about the imprisonment of a bateren, a foreigner who is rumored to perform strange rituals and witchcraft. Unable to contain his curiosity, he couldn’t resist looking for the bateren and stumbled upon an exorcism ritual. Jobei soon learns about the ominous supernatural presence lurking in the shadows, which is more than he can handle.
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