Shonen Jump+ has already axed dozens of series this year, but the wave of cancellations is far from over. Launched in 2014, Shueisha’s official manga platform, Shonen Jump+, is known for serializing original shonen series alongside catering to other manga demographics. Several series, such as Dandadan, Kaiju No. 8, Spy x Family, and many more, are globally renowned. However, not all series with potential catch the public eye, and if they don’t perform well, the publishers cancel the serialization in a year or so. Each year, several manga are introduced across Shueisha’s magazines and online platforms, but just as many are canceled to make room for new series. According to @WSJ_manga, Shiro Moriya’s sci-fi series, Astro Babyalso couldn’t escape the purge, and it’s ending with Chapter 43 on October 24th, 2025.
The series had a strong start, with many readers praising the art style and the potential the story possessed in the beginning. However, it eventually rushed with its plot, heading towards an anticlimactic ending. Not only that, but the mangaka also struggled with health issues, which is why the biweekly series announced an unexpected hiatus in September. Moriya is also known for Soloist in a Cagewhich debuted in 2018 and received a lot of praise from readers. Unfortunately, due to the creator’s health, the manga also went on a sudden hiatus and returned with an abrupt conclusion. Both of Moriya’s series are available on the Manga Plus app, each offering unique storylines and a captivating art style.
What Is the Plot of Astro Baby?
The story takes place in the remote town of North Hill, a quiet town located in the northern parts of the farthest peninsula. A single meteorite crashing in the town caused a bizarre disease termed Couper, which turned the citizens into cannibals. A young boy named Billy witnessed the cannibalism and tried to explain to the authorities that, before the murders, the perpetrator was covered with a black goo that takes over their consciousness.
However, the only person who believed him was Eleanor, a young professor and assistant to Dr. Beck Alens, one of the disease’s victims and a researcher studying the origin of life through geoscience. Six years later, the town was put on lockdown to stop Couper from spreading. Billy is now a soldier who requested to be assigned to his hometown despite the dangers involved, hoping to reunite with Eleanor. He wants to help her raise her baby after her ex-husband walked away from her.
But no one could have expected another meteorite to fall right when the baby was born. Billy does everything to protect the baby but is helpless against Eleanor, who shows symptoms of the disease. As if that wasn’t shocking enough, for some reason, the newborn baby can talk and swear to protect Billy just as he saved him. In a world full of unknown dangers, Billy tries to solve the mystery behind the disease as well as the strange powers possessed by Eleanor’s baby.
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