Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine continues its wave of cancellations as it hits one of its most promising series. Alien Headbutt is Akira Inui’s first serialized manga, and while fans noticed the promising elements in the story, the magazine didn’t give it a chance to shine. The manga was only released in February this year and didn’t wait for the manga sales to axe it. Of course, the decision could also be because of the upcoming June lineup. Since the magazine will be debuting three new series in June, other series will have to be cancelled to make room for the new ones. With each chapter, the Shonen Jump creators add a special note for readers. However, the notes are only published in the WSJ issues that are available only in Japan. The final message from the creator began circulating around social media when @Shinuki1992 on X shared it with global readers.
The author’s heartbreaking message reads, “Thank you to everyone who read this all the way through. And I’m sorry.” Since the manga ended abruptly, the author didn’t get a chance to flesh out the story as he wanted, and all he could do was apologize to readers. While the cancellation is disappointing, Alien Headbutt is only the beginning of Inui’s career, and the creator might return again with a brand new story. Inui has previously worked on several one-shots for the Shonen Jump+ platform, and his manga began serialization on February 8th, 2026. It’s not rare for cancelled Jump creators to make a comeback in the same magazine, although it might take a few years.
While the manga’s reception in Japan was extremely poor, international fans found the story quite intriguing. The series caught readers’ attention with its impressive art style and a unique premise. While the cancellation is disappointing, it’s not unexpected after the poor reception following its release. Even the promotional videos of the manga shared by the official YouTube channel of Shonen Jump barely got enough views to be even considered a decent hit.
The story centers around Shirokiba, who returned to the small island he grew up on after becoming a pro wrestling champion. Unfortunately, he finds out that his homeland has been overrun by mysterious aliens and uses his skills to take them down. There’s never a dull moment on the island as this action-packed story brings more challenges for the protagonist while the truth behind the invasion slowly comes to light.
All chapters of the manga are available on the official app of Manga Plus and the Viz Media website. The manga has been compiled into two volumes, and both will be released on July 4th, 2026. So far, the release date has been shared for Japanese fans, and it’s unclear if the manga will be licensed by Viz Media in English. The manga will release its final Chapter 16 on May 31st.
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