Is Boruto’s Monthly Schedule Killing the Series?

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Summary

  • Monthly schedule confuses fans, affects sales, and slows down the pacing of the story.
  • Boruto moved from Shonen Jump to V-JUMP, impacting its reach despite being in a larger magazine.
  • Despite drawbacks, the monthly schedule may be saving Boruto, considering the health of the authors.

Ever since I’ve been diving deep into the world of Boruto, it’s been a monthly adventure for me! You might remember that it used to grace the pages of Shonen Jump, but in 2019, it made a switch to V-JUMP. Now, being part of this incredible Boruto community, I’ve noticed some buzz about the publishing schedule change and how it could be impacting the series. After all, Naruto was published on a weekly basis, so there are valid discussions around whether this shift might be affecting the momentum that once made Naruto such a captivating read.

At this moment, the saga of Boruto Two Blue Vortex is quite engaging, leading many enthusiasts to ponder if its popularity might surge further if it were published on a weekly basis like many successful shonen series do.

The Problems with the Monthly Release Schedule

A common challenge with the monthly release schedule lies in the fact that some fans may find it hard to keep track of when fresh chapters will be available, particularly for those who casually follow the series and don’t engage extensively in online conversations.

Weekly routines help people stay involved because they become habitual. Conversely, things that occur just once a month are often forgotten, which can impact sales since monthly events may not attract as many viewers or customers as weekly ones due to the consistent attention and anticipation generated by frequent updates.

One issue that has been raised is the temporal rhythm of the narrative. Typically, monthly installments consist of longer chapters, averaging around 40 pages; on the other hand, weekly chapters are typically approximately 20 pages long. Given that a month spans roughly four to five weeks, the weekly series adds about 80–100 new pages to its storyline each month, while a monthly series does not. Consequently, the weekly series advances at twice the pace of the monthly series, which can cause readers to perceive a discrepancy in the pacing between the two formats.

Apart from providing additional details in each installment, fans might perceive that the narrative of Boruto unfolds at a snail’s pace because of the extended gap between episodes. This appears to be true due to the longer wait times.

Readers often believe that chapters which contain less action can seem unnecessary, as they may not effectively propel the narrative forward according to some audiences. They might also find it challenging to fully appreciate an event when its unfolding spans over multiple months or several chapters.

Instead of reading multiple chapters immediately, some enthusiasts might prefer waiting a few months, allowing them to consume several chapters together and avoiding the sensation that the story is progressing too gradually.

Boruto Actually Followed A Monthly Schedule in Shonen Jump

Initially, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations started appearing in Shonen Jump, a weekly publication. However, instead of sticking to its weekly rhythm, the series adopted a monthly release schedule for some time before it transitioned to V-JUMP, which is a monthly magazine.

Moving a series from a weekly to a monthly magazine might appear as mere procedure; however, it holds more significance than that. Given that Shonen Jump has a significantly larger circulation compared to V-JUMP, the series would have a greater chance of capturing a wider audience in Shonen Jump, despite the reduced frequency.

Moreover, since Boruto’s readers tend to read other Shonen Jump publications too, they are unlikely to overlook fresh chapters due to forgetfulness, because the magazine always announces at least a week ahead of time when a new Boruto chapter is about to be released.

Is The Monthly Schedule Hurting the Series?

Despite Its Drawbacks, It’s Probably For The Better

For global readers, it might not matter significantly if a manga is serialized in Shonen Jump or V-JUMP, as fresh chapters become available on MANGA Plus. In Japan, they’re also published on Shonen Jump+.

Fans may have perceived a decrease in marketing for the series when it shifted to V-JUMP, as this magazine has a smaller readership. It’s possible that if the authors could publish it on a weekly basis, it would boost sales and popularity, but we should keep in mind that the workload at Shonen Jump is extremely demanding, often leading to health issues among the authors due to the intense schedule.

In the case of Dragon Ball Super, it’s often discussed in V-JUMP magazine, and fans generally accept this format. Regarding Boruto, some might perceive it as a step down from the original series, which could have potentially limited its audience growth, especially with the anime being on break. However, this regular monthly schedule is likely beneficial for the storyline’s development. In other words, even though it has its challenges, the monthly release might actually be preserving the series instead of harming it.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex‘s latest chapters are available to read on MANGA Plus.

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2025-04-02 17:04