Horie said that even if the work in question is by a major creator, if its popularity starts to fall, the magazine may decide to discontinue the series based on reader survey results. He said that editors can determine whether or not a work will become popular by about three weeks after it debuts. The magazine aims to operate closely in line with readers' desires and tastes. Therefore, it places a lot of weight on the results of reader surveys, and readers can determine whether or or not manga will continue.
Horie added, "Surveys have more objectivity than anything." He explained that editors can tell creators that their works are not interesting, so they will be cancelled. However, the situation is sometimes difficult for creators to comprehend unless they see the results of the regular reader surveys.
Horie admitted that the decision to cancel some series can be made too early. He said, "There are also cases where manga go up in popularity little by little," and that fact is sometimes overlooked. Horie said that the standard for cancellation is 10 weeks, but some series start to gain popularity by the seventh or eighth week. Horie believes Shonen Jump's practice of deciding to end manga early is a disadvantage to works that develop slowly. He cited
Kōji Koseki's
Kenritsu Umisora Kōkō Yakyū Buin Yamashita Tarō-kun and
Haruto Umezawa's
Hareluya as examples.