7 Manga like Oshi no Ko that fell off after a promising start

7 Manga like Oshi no Ko that fell off after a promising start
Manga like Oshi no Ko that fell off after a promising start (Image via MAPPA, LIDENFILMS, CloverWorks, WIT Studio)

There was a time when fans found it difficult to find a manga like Oshi no Ko due to its uniqueness. However, as time passed, the manga series' story took such a controversial turn, that it made the series even more unique in the community, although for the wrong reasons.

After the release of Oshi no Ko chapter 143, the series experienced a huge downfall, as many fans claimed that they were done with the manga and would no longer read it. Considering how much the manga fell off from its promising start, one can compare it with other manga like Oshi ni Ko that observed a similar downfall.

Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers from multiple manga and reflects the author's opinion.


Chainsaw Man, Death Note, and five other manga like Oshi no Ko that fell off

1) Tokyo Revengers

Mikey and Takemichi as seen in Tokyo Revengers (Image via Kodansha)
Mikey and Takemichi as seen in Tokyo Revengers (Image via Kodansha)

Tokyo Revengers manga had arguably one of the worst fall-offs in recent history. Following the anime's release, the series saw an increasing number of fans reading the manga. While the series had its ups and downs, fans loved it due to its unique characters.

However, this changed after manga creator Ken Wakui curated a controversial ending that made all the events that preceded it useless. Fans had come to love the story and had dealt with several character losses along the way. But the manga's ending made all such plotlines useless with a complete timeline reset.

With that, fans made Tokyo Revengers the template for a manga fall-off, just like Oshi no Ko.


2) Spy X Family

Damian and Anya as seen in Spy X Family manga (image via Shueisha)
Damian and Anya as seen in Spy X Family manga (image via Shueisha)

Unlike manga like Oshi no Ko and Tokyo Revengers, Spy x Family did not fall-off due to poor story developments but due to lack of intriguing events. As fans would know, Spy X Family is a slice-of-life manga. Nevertheless, it does need a main plot for the story to proceed.

When the manga slowed down in the development of its main plot, fans began losing interest, leading to a fall-off in the number of readers for the manga. The manga is still ongoing and has decent read numbers, but the hype around the series isn't the same as before.


3) Chainsaw Man

Denji as seen in the Chainsaw Man manga (Image via Shueisha)
Denji as seen in the Chainsaw Man manga (Image via Shueisha)

While Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man is widely popular and is still ranked in the top four manga on Shueisha's MANGA Plus, the manga series has definitely fallen off. This was especially evident ever since the beginning of the second part, which did not focus on Denji from the beginning, but on the second protagonist Asa Mitaka.

Many fans were confused about what Fujimoto had planned for the series and would often forget the plot developments. It was only after Denji returned to the series that the manga has been performing fairly well. Hence, Chainsaw Man is often considered a manga like Oshi no Ko.


4) Death Note

L as seen in Death Note manga (Image via Shueisha)
L as seen in Death Note manga (Image via Shueisha)

Another manga like Oshi no Ko that fell off was Death Note. As surprising as it sounds, Death Note manga also fell off after L's death. Fans loved the back-and-forth between Light Yagami and L, but the story saw L pass away dramatically.

After that, the manga series did do well, but it wasn't the same as when L was alive. Hence, Death Note is one such manga that, despite widespread success, went through a fall-off.


5) To Your Eternity

Fushi as seen in To Your Eternity manga (Image via Kodansha)
Fushi as seen in To Your Eternity manga (Image via Kodansha)

To Your Eternity is one of the most popular drama manga to come out in recent times. Fans loved the series' unique concept and were very attached to its protagonist Fushi, as they witnessed him learn everything about the world from scratch.

However, the story's developments saw Fushi attain the power to revive his friends. This essentially saw the manga cancel out all the sacrifices and pain Fushi went through in the past. Hence, fans often consider To Your Eternity a manga much like Oshi no Ko.


6) Sun-Ken Rock

Ken Kitano as seen in Sun-Ken Rock (Image via Shōnen Gahosha)
Ken Kitano as seen in Sun-Ken Rock (Image via Shōnen Gahosha)

While Sun-Ken Rock isn't a manga like Oshi no Ko, it too went through a fall-off. The manga's ending seemed so confusing to fans that, to this day, they wonder what the ending was about.

Moreover, many fans think that Sun-Ken Rock did not end the way manga creator Boicchi wanted. Instead, readers felt that the manga creator was forced to alter the storyline due to the Paris terror attacks. With such theories behind the manga's ending, the series observed a fall off.


7) Choujin X

Azuma and Tokio as seen in Choujin X (Image via Shueisha)
Azuma and Tokio as seen in Choujin X (Image via Shueisha)

Choujin X, written and illustrated by Sui Ishida, was widely hyped when the manga began its serialization. This was because the manga was created by the former creator of the Tokyo Ghoul. This led the manga to have a promising start.

Unfortunately, its release schedule prompted a fall-off, making it a manga with a fate similar to that of Oshi no Ko. Initially, the manga series was ranked quite high on MANGA Plus. However, the manga slowly came down to rank 28. While one could argue that the low rank was due to fewer chapter releases, given that the manga had three updates in March 2024, that cannot be the case.


These were some of the manga like Oshi no Ko that fell off after their promising start. If we have missed out on any other manga, do let us know in the comments below.


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