Voted for "Plot Veers off into a bad direction", but the option I really wanted is missing - "story elements that attracted me in the first place disappeared". I.e. instead of light erotic comedy with character interaction story transformed into one brutal war scene after another coupled with endless training montages...

"Plot veers off into a bad direction"
When that happens, it becomes unfortunate.

Irregular releases has been the biggest factor for me. The manga that I read usually only releases 1 new chapter a month or every other month. And when the releases become more irregular than that it's hard for me to remember what happened in the last chapter a few months ago, let alone stay interested in it.

The second factor would be boring plots. Some manga just keep redoing the same type of storylines, and while it's interesting at first, having the same story keep repeating itself is tiresome and lazy storytelling.

Well this is a first , didnt vote because i never drop series i like at the beginning. Since there was no option even remotely similiar like that no vote.

I was stuck between "plot veers off in a bad direction" and "boring plot". I chose the former and the results show that those two are indeed the major reasons people quit a series. I've dropped many series that I started reading, and among them are some that I followed for quite some time before quitting. The main reason is always that the author takes the story in a direction that I never expected and ended up disliking. Such a series might start off giving a certain vibe, a vibe that I like and that makes me wants to see how the author takes the story, but at some point the story takes a certain turn and after some time I realize what I am reading now is very, very different from what I was reading in the beginning. Almost like an entirely different story. Or maybe the author changed without me being aware. Either way, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth and that makes me simply lose interest in the future of the series. Among those I've dropped this year, "Magi - Labyrinth of Magic" stands out. It's like the author took a break, forgot about the difficulties of writing the story, then resumed only to find he needs to refresh his mind and get into the right mindset to continue (reread the earlier parts, go over his previous plans, etc.), but instead he takes a pen and just continues writing the first thing that comes to mind.

Now, that's one Real Poll!

On this regard, I would drop a series only if - Plot veers off into a bad direction or it becomes too boring or Random to bear with it. I mean, I will certainly stop reading it if the excitement of reading it dies. Or the author keep dragging it around.

For a example take Bleach, though I haven't given up on it yet. Kubo-sensei is dragging it around too much. The last chapter was too pointless. I mean it could be finished in four or five pages. And he don't need to bother with the small facts...and here Ichigo is just going up first, then coming down, then going up again and coming down a little...then sensei brings back dead guys...well Grimjaw is CooL!!
But, after all that, the main point is, he is dragging it too much!!

Impossible for me to choose just one! Too many unlikable characters (see: Smug jerkasses who never seem to get what they deserve) mixed with confusing story that is overall really boring and seems to never end yet seems to be released on a schedule kept by a cat with dementia. Oh and one that's not on the menu: Epic FAIL by the mangaka in his/her use of panels in a limited set of pages. Let the haters grill me but Bleach is a perfect example. Huge chunks of a single page dedicated to a close up of someone's face, or a distant explosion (which usually looks nothing more than a black sideways diamond on a plain white background; instead of some actual "plot" progression. Oh and the constant newer "powerups" that shounen protagonists seem to almost always need. I could go on but I'll be ranting non stop and by now many of you who are Bleach fanatics would have already tuned me out so yeah...

I ended up picking "too many unlikable characters" cause it's pretty rare that the mangaka screws up so badly that they end up killing off or ruining everyone's favorite character (I'm looking at you Death Note).

Just thinking back the most common thought I've ever had while reading manga is "I don't care! Just get back to the character I actually care about!" Because more often than not one of the main characters is the only person I care about and everyone else is just filler. And pretty much all long running manga spend time piddling about side characters when all you want to see it the main one.

Fairy Tail had the entire arc about Erza when all I want to see is the Dragon Slayers backstories.

D. Grayman spent like 50 chapters focusing on Linalee and the side character's escapades when I just wanted to see Allen.

And I know you could call this "character development" but when they come out just as annoying and unlikable as they were going in then you just want to scream "Shut up and get the good stuff!!!"

There are too many reasons : boring plot, too many unlikable characters, series never seems to end,...

And one that isn't really in the poll that made me drop a series, more than 10 chapters of continuous rape on the main female character, that was awful :s.

I voted for "Irregular releases"; however, that probably wasn't the best choice. Did I really drop it? Or did I just put it on hold for an undetermined amount of time...

The "I just didn't have time to keep up and forgot about it" would have probably been a better choice in hindsight.

Top reasons for me are:
- No character development
- Plot veers off into a bad direction / Boring plot
- Series just never seems to end / Pacing too slow

I can tolerate, for axample, a boring plot if there´s something else which makes up for it, like fan service. In this case I just look at the pictures and I´m done with it.

I never had the chance to sing Karaoke/Singstar so there is that and i chose the catch all Boring plot. Or in my own word: I will 100% give up on a series that was of quality before if it becomes a grind-fest only where Rumiko Takahashi reigns supreme or if even worse a clear ending point has been reached as Dragon Ball did when it ended for me with the marriage of Goku. What´s a Saiyan you ask? I don´t know!
Kangoku Gakuen / Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo pulled that very stunt recently when they ended their first (aka only) arc to become a license to print money which bothered me so much that i even revived both for that reason before dropping them. So my enemies this week would be disappointment in artist who can clearly do better and crass commercialism. All my examples hit big due to these very decision so i should never become and editor it seems .

I will never give up on a series due to a slowdown of release btw. as i started Berserk half a year before we got on the boatride of a lifetime in 2006 and i look forward to more years on the Sea Horse! The current hiatus started on 04 October 2014, Hunter x Hunter´s schedule which i started in 2001 redefines the meaning of ongoing but the wait makes the final product just more precious. "Service"/Violence also tend to escalate over time in all sorts of ongoing mediums which would be a good topic for it´s own poll...

I tend to drop a series when the author decided to add a 'this character got raped/ gets raped' or those things which leaves a really bad aftertaste for the rest of the day.

Boring plot was the easiest answer to go for if it's based on me voluntarily dropping it. More often I'm forced to drop a series I like because of lack of releases by the scanlator/scanlators drop/scanlators become inactive. Most of the time it's out of my hands but when it is in my hands, I suppose it's a boring plot. Sure a manga may have irregular releases but it doesn't mean it's off my radar 100%. If it unexpectedly updates, it'd be a treat. Of course with my tastes in mangas changing over time, a once interesting manga can turn boring.

Really it takes a lot to bore me, takes awhile to register that the series is boring, and can be easily remedied by simply making the series not boring.

Really my choice is a tie between 2, 3, 5, 8, 14, and 15

If I can't keep up with/care about the plot or the main cast is completely unlikable I drop it like a hot potato.

I usually wait until it's done to read something, but I chose "No character development" with specific regards to Hitman Reborn, which really failed its promise due to the fact that Tsuna starts off and never really goes beyond being a fucking pansy. It's dull as shit. Reading Kenichi made me realize that, since he starts off the same way but steadily grows into one hell of a man by the end.

Also, whatever's wrong with Rave Master - there are plenty of things, but I can't choose one.

Oh, and HxH's lack of releases has made me stopped caring about it at all. Wish I could say the same for Berserk, but I'm way too interested in seeing where the story is going. Can't some hot fangirl just take a blow for the rest of us and entice him with some real sex in exchange for more chapters instead of that friggin' Idolm@ster or whatever the fuck he's doing.

generally I drop a series most often because of irregular releases. unless the series is really compelling, I'm not likely to remember what's going on with exceptionally long gaps between chapters. if I haven't completely lost interest, I'll put it on my hold list until the series is available in it's entirety. at which point I'll read it from start to finish. a less likely reason for me dropping a series is a lack of likable characters. it's hard for me to care about anything that happens when the entire cast are complete jackasses with no redeeming values.

there are a lot of factors for dropping a series, the first of course if it is boring (i don't understand how people can do read boring stuff just to critizice it), the plot veers is also one to take account (god of high school is a great example or the legend of maian second seasson). the confusing story is not bad if it is explained at some point (like in a fairytale for the demon lord the start od the second seasson), i try to read finished series or regular releases ones (i am hoping that someone continues countach).

I follow 50-90 manga series at the same time, so it is hard for me to keep track when the releases get too slow or irregular ( HxH is a huge example of this... I ended up dropping it because I forgot EVERYTHING except the main char's name)

Some times I also drop a manga when the plot veers off in a ridiculous or contemptible direction (AKA Fairy Tail, dropped after the Nakama-power filled time skip arc). Other times, I drop a manga if the author resorts to disgusting/stupid elements (using rape as fan service is NOT okay).

Most of the manga are just temporarily dropped, though, because I prefer to marathon through a series to completion.

I picked "Too many unlikable characters", but the truth is that I probably won't drop a series because of that. The only reason that would make me drop a series for real is bad translation (as in a lot of grammar mistakes and confusing sentences). Mind me, I know that scans are made by fans for free and I won't certainly complain, but I still wouldn't be able to enjoy the manga. Well, actually I would be a little pissed off too, because a group that is doing the job half-heartedly may have discouraged a more serious group to work on the same series. Proofreaders out there, people need to recognize your job more! Thank you guys XD


(Not being a native English speaker myself, I may have done some mistakes right now; the irony is strong)

There are lots of reasons but I’ll go with irregular releases. If there’s a series I initially liked and there are weekly releases, I’ll just continue reading it even if I don’t like it as much anymore. But when releases become irregular, I start wondering why I even bother reading that series and might drop it.

There can be several things, however there's one thing for me personally that stands out from the rest - poor pacing. Slow pacing, in particular. It's not as prevalent in manga though, as I can recall; the only radical example I can think of right now is Initial D, which is in a class of its own, though I never actually read it, I only had a peek at a few chapters and was quite astonished at how it was chapter after chapter with literally no progress at all. Mysterious Girlfriend X was another, way less annoying example, with the initial setting of "You're the first guy I'll ever have sex with" and the whole series ends after a hundred or so chapters with the guy barely having gotten to touch her ever, however something did happen in every chapter so I suppose that might count for something.

It's more tangibly annoying in anime, however. I disliked Gantz' second season, I disliked the ending of Akagi (even though I loved the rest of the series), I disliked Kill Me Baby, everything because the pacing slowed down to a snail's pace and I could practically sleep through sections of it without missing anything vital.

I don't mind if a plot is bad or boring, because even that can occasionally be funny in itself. I mind when nothing happens only for the sake of drawing out the length of the chapter/episode, because that REALLY feels like a waste of my time.

The only two mangas I dropped was Berserk after the eclipse and Tenjou Tenge since it was way too confusing.
It's hard for me to give up on manga although sometimes they piss me off: Bleach and Gantz going downhill, Medaka Box completely changing the plot, New Prince of Tennis changing into a stupid battle manga.