Yang Can't Live Alone Ends on Manga UP! After Creator-Publisher Trust Breaks
The publisher's admission that changing editors failed to restore trust is a rare public acknowledgment of editorial failure, and the creator's request for readers to cancel pre-orders signals an unusually open rupture in a creator-publisher relationship.
Key Facts
- Yang Can't Live Alone will end with Chapter 15-3 on August 13 on Square Enix's Manga UP! service.
- Creator sooncha announced the cancellation on August 3, citing a breakdown in trust with Manga UP!.
- The third compiled volume of Yang Can't Live Alone is still scheduled to ship on August 6.
- Square Enix acknowledged editorial shortcomings and said attempts to rebuild trust, including changing the editor, were unsuccessful.
- sooncha is in talks to have the copyright reverted to continue the series elsewhere.
Reporting from 3 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Corner, Animehunch.
The manga Yang Can't Live Alone is ending its serialization on Square Enix's Manga UP! service, following a public breakdown in trust between creator sooncha and the publisher. sooncha announced the decision on X on Monday, August 3, stating that the series will conclude with the third part of Chapter 15 on August 13. The creator cited a "breakdown in the relationship of trust" with Manga UP! as the reason for the cancellation. sooncha is currently in talks with the editorial department to have the copyright reverted so the story can continue elsewhere. The third compiled volume remains scheduled for release on August 6, and sooncha noted that publication could not be halted in either print or digital format. The creator advised readers uncomfortable with the situation to cancel their pre-orders. Manga UP! issued its own statement on August 4, acknowledging shortcomings in how the assigned editor handled serialization and promotional work, and admitting that attempts to rebuild trust, including changing the editor, were unsuccessful. The publisher apologized to readers and the creator. The series launched on Manga UP! in December 2024, and the second volume shipped on November 7.
sooncha's announcement came just days before the release of the third compiled volume, which is still set to ship on August 6. The creator said it was no longer possible to halt publication in either print or digital format, and asked readers who had concerns to cancel their pre-orders if they wished. The series will end with Chapter 15-3 on August 13, and details about removing chapters from Manga UP! and ending digital volume distribution will be announced through the app at a later date.
Manga UP! Global publishes the series digitally in English, and Square Enix Manga & Books had licensed the manga for an English print release, originally announcing the first volume for September 15. The publisher's statement on August 4 acknowledged "shortcomings in how the assigned editor handled the serialization and promotional work," and said attempts to rebuild trust, including changing the editor in charge, were unsuccessful. Square Enix apologized to readers and the creator, expressing regret over damaging sooncha's trust and disappointing fans.
The series began on Manga UP! in December 2024, and the second volume shipped on November 7. The story follows Yuu, a serious college student, and Yang, a Chinese exchange student, who form a "professional" relationship that develops into romance.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News Yang Can't Live Alone Manga Ends Publication
- Anime Corner Square Enix Ends Yang Can’t Live Alone After Editorial Issues, Says Trust With Creator Could Not Be Rebuilt
- Animehunch Yang Can’t Live Alone Creator Pulls Series From Square Enix’s Manga UP! Over Broken Trust With Publisher