Do you think that there are many or even countless rejected mangas that were worthy of becoming a mainstream shonen anime?

[muirkerith]

Just imagine all the stories that could have been as popular as Naruto and Bleach

[Leyelle]

i think a lot of good stories in multiple genres fall under the radar regularly, so probably

[kyupol]

Of course there's probably a lot. Sometimes it's all about luck... Sometimes if it leads to something different from a particular desired agenda by the powers that be, it gets censored. Sometimes, they seep through the cracks... generally when it's a villain that spouts the truth. Or when it's subtly weaved in and not blatantly mentioned.

[ThunderChicken]

Absolutely. And it's not just manga. Becoming a successful writer or artist is probably 95% luck: The right pair of eyeballs has to land on your work. You can build a thousand, ten thousand, a million fans, but if the right people are not aware of your work it will not go anywhere. That is not to say that you should stop trying, but you shouldn't be creating solely to make yourself rich or popular. Enjoy making your stuff and maybe, just maybe, the right people will see it.

Heck, there are countless rejected TV shows, songs, musical artists, etc that are very good but just didn't get the recognition they deserved.

[NickRowler]

Wasn't Attack of Titan originally rejected from one publisher, so they took it to someone else?

There are probably a lot of cases where a story just doesn't fit with the theming of what the publisher or magazine is looking more. Like Shonen Jump tends to want stories for teenagers, that mostly appeal to boys. If you make something outside of that, they would probably reject it.

[ThunderChicken]

Probably the most famous comic of all time, Peanuts, had been rejected by dozens of newspapers. I think Calvin and Hobbes had several rejections as well.

[Lensing]

There is one being finished every second.

[Tubacabra]

For reference, the original Star Wars movie was rejected by United Artists, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and, ironically, Walt Disney Productions before Twentieth Century-Fox finally picked it up.

So yes. Countless potential blockbusters or mainstream series are rejected every year.

[thepenmonster]

It's sad that comics are now seen as just IP fodder for Netflix now. I guess that's where the money is so it makes sense.

I will say that I prefer comics that don't read like proofs of concept for TV, but it is what it is.