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It’s been an interesting year for me as aWeekly Shonen Jumpmanga fanatic, enjoying Shueisha’s stories since the old days of VIZ Media’s short-livedShōnen Jumpmagazine. Gone are my days as a shaggy-haired pre-teen cracking open the latest localized chapters ofNaruto,One Piece, andHikaru no Goas I turn toward the future with heavy hitters likeJujutsu KaisenandMy Hero Academiabowing out. Thus begins a predictable panic, wondering what will carry the publication, but the truth isWeekly Shōnen Jumpis not in danger, thanks to factors including anime and years of precedents.
A major factor that typically helps newshōnenmanga succeed is a popular anime adaptation, with recent adaptations ofWeekly Shōnen Jump’sThe Elusive SamuraiandShōnen Jump+‘sDan Da Danserving as strong examples. For viewers in the West, much of that is derived from hype over visual spectacle from the animated adaptation and appreciation for the source material, resulting in boosts. Despite the United States not even being the largest non-Japanese manga market,feverish demand for new series makes departingShōnen Jumpmainstays less of a concernin light of increasingly diversified offerings.
Multiple Huge Anime in 2024 Prove Shōnen Jump Isn’t Going Anywhere
Dan Da Dan and The Elusive Samurai Attain Success in Back-to-Back Seasons
After accurately predicting that the world would bewowed byThe Elusive Samurai’svisualsin the Summer 2024 anime season, and attending screenings, reviewing screeners, and interviewing cast and staff forDan Da Dan, I’ll confidently declare Shueisha’s manga properties are in no danger. People were amazed by CloverWorks’ joyful rendition of motion inThe Elusive Samurai, whileDan Da Dan’sglorious spread of action, romance, and supernatural elements satisfied a broad spectrum of demand. But it’s always important to see what effect this anime has on its manga.
A big component of these stories' success is that they’re made toelevate the source material to its greatest potential instead of merely adapting it to the screen to advertise the manga. The result is an authentic and cinematic presentation that drives sales. At the same time,Dan Da Danrepresents its digital publication,Jump+‘sgrowth, andThe Elusive Samuraiperformed so well upon its debut thatan emergency manga reprint was necessary. However, these two anime are not merely isolated examples of howShōnen Jumpmanga can thrive after their anime adaptations.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles, despite ending its manga in 2023, has a thriving anime fandom and, alongsideDan Da Dan,isbolstered by equally iconic opening themes thanks to Creepy Nuts. AnotherWeekly Shōnen Jumpanime making stunning waves domestically in Japan isBlue Box, debuting at #3 on the top 10 TV shows onNetflix, its simulcast streaming home.Blue Boxgot a similarly large boost toDan Da Danthanks to its anime, joiningOricon’stop 10 alongside mainstay hits likeJujutsu Kaisenand viral newcomerKagurabachi.
Each new anime indicates a bright future for their ongoing manga and strong growth for their adaptations, provided the quality is well-managed. Another impressive aspect ofWeekly Shonen Jump’sincreasingly common anime adaptations is a steady feed of new upcoming series,like 2025’sSakamoto Daysor the upcoming WIT Studio adaptation ofYaiba.But beyond the anime boost’s inevitable lift for individual manga series, it’s important to remember that there’s always a transition period where people fear forShōnen Jump’sfuture.
Shonen Jump Always Encounters a Transition Period with Departing Hits
A Change of the Guard Is Only Natural
While I feel ancient mentioning this, as a child of the 90s, I can’t help but note howJujutsu KaisenandMy Hero Academia’sdeparture is nothing new in theshōnenmanga scene, and isn’t especially concerning.Current hits likeKagurabachihave rapidly emerged in the past year, newcomers likeShinobi Undercovershow promising impressions on Manga Plus, and ’90s hitsOne PieceandHunter x Hunterare still ongoing. This is no coincidence, with previous instances showing a pattern of other series emerging to carry the torch forShōnen Jumphits once they leave.
Shonen Jump’s New Ninja Manga Is the Modern Naruto Fans Were Waiting For
With the hottest properties of Weekly Shonen Jump bowing out over the weeks and months,Shinobi Undercover is the modern Naruto fans deserve.
In 2020,Jujutsu Kaisengot its anime adaptation, ultimately getting a 650% sales boost on its manga as reported byOtaku USA, against fears of hits likeDemon Slayer, The Promised Neverland, Haikyuu!!, and Chainsaw ManPart 1 all exiting. It’s a common concern, and as a lad who was dismayed at the prospect ofNarutoending in 2014, little did I know thatMy Hero Academiawas out earlier that year and poised to be another all-timer. While the allure of the Shōnen Big Three is still absent in contemporary series,a legion of smaller bestsellers stands instead.
Reaching back to 1994,Yu Yu Hakushoand 1996’sDragon Quest: The Adventure of Daisold upwards of 50 million copies. They were, too, followed byHunter x HunterandOne Piece.The hype cycle continues thirty years later, withnew prospects poised to dominate public discourse in subsequent years. But looking at these, I can’t help but note a surprising fact about the manga industry.
Despite Massive Best-Sellers, Shonen Jump Physical Sales Are Still Declining
Greater Focus on Digital Manga Has Its Downsides
There was no greater recent boost to manga sales than the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020. According toPublishers Weekly,a 68.5% year-over-year increase in manga sales was reported in the North American manga market for 2021. This remarkable growth has slowed since then. However, American publishers are still chasing ways to emulate even more impressive markets, like France’s, which is second only to Japan for manga consumption. But even with these noteworthy trends,j-magazinenotes an annual decline inWeekly Shōnen Jumpmagazine sales.
While individual graphic novel volumes are strong, this indicatesa larger shift to the increasingly available legal options to read manga digitally, includingShōnen Jump’slatest offerings. With 6 million monthly active users on Manga Plus, it’s easier than ever to access manga digitally. However, even then,Jump+originals likeDandadanmight still sell fewer volumes thanBlue Boxdespite debuting within a week of each other. Following the data trail is tricky when trackingWeekly Shōnen Jump’shot new manga, and while there’s not yet another megahit, the mind boggles at the sheer variety now available.
Shonen Jump
Shonen Jumpis one of Japan’s most successful manga anthology franchises, published by Shueisha. Launched in 1968, it is the source of some of the most beloved and popular anime and manga series, such asOne Piece,Dragon Ball, andNaruto. The franchise has extended into multiple adaptations across various media, including anime, films, video games, and merchandise.
