Interest
Viz Teases "Exciting" Shonen Jump Announcement, Then Clarifies It's Not NFTs
posted on by Kim Morrissy
On Tuesday, Viz's official Shonen Jump Twitter account teased an "exciting announcement" for tomorrow, hinting that fans will be able to show their love "in a whole new way."
Soon you'll be able to show your Shonen Jump love in a whole new way. Exciting announcement tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/bXKwJwDqtk
— Shonen Jump (@shonenjump) January 18, 2022
Twitter users immediately assumed the worst, perceiving the vague wording as hinting an NFT or cryptocurrency monetization rollout. Several hours later, the account tweeted "It's not NFTs" with a smile emoji. The relief expressed in the replies and quote retweets was palpable, with the clarifying tweet receiving over 40,000 more likes than the preceding one.
The NFT (Non-Fungible Token) boom has been picking up steam in the anime and manga industries in recent months, but the practice of attaching art to NFTs has also attracted concern in art communities around potential scams, money laundering, and their environmental impact.
Earlier this month, Square Enix's president and representative director Yosuke Matsuda faced online backlash after his New Year's letter indicated a strong interest in pursuing NFTs and blockchain games for the company.
