This Week in Anime
(Shonen) Jump Right In
by Lucas DeRuyter & Coop Bicknell,
Coop and Lucas browse the Shonen Jump app to sort out the good, the bad, and the Fujimoto-flavored.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.
Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead.
Chainsaw Man, Fire Punch, Dear Anemone, Wild Strawberry, Ruri Dragon, Psych House, Blue Box, Green Green Greens, Beat & Motion, BAKUMAN, Mama Yūyū, Ichi the Witch, Slayers, Hunter X Hunter, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, One Piece, Kagurabachi, Naruto, and DOGSRED are available on Viz's Shonen Jump app and Shueisha's MANGA Plus website.
@RiderStrike
|
@BWProwl
|
@LucasDeRuyter
|
@vestenet
|
Lucas
Happy 2025, Coop! We've got a new year ahead of us! It's time to check in on the biggest name in manga, Weekly Shonen Jump.
2024 marked a lot of big changes in the publication, which means that 2025 is set to be a transitional year for the magazine, giving us plenty to talk about!
Happy 2025, Coop! We've got a new year ahead of us! It's time to check in on the biggest name in manga, Weekly Shonen Jump.
2024 marked a lot of big changes in the publication, which means that 2025 is set to be a transitional year for the magazine, giving us plenty to talk about!
Coop
Happy New Year, Lucas! We have a nice stack of Jump topics to flip through—from certain creative trends to our favorite current titles!
Let's get that first point out of the way because those trends certainly affected the titles I gravitated toward while browsing the SJ App. The primary trend I speak of? An abundance of gritty and dour titles that take copious notes from Chainsaw Man, Fire Punch, and Tatsuki Fujimoto's other work. After starting the third or fourth title that kicked off with a horrifying apocalypse, I found myself checking out fast.
Happy New Year, Lucas! We have a nice stack of Jump topics to flip through—from certain creative trends to our favorite current titles!
Let's get that first point out of the way because those trends certainly affected the titles I gravitated toward while browsing the SJ App. The primary trend I speak of? An abundance of gritty and dour titles that take copious notes from Chainsaw Man, Fire Punch, and Tatsuki Fujimoto's other work. After starting the third or fourth title that kicked off with a horrifying apocalypse, I found myself checking out fast.
By my count, there are 24 titles currently running in the magazine, 12 titles that were either canceled or ended last year, eight new additions to the Shonen superpower, and two(ish) long-awaited returns to the magazine. We don't have a moment to lose!
When I think of new Jump titles that have tried to replicate the success of Shonen Jump's newer and more mature alumnus, Dear Anemone is the first that comes to mind! Launching and ending in 2024, I tried a few chapters, but it's so edgy that I got a metaphorical paper cut and dropped it pretty quickly.
When I think of new Jump titles that have tried to replicate the success of Shonen Jump's newer and more mature alumnus, Dear Anemone is the first that comes to mind! Launching and ending in 2024, I tried a few chapters, but it's so edgy that I got a metaphorical paper cut and dropped it pretty quickly.
If I'm honest, I forgot that I'd read Dear Anemone until you mentioned it. I can't remember a thing about it other than plant monster stands. Looking at this art reminds me of a title I immediately bounced off: Wild Strawberry.
Post-apocalypse? Check. A little sister who meets a terrible fate? Check. A part of a loved one becomes the source of the hero's monstrous powers? Check. I'm not against taking inspiration from another title, but I couldn't help but taste a "Fujimoto" flavoring worked into the series' batter. Similar to people who don't care for grape or banana artificial flavoring, it's not my favorite, and Dear Anemone seemed to have some that artificial flavoring, too.
Post-apocalypse? Check. A little sister who meets a terrible fate? Check. A part of a loved one becomes the source of the hero's monstrous powers? Check. I'm not against taking inspiration from another title, but I couldn't help but taste a "Fujimoto" flavoring worked into the series' batter. Similar to people who don't care for grape or banana artificial flavoring, it's not my favorite, and Dear Anemone seemed to have some that artificial flavoring, too.
To its credit, the art direction in Wild Strawberry is pretty inspiring, but I also bounced off of this manga. The MC's sister is more of a plot device than an actual person, wilted my interest pretty quickly, and a buddy (hi, Georgia!) let me know that the cast ends up being filled with one-dimensional supporting characters.
Wild Strawberry is a Jump+ title, a digital manga platform owned by Shueisha. While not all of its titles are simultaneously released abroad, the ones that do are also hosted on the Shonen Jump App and MANGA Plus, which makes it harder than ever for international audiences to keep trends in the magazine separate from Shueisha's broader initiatives, haha.
Wild Strawberry is a Jump+ title, a digital manga platform owned by Shueisha. While not all of its titles are simultaneously released abroad, the ones that do are also hosted on the Shonen Jump App and MANGA Plus, which makes it harder than ever for international audiences to keep trends in the magazine separate from Shueisha's broader initiatives, haha.
It threw me for a loop! Grouping titles from Jump, +, and SQ all together makes for a confusing catalog, especially with some of the whiplash between the themes in certain titles. If you're like most people (myself included) who just check out what's in the app, you assume that the current simulpubs are all part of a singular Shonen Jump. When I look at the list of current titles that hit it off with me, they're spread across all those imprints. Same with the ones that didn't click.
It also doesn't help that some of Shueisha's best titles, like Chainsaw Man and Ruri Dragon, have jumped from the print version of Jump to the digital, Jump+ platform.
However, that touches on another trend I'm noticing in Shonen Jump: there are fewer of what people would consider as traditional shonen titles than ever before! Though the more mature entries are largely relegated to Jump+, the magazine proper now features a few series where women are the main characters, like Akane-banashi and the short-lived Psych House, and manga that focuses pretty overtly on romances, like Blue Box.
I've long championed that "shonen" is more of a target demographic signifier than a dedicated genre, and should be principally considered as such in both industry analysis and media criticism, and I'm feeling pretty validated now that the king of shonen is playing it fast and loose with those distinctions as well.
However, that touches on another trend I'm noticing in Shonen Jump: there are fewer of what people would consider as traditional shonen titles than ever before! Though the more mature entries are largely relegated to Jump+, the magazine proper now features a few series where women are the main characters, like Akane-banashi and the short-lived Psych House, and manga that focuses pretty overtly on romances, like Blue Box.
I've long championed that "shonen" is more of a target demographic signifier than a dedicated genre, and should be principally considered as such in both industry analysis and media criticism, and I'm feeling pretty validated now that the king of shonen is playing it fast and loose with those distinctions as well.
The collective Shonen Jump has opened itself up to stories that don't necessarily fit into the square box we've been familiar with for decades. But at the same time, the greats of shojo must get their flowers. Because stories like "Shihei Lin made Yukinobu Tatsu read one hundred shojo titles" can sometimes give off the impression of those titles as lesser. This is far from the truth when some of the greatest manga and anime of all time have taken cues from the works of titans like Riyoko Ikeda and Moto Hagio.
Maybe this is me being petty, but they either need to release that list of shojo manga or stop trotting out that talking point. Equating shojo influences with good character and relationship writing is super reductive, and I'm getting tired of that enduring framing.
To get back to the magazine, how are you feeling about everything Jump got up to last year? Are any new releases standing out to you? Are there any cancellations that hit especially hard? I, for one, was bummed that their latest attempt at a golf manga, Green Green Greens, didn't have legs. It didn't measure up to my beloved Robot x Laserbeam, so I can't be too upset.
To get back to the magazine, how are you feeling about everything Jump got up to last year? Are any new releases standing out to you? Are there any cancellations that hit especially hard? I, for one, was bummed that their latest attempt at a golf manga, Green Green Greens, didn't have legs. It didn't measure up to my beloved Robot x Laserbeam, so I can't be too upset.
Hmm... There weren't any cancellations that got under my skin, but there were two titles that I found myself coming back to every time I'd open the app for a binge—the aforementioned RuriDragon by Masaoki Shindō and Naoki Fujita's Beat & Motion. While the former has been covered in this column before, I have to say... everyone is sleeping on Beat & Motion.
Born from Fujita's victory on the Jump+ reality show MILLION TAG, the series grabbed me with its incredibly relatable story about a pair of young creatives who slowly fall for each other. Unlike the weirdness occasionally portrayed between the main couple in BAKUMAN, Beat & Motion places equal emphasis on Tatsuhiko and Nico as they pursue their respective disciplines—animation and music. It also differs from other titles about being creative in that it drives home the doldrums of that work and how it can strain relationships from time to time.
Oh, and by the way, if Shueisha never reveals that list of shojo titles... I know someone who's got a pretty solid one already.
Born from Fujita's victory on the Jump+ reality show MILLION TAG, the series grabbed me with its incredibly relatable story about a pair of young creatives who slowly fall for each other. Unlike the weirdness occasionally portrayed between the main couple in BAKUMAN, Beat & Motion places equal emphasis on Tatsuhiko and Nico as they pursue their respective disciplines—animation and music. It also differs from other titles about being creative in that it drives home the doldrums of that work and how it can strain relationships from time to time.
Oh, and by the way, if Shueisha never reveals that list of shojo titles... I know someone who's got a pretty solid one already.
Looks like I'm one of those people because I've also been sleeping on Beat & Motion. That's a great pitch, and I'll make time to catch up on it this year, as I'm lucky enough to spend a big chunk of my waking hours on creative pursuits, and I am maybe the exact target audience for this manga.
I think it would gel with you if this image is anything to go on...
As for canceled series, the only other one I can think to shout out is Mama Yūyū, which became a regular "so bad it's good" read for me. While it also has some sexist pitfalls (the "Mama" that makes up one-half of the title doesn't participate in the vast majority of this story), it is interesting to see Jump greenlight more fantasy and adventure-focused stories now that One Piece might finally be sailing towards its finish line.
"Mama's," eh? I think Lynzee might have another great list article on her hands. Your mention of fantasy-focused stories brings me to a fairly fresh title that hit me with an electric jolt of "I would've loved this as a kid"—Ichi the Witch
A feral wolf boy somehow becomes a witch in a world where the concept is unheard of. Sign me up! And I'm not much of a fantasy guy! Ichi is just filled to the brim with goofy, 90s-esque fantasy fun. I honestly couldn't turn off the Slayers alarm in my head.
The series doesn't take itself too seriously either, which is a much-needed breath of fresh air right now.
A feral wolf boy somehow becomes a witch in a world where the concept is unheard of. Sign me up! And I'm not much of a fantasy guy! Ichi is just filled to the brim with goofy, 90s-esque fantasy fun. I honestly couldn't turn off the Slayers alarm in my head.
The series doesn't take itself too seriously either, which is a much-needed breath of fresh air right now.
I'm holding off on my Ichi enthusiasm until we have a better sense of the long-term storyline and the themes it will tackle, but it's certainly making a strong impact out of the gate! A big part of its early appeal lies in its catchy character designs, that's always been a strong suit for the artist of this manga, Shiro Usazaki. It's also great to see her back in Jump after her previous work act-age was canceled due to the writer on that project getting arrested.
I'm glad that she's back in the saddle after that situation. Just imagine if all of the convicted predators who work in manga were as swiftly taken care of as her previous co-worker was...
If nothing else, it'd be a healthier and safer industry!
Damn straight! But that key issue aside, are there any new titles that caught your eye, Lucas?
Well, I'm very curious to see if Syd Craft: Love Is a Mystery will end up having legs. While this isn't Jump's first foray into detective fiction (does anyone else remember i tell c from awhile back?), I think the genre is big enough to allow for more than just Detective Conan to play in this pool. Syd Craft is also the latest manga from Taishi Tsutsui, who penned the former Jump title We Never Learn. While that series wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I'm going to keep an eye on anyone who pulled off a multi-year run in Jump.
But I would LOVE to hear what you think about the biggest shake ups in Jump this past year, the conclusion of both My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen? After all, they're two of the most commercially successful series to run in the magazine as of late.
I would LOVE to hear what you think about the biggest shake-ups in Jump this past year, the conclusion of both My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen. After all, they're two of the most commercially successful series to run in the magazine as of late.
But I would LOVE to hear what you think about the biggest shake ups in Jump this past year, the conclusion of both My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen? After all, they're two of the most commercially successful series to run in the magazine as of late.
I would LOVE to hear what you think about the biggest shake-ups in Jump this past year, the conclusion of both My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen. After all, they're two of the most commercially successful series to run in the magazine as of late.
It's been interesting as someone who's only interacted with both titles via cultural osmosis. I got the impression that My Hero had run its course, and it was time for Horikoshi to put it to bed. Meanwhile, it sounded like JJK did a swan dive that's been often compared to the conclusion of Bleach. I'm sad to see both series go for folks who saw them as their favorite thing, but they feel like series I just missed the age boat on. Like when someone says they were just a little too old when Power Rangers, Turtles, or Toonami got big, if that makes sense.
And I know that example makes me sound very old.
And I know that example makes me sound very old.
I think that's a fair read on both of them! The only addendum I would add is that I think MHA got a bit bloated, and couldn't quite square its conflicting themes by the end of its run. That being said, I've written elsewhere about how both series have crystalized different moments in the global anime and manga industries, and that their ending within a few months of each other means that things are about to get a little weird in both spaces.
When you put it that way, both series ending almost resembles creating a power vacuum. I can only imagine how much that vacuum will suck whenever One Piece weighs anchor for the last time.
A lot of fans and professionals are trying to intuit what the next mega-hit in the industry will be. However, I don't think we'll see many more medium-dominating releases like these soon. Instead, I think the next few years of Jump will be defined by One Piece finally ending and a more eclectic array of mid-sized hits bringing in readership.
For instance, Kagurabachi is one of my favorite titles running in Jump because of its breakneck pace and focus on action over lore and worldbuilding. However, those same qualities make it hard to imagine it blowing up in the same way series like Naruto, MHA or even Bleach did; I think modern audiences expect their IP to be a bit more wiki-friendly. Will Kagurabachi get big once it gets an anime? Almost certainly, but it's hard to imagine anything in Jump becoming an almost manga monoculture like the Big 3 when we were younger.
For instance, Kagurabachi is one of my favorite titles running in Jump because of its breakneck pace and focus on action over lore and worldbuilding. However, those same qualities make it hard to imagine it blowing up in the same way series like Naruto, MHA or even Bleach did; I think modern audiences expect their IP to be a bit more wiki-friendly. Will Kagurabachi get big once it gets an anime? Almost certainly, but it's hard to imagine anything in Jump becoming an almost manga monoculture like the Big 3 when we were younger.
In some respects, it almost feels like Fujimoto's gonna ride in on a wrecking ball, screaming, "There's no big three; it's just big me." Well, depending on what he wants to do that is. Like you said, it seems we'll be in a wild west unless something takes off overnight. Which could happen, you never know.
But if that makes more room for amazing screwball sports series like Satoru Noda's DOGSRED, sign me up, coach.
I swear, this all makes sense in context once you start to get a feeling for Dogsred's cast and the corner of Hokkaido they live in. The series follows Rou, a junior ice skater who is sent to live with his grandfather up north after a personal tragedy erupts in a violent public meltdown. But overtime, this arrogant skater comes to develop a passion for hockey. Mainly because the sport presents a new way to push his skills to the limit. Even if he keeps high-sticking all the time.
Dogsred carries on in the strong Slam Dunk tradition of engrossing sports stories with a bit of edge to its characters. And much of the edge comes from Noda's absurd sense of humor that he'd developed while writing Golden Kamuy. It's bawdy and often crass, but it never fails to make me chuckle. You've really got to give it to Noda for more or less using his success to bully his editors into re-envisioning an older series of his. In this case, his 2011 series Supinamarada!
I'd also have to admit that this series hit something of a soft spot, as my alma mater is located in a huge hockey town up in the middle of nowhere. I even operated a camera in a few broadcasts of the college team's games. My camera work was admittedly a little jerky, though.
But if that makes more room for amazing screwball sports series like Satoru Noda's DOGSRED, sign me up, coach.
I swear, this all makes sense in context once you start to get a feeling for Dogsred's cast and the corner of Hokkaido they live in. The series follows Rou, a junior ice skater who is sent to live with his grandfather up north after a personal tragedy erupts in a violent public meltdown. But overtime, this arrogant skater comes to develop a passion for hockey. Mainly because the sport presents a new way to push his skills to the limit. Even if he keeps high-sticking all the time.
Dogsred carries on in the strong Slam Dunk tradition of engrossing sports stories with a bit of edge to its characters. And much of the edge comes from Noda's absurd sense of humor that he'd developed while writing Golden Kamuy. It's bawdy and often crass, but it never fails to make me chuckle. You've really got to give it to Noda for more or less using his success to bully his editors into re-envisioning an older series of his. In this case, his 2011 series Supinamarada!
I'd also have to admit that this series hit something of a soft spot, as my alma mater is located in a huge hockey town up in the middle of nowhere. I even operated a camera in a few broadcasts of the college team's games. My camera work was admittedly a little jerky, though.
I hope that Jump keeps expanding the kinds of stories it runs between its illustrious covers and that folks start checking out what other publications have to offer. Even if Shueisha still owns them, we talked a lot about manga from Jump+ and Young Jump today, and I'm increasingly convinced that the best the manga medium has to offer is no longer concentrated under the Shonen Jump banner.
And you know what, chatting about that ever-widening spread of great manga has been a wonderful way to ring into the new year! To close it all off, here's one last series I'd love to mention before we go—Esu Omori's Shiba Inu Rooms.
A troubled high schooler ends up forging a deep bond with the talking Shiba Inu who haunts her apartment—Mu-chan! And that's not all, the whole complex is haunted by sheebs! What follow is a touching (and at times incredibly sad) story of a small community bound by their love for their spectral furry friends. If you are or have been a pet owner, it's sure to hit you right in the heart. I know it had me tearing up thinking about my favorite furballs.
And with that, here's to another year of great stories ahead!
A troubled high schooler ends up forging a deep bond with the talking Shiba Inu who haunts her apartment—Mu-chan! And that's not all, the whole complex is haunted by sheebs! What follow is a touching (and at times incredibly sad) story of a small community bound by their love for their spectral furry friends. If you are or have been a pet owner, it's sure to hit you right in the heart. I know it had me tearing up thinking about my favorite furballs.
And with that, here's to another year of great stories ahead!
discuss this in the forum (1 post) |
bookmark/share with:
