Mag Talk Weekly Shonen Jump [2021] - Discussion and ToC Talk

[KiMiTo]

Pretty strong issue. My rank of this week chapters:
Great:
Jujutsu Kaisen - Gege got no chill. It's only the start of the new arc and the hype is already real.
Sakamoto Days - that was so lit, and art is very cool.
My Hero Academia - great character development.
I tell C - best chapter yet.

Good:
Build King - imo its best chapter. When Shimabukuro actually tries, he can pull interesting stuffs, but maybe it's too late.
Kowloon's Ball Parade - a fine second chapter. The plot is moving on. I like the direction.
Witch Watch - a chapter full of references, funny one.

Meh:
The Elusive Samurai - nothing interesting here.

 

[James Rye]

Wow, Yozakura's cover is so dreamy~ <3

I've liked the Kowloon's Ball Parade CP. Giving me good vibes.

You can vote in the Undead Unluck poll as expected: http://www.shonenjump.com/j/vote_undead/

Fuuko all the way!!!
Unseen's picture actually made me laugh, wonder how many gonna vote for him. xD

Kowloons Ch. 2

I was hoping they included that box somewhere in the first chapter, and yup lol.

Spoiler

When I saw her pop out of that box in ch.2, I insta checked the first chapter to see if the box has been there and when I found it, it gave me a good chuckle. If you think of it, it looks like such a weird box but with only ch.1 you wouldn't either notice at all or not think too deeply about it. ^^

Haven't done one of those in a while:

UU: Dang, what an ending. Really shows how good and strong a person Unknown is. He could have taken the easy way out but didn't because he is aware of the consequences. Damn sad, very actiony, good teamplay with Rip and Latla and ofc the LCP was very nice. I like those kinds of CPs.

MHA: Honestly, both of them are shitty parents.

JjK: I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed to reread all this 'cause right now I am Confusious about nearly everything happening.

TES: Uhm, okay? Those many tiny eyes in the eye part was pretty creepy, alright but not as creepy as the smiles of the "trust-worthy retainers". Man, the Mikado were naive af.

M&R; Lol, that transformation was unexpected. XD

NDBP: I liked the chapter putting more focus on Tao as well as Karin showing up offering them a way to do the impossible. Can't wait to see the school and what the catch is that Karin is doing her recruiting this way with a box ala Solid Snake.

Mashle: Gotta hope they find him fast or else this is game over.

itc: Okay, we're Conan now? I liked the three spending more time together, it's good to see them interact more to build/define their relationship. The 4th guy seems like he will be a recurring character which I don't mind as he got a similar craziness to himself like Risa.

DS: Thank god for soldiers still following their training and rules even after the world ended.

WW: Welp, so much for only closest friends. But given how eccentric this class is, I got a feeling those two will fit right in there. Poor Moi destroying his reputation on day 1. XD

BC: Not reading.

M:YF: Next fight, 'kay.

SD: Really liked the drunken fight and Sakamoto owning his opponent and the end of the chapter was just awesome sauce. That "hard-boiled" mirror in bloody coolness was really great, dunno why, but I enjoyed those two sitting like that after their battle. Hope those new two assassins gonna become a big important part of the growing SD cast.

AT: Someone's jealous of someone else height and cool background story. And what is the solution? Cute girly clothes! And I totally wouldn't mind 20 pages of Matsuri in different kind of fashion. He is best girl for a reason after all. RIP Ninokuro's mind and innocence though. Also Suzu really needs to keep an eye on Reo, that girl is willing to go all the way any way. XD

Magu-chan: More blob demon gods meetings please! Also smart way of avoiding to have to draw much background by the mangaka.^^

HSF: Cat chapter. Fat cat always good for a chuckle.

PS: Hm, wished for more creepiness tbh.

HBC&D: Oooooookay, I know a dolphin dad who will not be happy about this "development", young lady.

BK: *For XX years zero people got through this te-what, we got 9 who just did that???* Oh well, time for the 2nd test. I kinda wanted the mask guy to be a mask girl, but okay.

SxF: A Yuri chapter? Unexpected but still good.

Exme,D: For a second I thought Ai really summoned something, lol.

K#8: Shinomiya going full Konami! (yeah, I know WT wasn't the first girlxHUGE AXE trope, but whatever) VC earning more and more fanpoints with each chapter. I can see him becoming a fanfavorite in future popularity polls, like top5 characters.

 

[Discomusic]

1. Jujutsu Kaisen: It's since the end of the last arc got confusional that I wasn't able to enjoy a chapter of JJK this much. Cool, fast, hyping. Three chapters in and this new arc is already over the set-up phase and is preparing to deliver.
2. Nine Dragons'Ball Parade: Unexpected second place. The choice of focusing the chapter on character estabilishment is very brave and works for its execution. The new addition to the cast is interesting and many more will soon follow. This may become a lesson on how you should execute the most common spokon tropes for a great reception.
3. Undead Unluck: I wanted to put it lower becuase I didn't like the fact that this chapter was essentially a recap, and that the fight has been cut short. But putting all of this together creates a little piece of art so I'll just stop nitpicking and listen to how much I actually enjoyed the chapter.
4. Dr. Stone: We've put away the science part for great war tactics and characters interaction! That's the Dr. Stone I love.
5. Hard-boiled Cop and Dolphin: Since we all know where we are heading for, we can just try to enjoy this for what it is: a dying series trying to shoot off all its bullets before the end. Not many series sharing this fate manage to remain this enjoyable at their final chapters (for those who like the series at least).
6. Me & Roboco: Another boring chapter...until the ending gag. That was so hilarious that I can't pretend it didn't save the whole chapter. Actually, this is not the first time it happens with Roboco.
7. Sakamoto Days: Here we have a similar story, an average chapter saved by the most hard-boiled final page that I have ever seen. That page has been drew by the God of Cool itself.
8. Mashle: Nice and funny chapter overall. Is it Finn's turn to shine? We always hoped for this moment to come. LCP to Finn next week, please.
9. Magu-chan: God of Destruction: It's always nice when the Gods take center stage ("adult nightlife" chapter is still one of the best for the series). Apparently we have a plot to look forward to.
10. The Elusive Samurai: Better than the previous chapters, we set up something for the main villain (I am worried about that demoniac image, though) and we provide the main party with a tutorial quest so that we can get to know them better. The main problem remain though: why these two events are so disconnected and yet they belong to the same chapter?
11. Phantom Seer: It's slowing increasing its ranks because of the creepiness and the ability to put up some interesting horror scenarios. I still need for something more investing character-wise.
12. Mission: Yozakura Family: Good, but very transitional. The upcoming fight can be interesting, we don't know much from this Yozakura member.
13. i tell c: I liked the first pages of comedy (is it the series' first attempt to that?), not so much the rest. Question: how many series with those character's trivia bits at the sides were ever successful? Last one with such feature I remember was Moriking.
14. My Hero Academia: I will admit this backstory didn't do much for me, I was hoping for something more. How the family will deal with the situation at present time can become interesting though.
15. Black Clover: Our heroes have come to the rescue! This is more enjoyable if read with the Avengers' theme in background.
16. Highschool Family: Like Roboco, mediocre chapter saved by the extremely funny final gag. Unlike Roboco, overall enjoyment is still very low.
17. Witch Watch: I voted this for best first chapter and look what is happening already! I am newbie for romcom genre though, so maybe I still have to create a proper mindset for this kind of dynamics.
18. Build King: Still not working. Is there a reason why we have to expose these much different characters all at once? Mashle (a manga I don't always like) is doing an exam arc with many new characters, but it doesn't feel so heavy to read. To find a small positive, I liked the "badmouth my clan but don't mess with me" joke.
19. Ayakashi Triangle: Sorry Ayakashi, no hard feelings but you know the rules: if you come with a chapter based on fanservice and with no actual progression, I have to put you again at the back of the line. I hope you enjoyed your first poisition last week!

 

[Wookitake]

HBCP will end soon enough. I didn't like what they revealed. I guess it's accelerating towards the end. I hope they turn Ochako to a kid again.

Kowloon's girl is just like that coach from Kuroko. Meh.

I'm really liking WW. Let's see if I grow tired of the gags.

Elusive Samurai is worthy just for me to read about the history of japan afterwards. But if truth be told, Bill Wurtz's video was a better way to learn about it.

 

[Kushikime]

I can't agree kowloon and magu were good, and k tell c, very good. Build king was pretty meh instead

Ball Parade just kinda lost me with the Catcher being a bit too whiny. I know that’ll change though because it wouldn’t be fun if he was constantly whining. Not a big deal. The other ones I could totally see in the spots you mentioned.

 

[Bomber D Rufi]

I felt like this issue was overall not weak, but just...ordinary? Nothing exciting or outright horrible.

JJK: Liked it, but it also felt like nothing really happened. I get this is all set up right now, but I'd rather see how the other characters are fairing at the moment and I wish we could have seen that before plowing into the next thing. Otherwise yeah nothing big to speak of.

UU: Very good use of paneling and narration. I admit I was losing some interest during the arc but the payoff at the end of the chapter made it well worth hanging in there.

Mashle: Another one that was just set up, but the character interactions made it hilarious. It helps that the translation is top notch too.

Sakamoto: That last page is going to live rent free in my head for a long time. I'd say it was the best chapter of the week in my opinion. Everything from the art and the characters just clicks and fits together in a way that makes for a fun diversion. I'm not sure if I want to see more out of it storywise or stick to these short arcs, but I trust it'll handle either scenario well.

Elusive: It clicked with me after the last chapter and now it feels like Matsui is leaning more into what makes his series unique. Not perfect by any means but the return of the Matsuisms (freaky art, weird asides, etc) have got me a little more invested as well as the vassals being introduced giving them a bit more agency. Now it all comes down to whether the characters can lift what the plot delivers.

I tell C: I don't personally have any feelings for this one but I guess I'm intrigued enough to keep reading. I still don't find the central gimmick all that compelling, but I'm willing to let the series state it's case as to why I should care. Maybe a longer arc will make or break this.

Yozakura: I'm usually not into long fights but I've been invested in this arc because of the slightly better than most character development throughout the series so far. Not to mention the artwork seems to be only getting better as the series continues. That being said I'm more curious about where this'll be headed after this arc ends than current events, admittedly.

WW: It's weird. I really want to like this but the humor feels....forced? At least compared to Sket Dance anyway. I don't care one bit about romance in any media so that does nothing for me, but I was hoping at least with Shinohara's sense of humor I could kind of ignore that aspect, but so far the jokes more fall flat than anything. Maybe with more of a side cast later this'll improve but so far I'm more disappointed by the series than anything else.

PS: Still don't get what's so great about the series aside from the artwork. This isn't a complaint as it's also not bad per se, like I don't mind reading it but I don't feel anything for the characters and the plot isn't anything new in the way of shonen exorcist manga. Though the art is incredible and I can see myself continuing to read for that alone, though yeah this is definitely a case where I don't understand the hype.

Roboco: A weaker chapter this week. Like the final part was funny but the lead-up to the last gag was kind of boring.

Dolphin: Gonna miss Tamura since I like his sense of humor and dialog but this is clearly on it's way out. A shame since this arc has been interesting and the artwork is some of the best I've seen from him but yeah the aimlessness at the start didn't do it any favors. For the chapter this week at least though I was riveted until the end.

This is weirdly fun to write so maybe I'll keep it up if I don't forget, lol. What's not listed here I don't read (or in the case of OP didn't run in this issue, and MHA I prefer to read in Japanese volume format.)

 

[tirakai]

Was looking at next possible anniversaries now that Undead and Mashle are having their first anniversaries, and noticed Black Clover, Dr Stone, and Jujutsu Kaisen all hit their anniversary in February or March (MHA and One Piece for reference aren't until august).

That means it's possible we could see 5 anniversary covers in a row. Though I think we'll see One Piece might get the cover after Mashle first, it hasn't had a solo cover since #46 and also doesn't have a colour page next issue.

 

[yadayada]

We shouldn't have that many anniversaries in a row as #16 should go to MHA since s5 is starting a week early.

#14 is most likely going to be JJK, OP might get 15 though.

 

[SharkBait]

Was looking at next possible anniversaries now that Undead and Mashle are having their first anniversaries, and noticed Black Clover, Dr Stone, and Jujutsu Kaisen all hit their anniversary in February or March (MHA and One Piece for reference aren't until august).

That means it's possible we could see 5 anniversary covers in a row. Though I think we'll see One Piece might get the cover after Mashle first, it hasn't had a solo cover since #46 and also doesn't have a colour page next issue.

I thought some got their anniversary celebrations late in years past?

 

[Ryuusei]

Monthly Shoseki Ranking - January

#1 Jujutsu Kaisen 14
#3 My Hero Academia 29
#7 Chainsaw Man 9
#31 Dr. Stone 19
#42 Black Clover 27
#78 We Never Learn 20
#79 Mashle 4
#171 Mission: Yozakura Family 6

30位199000/50位143550/100位50400/200位30400/300位19500/400位16400/500位13500

 

[tirakai]

Monthly Shoseki Ranking - January

#1 Jujutsu Kaisen 14
#3 My Hero Academia 29
#7 Chainsaw Man 9
#31 Dr. Stone 19
#42 Black Clover 27
#78 We Never Learn 20
#79 Mashle 4
#171 Mission: Yozakura Family 6

30位199000/50位143550/100位50400/200位30400/300位19500/400位16400/500位13500

Yozakura confirmed to be over 30k in a month then. Is this the first volume where we know that for certain?

Also I think Magu-chan was also January which means Magu-chan is confirmed under 13k if it's not on that monthly chart, but we knew that already since it only charted 1 week.

 

[Minsel]

Yozakura estimated 36.2k
Very hype
I'm expecting 26k+ first week next volume

 

[Ryuusei]

Yozakura estimated 36.2k
Very hype
I'm expecting 26k+ first week next volume

That is probably inflated since it was at almost 26.000 in its second week but fell out of weekly for the last 2 weeks of the month, which had their lowest estimations at 2.800 and 2.900 so it should have ended the month at around 31.000 tops. Also, unless Yozakura receives a big boost it's not getting 26.000+ first week, volume 6 got to 21.000+ with 7 days and this volume has only 4 days in its first week.

 

[Minsel]

That is probably inflated since it was at almost 26.000 in its second week but fell out of weekly for the last 2 weeks of the month, which had their lowest estimations at 2.800 and 2.900 so it should have ended the month at around 31.000 tops. Also, unless Yozakura receives a big boost it's not getting 26.000+ first week, volume 6 got to 21.000+ with 7 days and this volume has only 4 days in its first week.

First 1-4 days are where most sales occur, question is how much it can sell of its stock in that time.

 

[Ike79]

Witch Watch vomic today.It seems we are skipping i tell c for the moment.

 

[Mammo]

Sakamoto dabs on everything this week, both fights conclusions were so cool/badass

I don't know what's Build King is doing, with it being a bottom dweller they're still introducing more characters, I don't even remember the names of any of the characters they introduced since Cork
and they're wasting pages doing a pretty long silly gag again, they already did that in the chapter they were trying to kill the fly

Mashle isn't doing a tournament, it's doing another exam, not sure how will they decide the next visionary when only 3 participants remains, anyhow, pretty entertaining chapter as usual
Yozakura chapter gave me Tokyo Ghoul ptsd, way too dark to get what's going on, and speaking of brightness, I might be the only one that dislike the volume cover, i think it's too bright and the white water drip effect looks like someone jizzed on it
HSF made me laugh for the first time in a while, Gomez carry this manga so hard
Roboco also decided to do a cat? chapter, everyone in this manga is too kindhearted even Nyonta, there's probably a joke/reference in the lion transformation I'm missing

about the newbs
Elusive Prince: I liked it, we got a peek on Takauji's side and started fleshing out Tokiyuki's nakamas
I C U P: I think this is a death fake out, probably a dinner show from manager to entertain the guests and I hope it is, otherwise we would have went from bad mysteries to no mystery at all
WW: that was unexpected, thought for sure they would hide she a witch (in4 memory erasing spell)
I enjoyed the chapter but so far this manga have been all jokes and zero romance, can it still be called a romcom? it's just a comedy
KPB: manager-chan saved this chapter for me, I appreciate that they're exploring the mcs duo relationship and motivations but it was all pretty generic stuff

this round is still 4/4 for me

 

[Mankichi Togawa]

HQ

 

[RafGL]

Monthly Shoseki Ranking - January

#1 Jujutsu Kaisen 14
#3 My Hero Academia 29
#7 Chainsaw Man 9
#31 Dr. Stone 19
#42 Black Clover 27
#78 We Never Learn 20
#79 Mashle 4
#171 Mission: Yozakura Family 6

30位199000/50位143550/100位50400/200位30400/300位19500/400位16400/500位13500

We pretty much knew about it thanks to weekly, but yeah, Magu-chan is dead. Volume 1 ranked on monthly with 12.375, and this time it isn't able to when the cutoff is just 1k above it. It just indicates it isn't even growing at the pace Yozakura did, and even if it could have done 13.499 copies (as unrealistic as this is), the increase is so minimal it's embarrassing. The same can be said about AGRAVITY BOYS but we're more than aware this one was dead since we had its volume data. It's interesting how these two have had the same performance with their 2 first volumes: stagnation and not even reaching monthly.

As of the other two, Mission: Yozakura Family has a great growth even if we take out some of the inflation. If we go by cutoffs of those weeks it didn't rank, those 31k copies would make it a 7k copies increase from Volume 5's monthly (24.668 copies). So yeah, no matter which number ends up being, that's indeed the first proper growth the series has experienced. And then there's MASHLE, which is absurdly overestimated, with 89.523 copies in monthly when weekly only reached 77.723. January was an exact month with its final week ending on January 31st, so there's no room for doubt or days left that could have made any difference. What's interesting about the series is its backlog, which obviously ranked making around 30k copies each, and way more accurately to their weeklies. Something to point out here is that MASHLE Volume 1 (probably) sold a bit more this month than back at its release in June (32.568 copies estimated at June, 34.800 now in January). At this point we're looking at Volume 5 breaking 100k copies first month, so let's keep hoping for the best.

 

[westabyss]

Elusive Samurai: Another Manga that's better read in a batch of chapters than in single chapters. Just read ch3-5 and its the best Manga from this round. The build up is really good. Matsui is putting all the pieces in the right place and once the story gets "really" going, i can see it becoming one of the best series currently running in Jump.

UU: After the hype had cooled of a bit for me, this chapter was the best in a while.

JJK: Best chapter of the week as expected. I love how there is actually an everlasting impact from the Shibuya arc in the story. Most Shonen arcs are usually kinda secluded from each other, that's why i like how changed the world is now after the Shibuya incident.

Roboco: One of the weakest chapters in a while.

Witch Watch: Just an enjoyable read. Nothing amazing but its doing fine.

I Tell C: I want it to be good but a lot of things are really off about this Manga. Don't think it will make it.

 

[RafGL]

I think this is the first time I have seen these kind of lotteries explicitly saying everyone is receiving a gift, no exceptions. Wonder how many will they have to print.