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I hope everyone reads the rules and use it as a guide to behave well in the thread, thanks!
Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #47 (2026) 00. Nue's Exorcist (Cover & Lead Color Pages, Anime Adaptation Announcement!)
01. Someone Hertz
02. One Piece
03. Ichi the Witch
04. Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi
05. Sakamoto Days 00. Akane-banashi (Color Page)
06. Roku's House of Oddities 00. The Ura Files (Not Ranked)
00. Graykeith: Translator Daemonica (Not Ranked) 00. The Young Witch and the Teacher (One Shot by Isshin Mineuchi, Color Page, Golden Future Cup 2026 #4)
07. Kagurabachi 00. Me & Roboco (Color Page)
08. Witch Watch
09. Shinobi Undercover
10. Under Doctor
11. Animal Signal
12. Hal Formula
13. Class 2B Hero Destroyerz
14. Cannon Master
Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #48 (2026) - Information!
Sakamoto Days (Cover & Lead Color Pages)
Roku's House of Oddities (Color Page, 2 Consecutive Issues)
The Ura Files (Color Page)
Inugami and Suzune (One Shot by Wani, Color Page, Golden Future Cup #5)
They messed up again?
I don’t know how this keeps happening on one of their most popular series. Surely they know the fanbase goes through the dialogue like a hawk…
They made it seem like the Magatsumi was healing Chihiro, lmao. I wonder if it's bad deadlines or they genuinely just don't follow the story, because the Malediction mistranslation earlier in the arc is still insane to me.
The 3 new series all had their best chapter so far.
Although gonron egg probably had its best chapter so far , I still didn't enjoy reading this chapter. Gonron egg is just a bad series in almost all fronts imo.
I would say that the mage next door is inconsistent. I didn't like last chapter but I did like this one. The problem is that I'm just not that interested in the mcs so the premise and development of the chapter has to do the heavy lifting. After the last few chapters I thought that the series would be more battle focused but I am glad that it still is doing comedy because that is what enjoy in the series.
I am warming up to hero girl and demon king , although I still do find the mcs really tropey, I have started to enjoy their antics more. This is the one series I could see stick around if it finds its audience.
After the 1st chapter my ranking was
Mage next door > jk hero >>>> gonron egg
But currently
jk hero > mage next door >>>> gonron egg
Saito: So you're telling me that new character Natsuki broke the internet and made all volumes skyrocket on sites like Amazon for days? I heard enough, bottom 3 when her chapters gets ranked!
1. Nue's Exorcist: This manga regularly proves that "good art" people basically don't care about the art itself because Nue keeps looking better and better and I see no praise when there are discussions about the best art in the magazine. Gashadokuro looks both majestic and absolutely stupid in every single scene he's in and the ending sequence with Soranaki flying is so cool with how the panels and characters are framed. All these monsters have their personalities and high power conveyed perfectly through Kawae's drawings. He's just way too good!
2. Hima-ten: Gets my second place because somehow Ono managed to have a gravure pin-up in Shonen Jump. Down with puritanism, let artists be artists! Oh yeah, also points for letting Kanna be the first one to break Tenichi's dense shell.
3. Ruri Dragon: Another chapter with a different POV and it's still refreshing. I wouldn't be against having a few of these, they show Ruri in such a different way, she's more of a dork to others and has a cat-like personality that is both captivating and understandably annoying to these other kids. Still nice that they can all get along when they see she's just another girl.
4. Modulo: Cultural differences are always a huge wall to climb and things aren't going well now. Sometimes just a single action can make the whole castle fall. It's sad, but realistic, yet I still feel hope that coexistence will be able to win. The connections to the original series keep getting more interesting, I can't wait to see what this Yuji can bring to the rich world of Modulo.
5. JK Yuusha: This chapter wanted to show how adorable she is. She was adorable. Have a vote.
2026 predictions time:
I foretell that Weekly Saito Jump in 2026 will have a focus on action series, fantasy (whether high or urban), with quite a few series than lean darker/edgier in tone. Only a couple romcoms will be published. No sports series, after the failure of the 2025 batch. Nothing will blow up to the degree of Ichi the Witch but we'll secure a good few existers and at least one battle title that people will be hyping as the next pillar to go with Kagurabachi and Ichi the Witch, although that won't be the case. We'll get at least one gag series that feels like it could be shaking Me & Rococo's throne and will get preferential treatment - both will exist at the same time but it'll feel like the beginning of a new era in that regard and we'll even get a Roboco chapter where she acknowledges her up-and-coming gag rival kicking her out of the magazine.
Some other specifics:
One Piece will land #2 in the Oricon rankings for 2026. Sakamoto Days and Blue Box will either be at the bottom of the top 10, or top of the the top 20 depending on the LA boost for SD and if season 2 of BB air by the end of 2026. If Kagurabachi's anime airs (unlikely) it will be in the top 10, otherwise it will also be top 20. Nothing else will be in the top 10, including the now ended veteran series that have clung on in 2025.
Excluding new potential hits, the top 5 of the TOC based on existing titles will be: One Piece, Ichi the Witch, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, Akane-banashi, and Shinobi Undercover.
Ichi the Witch will get the most covers this year. Nue's Exorcist gets 2 - one for the anime announcement and another for the third anniversary. Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi, Hima-Ten! and Shinobi Undercover will get second anniversary covers - though a curveball here is that UEK is the one that doesn't of the three.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo will get around 290-330k first month for all three of its volumes. Someone Hertz will be around a 20-30k seller throughout the year, either by rising or falling. The Mage Next Door and Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits both sell around similar (10k~) and when the latter of the two is cancelled it becomes a mini-controversy and fuel the Saito hate because apparently he hates romcoms, or something.
Manga running by the end of 2026: One Piece, (Hunter x Hunter with one 10-chapter batch this year), Me & Roboco, WITCH WATCH (though in epilogue stage, like TES right now), Akane-banashi, RuriDragon, Nue's Exorcist, Kagurabachi, Ichi the Witch, Shinobi Undercover, The Mage Next Door. Manga ending naturally: Sakamoto Days, The Elusive Samurai, Blue Box, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo. Manga cancelled in 2026: Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi (might feel like a 'soft' cancellation rather than completely axed, so will be narratively complete though rushed), Otr of the Flame, Harukaze Mound, Gonron Egg, Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits. Anime announcements: Kagurabachi, Nue's Exorcist, RuriDragon (if it airs: 1-cour, ends at chapter 37) Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi (surprise announcement along with it ending, ala Chojo and Kill Blue - and explains why it was surviving this long), Hima-Ten!, Me & Roboco (Movie 2 or Season 2), Akane-banashi (season 2) if the first season concludes in 2026. For retro-picks or reboots I'll vote for Black Angels (45 year anniversary) and Reborn (20 year anniversary of the anime).
Returning mangaka: Daisuke Enoshima (Fabricant 100) Kento Amemiya (Shadow Eliminators) Natsuki Hokami (Hell Warden Higuma, Greykeys’ Demon World Translation*) Tadaichi Nakama (Tokyo Demon Bride Story, Demon Academy Gran Gigorga*)
New mangaka: Hakase Izumi (Signal All Red* - GFC winner 2024) Kinya Hatakeyama (DOLL SHOWS*) Kuji Tabigoro (Canvas Terra - GFC winner 2023) Mujina Muji (0088; Usemono Sagashi) Natsuki Osonoe (Upano Rupako wa Ippanjin, Tate Roll*) Reiya Machida (VROOM!!; Kadomori Shitei no Nichijou; Mememto in Kowloon) Shirokuma Shirasaki (Koi no Youbi no Sezaki-san - GFC winner 2022, The Town of Deformed Heads) Shou Fukamori (The Tale of Zanki the Vampire Slayer*) Taro Kaneko (Warped Fairy Tale, Demons on a Plate)
That's 13 names, matching the amount of serialisations we got this year, so I'll stick with that even though I think we'll get 11-12 new titles. And to cap it off with a total wildcard spot for the big-name returnee that won't happen but I'm throwing out there just because: Hideaki Sorachi (Gintama). I'm going to avoid mentioning **** **** and either season 2 of **** *** ***** or a follow-up to the **** arc in hopes that its absence will make it more likely this time. : - )))))
*Bonus points for me if these specific one-shots get serialisations.
Side tangent but I've also finished reading all the 1982 chapters in my WSJ chronological journey after having more time this month, so here's my round-up of that along with my handy-dandy spreadsheets and visuals:
In summary: Easily the best year of the '80s so far, helped by having the most amount of available chapters (both serialisations and one-shots) to read. It's also the last year before Fist of the North Star debuts (both one-shots for this were very good), which you can consider the beginning of the Golden Age of the magazine, so I'm expecting it to rise even higher next time if the longer titles manage to keep at their quality or improve. This still does feel like an era where the identifiable big hitters of the Golden Age isn't in full swing - there's a balance between the soft and the hard, masculine and feminine. You have extremes in terms of high violence (Rage!! The Gokutora Family, Black Angels, Kojiro of the Fuma) paired with the softer touch of others (Dr. Slump, Captain Tsubasa, Cat's Eye, Stop!! Hibari-kun!, High School! Kimengumi), so the contrast is very real. I'm curious if this tips suddenly or more gradually in the coming years.
Overall thoughts on these series based on their 1982 chapters:
Kojiro of the Fuma is my favourite Masami Kurumada title so far, and by far. I've been pretty let down by his one-shots and serialisations up until this point but this was a fucking banger. A proper battle shonen pre-Fist of the North Star featuring rivalling ninjas and then eventually something much larger and mythical which has me excited to properly experience the Saint Seiya manga. Every chapter or two has a killer double spreads that goes way too hard and the action is pure fun. Very tropey in terms of its dialogue and characters mind you, but I'm already seeing the early Kubo influence in this as well. Just a shame that only the first half of the series is translated and I won't see how it concludes :-(
Captain Tsubasa continues to be highly charming. Overall I think I enjoyed it less than its debut in 1981: this time though the highs were higher and the lows lower. I remain surprised at just how much I enjoy this!
Stop!! Hibari-kun! was a series I was super super anticipating and even though it's third overall I'm still a little bit letdown. The reality is that the gender-bending premise feels like it should be very ahead of its time (and in some ways it still is) but it is undoubtably crass and not as kind to Hibari as I'd expected based on other reactions. A product of the time in many ways that still gets kudos for at least trying to have its heart in the right place, I guess? Not as funny as I'd hoped, I will say.
Black Angels really is dark as shit. Insanely brutal kills week-on-week without any of the typical Jump morality that you'd expect. The growing cast helps it this year, though my hope is that it distances itself from the chapter of the week format and gets into some meatier arcs. More of that, please.
Cat's Eye doesn't hit me as much I think it ought to, but it's still a super easy read. The premise remains stretched as all hell in terms of its believability and the central romance feels equally as elongated (to an occasionally annoying degree), so my hope is 1983 hits some more substantive plot and romantic developments.
Iron Don Quixote does feel amateurish in a way, and only lasted 10 chapters before being cancelled. Worth pointing out though that Tetsuo Hara did mention the final chapter (technically published in 1983, technically) outranked Dr. Slump in the votes that week, which is a impressive detail that I think bodes well for his future. Something tells me he has a bright future ahead of him after this necessary flop!
Third Year Kimengumi's wraps up the junior high years of the characters in a solid way. Still can't say I enjoy the series that much; the gags don't land for me like 90% of the time and I feel like we need to see more of the main group, who feel mostly unexplored compared to the actual main character. Needed more of a rounded group effort from this.
High School! Kimengumi's only got one volume translated and transitions more into longer-form storylines from the start. I'll be checking out the new anime coming out in January if only to see how they manage the dated comedy and crassness, if at all. Will it be fully modernised like Osomatsu? That feels like the best option, imo.
Rage!! The Gokutora Family is just so OTT in everything it does. It's hard to treat it serious. In your face and offensive and annoying but if you're not bothered by those things I can see why its screaming action sequences and how performative the hyper-masculine characters are could have their charm? It remains surprising to me that this series repeatedly embraces homophobia at the same time as series like Stop!! Hibari-kun! and Kimengumi which have main/supporting characters that explore that in more sensitive ways (albeit for the time). Just a really jarring clash in where intention life from authors' of the same era, tackling it in very different ways.
Cobra drops by a lot this year for me. At this point I've run out of stream for the series, frankly. Here's hoping it circles back to something that I enjoy again, like I used to.
Dr. Slump in comparison actually had my favourite chapters of the series, thanks to a marriage that changed the status quo and a few chapters that worked for me. But then everything else was the same rubbish. I can confidently say that I'm just not a Akira Toriyama fan, especially his early gag beginnings. And even Dragon Ball doesn't move me much. As for now I find this and his various one-shots until now very unfunny.
Kinnikuman remains a slog to read. The Seven Devil Chojin arc was totally whatever while the Golden Mark arc is maybe my least favourite so far in the series until now. I know that wraps up in 1983 so here's hoping something works for me.
Annnnnnd onward to 2026 with a strong first issue. Loved seeing Kaisei's backstory being weaved into his story this week in Akane-banashi, there was something even more haunting to this one than previous stories that intentionally play into that creepy or horror vibe, thanks to how personal if felt. This shit was visceral and it's soooo good that we're seeing more of his POV at this stage. Me, loving Akane-banashi??? Who knew. One Piece kind of a gave a retrospective look at key points in the series pre-puffy from perspectives we'd only seen individually. Very cool watching it all weave together like this. Ichi the Witch and Kagurabachi delivered once again. Shinobi Undercover sold me on this new team fully now, some great action panels and expressions this time; the spirit of Sakamoto Days is strong in this especially now when it feels like that's out the door and lowkey being outperformed in that same category of over the top choreographed action.
The new batch is all still going well for me. The Mage Next Door was the funniest chapter of the week - the whole mage cafe schtick delivered a laugh or two per page; endearing as hell and nice to breakaway from the Mage of the Week format. Now we just need something more long-running to see how it deals with something more serious. Or maybe it's going to continue to channel that sort of 00's vibe it has and refuse to do anything too serious too soon? Gonron Egg continues to feel way more competent in terms of its narrative and art - still amateurish in plenty of ways but I'm getting more of a charm from it - and this new guy in Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits was a fun wall for Asuka to bounce off of. Still gotta see those classmates at school to see how their dynamics work when the Demon Lord isn't included.
Way more hooked with this political-heavy storyline in Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo than I was for anything in the latter half of the original series. This feels like a good time to show/hint at familiar faces too, and set up for what's going to be the main conflict. I'm fully invested now, well done, Gege! And shoutout to RuriDragon for another chapter from the POV of someone who doesn't really stand out amongst the larger cast but gets a good chance in a solo chapter to show off their own perspective in the class as well as what makes Ruri so likeable as a protagonist. Them raising fists in the hall was very cute. Not often am I genuinely excited for high schoolers to walk home together as the next development but after this chapter I predict it'll be a winner in terms of additional lore and character reflection.
Top 5 of Issue #1:
1. Akane-banashi
2. One Piece
3. Ichi the Witch
4. Kagurabachi
5. Shinobi Undercover
Really good shit:
6. The Mage Next Door
7. Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo
8. Sakamoto Days
9. RuriDragon
Good shit:
10. Me & Roboco
11. Harukaze Mound
12. WITCH WATCH
13. Gonron Egg
14. The Elusive Samurai
15. Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits
16. Someone Hertz
17. Blue Box
Ok shit:
18. Otr of the Flame
19. Hima-Ten!
20.Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi
A little less than ok (but still not that bad) shit:
21. Nue's Exorcist
1. Akane-banashi: What a cold chapter. Even if it's summer in-universe, it fits nicely into the chilling late autumn atmosphere that we have today. The mistery of the Shin'uchi promotion test isn't revealed yet, what could Issho have done this time? 2. Witch Watch: Very clever to reveal a tragic character from the flashback as the old man. I'm on hold on whether he can be trusted or not, I read enough manga to be prepared whichever way it goes. The best option would be if he betrays them but one of them was expecting that. 3. One Piece: Finally we returned to the original flashback, after closing so many opened parenthesis. Loki here is a true Mama boy and I dig it. That part about Shanks? Hope it will get covered in a future flashback, enough sidetracking for now. 4. The Mage Next Door: I truly liked this chapter, even if it was kind of filler (but we're still at chapter 5 anyway). The usual formula has been broken to focus on how the protagonists would interact with normal humans. I liked that there never was a twist like "one of them is an evil mage anyway". 5. Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo: True to its nature as a JJK spinoff, the narration style changed drastically and it's now a political drama with the events relegated to some log updates. And after all that, the solution is trial by combat, which has some irony on it. It's not as heavy as the original for now, so I'm fine with all of it. 6. RuriDragon: From Yano's perspective, this is how a normal character here and in Hero Girl should behave, because it is natural to not just accept the thing and being in denial of the absurdity of the situation. From Ruri's perspective, I would be annoyed to be asked about my dragon origins just to remind me that I am weird, and just when I tried to bond over the same tastes in anime. All this to stay that I should stop projecting my 40-year old self in these highschool stories. 7. Ichi the Witch: The chapter was dedicated to build up the tension by raising the stakes incommensurabily. Ichi needs to return because in the end he's the most interesting character of the series, and it's a very good thing when you can say that for the protagonist. 8. Blue Box: The focus has changed again in favour of the B-couple that everyone roots for. It wasn't that hard to rise in the rankings, just give people the drama they want to read about! 9. Kagurabachi: Feels like everyone released their Bankai in the same fight, complete with explanations of the powers. Kinda difficut to follow, but it helps with creating the sense that we are witnesses of an epic fight, like there aren't many. 10. Someone Hertz: I was thinking that probably the author found the job of their life. Imagine having the chance to put to a good use all the lame jokes you make every day and that you have to keep for yourself to avoid awkwardness..."What would a judge in way too good of a mood be like?" "He would sentence you to jail but give you a lollipop afterwards". 11. Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi: What an hero that demon is, and his wife as well. They are such great heroes that I want to cry. 12. Shinobi Undercover: Good news: the training before the mission ended almost immediately, or better it entered a new and much more interesting phase. I liked that Squad 7 members aren't just mindless subordinates but can make decisions of their own even going against their plan. Bad news: next training session is for awakening the Kekkai. Yodaka is safe for now, but this may very well change in the next chapter. 13. Nue's Exorcist: I feel that the special appearence of the week is a recurring character, but I'm no Nue fan so I don't remember him, and I will refer to him as the Censor guy. I want to thank the Censor guy for his censoring activities, and I think that electricity is a good choice as a power source in this contemporary era. 14. The Elusive Samurai: What a weird way to start off the epilogue arc. To think that we met these people when they were 8 years old, and look at them now, reproducing like mice. I had an uncomfortable feeling for all the chapter; please return to killing each other in gory ways, it is easier to read. 15. Me and Roboco: I absolutely forgot about the evil robot organization. Guess you could say it's like a showerhead unexpectely cold. You know, when you forget to set the hot water and open the shower and it's all cold...well...nevermind. 16. Otr of the Flame: The merchant has been great this week but I miss when he was just a merchant, i like when a party has a non-combatant acting as a strategist. And now let's check out for Otr destroying anyone. 17. Harukaze Mound: Oh right, some time ago they introduced some nickname people from the Golden Generation and there was one named Grim Reaper between them. It returned back to me as I was reading the last page. His arrogance is worth teaching him a lesson or two. 18. Gonron Egg: "Oh hey, it's my former mentor!" "Yes, I've become evil now because your parents were weak." "Oh ok. Then I'll kill you now!". That's the level of storytelling this series offers. This and a retrospect on how cows and chicken should feel when humans treat them as livestock. 19. Hero Girl and Demon Lord call it quits: Reading the other comments, I fear I stumbled in another Mashle situation where I can't like the series but it's on me for not being in my tastes. Here, in my opinion the subspace was right all along (before conversion): those two simply shouldn't stay together. If they have to, at least stop spending all chapters for convincing other characters that they are good willed, and embark on a magical adventure or something. 20. Sakamoto Days: Everyone is waiting for Sakamoto to reawaken. I, too, am waiting for him. Pleae Sakamoto wake up and put a closure on this arc. 21. Hima-Ten!; It's very hard for me to get invested in rom-coms. Kanna shaked up the status quo by being the first to admit it, and the cliffanger is set for his reply that will have to wait for next week. But we know she's not winning, so why should we care about all this?
I think it's cute how we know next to nothing about digital tank sales but SJ will dutifully take the hours out of their day to drop annual t-shirt rankings.
Reze movie did a lot for CSM, unsurprisingly. MHA also made the cut with an iconic page. And Kagurabachi doing the same with two of its own. I forget sometimes how insanely popular Uruha is. Wouldn't be surprised whatsoever if he made top 3 in the popularity poll with Chihiro and Hakuri.
2026 predictions time:
I foretell that Weekly Saito Jump in 2026 will have a focus on action series, fantasy (whether high or urban), with quite a few series than lean darker/edgier in tone. Only a couple romcoms will be published. No sports series, after the failure of the 2025 batch. Nothing will blow up to the degree of Ichi the Witch but we'll secure a good few existers and at least one battle title that people will hyping as the next pillar to go with Kagurabachi and Ichi the Witch, although that won't be the case. We'll get at least one gag series that feels like it could be shaking Me & Rococo's throne and will get preferential treatment - both will exist at the same time but it'll feel like the beginning of a new era in that regard and we'll even get a Roboco chapter where she acknowledges her up-and-coming gag rival kicking her out of the magazine.
Some other specifics:
One Piece will land #2 in the Oricon rankings for 2026. Sakamoto Days and Blue Box will either be at the bottom of the top 10, or top of the the top 20 depending on the LA boost for SD and if season 2 of BB air by the end of 2026. If Kagurabachi's anime airs (unlikely) it will be in the top 10, otherwise it will also be top 20. Nothing else will be in the top 10, including the now ended veteran series that have clung on in 2025.
Excluding new potential hits, the top 5 of the TOC based on existing titles will be: One Piece, Ichi the Witch, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, Akane-banashi, and Shinobi Undercover.
Ichi the Witch will get the most covers this year. Nue's Exorcist gets 2 - one for the anime announcement and another for the third anniversary. Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi, Hima-Ten! and Shinobi Undercover will get second anniversary covers - though a curveball here is that UEK is the one that doesn't of the three.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo will get around 290-330k first month for all three of its volumes. Someone Hertz will be around a 20-30k seller throughout the year, either by rising or falling. The Mage Next Door and Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits both sell around similar (10k~) and when the latter of the two is cancelled it becomes a mini-controversy and fuel the Saito hate because apparently he hates romcoms, or something.
Manga running by the end of 2026: One Piece, (Hunter x Hunter with one 10-chapter batch this year), Me & Roboco, WITCH WATCH (though in epilogue stage, like TES right now), Akane-banashi, RuriDragon, Nue's Exorcist, Kagurabachi, Ichi the Witch, Shinobi Undercover, The Mage Next Door. Manga ending naturally: Sakamoto Days, The Elusive Samurai, Blue Box, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo. Manga cancelled in 2026: Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi (might feel like a 'soft' cancellation rather than completely axed, so will be narratively complete though rushed), Otr of the Flame, Harukaze Mound, Gonron Egg, Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits. Anime announcements: Kagurabachi, Nue's Exorcist, RuriDragon (if it airs: 1-cour, ends at chapter 37) Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi (surprise announcement along with it ending, ala Chojo and Kill Blue - and explains why it was surviving this long), Hima-Ten!, Me & Roboco (Movie 2 or Season 2), Akane-banashi (season 2) if the first season concludes in 2026. For retro-picks or reboots I'll vote for Black Angels (45 year anniversary) and Reborn (20 year anniversary of the anime).
Returning mangaka: Daisuke Enoshima (Fabricant 100) Kento Amemiya (Shadow Eliminators) Natsuki Hokami (Hell Warden Higuma, Greykeys’ Demon World Translation*) Tadaichi Nakama (Tokyo Demon Bride Story, Demon Academy Gran Gigorga*)
New mangaka: Hakase Izumi (Signal All Red* - GFC winner 2024) Kinya Hatakeyama (DOLL SHOWS*) Kuji Tabigoro (Canvas Terra - GFC winner 2023) Mujina Muji (0088; Usemono Sagashi) Natsuki Osonoe (Upano Rupako wa Ippanjin, Tate Roll*) Reiya Machida (VROOM!!; Kadomori Shitei no Nichijou; Mememto in Kowloon) Shirokuma Shirasaki (Koi no Youbi no Sezaki-san - GFC winner 2022, The Town of Deformed Heads) Shou Fukamori (The Tale of Zanki the Vampire Slayer*) Taro Kaneko (Warped Fairy Tale, Demons on a Plate)
That's 13 names, matching the amount of serialisations we got this year, so I'll stick with that even though I think we'll get 11-12 new titles. And to cap it off with a total wildcard spot for the big-name returnee that won't happen but I'm throwing out there just because: Hideaki Sorachi (Gintama). I'm going to avoid mentioning **** **** and either season 2 of **** *** ***** or a follow-up to the **** arc in hopes that its absence will make it more likely this time. : - )))))
*Bonus points for me if these specific one-shots get serialisations.
Side tangent but I've also finished reading all the 1982 chapters in my WSJ chronological journey after having more time this month, so here's my round-up of that along with my handy-dandy spreadsheets and visuals:
In summary: Easily the best year of the '80s so far, helped by having the most amount of available chapters (both serialisations and one-shots) to read. It's also the last year before Fist of the North Star debuts (both one-shots for this were very good), which you can consider the beginning of the Golden Age of the magazine, so I'm expecting it to rise even higher next time if the longer titles manage to keep at their quality or improve. This still does feel like an era where the identifiable big hitters of the Golden Age isn't in full swing - there's a balance between the soft and the hard, masculine and feminine. You have extremes in terms of high violence (Rage!! The Gokutora Family, Black Angels, Kojiro of the Fuma) paired with the softer touch of others (Dr. Slump, Captain Tsubasa, Cat's Eye, Stop!! Hibari-kun!, High School! Kimengumi), so the contrast is very real. I'm curious if this tips suddenly or more gradually in the coming years.
Overall thoughts on these series based on their 1982 chapters:
Kojiro of the Fuma is my favourite Masami Kurumada title so far, and by far. I've been pretty let down by his one-shots and serialisations up until this point but this was a fucking banger. A proper battle shonen pre-Fist of the North Star featuring rivalling ninjas and then eventually something much larger and mythical which has me excited to properly experience the Saint Seiya manga. Every chapter or two has a killer double spreads that goes way too hard and the action is pure fun. Very tropey in terms of its dialogue and characters mind you, but I'm already seeing the early Kubo influence in this as well. Just a shame that only the first half of the series is translated and I won't see how it concludes :-(
Captain Tsubasa continues to be highly charming. Overall I think I enjoyed it less than its debut in 1981: this time though the highs were higher and the lows lower. I remain surprised at just how much I enjoy this!
Stop!! Hibari-kun! was a series I was super super anticipating and even though it's third overall I'm still a little bit letdown. The reality is that the gender-bending premise feels like it should be very ahead of its time (and in some ways it still is) but it is undoubtably crass and not as kind to Hibari as I'd expected based on other reactions. A product of the time in many ways that still gets kudos for at least trying to have its heart in the right place, I guess? Not as funny as I'd hoped, I will say.
Black Angels really is dark as shit. Insanely brutal kills week-on-week without any of the typical Jump morality that you'd expect. The growing cast helps it this year, though my hope is that it distances itself from the chapter of the week format and gets into some meatier arcs. More of that, please.
Cat's Eye doesn't hit me as much I think it ought to, but it's still a super easy read. The premise remains stretched as all hell in terms of its believability and the central romance feels equally as elongated (to an occasionally annoying degree), so my hope is 1983 hits some more substantive plot and romantic developments.
Iron Don Quixote does feel amateurish in a way, and only lasted 10 chapters before being cancelled. Worth pointing out though that Tetsuo Hara did mention the final chapter (technically published in 1983, technically) outranked Dr. Slump in the votes that week, which is a impressive detail that I think bodes well for his future. Something tells me he has a bright future ahead of him after this necessary flop!
Third Year Kimengumi's wraps up the junior high years of the characters in a solid way. Still can't say I enjoy the series that much; the gags don't land for me like 90% of the time and I feel like we need to see more of the main group, who feel mostly unexplored compared to the actual main character. Needed more of a rounded group effort from this.
High School! Kimengumi's only got one volume translated and transitions more into longer-form storylines from the start. I'll be checking out the new anime coming out in January if only to see how they manage the dated comedy and crassness, if at all. Will it be fully modernised like Osomatsu? That feels like the best option, imo.
Rage!! The Gokutora Family is just so OTT in everything it does. It's hard to treat it serious. In your face and offensive and annoying but if you're not bothered by those things I can see why its screaming action sequences and how performative the hyper-masculine characters are could have their charm? It remains surprising to me that this series repeatedly embraces homophobia at the same time as series like Stop!! Hibari-kun! and Kimengumi which have main/supporting characters that explore that in more sensitive ways (albeit for the time). Just a really jarring clash in where intention life from authors' of the same era, tackling it in very different ways.
Cobra drops by a lot this year for me. At this point I've run out of stream for the series, frankly. Here's hoping it circles back to something that I enjoy again, like I used to.
Dr. Slump in comparison actually had my favourite chapters of the series, thanks to a marriage that changed the status quo and a few chapters that worked for me. But then everything else was the same rubbish. I can confidently say that I'm just not a Akira Toriyama fan, especially his early gag beginnings. And even Dragon Ball doesn't move me much. As for now I find this and his various one-shots until now very unfunny.
Kinnikuman remains a slog to read. The Seven Devil Chojin arc was totally whatever while the Golden Mark arc is maybe my least favourite so far in the series until now. I know that wraps up in 1983 so here's hoping something works for me.
Annnnnnd onward to 2026 with a strong first issue. Loved seeing Kaisei's backstory being weaved into his story this week in Akane-banashi, there was something even more haunting to this one than previous stories that intentionally play into that creepy or horror vibe, thanks to how personal if felt. This shit was visceral and it's soooo good that we're seeing more of his POV at this stage. Me, loving Akane-banashi??? Who knew. One Piece kind of a gave a retrospective look at key points in the series pre-puffy from perspectives we'd only seen individually. Very cool watching it all weave together like this. Ichi the Witch and Kagurabachi delivered once again. Shinobi Undercover sold me on this new team fully now, some great action panels and expressions this time; the spirit of Sakamoto Days is strong in this especially now when it feels like that's out the door and lowkey being outperformed in that same category of over the top choreographed action.
The new batch is all still going well for me. The Mage Next Door was the funniest chapter of the week - the whole mage cafe schtick delivered a laugh or two per page; endearing as hell and nice to breakaway from the Mage of the Week format. Now we just need something more long-running to see how it deals with something more serious. Or maybe it's going to continue to channel that sort of 00's vibe it has and refuse to do anything too serious too soon? Gonron Egg continues to feel way more competent in terms of its narrative and art - still amateurish in plenty of ways but I'm getting more of a charm from it - and this new guy in Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits was a fun wall for Asuka to bounce off of. Still gotta see those classmates at school to see how their dynamics work when the Demon Lord isn't included.
Way more hooked with this political-heavy storyline in Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo than I was for anything in the latter half of the original series. This feels like a good time to show/hint at familiar faces too, and set up for what's going to be the main conflict. I'm fully invested now, well done, Gege! And shoutout to RuriDragon for another chapter from the POV of someone who doesn't really stand out amongst the larger cast but gets a good chance in a solo chapter to show off their own perspective in the class as well as what makes Ruri so likeable as a protagonist. Them raising fists in the hall was very cute. Not often am I genuinely excited for high schoolers to walk home together as the next development but after this chapter I predict it'll be a winner in terms of additional lore and character reflection.
Top 5 of Issue #1:
1. Akane-banashi
2. One Piece
3. Ichi the Witch
4. Kagurabachi
5. Shinobi Undercover
Really good shit:
6. The Mage Next Door
7. Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo
8. Sakamoto Days
9. RuriDragon
Good shit:
10. Me & Roboco
11. Harukaze Mound
12. WITCH WATCH
13. Gonron Egg
14. The Elusive Samurai
15. Hero Girl and Demon Lord Call It Quits
16. Someone Hertz
17. Blue Box
Ok shit:
18. Otr of the Flame
19. Hima-Ten!
20.Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi
A little less than ok (but still not that bad) shit:
21. Nue's Exorcist
Also, man am i not at all surprised to see more people wanting to see Kaneko, Osonoe, Mujina or Reiya to debut a series moreso now than before and could't be happier as those four have some potential.
By the way Samu, glad to see you saw potential in Kinya Hatakeyama and Shou Fukamori as i think those who has some great talent that can be used to make something truly interesting.
I think it's cute how we know next to nothing about digital tank sales but SJ will dutifully take the hours out of their day to drop annual t-shirt rankings.
Reze movie did a lot for CSM, unsurprisingly. MHA also made the cut with an iconic page. And Kagurabachi doing the same with two of its own. I forget sometimes how insanely popular Uruha is. Wouldn't be surprised whatsoever if he made top 3 in the popularity poll with Chihiro and Hakuri.
I think it's cute how we know next to nothing about digital tank sales but SJ will dutifully take the hours out of their day to drop annual t-shirt rankings.
Reze movie did a lot for CSM, unsurprisingly. MHA also made the cut with an iconic page. And Kagurabachi doing the same with two of its own. I forget sometimes how insanely popular Uruha is. Wouldn't be surprised whatsoever if he made top 3 in the popularity poll with Chihiro and Hakuri.
Every Kanna chapter I hope for the author to make a twist and reveal that the Hima from the name of the series does not come from Himarin, but instead is some pun involving " 暇 " the adjective for being free/not busy.
This would also shut my friends up that read just to shit on any girl that isn't the "winner one"
You know, acting purposedly ignorant about it or trying to troll doesn't make you sound right, @Nuesmoker showed what you asked about it, if you have nothing to counter the post but acting like this, maybe you're the one yapping lol
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