The situation remains challenging as all three works, My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, are set to conclude in 2024. This will put Shonen Jump in a difficult position, as there are currently no titles that can match the success of these three prominent series.
Shonen Jump has not faced such a significant challenge in many decades, and the current landscape does not provide a clear solution.
Looking at the current lineup of Shonen Jump, there seems to be nothing that can compete with the success of One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen. Even newer popular titles like Undead Unluck, Sakamoto Days, and Akane-banashi cannot stand on the same level as these heavyweights.
In the 1990s, Shonen Jump also encountered a downturn when Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk came to an end, leading to a significant drop in magazine circulation. Now, with the imminent conclusion of these three major titles, it seems a revival is underway, with the top priority being to ensure that nothing hinders this momentum.
One reason for this ongoing challenge is that Shonen Jump is well-known for quickly canceling series that do not achieve immediate success. This creates difficulties for any new manga aiming to find space and develop within the publication.
Moreover, other magazines are now claiming their share of the market and producing works that can compete directly with Shonen Jump. For instance, in 2023, Tokyo Revengers and Blue Lock from Weekly Shōnen Jump were among the best-selling manga worldwide.
Another issue is Shonen Jump’s lack of diversity. This magazine is famous for its action and humor stories yet lacks innovation. Many new manga often resemble earlier works, following the same formulas that dominate the genre.
Even though titles like Sakamoto Days, Blue Box, and Akane-banashi show promise for new narratives and themes, they remain quite rare among the “new-generation” series.
What will happen to Shonen Jump and the manga industry in the coming years remains uncertain. The conclusion of One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen will certainly be a seismic event, but the manga world will likely face challenges. Who knows, we might just be entering a new golden age with stories that we have yet to experience.
