Given recent developments, many Shonen Jump readers believe that the magazine is going through a rough patch, perhaps even in a crisis, with many debuts being quickly canceled and flagship titles concluding. Since it was announced that One Piece would end within a couple of years, fans are not sure that the magazine will be able to keep its position as the biggest manga magazine in the next few years.
There have been reports of sales substantially dropping after Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia concluded last year, and with many recent hits also concluding, the situation appears to be worsening.
The End of an Era: Why Are So Many Shonen Jump Series Being Canceled?
Shonen Jump seems to be axing titles faster and struggling to find new long‑lasting hits as One Piece nears its end; is that the end of an era?
Sakamoto Days Will Probably End in a Few Months
|
Manga Title |
Sakamoto Days |
|
Started In |
2020 |
|
Ended In |
TBA (2025, likely) |
Shonen Jump has not only been canceling many fresh titles, but many of the flagship titles of the magazine in the past few years have come or are coming to an end. Recently, it was announced that Sakamoto Days will enter its Final Battle. For instance, a final arc can last for months or even years (Gintama is a good example of this), but they typically conclude within a few months in Shonen Jump, a pattern observed in recent years, except for One Piece's extended final arc.
Therefore, while there is no exact date for Sakamoto Days to officially conclude, there is a good chance that the series will end by the end of this year. After Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia concluded last year, Sakamoto Days became one of the flagship titles of the magazine. This has alarmed fans, who have been expressing for a few years that Shonen Jump seems to be decaying in readership and the ability to set new hits. Yuto Suzuki could begin a new manga after Sakamoto Days ends, but generally, the authors have either not returned to the magazine or not been able to write new manga as successful as their previous hits.
Shonen Jump Has Had Trouble Creating New Long-Lasting Hits
It seems that even successful new titles don't last for over 6 years in Shonen Jump. Examples of this include Sakamoto Days, which has been published since 2020, and Undead Unluck, which ended a few months ago, concluding a 5-year serialization. These two were at some point labeled as promising hits that could be part of a new "Big Three."
Shueisha has been investing in contests to find new mangaka for Shonen Jump. These contests generally select a new manga to be serialized in the magazine and adapted into anime. However, it seems this sort of campaign hasn’t paid off yet, as no fresh author awarded in this kind of contest has emerged as a new highlight of the magazine. However, we might have to wait a few more years to determine whether this is a good strategy or not.
Is Kagurabachi Jump's Last Hope?
- Kagurabachi might be the biggest flagship title in Shonen Jump in a few years.
- Ichi the Witch may also help to keep sales on a fair standard.
- Shonen Jump might need to revamp itself to keep leading the manga market.
With Sakamoto Days waving goodbye soon, it seems that Kagurabachi will become the only new flagship title of the magazine. Given that One Piece might end within the next few years, Shonen Jump will probably have a hard time maintaining its status as the biggest manga magazine if no big hits emerge in the meantime. However, Kagurabachi has amassed a large fan base with its dark tone, and i t may be able to keep sales to a fair standard. Furthermore, Ichi the Witch has been gaining attention and might also become a flagship title. Still, there are many doubts about whether these two manga can last for many years, even though many fans believe Kagurabachi is the best hope for the magazine.
Kagurabachi gotta carry the entire shonen jump now.
— BucketHerro on Reddit
In a sense, it isn't bad that new hits don't last over 6 years. This suggests that Jump is letting authors conclude their stories instead of trying to extend them too much, like seemingly happened with Naruto and Bleach. Thus, it could mean that authors are working in a better environment than what was reported a few years ago. Nonetheless, it seems that while manga readership seems to be generally increasing worldwide, readers are not looking for Shonen Jump titles as they used to in the recent past. Readership is likely to become more diverse, and Shonen Jump may be falling behind in this process.
What's the Future of Shonen Jump?
It's always hard to try to predict the future, as we don't usually have information about everything involved in the way that things seem to be turning. Despite this decline, Shonen Jump has been testing new waters with titles that depart from the typical Jump tropes. However, these "experiments" have mostly taken place on the Shonen Jump+ platform, rather than in the main magazine. However, given Ichi the Witch's great reception, the magazine will likely try more of this in order to attract those new readers who aren't looking for the typical shonen story.
All current Shonen Jump titles are available to read on MANGA Plus.
