So what do you know? It’s been over a year since Viz’s Weekly Shonen Jump has been around. With it out of the “Alpha” phase and now moving forward with simultaneous releases, it’s doing what I don’t think many would have thought years ago—and it’s pretty impressive. And while maybe the content is not like Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump, the lineup that’s appeared since the magazine began is nothing to sneeze at. So I’ll ask you all to share what’s been your favorite Weekly Shonen Jump title serialized since January 30, 2012. Here’s a reminder of the works that have appeared in WSJ so far:
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BakumanCreated By: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata Publisher’s summary: “Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. Can these two boys turn their dreams into reality with all the challenges they must face in the manga-publishing world?” Run: January 30 to May 7, 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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BarrageCreated By: Kouhei Horikoshi Publisher’s summary: “Spunky slum kid Astro gets the chance of a lifetime to end the chaos ripping apart his alien-invaded home planet when the playboy prince switches places with him. Now Astro has become Prince Barrage, a boy charged with the duty of restoring peace to the planet…and given an all-powerful magical spear to do it!” Run: June 4 to September 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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BleachCreated By: Tite Kubo Publisher’s summary: “Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts — he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul — Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace.” Run: January 30, 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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Blue ExorcistCreated By: Kazue Kato Publisher’s summary: “Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth — the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won’t be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!” Run: July 30, 2012 Serialized: Monthly |
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Cross ManageCreated By: KAITO Publisher’s summary: “Talented but aimless Sakurai just can’t find a place to belong. After trying (and failing at) one extracurricular activity after another, his life changes thanks to a chance encounter with lacrosse fanatic Toyoguchi, who thinks Sakurai has just what it takes to propel her girls’ lacrosse team to victory!” Run: October 1, 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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Dragon Ball (full color)Created By: Akira Toriyama Publisher’s summary: “The legendary classic manga series Dragon Ball is back…in full color! Relive the incredible Saiyan Saga with this special re-release.” Run: February 4, 2013 Serialized: Weekly
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Hunter X Hunter Kurapika’s MemoriesCreated By: Yoshihiro Togashi Publisher’s summary: “Hunters are a select group of people who track down rare and priceless items. Many people have tried to become one, but most give up or are killed during the exam. This special one-shot is the story of one such Hunter, named Kurapika. His people were wiped out because their eyes turn a fiery red color and are sought by collectors. This is the story of Kurapika before he lost his clan…” Run: December 17 to Decemeber 24, 2012 |
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KintokiCreated By: Akira Toriyama Publisher’s summary: “Once upon a time, the Kinme Clan were an extraordinary tribe best known for their incredible physical strength and golden eyes. Because of that they were revered as gods of war, but now the clan is slowly dying out due to a short lifespan. And just when most everyone has forgotten about the clan, a mysterious golden-eyed boy enters the scene…” Run: January 28, 2013 (one-shot)
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NarutoCreated By: Masashi Kishimoto Publisher’s summary: “Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He’s got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world’s greatest ninja!” Run: January 30, 2013 Serialized: Weekly |
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NisekoiCreated By: Naoshi Komi Publisher’s summary: “It’s hate at first sight…rather a knee-to-the-head at first sight when Raku meets Chitoge! Unfortunately, his gangster father arranges a false love match with their rival gang leader’s daughter, Chitoge! However, Raku’s searching for his childhood sweetheart, with a pendant around his neck as a memento, and is surprised to discover three candidates with keys: Chitoge, Onodera (his current crush) and Tachibana (the police chief’s daughter)!” Run: November 26, 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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Nura: Rise of The Yokai ClanCreated By: Hiroshi Shiibashi Publisher’s summary: “At first, no one thought that Rikuo, who is only one-quarter yokai and three-quarters human, could handle following in his grandfather Nurarihyon’s footsteps as the leader of the most powerful yokai clan. But now Rikuo has proven he can unite both humans and demons. He’s building the ultimate Night Parade of a Hundred Demons to ward off the legendary onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, and his descendants, the Gokadoin clan, who plan to take over the world with a master strike called The Purification.” Run: January 30, 2012 to January 14, 2013 Serialized: Weekly |
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Nura: Aoi Spiral Castle SpecialsCreated By: Hiroshi Shiibashi Publisher’s summary: “While the day belongs to humans, the night belongs to Yokai, supernatural creatures that thrive on human fear. Caught between these worlds is Rikuo Nura. He’s three-quarters human, but his grandfather is none other than Nurarihyon, the supreme commander of the Nura clan, a powerful yokai consortium. Now Rikuo’s on his way to taking over that command!” Run: August 27, 2012 (Part 1), October 29, 2012 (Part 2) |
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One PieceCreated By: Eichiro Oda Publisher’s summary: “When Monkey D. Luffy accidentally ate the cursed Gum-Gum Fruit, he gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Despite this, he’s vowed to someday become King of the Pirates and find the legendary treasure known as “One Piece” With his large crew of powerful and unique characters and his advanced pirate ship, the Thousand Sunny, Luff’s out to become the greatest pirate that’s ever lived!” Run: January 30, 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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One Piece X Toriko: Taste of the Devil FruitCreated By: Eiichiro Oda and Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro Summary: Crossover one-shot between One Piece and Toriko. Run: Available to subscribers who signed up before April 30, 2012
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One-Punch ManCreated By: ONE and Yusuke Murata Publisher’s summary: “From illustrious illustrator Yusuke Murata of Eyeshield 21 fame and the maniacal mind of up-and-coming mangaka ONE comes a manga series that packs quite the punch! Follow our hero Saitama through his hilarious romps as he searches for the baddest guys to challenge. Let’s get ready to rumble!” Run: January 21, 2013 Serialized: Weekly |
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Otter #11Created by: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata Summary: A gag manga series created by Kazuya Hiramaru in Bakuman. Run: Published in the SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013
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Road To Naruto The MovieCreated By: Masashi Kishimoto Publisher’s summary: “To commemorate the latest Naruto Shippuden movie hitting Japanese thaters, Shonen Jump Alpha presents a special chapter that chronicles the events right before Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie. See the Naruto characters in an all-new light as they deal with Tobi’s dark trap!” Run: August 6, 2012 (One-shot) |
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Rurouni Kenshin: RestorationCreated By: Nohiburo Watsuki Publisher’s summary: “Action, romance, and historical intrigue help make Nobuhiro Watsuki’s Rurouni Kenshin, the tale of a wandering swordsman set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, one of the most popular Shonen Jump titles among fans to date. Himura Kenshin, once an assassin (or hitokiri) of ferocious power, now fights to protect the honor of those in need.” Run: May 21, 2012 Serialized: Monthly |
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Sachie-Chan Good!!Created By: Akira Toriyama and Masakazu Katsura Summary: A collaboration between Akira Toriyama and Masakazu Katsura. Run: Published in the SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013
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SakuranCreated By: Toshiaki Iwashiro Publisher’s summary: “A special one-shot from the creator of Psyren.” Run: April 1, 2013 (One-shot)
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Takama-ga-haraCreated By: Jyuuzouu Kawai Publisher’s summary: “Yamato Yamada’s family is famous for their physical strength, but Yamato doesn’t want to follow in his four brothers’ footsteps — all he wants to do is draw manga and win the Tezuka Award! Life for Yamato taks an unexpected turn, however, when his right hand becomes even stronger than usual…Does Yamato actually have godlike powers?!” Run: July 23, 2012 to November 19, 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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TorikoCreated By: Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro Publisher’s summary: “In a savage world ruled by the pursuit of the most delicious foods, it’s either eat or be eaten! While searching for the tastiest foods imaginable, Gourmet Hunter Toriko and his bottomless stomach travel around the world facing every beast in his way.” Run: January 30, 2012 Serialized: Weekly |
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World TriggerCreated By: Daisuke Ashihara Publisher’s summary: “A gate to another dimension has burst open, and invincible monsters called Neighbors invade Earth. Only a group of elite warriors who co-opt other-dimensional technology can defend life on Earth as we know it.” Run: February 11, 2013 Serialized: Weekly
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Yu-Gi-Oh! ZexalCreated By: Shin Yoshida and Naoto Miyashi Publisher’s summary: “In a futuristic city, augmented reality Duels are all the rage. Duelists, using devices called D-Gazers, can interact with the environment and their opponents as never before. With more awesome monsters and unbelievable cards, the future of Yu-Gi-Oh! starts right here!” Run: July 9, 2012 Serialized: Monthly |
Justin Stroman is the founder of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses, a Japanese Pop Culture Blog that covers anime, manga, games, and more. You can follow him on Twitter and like the Facebook page to get updates and links to Japanese Pop Culture Related content.