Dragon Ball,One Piece,Naruto,My Hero Academia, andDemon Slayerare some of the most popular anime of their generation, and are all considered landmarks of anime and manga in their own right. As it happens, all of these anime share a common home in Shueisha’sWeekly Shonen Jump,the biggest manga publication in Japan.Weekly Shonen Jumphas gained a renowned reputation for producing massive mainstream anime hits, and that reputation continues even today withJujutsu Kaisen, the newest big hit from 2020.
Recently, anotherJumpseries rocketed to stardom with the release of its anime adaptation:Spy x Family.Spy x Familycharmed anime viewers everywhere with its charming cast of characters and mix of spy action with slice-of-life humor. However,Spy x Familydoesn’t come fromWeekly Shonen Jump, butShonen Jump+, an online magazine recently established by Shueisha. Shonen Jump+ only started a few years ago, but it has quickly grown to become a large platform on its own.Spy x Family, among other series, proves thatShonen Jump+to become a hitmaker onWeekly Shonen Jump’s level.
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What Is Shonen Jump+?
Shonen Jump+is an online magazine that started serialization in 2014. UnlikeWeekly Shonen Jump,Shonen Jump+features many different stories which update either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. In addition, there are no space limits since it’s not a physical magazine, so the website can have a larger amount of titles. The magazine started with thirty titles, and had as many as sixty titles in 2019.Shonen Jump+also does not have as many editorial restrictions asWeekly Shonen Jumpdoes, which allows the mangaka more freedom to implement explicit and mature content in their works. As a result, the website draws in manga readers who may not particularly be looking for the kind of stories that are featured in the main magazine.
Shonen Jump+is available in both website and app form. While the growth for the website was initially very slow, by 2019Shonen Jump+began to rise in popularity thanks tothe debut ofSpy x Family, which boosted its viewers tremendously. An international version ofShonen Jump+calledManga Pluswas also launched in 2019, which brought severalShonen Jump+titles to non-Japanese audiences.Manga Plus, as well as VIZ Media’sShonen Jumpwebsite, have done a lot to increase the profile of Shonen Jump+ in the west.
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Shonen Jump+’s Rising Stars
Spy x FamilyisShonen Jump+’s biggest success, but it is not the only title thatShonen Jump+has to offer.Shonen Jump+has a variety of manga series that feature diverse genres and stories that appeal to people of multiple demographics. Other series, likeHell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku,Astra Lost in Space, andMy Hero Academia: Vigilanteshave also received popular attention. Many of the successful series onShonen Jump+have been brought over to the states by English publisher VIZ Media, who also features these series on their ownShonen Jumpapp. Other series that have been featured onShonen Jump+areFire Punch, which was created byChainsaw Man’s mangaka, Tatsuki Fujimoto,World End Harem, andGhost Reaper Girl.
Shonen Jump+continues to feature and publish popular and fast-growing series on their website.Kaiju No. 8debuted in 2020 and is one of the website’s fasting growing series. Another series,Dandadan, debuted in 2021 and is also gaining popularity quickly. Both series are proof thatShonen Jump+’s relevance in the manga market isn’t ending any time soon. Between the two magazines,Weekly Shonen Jumpremains in the lead, but in a few more years, that may not necessarily be the case.
The Future Of Shonen Jump+
Spring 2022 was a big year forShonen Jump+titles, thanks toSpy x Family’s massive success. However,Spy x Familywas not the only title from the online magazine to get an anime series this season.Summer Time RenderingandAharen-san Is Indecipherableare bothShonen Jump+titles that received anime adaptations this season, and both shows have received acclaim, though certainly not on the level ofSpy x Family. WhileShonen Jump+titles have received anime adaptations before (likeAstra Lost in SpaceandWorld End Harem), three series receiving adaptations at one is evidence that the magazine is capable of producing titles that have mainstream appeal.
MoreShonen Jump+titles are sure to receive anime adaptations as well. An anime forHells' Paradise: Jigokurakuhas already been announced, andKaiju No. 8is so popular that an anime adaptation is all but certain. In addition, thesecond part ofChainsaw Manis set to publish onShonen Jump+, meaning the platform will continue to keep housing big titles for the foreseeable future. It’s possible thatShonen Jump+will soon become a big source of hit anime titles over the next few years.
