Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia manga was a Shonen Jump staple from July 7, 2014, all the way up to August 5, 2024. This sensational manga ran for 10 long years and became one of the most popular series in the entire world while at it. However, modern shonen stories rarely surpass 10 years of serialization, and even My Hero Academia was an anomaly in that regard. Following the conclusion of My Hero Academia, Shonen Jump felt the loss of one of the biggest giants, but as is usually the case, a new series called Ichi the Witch stepped up.
Written by Osamu Nishi and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki, who was previously known for Act Age, Ichi the Witch is a sensational new story that has done incredibly well to succeed My Hero Academia and keep interest in Shueisha’s Weekly Shounen Jump incredibly high. MHA creator Kohei Horikoshi himself recommends the manga, and it is one of the biggest defining next-gen series that Shonen Jump has currently. Now, after two years of serialization, Ichi the Witch is officially a big manga in Japan. Its latest record of having reached 2.2 million sales in Japan on June 28, 2026, officially confirms its status as a big series.
“My Hero Academia” Author Kohei Horikoshi Recommended “Ichi The Witch” Officially Reaches 2.2 Million Sales In Japan
Shonen Jump is a vast organization within which multiple popular mangaka work together and oftentimes support each other. As such, when an up-and-coming manga pops up, veterans are often curious about the quality of their work. If they like it, they usually go on to recommend their works to the fans. Ichi the Witch, by Osamu Nishi and Shiro Usazaki, was one such work that caught the attention of My Hero Academia creator, Kohei Horikoshi. In fact, Horikoshi loved Ichi the Witch so much that he immediately recommended it to his fans, and as such, the series received a significant boost in sales immediately after. This sales boost was down to the incredible quality of the series, but at the same time, the support that creators like Kohei Horikoshi showed the series. Now, it is clear that Ichi the Witch has built upon this immense start.
“Ichi the Witch’s uniquely achieved a balance between lightness, style, and depth that makes it an ideal fantasy work for readers to imagine and expand the world presented.” — Kohei Horikoshi, Ichi the Witch Volume #1
Having begun on September 9, 2024, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #41, Ichi the Witch has completed almost two years of serialization and has continuously maintained its quality. Now, with the manga currently sitting at 88 chapters, with the most recent release taking place on June 28, 2026, in Shueisha’s weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, Ichi the Witch is now officially over 2 million sales. Currently, Ichi the Witch sits at 2.2 million copies sold in Japan, which is a stunning record for a series that is relatively new. It goes to show that Kohei Horikoshi’s faith in the manga as a successor to his own My Hero Academia was not misplaced. As Ichi the Witch continues to grow further, it proves Horikoshi right and goes to show that this series is a very worthy replacement of MHA, and is here to stay for years to come.
“I’m thankful for the fruits and plants. The animals. The birds, insects, and fungi. I’m thankful for all life in this world.” — Ichi, Ichi the Witch Chapter #1
Ichi the Witch’s Desscaras Is Shonen Jump’s Best Heroine In Decades
Desscaras has become an iconic shonen female character, and some are already calling her Jump’s new best heroine.
Why “Ichi The Witch” Carries The Soul Of My Hero Academia
The reason why Kohei Horikoshi recommended “Ichi the Witch” to his fans in 2025 isn’t simply due to his story ending and another new manga taking its place. The author of My Hero Academia was thoroughly impressed with the quality that Ichi the Witch delivered, and more than that, it could have to do with the fact that the latter carries the soul of Horikoshi’s very own story. Just like MHA, Ichi the Witch features an expansive world where people are born with various abilities, like Quirks. However, in the world of Ichi the Witch, only women can be witches.
“In this world, magic is alive. Living magic, called Majiks, first contacted humanity long ago. Out of nowhere, a blob of talking water appeared. After that, the bonfire Majik said, ‘Hold me for one hour.’ The iceberg majik said Sleep beside me for a night.’ By passing the Majik trials, they acquired the Majik itself.” — Narrator’s words show similarities between Majiks and Quirks from My Hero Academia, Ichi the Witch Chapter #1
This is precisely why Ichi, the protagonist of the series, is special, and in a way, this connects him directly to Izuku Midoriya, the protagonist of MHA. Izuku was not born with any powers because he was unlucky. But in the end, his efforts earned him the power of One For All from none other than the strongest Hero in Japan, All Might.
In the same manner, Ichi the Witch sees Ichi become the first male witch by gaining the power of majik from King Uroro. There are countless other similarities between the two, such as an incredible cast of characters that keep the fans on their toes, the overpowered mentor trope, which connects All Might directly to Desscaras, and even the overpowered villain trope, which has served incredibly well to delight the fans over the years. We can only hope that Ichi the Witch continues to fill the shoes of My Hero Academia and show the world that it is a worthy successor.
“Ichi The Witch’s” Success Without An Anime Sets Up A Big Anime Adaptation In The Future
With Ichi the Witch having been confirmed to reach 2.2 million sales in the latest report published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, we can also sit back and appreciate the fact that the series has done so without even having an anime adaptation. For a story to reach 2.2 million sales without an anime means that it carries immense potential and that it is practically guaranteed for an anime adaptation sooner rather than later. The only thing the anime adaptation needs is enough chapters, and this is precisely why we won’t be getting an Ichi the Witch anime in 2026.
That said, it is highly likely that, by the end of the year, an announcement for the adaptation of Ichi the Witch could be made. This series is most likely to debut at some point in 2028 or late 2027, at the earliest. In either case, an Ichi the Witch anime is likely to be on the way, and this anime adaptation is going to give it a further boost in terms of popularity and manga sales. With a new generation of Jump manga having officially begun, Ichi could firmly place itself as the leader alongside series like Kagurabachi, and we absolutely cannot wait to see how this new era unfolds.
All chapters of Ichi the Witch are currently free to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
Source: Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, 2026
