Japan’s manga industry has been in free fall over the last couple of years. That is because Japan’s biggest magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, has lost many of its big hitters. My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen both ended in 2024, leaving the magazine with little support and still no new generation hit.
While the likes of Kagurabachi and Ichi the Witch have the potential to blow up, Weekly Shonen Jump has decided to kickstart new manga series in its next three issues in hopes of finding a new successful hit. These series are Jean ga Abunai! by Ryo Yakama, Gindara Uradouri Kouban no Hizuki-san by Hitsuji Gondaira, and Tonari no Tennis-bu no Kimi to by Shinobu Kasaya. Only time will tell whether these new manga will succeed or get axed in the next couple of months, but for now, they’re the upcoming series with a shot at replacing My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen.
My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen’s 2024 Conclusion Was A Huge Blow For Weekly Shonen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump is the biggest manga magazine in Japan. When it comes to manga series, the popularity of Weekly Shonen Jump has become global, and it has seen the serialization of many legendary series over the years. The likes of Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, Demon Slayer, and many others have started and ended in this very magazine, while other big, currently ongoing hits like One Piece are also hosted in this same magazine and have garnered worldwide acclaim.
However, more recently, Weekly Shonen Jump lost two of its biggest hits in one go in Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia. Out of the two, My Hero Academia went first. The superhero story, following main character Deku, was originally published by Horikoshi in WSJ Issue #32 on July 4, 2014. Since then, it went on to reach its final chapter, 430, back on August 5, 2024, in Weekly Shonen Jump Double Issue 36-37.
Jujutsu Kaisen followed suit not too long after. The massive hit series by Gege Akutami, set in a world full of sorcerers fighting cursed spirits, quickly found global success. Its manga debuted on March 5, 2018, in WSJ issue 14, and went on to conclude on September 30, 2024, in issue 44 with the release of its final chapter, Chapter 271. Both of these series were instrumental in the success of Weekly Shonen Jump. My Hero Academia, over its 10-year-long run, spanned over 42 volumes and amassed over 100 million sales. Jujutsu Kaisen gained an even higher figure of over 150 million sales over the course of its 30 volumes.
After the conclusion of both these series, we saw a clear decrease in sales for the magazine. For the first time in a few decades, Weekly Shonen Jump experienced its lowest low sales-wise, falling under 1 million. Naturally, this was to be expected. With only One Piece left to carry on the magazine as its sole pillar, and all the other hits having ended, it’s definitely time for Weekly Shonen Jump to find a new hit. With nothing gaining the same traction as MHA or JJK, the magazine has decided to introduce three new series in the hopes of big success in the future.
Shueisha Announces 3 New Shonen Manga To Replace MHA And JJK
Every once in a while, Weekly Shonen Jump launches a new series. For quite a while, it was believed that for a series to even make it into Weekly Shonen Jump was a recipe for success thanks to the massive exposure of the magazine. However, over the last couple of years, things have changed, and the reach of the magazine has lessened quite a bit. With many new series being quickly axed due to low performance, Weekly Shonen Jump has become more picky than ever before with the series it lets in because of its decreasing success rate.
On November 5, 2026, Shueisha revealed three new manga series that are coming to the popular magazine. In issue #51 of Weekly Shonen Jump, which will be out on November 16, 2026, we will see the debut of Jean ga Abunai! This is a new manga by creator Ryo Yakama, the same author behind High School Family. His previous work, High School Family, ran for 3 years between 2020 and 2023, and in total, it accumulated 125 chapters. It is not exactly clear why the series ended, but we can assume it was axed due to low performance. Hopefully, his new series performs better this time around.
The next series to be added is called Gindara Uradouri Kouban no Hizuki-san. This series will debut the week after, in Issue 52, which should be released on November 23, 2026, in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. This new story is by Hitsuji Gondaira, the same author of Mission Yuzakura Family, which was serialized between August 26, 2019, and January 20, 2025. It accumulated a total of 258 chapters, and while it was nothing out of the ordinary, it enjoyed a decently successful run for a manga of its scale. With his new series, Hitsuji Gondaira could have a huge breakout.
Finally, the last new manga announced is Tonari no Tennis-bu no Kimi to. This manga will be released in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #53, which will be published in Japan on November 30, 2026. This new manga is by author Shinobu Kasaya. Shinobu Kasaya doesn’t have any extremely relevant prior work. This will be her first big debut in Weekly Shonen Jump. Based on the name itself, we know this is a sports manga focused specifically on tennis. As we’ve seen before, sports-themed manga in Weekly Shonen Jump tend to do incredibly well, so if one series has potential, it’s definitely this one. The likes of Haikyuu! and Blue Lock have shown just how incredibly well these sports manga can do. It could become a replacement for The Prince of Tennis if it’s well received.
For now, though, it’s really hard to tell how these series will perform and how the reception will be. There is no guarantee that any of these three new manga will continue proper serialization. Any of them could be axed in the future at any time. It all depends on how they do in WSJ, and if they gain traction or not. If they’re successful enough, they could even eventually get an anime adaptation in a couple of years. With the large gap left behind by My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, this is the perfect time for a new manga to come through and establish itself, especially when the overall magazine quality is down.
Weekly Shonen Jump’s three new manga are set to start releasing weekly in Weekly Shonen Jump in Issues 51, 52, and 53. For international fans, and specifically U.S. fans, these new releases should be available on Manga Plus with English translations.
