Weekly Shōnen Jump (Japanese:週刊少年ジャンプ,Hepburn:Shūkan Shōnen Janpu; stylized in English asWEEKLY JUMP) is a weeklyshōnen manga anthology published in Japan byShueisha under theJump line of magazines. Themanga series within the magazine consist of manyaction scenes and a fair amount ofcomedy. Chapters of the series that run inWeekly Shōnen Jump are collected and published intankōbon volumes under theJump Comicsimprint every two to three months. It is one of the longest-running manga magazines, with the first issue being released with a cover date of August 1, 1968.
Weekly Shōnen Jump has sister magazines such asJump SQ,V Jump,Saikyō Jump, and digital counterpartShōnen Jump+ which boasts its own exclusive titles. The magazine has also had several international counterparts, including the North AmericanWeekly Shonen Jump. It also spawned a crossovermedia franchise includinganime andvideo games (sinceFamicom Jump) which bring together variousShōnen Jump characters.
History
First issue ofBessatsu Shōnen Jump which replacedShōnen Book
Origins (1960s–1970s)
Weekly Shōnen Jump was launched byShueisha on July 11, 1968,[5][6][a] to compete with the already-successfulWeekly Shōnen Magazine andWeekly Shōnen Sunday.[8]Weekly Shōnen Jump's sister publication was a manga magazine calledShōnen Book, which was originally a male version of the short-livedshōjo manga anthologyShōjo Book.[9] Prior to issue 20,Weekly Shōnen Jump was originally called simplyShōnen Jump as it was originally a bi-weekly magazine. In 1969,Shōnen Book ceased publication[10] at which timeShōnen Jump became a weekly magazine[10] and a new monthly magazine calledBessatsu Shōnen Jump was made to takeShōnen Book's place. This magazine was later rebranded asMonthly Shōnen Jump before eventually being discontinued and replaced byJump SQ.
Golden age (1980s–1990s)
Hiroki Goto was appointed chief editor in 1986 and remained in the position until 1993. His tenure saw significant increases in circulation, and the serialization of numerous popular series. When asked about the period, Goto stated: "We only tried to create manga that everybody can enjoy. There were no specific rules. Idol and tabloid magazines dominated in the Media & Entertainment industry at that time and we aimed to stand out from the crowd by using only manga as our weapon."[11]Famicom Jump: Hero Retsuden, released in 1988 for theFamily Computer was produced to commemorate the magazine's 20th anniversary. It was followed by a sequel:Famicom Jump II: Saikyō no Shichinin in 1991, also for the Family Computer.Shōnen Jump's circulation continued to increase year on year until 1995, peaking at 6.53 million copies. By 1998, circulation had dropped to 4.15 million copies, a decline in part ascribed to the conclusion of popular manga seriesDragon Ball andSlam Dunk.[12][13] The magazine peaked with a total readership of18 million people in Japan during the early 1990s.[14]
Declining circulation (2000–2013)
Circulation for the magazine continued to decline through the early 2000s, before reaching some stability around 2005, well below its earlier peak.[12] In 2000, two more games were created for the purpose of commemorating the magazine's anniversaries. A crossover fighting game titledJump Super Stars was released for theNintendo DS in 2005. It was followed byJump Ultimate Stars in 2006. Due to the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the shipment of the 15th issue of 2011 was delayed in some areas of Japan. In response, Shueisha published the series included in that issue for free on its website from March 23 to April 27.[15]
On July 11, 2013, theNamco Bandai Group opened anamusement park themed aroundWeekly Shōnen Jump series. Titled J-World Tokyo, it is located on the third floor of the Sunshine City World Import Mart Building inIkebukuro and is 1.52 acres.[16][17] In celebration of the magazine's 45th anniversary in 2013, Shueisha began a contest where anyone can submit manga in three different languages, Japanese, English and Chinese. Judged by the magazine's editorial department, four awards will be given, a grand prize and one for each language, each including 500,000 yen (about US$4,900) and guaranteed publication in eitherJump, its special editions, North American edition, China'sOK! Comic, or Taiwan'sFormosa Youth.[18]
Transition to digital (2013–present)
Bookshelves at theMinamiuonuma City Library, featuring issues ofWeekly Shōnen Jump (2018)
A mobile phone app titled "Jump Live" was launched in August 2013, it features exclusive content from the artists whose series run inWeekly Shōnen Jump.[19] On September 22, 2014, the freeShōnen Jump+ (少年ジャンプ+,Shōnen Janpu Purasu; abbreviatedJ+)mobile app and website was launched in Japan. It sells digital versions of theWeekly Shōnen Jump magazine, simultaneous with its print release, andtankōbon volumes of individualJump series past and present. However, it also has large samples of the manga that can be read for free.[20] There are also series that are serialized exclusively on the app, such asMarvel × Shōnen Jump+ Super Collaboration; unlike those inWeekly Shōnen Jump, these series may be aimed at adult men or women.[21] These exclusive series are later published in printtankōbon volumes under the Jump Comics+ imprint. In 2019, theShōnen Jump+ website and app had about 2.4 million active users.[22] As of January 2020, the app had been downloaded more than 13 million times.[22]
As the magazine shifted towards digital provision, print circulation once again began to decline. By 2017, print circulation was down to under two million, less than a third of its peak during the golden age.[23] This decline follows similar trends seen by other magazines in the sector.[24]
On January 28, 2019, Shueisha launched the global English-language version ofShōnen Jump+, titledManga Plus. It is freely available in every country except China and South Korea, which have their own separate services. A Spanish-language version was launched in February 2019, and has a different library of content.[20] Like the Japanese app, it has large samples of manga that can be read for free including all the current titles ofWeekly Shōnen Jump, a sizeable number of titles fromShōnen Jump+ and some titles fromJump Square. However, unlike the Japanese version, the latest chapters of currentWeekly Shōnen Jump manga are made available free for a limited-time and it does not sell content.
Weekly Shōnen Jump, in association with parent companyShueisha, holds annual competitions for new or up and comingmanga artists to create one-shot stories. The best are put to a panel of judges (including manga artists past and present) where the best are given a special award for the best of these new series. TheTezuka Award, named for manga pioneerOsamu Tezuka, is given for all different styles of stories. TheAkatsuka Award, named for gag manga pioneerFujio Akatsuka, is a similar competition for comedy and gag manga. ManyWeekly Shōnen Jump manga artists have gotten their start either winning or being acknowledged by these competitions.
Associated items
WSJ is also the center of the Shueisha's branding of its main manga products due to the popularity and recognition of the series and characters published in it. Although the manga are published both in the main magazine as well as in theJump Comics imprint line oftankōbon, they also are republished in various other editions such askanzenban and "Remixes" of the original work, usually publishing series older or previously established series. The Jump brand is also used on thetankōbon released of their manga series, related drama CDs, and at "Jump Festa", a festival showing off the people and products behind theWeekly Shōnen Jump manga titles.
Circulation and demographic
Weekly Shōnen Jump is the bestselling manga magazine in Japan.[26] In 1982,Weekly Shōnen Jump had a circulation of 2.55 million. By 1995, circulation numbers swelled to 6.53 million. The magazine's formereditor-in-chief Masahiko Ibaraki (2003–2008) stated this was due to the magazine including "hit titles such asDragon Ball,Slam Dunk, and others." After hitting this peak, the circulation numbers continued to drop.[27][28] 1998's New Year's issue was the first time in 24 years thatWeekly Shōnen Jump lost as the highest sellingshōnen manga magazine (4.15 million copies sold), ceding toWeekly Shōnen Magazine (4.45 million).[29] It was not until 2007 that the magazine saw its first increase in 11 years, from 2.75 million to 2.78 million, an increase that Ibaraki credited toOne Piece.[30]
By publishingshōnen manga, the magazine is targeted to young teenage males. However,Index Digital reported in 2005 that the favorite non-shōjo magazine of elementary and middle school-aged female readers isWeekly Shōnen Jump at 61.9%.[31] Strengthening it,Oricon conducted a poll among 2,933 female Japanese readers on their favorite manga magazines in 2007.Weekly Shōnen Jump was the number one answer, withOne Piece,Death Note, andThe Prince of Tennis cited as the reasons.[32] In 2009, it was reported that 62.9% of the magazine's readers were under the age of fourteen.[33] However, in 2019 Shueisha revealed that its largest demographic of 27.4% was aged 25 or older.[22]
There are currently 23 manga titles present inWeekly Shōnen Jump. Out of them,Burn the Witch's continuation is yet to be scheduled andHunter × Hunter is published infrequently.
Jump Giga (ジャンプGIGA) is a special seasonal offshoot ofWeekly Shōnen Jump launched on July 20, 2016.[62] Its original predecessor started in 1969 as a regular special issue of the bi-weeklyShōnen Jump. WhenShōnen Jump became a weekly publication and was renamedWeekly Shōnen Jump in October of that same year, the special issue changed to a quarterly release and kept the shorter name.[63] In the mid-1980s, the magazine took on theWeekly Shōnen Jump name with each issue subtitled the Spring, Summer, Autumn, or WinterSpecial.
Beginning in 1996, it was published three times a year forGolden Week,Obon and New Years under the nameAkamaru Jump (赤マルジャンプ,Akamaru Janpu) until April 30, 2010, when it was renamedShōnen Jump Next! (少年ジャンプNEXT!).[63][64]Jump Next! has had several other past special versions:
Aomaru Jump (青マルジャンプ,Aomaru Janpu) was a single issue ofAkamaru Jump.[65] One-shots that were featured inAomaru Jump wereDead/Undead,Shōgai Oyaji Michi!,The Dream,Mieruhito,Yūtō ☆ Hōshi, andFuku wa Jutsu.[66]
Jump the Revolution! (ジャンプ the REVOLUTION!) was a special edition ofAkamaru Jump that was published in two issues in November 2005 and 2006.Jump the Revolution! contained one-shots of upcomingWeekly Shōnen Jump series and soon to beJump SQ series.
In 2012 it returned to a quarterly schedule.[63] A second exclamation point was added to the title in March 2014, when it switched to a bi-monthly release.[67][68] After relaunching asJump Giga, the magazine published four issues or "volumes" in 2016 and 2017,[69] six in 2018 and 2019 (three in summer and three in winter), and seems to have returned to a seasonal quarterly release since 2020.
Jump Giga features many amateur manga artists who get theirone-shots published in the magazine. It also puts additional one-shot titles by professional manga artists, which promote upcoming series to be published in the main magazine. It has also featured the last chapters of cancelled series fromWeekly Shōnen Jump, such asEnigma andMagico. It also featuresyonkoma of popular series such asDeath Note andNaruto, as well as the pilot chapter ofBleach. Final epilogue chapters ofThe Disastrous Life of Saiki K. andFood Wars! Shokugeki no Soma were also featured,[70][71] whileGintama andBlack Clover were transferred to allow for their completion.[72][73]
Series
There is currently one manga title being serialized inJump GIGA.
V Jump (Vジャンプ,Bui Janpu) was originally an offshoot of theWeekly Shōnen Jump magazine in a special issue calledWeekly Shōnen Jump Tokubetsu Henshū Zōkan V Jump (週刊少年ジャンプ特別編集増刊 V JUMP). The special issues lasted from 1992 through 1993.V Jump became its own independent anthology in 1993 for coverage of games, including video and card games.
Super Jump (スーパージャンプ,Sūpā Janpu) was also originally an offshoot of theWeekly Shōnen Jump magazine in a special issue calledWeekly Shōnen Jump Tokubetsu Henshū Zōkan Super Jump (週刊少年ジャンプ特別編集増刊 スーパージャンプ). The magazine was published from 1968 to 1988, when it became a separate anthology forseinen manga.
Jump VS
Jump VS was a special issue ofWeekly Shōnen Jump, published on March 22, 2013. The issue focused on "battle manga" and included 12 one-shots.[75][76]
International adaptations
Manga titles fromWeekly Shōnen Jump are translated into many foreign languages, and some even have their own separate version of theWeekly Shōnen Jump anthology.Weekly Shōnen Jump manga are also published in many other countries where the magazine itself is not published, like theUnited Kingdom,Argentina,Mexico,Spain,Australia, andSouth Korea.
Shonen Jump, published in North America byViz Media, debuted in November 2002, with a January 2003 cover date. Though based onWeekly Shōnen Jump, theEnglish languageShonen Jump is retooled for English readers and the American audience and is published monthly, instead of weekly.[77][78] It features serialized chapters from seven manga series, and articles on Japanese language and culture, manga, anime, video games, and figurines.[79] In conjunction with the magazine, Viz launched new imprints for releasing media related to the series presented in the magazine, and othershōnen works. This includes two new manga imprints, ananime DVD imprint, a fiction line for releasinglight novels, a label for fan and data books, and a label for the release of art books.[80][81][82][83]
Prior to the magazine's launch, Viz launched an extensive marketing campaign to promote the magazine and help it succeed where other manga anthologies in North America have failed.[84] Shueisha purchased an equity interest in Viz to help fund the venture,[85] andCartoon Network,Suncoast, andDiamond Distributors became promotional partners in the magazine.[84] The first issue required three printings to meet demand, with over 300,000 copies sold.[86] It was awarded the ICv2 "Comic Product of the Year" award in December 2002, and continued to enjoy high sales with a monthly circulation of 215,000 in 2008.[87][88]Shonen Jump was discontinued in April 2012 in favor of its digital successor,Weekly Shonen Jump. With it ending in an incomplete, but yet almost complete picture spine of the Naruto splash page of "Declaration of War" on the side of each said magazine.
Weekly Shonen Jump, Viz Media's successor to the monthly print anthologyShonen Jump, was a North Americandigital shōnen manga anthology published simultaneously with the Japanese editions ofWeekly Shōnen Jump, in part to combat the copyright violation of manga throughbootlegscanlation services. It began serialization on January 30, 2012, asWeekly Shonen Jump Alpha with a lineup of six titles and new issues published online two weeks after Japanese release, but within a year had expanded to twelve ongoing series, and on January 21, 2013, it underwent a rebranding and transitioned to simultaneous publication with Japan.[89][90]
Banzai! is a German-language version ofWeekly Shōnen Jump published byCarlsen Verlag that was published from 2001 through December 2005 before being canceled.[91] In addition to theWeekly Shōnen Jump manga series, the magazine also included original German languagemanga-influenced comics. The magazine competed as a sister publication to ashōjo anthology calledDaisuki. It had a circulation of 140,000 copies.[92]
Remen Shaonian Top
Cover of volume 187 ofRemen Shaonian Top
Rèmén Shàonián Top (熱門少年TOP) is the former weekly Chinese-language version ofWeekly Shōnen Jump, published in Taiwan by Da Ran Publishing. In the 1990s Da Ran went bankrupt and the magazine had to cease publication.Rèmén Shàonián Top serialized series such asYu-Gi-Oh!,Tottemo! Luckyman,Hikaru no Go, andOne Piece as well as several other domesticmanhua.
Formosa Youth
Formosa Youth (寶島少年Báodǎo Shàonián) is the current[when?] weekly Chinese version ofWeekly Shōnen Jump.Formosa Youth features various series fromWeekly Shōnen Jump. TheFormosa Youth magazine translatesWeekly Shōnen Jump manga up to date. A sister publication ofFormosa Youth isDragon Youth Comic (龍少年Lóng Shàonián), which specializes in domestic manhua. In 1977, the Tong Li company was created and founded by Fang Wan-Nan which created bootlegs, this ended in 1992.[93] A law in Taiwan restricted the act of bootlegging all manga.[93] During 1992, Tong Li created many manga and manhua magazines,New Youth Bulletin,Youth Comic,Margaret Girl,Dragon Youth Comic, andFormosa Youth.[94] Some series likeOne Piece andHikaru no Go were first published in the manga/manhua magazineRèmén Shàonián Top (熱門少年TOP) by Da Ran Publishing, but when Daran Publishing went bankrupt the series were transferred toFormosa Youth.
EX-am
EX-am is the Hong Kong version ofWeekly Shōnen Jump published by Culturecom Holdings's comic division Culturecom Comics, the largest comic distributors in all of Asia.[95] The magazine publishedHunter × Hunter,Captain Tsubasa andDragon Ball—which holds the highest circulation of manga in Hong Kong, alongside the highest of domestic manhua which would beChinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword.[95]
C-Kids
C-Kids (ซีคิดส์See Kít) is theThai languageWeekly Shōnen Jump published bySiam Inter Comics.[96]C-Kids publishes manyWeekly Shōnen Jump series such asOne Piece, Gintama[97] along with many original manga-influenced comics from the division Cartoon Thai Studio likeEXEcutional.[98]
Boom
Boom (บูม) is anotherThai languageWeekly Shōnen Jump published by Nation Edutainment.Boom publishes manyWeekly Shōnen Jump series such asNaruto,Death Note along with many original manga-influenced comics from Factory Studio likeMeed Thii Sib-Sam andApaimanee Saga.
SwedishShonen Jump
In November 2004, Manga Media began publication of aSwedish language version ofWeekly Shōnen Jump in Sweden, calledShonen Jump as a sister publication to their existing magazinesManga Mania andShojo Stars. The magazine included chapters from various popularWeekly Shōnen Jump titles includingBleach,Naruto,Shaman King, andYu-Gi-Oh!. In November 2007, after 37 issues published, Manga Media ceased publication of the magazine.[99][100] It had a circulation of 30,000 copies.[92]
NorwegianShonen Jump
ANorwegian language edition ofWeekly Shōnen Jump began publication in Norway in March 2005. Published bySchibsted, the Norwegian edition was a direct translation of Bonnier's Swedish version of the magazine, containing the same series and titles. When Bonnier lost the license forWeekly Shōnen Jump, the Norwegian version also ceased publication, with the last issue released on February 26, 2007. They also created two short lived book imprints: "En Bok Fra Shonen Jump" (a book from Shonen Jump) for profile books and "Dragon Ball Ekstra" (Dragon Ball Extra) a line specifically for manga written byAkira Toriyama.[101] Also afilm comic based on theDragon Ball Z anime was released under the "TV Anime Comic" imprint.[102]
Jump Comics is used as animprint label for publishing manga, most often for collectedtankōbon volumes of manga series originally serialized inWeekly Shōnen Jump and otherJump magazines.[103] The imprint is published in the U.S. under the names Shonen Jump and Shonen Jump Advanced. Shōnen Jump Advanced was created for the distribution of manga series considered more mature due to content or themes. Series released under SJA includeEyeshield 21,Ichigo 100%,Pretty Face,I"s,Hunter × Hunter,Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (first edition) andDeath Note.
Weekly Shōnen Jump formerly ran a manga line ofaizōban editions called Jump Comics Deluxe. Jump Comics+ is the imprint for all the manga series exclusively digitally released on the app and websiteShōnen Jump+ after the chapters of the series get reunited and released in print intankōbon format.Weekly Shōnen Jump has also run a line oflight novels and guidebooks called Jump J-Books.Weekly Shōnen Jump has also run a linebunkobon editions called Shueisha Comic Bunko. A line of large square-bound phone book size issues of earlyJump Comics series named Shueisha Jump Remix has also been published.
Circulation figures
Magazine circulation
The mid-1980s to the mid-1990s represents the era when the magazine's circulation was at its highest, 6.53million copies per week, with a total readership of18 million people in Japan. The magazine has sold over 7.5 billion copies since 1968, making it thebest-selling comic/manga magazine, ahead of competitors such asWeekly Shōnen Magazine andWeekly Shōnen Sunday.[26][104] Throughout 2019, it had an average circulation of over1.6 million copies per week.
The following table lists the manga series that have had the highest circulation inShōnen Jump magazine. It lists the number of issues where they're serialized, and estimated circulation figures and sales revenue of thoseShōnen Jump issues (based on themagazine circulation figures above). Of the series listed below, onlyBleach,Gintama andBlack Clover began their serialization after the conclusion of the golden age in the late 1990s.
^"Boy's Manga" (in Japanese). Japanese Magazine Publishers Association. September 2016. Archived fromthe original on November 3, 2016. RetrievedNovember 6, 2016.
^"siamInter Comics".ประกาศรายชื่อผู้โชคดีจาก C-KiDs และ Comic Zone. Siam Inter Comics. October 11, 2007. Archived fromthe original on December 16, 2008. RetrievedNovember 19, 2008.
^"siamInter Comics".EXE โก อินเตอร์แล้วจ้า.... Siam Inter Comics. November 6, 2007. Archived fromthe original on December 16, 2008. RetrievedNovember 19, 2008.
^"Shonen Jump" (in Swedish). Seriesams Guide!. RetrievedDecember 1, 2013.
^abc"JMPAマガジンデータ : 男性 コミック". Japan Magazine Publishing Association. September 30, 2019. Archived fromthe original on November 27, 2021. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2020.
^abcdef"印刷証明付部数".www.j-magazine.or.jp.Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. RetrievedJuly 18, 2023.