Shounen Jump: End of an Era?

Article at a glance:

• Shounen Jump is unlikely to face another “Dark Age” as it did in the late 90s, thanks to the success of diverse and non-traditional manga like Sakamoto Days and Blue Box.
• Popular series like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Black Clover are in their final arcs, but new titles are emerging to maintain the magazine’s momentum.
• Shounen Jump’s broadened scope and improved editorial practices ensure a stable and varied lineup, preventing another significant downturn in popularity.

Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, we had an era called the “Dark Age of Shounen Jump” when mangas like Slam Dunk, Dragon Ball, and Yu Yu Hakusho ended up relatively at the same time, around 1994 and 1996. This Dark Age was alleviated once One Piece started picking up and then Bleach and Naruto came around. Thus we got the second and probably the most famous generation of the “Big Three”. Except for One Piece, this generation ended around 2014-2016.

But unlike the late 90s, we didn’t suffer through a “Dark Age” because Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Black Clover, and Jujutsu Kaisen were there to pick things up. But now that they are ending, who will pick things up? Well, let’s talk about it. I don’t think Shounen Jump will go into another Dark Age as many people claim.

What does the future hold for Shounen Jump?

So MHA, JJK, and Black Clover are all in their final arcs. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to end immediately. Jujutsu Kaisen and Black Clover will probably continue for another year or so. MHA will most likely be the first one to end. Oda says One Piece is its “Last Saga” so it still has a few years left, give or take. It is funny how One Piece was there to witness the end of 3 whole generations. But once these mangas do end, what’s next?

So one thing that Shounen Jump has done well in the past few years is that they’ve widened their scope, so the speak. So something like Sakamoto Days and Blue Box, which are not traditional Shounen mangas are still very popular. Yes, they have Shounen themes but they’re not traditional, action-heavy Shounens. Heck, Blue Box is a straight-up romance and it has been doing incredibly well. Apparently, the editorial department, working conditions, and cancelation issues have also been addressed over the years. I can’t say this for sure but that’s what I’ve heard.

And we’ll still have stuff like Kagurabachi and Burn the Witch (whenever Kubo decides to continue it) to satisfy our typical Shounen itches. So whenever we do get a new era of the Big Three, there is a good chance that they’re not going to be all action mangas like the previous generations (except Slam Dunk, of course) and I think that’s a good thing. Having more variety for readers in a single issue is and will never be a bad thing. It gets you access to more audiences. So no, Jump is absolutely not hitting another Dark Age. They’ve done well to ensure that.

That is all for now

Those were my two cents on the whole Shounen Jump situation. I see a lot of people blowing it out of proportion online and that’s just not true. Jumo is in a pretty good spot right now, just see how well Blue Box and Sakamoto Days are doing. Will they be enough to carry the whole magazine though? That remains to be seen but I don’t think they’ll ever hit the lows of the late 90s again. With that said though, I will take my leave here. See ya!

Also, check out my thoughts on Fall 2024 and how absurd it is here!