Manga fans have two new serialized works to binge in Shonen Jump this summer. Naba Fusai’s Aliens Area and Masaoki Shindou’s Ruri Dragon will debut in issue No. 27 and 28, respectively. Issue No. 27 of 2022’s Weekly Shonen Jump is scheduled to release on June 6th in Japan with No. 28 set for publication June 13th.
Details about the series’ plots are limited for now, but the creator’s previous works may give some insight into the direction both Aliens Area and Ruri Dragon may take.
Naba Fusai has two major works under his belt: the ghost-hunting series Apollo which won the Shonen Jump Golden Future Cup 2018 and historical samurai series Harakiri Gomen ran 4 chapters in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Masaoki Shindou previously published a oneshot of Ruri Dragon in Shonen Jump GIGA telling the tale of a young girl who sprouts horns due to her dragon heritage and learns to deal with new changes as they come. While the oneshot may have had a slower more slice-of-life feel, it’s unknown if the serialized version will remain the same.
This isn’t Masaoki Shindou’s first time in Weekly Shonen Jump, either. They’ve had two oneshots before: the action-heavy Count Over and Joreishi Rentarou no Yakusoku. 2016 oneshot Sky Claw — the story of a flightless boy who defies expectations with mechanical wings — also saw a Jump Cross release.
This exciting news is, unfortunately, coming with the caveat of the end of Yuji Kaku’s Ayashimon — the story of a young man, Maruo Kaido, who, pursuing his goal to become a manga protagonist, succeeds… while learning that monsters roam and threaten his hometown.
What manga is currently serialized in Shonen Jump?
In print since the late 1960s, Shonen Jump is one of Japan’s most successful weekly manga publications. And for international fans, it’s often where the series that brought them into the anime fandom originated. Big name titles like Naruto and Bleach may have come to an end, but modern series such as My Hero Academia, Black Clover, and Jujutsu Kaisen have taken over as the new big three.
That said, there’s more to Shonen Jump than its international hits. Many series — often due to not having an anime adaptation — remain under the hype radar such as Mission: Yozakura Family, a family of spies with a supernatural twist for fans of works such as the currently popular Spy x Family.
2020 brought many new series to the magazine including Yoshifumi Tozuka’s Undead Unluck, Hajime Koumoto’s Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Shuuhei Miyazaki’s Me & Roboco (which has an upcoming anime adaptation), Ryou Nakama’s High School Family: Kokosei Kazoku, Yuuto Suzuki’s Sakamoto Days, and Bleach creator Tite Kubo’s Burn the Witch which releases on an irregular schedule.
Last year also brought several hits that are still going strong. Yuusei Matsui’s The Elusive Samurai, Kenta Shinohara’s Witch Watch, Kouji Miura’s Blue Box, Maporo 3-Gou’s PPPPPP, Daiki Ihara’s Protect Me, Shugomaru!, and Gen Osuka’s Doron Dororon (not to be confused with Dororo, Dorohedoro, or Durarara!!).
Only halfway through 2022, Shonen Jump already has quite a few newcomers to the magazine. Aside from the aforementioned upcoming series, this year has brought Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue’s Akane-banashi, Hideo Shinkai’s Earthchild, and Hiroki Tomisawa and Kentarou Hidano’s Super Smartphone.
And, as no surprise to manga fans, Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece — which began all the way back in 1997 has been going strong ever since. Currently as the oldest running series in Shonen Jump, many speculate that its reign will come to an end within the next few years. With news of fellow 90s series Hunter x Hunter coming out of hiatus, however, perhaps the magazine’s elders have no wish to retire too soon.
Where can I read Shounen Jump in English?
An unfortunate barrier keeping international fans away from many great manga series is a lack of availability. Not all series are fortunate enough to receive international publication or an English translation. Luckily, VIZ has nearly all Shonen Jump titles — along with serialized manga from other magazines such as Shonen Jump+ (Spy × Family, Kaiju No. 8, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes), Young Jump (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Golden Kamuy, Tokyo Ghoul), and more!
Many series on VIZ’s site are simulpub, meaning that they release the same day as the original Japanese release. While VIZ has yet to update its site with information about Aliens Area and Ruri Dragon, it’s likely that we will get more information once the 27th issue of Shonen Jump launches on June 6th!
While the first and last three issues are available for free on VIZ’s website, fans will need to pay a subscription fee of $1.99 per month (a steal for access to up to 100 chapters daily) to read all Shonen Jump series in their entirety. Those wanting to add their favorite manga to their collection can also purchase volumes and box sets of VIZ published media from retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more!
It’s also worth checking if there is a local comic book shop near you! Small businesses rely on fans to stay afloat, and by requesting your favorite manga, you allow others in your community to find gems on their local shelves. Comic book stores also provide a way for fans to connect in person and bring others from their community into the manga world.