One Piece is the most popular manga in Shonen Jump. It’s hard to find something to replace it. It’s well-known globally and in the anime community, with various adaptations like games and live-action.
Shonen Jump noticed One Piece and other popular manga like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen nearing their end, started the NEXTWAVE project to find the next big manga.
Also Read: One Piece Gets Overtaken by Another Shonen Series in Becoming the Number 1 Manga
In 2023, a new manga from this project became a hit, surpassing Jujutsu Kaisen in readership. However, despite its success, it couldn’t beat One Piece.
Kagurabachi: The Rise, the Hype, and the Uncertain Future
Shonen Jump’s NEXTWAVE project introduced the manga series Kagurabachi, which has become more popular than Jujutsu Kaisen among digital readers.
Until October, Kagurabachi held the second spot on the Manga Plus app, surpassing Jujutsu Kaisen and ranking just behind One Piece, the top manga. Before that, Kagurabachi even outperformed Chainsaw Man to claim the third spot.
The breakout manga hit, Kagurabachi, which went Shonen-viral on Manga Plus in 2023, ultimately fails to beat One Piece, as it might get canceled this year.
Also Read: Monkey D. Dragon’s Devil Fruit in One Piece May be Strongly Related to the Tattoo on His Face
The Shonen Jump’s NEXTWAVE project also launched two other titles, Mama YuYu and Two On Ice. Despite Kagurabachi’s apparent success, the latest Shonen Jump issue suggests trouble for all three new manga series. The rankings and placement in the magazine indicate challenges ahead for Kagurabachi, Mama YuYu, and Two On Ice.
Kagurabachi, Two on Ice, and Mama Yuyu Seem to be Canceled
The Table of Contents in Weekly Shonen Jump helps readers find specific manga in the magazine. Some think a manga’s place in the ToC shows how popular it is, but it’s not always true. Popular series like Undead Unluck and My Hero Academia may be at the bottom because of how they’re positioned.
For new series, a low rank in the ToC during the first year often leads to cancellation. According to a post by X User (@cer_clover), 96 percent of first-year manga with low ToC ranks have been canceled since 1997.
Sharing some interesting data about the TOC (thanks to MH forums for most of the data)
Since One Piece started (1997) til 2023 every series that has ranked last in the TOC within its first year will end up cancelled 96% of the time.
This has happened with 210 out of 218 series. pic.twitter.com/C0Eu8L4lev
— Cer (@Cer_clover) December 11, 2023
This is concerning for Kagurabachi, Two on Ice, and Mama Yuyu, even though Kagurabachi is popular on Manga Plus.
Also Read: “Most searched anime” In Google History Isn’t One Piece or Jujutsu Kaisen
Despite international popularity, Kagurabachi and Two on Ice’s low ToC placement suggests they’re not as popular in Japan. Shonen Jump is taking action by giving them a color issue to boost popularity and avoid cancellation.
Fans can be reassured that the magazine is trying to keep these series alive, especially since they are successful overseas. While ToC stats are informative, sales data is a more reliable way to gauge demand, and fans should be cautious about rumors until official sales data is available.
