Shonen Jump Reveals the New “Big 6” — The Next Era of Anime and Manga Begins

Originally released in 1968, Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump has cemented itself as the most influential and best-selling manga magazine in the world. Over its long history, the magazine has introduced unforgettable classics such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, each shaping the identity of modern shonen storytelling. Remarkably, out of the 23 manga series in history that have surpassed 100 million copies, 12 were serialized in the pages of Shonen Jump — a record no other magazine has come close to matching.

The era of the legendary Shonen Big Three will always be remembered as a defining moment in manga culture. Yet the industry continues to evolve, with newer titles embracing faster pacing, tighter story arcs, and more experimental concepts. While 2025 has brought turbulence to the magazine — including multiple cancellations and lineup shifts — Shonen Jump remains committed to discovering the next generation of long-lasting hits.

During promotional events in Japan, the well-known X (Twitter) account @ShonenSalto shared a new visual highlighting the six series the magazine is betting on as its strongest rising stars. These titles represent the direction Shonen Jump believes the future of the magazine will move toward.

These Six Rising Shonen Jump Series Are Strong Candidates for Anime Adaptations

According to the promotional visual, the six promising titles are:

• Nue’s Exorcist by Kouta Kawae

• Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono

• Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi by Shouichi Usi

• Hima-Ten by Genki Ono

• Ichi the Witch by Osamu Nishi & Shiro Usazaki

• Shinobi Undercover by Ippon Takegushi & Santa Misarashi

These series, all debuting after 2022, have shown exceptional potential in a short amount of time. Kagurabachi and Ichi the Witch are currently the most popular of the group, with impressive online traction and strong volume sales. Even so, the remaining four titles have rapidly gained dedicated fanbases, proving that Shonen Jump’s editorial team sees long-term promise in each of them.

While these manga are still early in their publication run, the chances of anime adaptations are already looking high. Historically, Shonen Jump rarely promotes brand-new series this aggressively unless it believes they have the potential to grow into the magazine’s next major pillars. Should these titles receive anime projects, their popularity is expected to surge even further, bringing their stories to global audiences.

The future of Shonen Jump appears to be shaped by variety rather than a single trio like the Big Three. Instead, the magazine seems focused on nurturing a broad lineup of unique voices and fresh ideas — an approach that may define the next era of shonen storytelling. Readers can access all six titles through the official Manga Plus app, while physical volumes are available via Viz Media.

As these series continue to grow, fans are eager to see which ones will rise to legendary status next. Whether or not they become the next cultural phenomenon, one thing is certain: Shonen Jump’s new generation is already making an impact.

Source: ComicBook.com

✨ What Do You Think?

Which of these six new Shonen Jump series do you believe has the strongest chance of becoming the next big anime hit — and why?
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