Since last year, one after another, popular manga series under Weekly Shonen Jump’s belt have been coming to an end. First, it was My Hero Academia that concluded last year, and soon after, Jujutsu Kaisen followed. Now joining the list of departing titles is the magazine’s heavy-hitting battle manga, Sakamoto Days. Starting next week, the manga will be entering its “Final Battle,” and with the setup for the concluding arc more or less complete, the series is clearly approaching its end. It’s unfortunate timing, as the manga has only recently started to gain broader popularity, especially following its anime debut. However, what makes Sakamoto Days truly stand out among the magazine’s lineup is its unique identity.
Sakamoto Days is one of the few manga in recent memory from the magazine that largely avoids supernatural elements. Aside from Shin’s mind-reading ability, most of the characters and fight sequences remain grounded in realism. That’s why the series often feels more jarring when it briefly embraces exaggerated or fictional elements, such as the recently viral “Tunnel Effect.” Still, with a solid and arguably decent run, which is longer than Demon Slayer‘s by the way, Sakamoto Days has left its mark through consistent quality and originality. As a result, the bar is set high for whatever series will take its place.
Shonen Jump Will Have a Hard Time Filling the Void Left Behind by Sakamoto Days
Besides Sakamoto Days being one of the more popular manga in the magazine, there are other series that are arguably just as prominent, such as the global sensation of 2023, Kagurabachiand the runner-up for last year’s most popular manga on Manga Plus, Ichi the Witch. It’s becoming increasingly clear that these two titles are poised to join One Piece as the new “Top Three” of the next generation. They are expected to take the place of Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academiawhich previously held that status alongside One Piece before their respective conclusions. While Kagurabachi delivers a darker, revenge-driven narrative, Ichi the Witch leans into classic shonen tropes, following a protagonist who lives and breathes his craft while overcoming challenges.
With these strong foundations, Shonen Jump has secured its future lineup of popular titles; however, none of them bring quite what Sakamoto Days did to the table. With its assassin underworld setting and battles that, while still exaggerated, are grounded in a relatively realistic tone, Sakamoto Days offered a flavor that’s now rare in the magazine. The series often felt more like a seinen title in its approach, and considering that Yuto Suzuki’s previous one-shots were clearly geared toward an adult audience, it’s likely that Sakamoto Days was also initially conceived as a seinen series without any supernatural elements.
Perhaps Suzuki was asked to include Shin’s mind-reading ability and tone down the violence to fit the Shonen Jump mold. Therefore, with the magazine’s emphasis on battle manga with heavy supernatural elements, it’s hard to say if any current series can truly fill the void Sakamoto Days will leave. Still, that’s not necessarily a bad sign for Shonen Jump, as it continues to host many other titles that are thriving, and some may even surpass Sakamoto Days in popularity in the years to come.
