Shonen Jump’s New Sports Series Is the Ultimate Replacement for Haikyuu and Blue Box

Shonen Jump continues to release new manga this year as well, despite canceling or concluding many of its current ongoing series. In its latest release, Shonen Jump’s newest title might just be the perfect replacement for the acclaimed sports manga Haikyuu!! and Blue Box. Haikyuu!! is perhaps one of the best sports manga ever serialized in the magazine, which is evident from its staggering run of over 400 chapters. This success was driven by the profound energy of volleyball and the dynamic between Tobio Kageyama and Hinata Shoyo. The two characters made each other shine and ultimately grow stronger together.

Meanwhile, Blue Box, while it does emphasize sports and highlights its fun and inspirational aspects, is elevated by its core premise of romance as the main driving force. It features multiple characters striving to improve in their respective sports, motivated by their feelings and promises to others. At their core, these series use different elements as sources of inspiration for their characters. Now, by combining the dynamic of Hinata and Kageyama from Haikyuu!!, where their unique playstyles push each other forward, with Taiki’s romantic feelings for Chinatsu as motivation, we get Shonen Jump’s new series, Drawn to the Fire. In its first chapter, this new manga perfectly captures these two compelling elements to emerge as a genuinely strong start.

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Drawn to the Fire Can Perfectly Replace Both Haikyuu!! & Blue Box

Drawn to the Fire, written and illustrated by Masayoshi Satosho, was released in issue 20 of Weekly Shonen Jump on April 12th. It follows a boy named Keiki Mizuhara, who, after entering high school, gives up on playing basketball because he believes he will never be a genius like his childhood friend, Hanabi Tachibana. As a result, Keiki resigns himself to being like a bug, drawn to the fire that geniuses like Hanabi emit. However, he is separated from her after she transfers schools, though the two promise to meet again at the national tournament. Despite this, Keiki, convinced he can never fulfill that promise, decides it is better to quit basketball altogether.

However, another basketball genius, Akane Natsu, joins Keiki’s school and begins vigorously recruiting him to join the team. Natsu reveals that despite receiving offers from prestigious schools, he specifically chose this one because of Keiki. In a surprising twist, Natsu believes Keiki is a genius in his own right, someone whose natural ability allows him to keep up with true prodigies. This sets up the central dynamic between Keiki and Natsu, with both acting like bugs drawn to each other’s light, perfectly highlighted in their first game together. Fans of Haikyuu!! will recognize a similar dynamic, where, despite Kageyama’s genius, only Hinata could truly match his pace.

Meanwhile, Keiki’s lingering romantic feelings for Hanabi serve as his personal motivation, pushing him to improve as a player, much like Taiki and Chinatsu’s dynamic. While the focus on basketball echoes Blue Box, it is clear that Drawn to the Fire places stronger emphasis on the sport itself. Because of this, the series stands as a compelling replacement for fans who miss Haikyuu!! and for those following Blue Box, which is approaching its conclusion.

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