Shueisha’s most famous and best-selling magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, released its first issue in 1968 and has serialized several hundred series since then. Everyone is familiar with the iconic series, such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach, which even have their own anime adaptations. Series such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and My Hero Academia gained popularity in recent years, which further strengthened WSJ’s importance in the anime and manga industry. The magazine is known for offering rich storytelling, unique concepts, and intriguing characters.
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However, only a few series in the WSJ. Most of them fail to hit the mark, even though they can rival all the incredible shows out there. The reason could be due to limited marketing or poor timing, but they just never reach the audience they deserve. Some of them don’t even get to last long because of that, while others maintain small yet dedicated fan bases. If you’re curious about what the magazine has to offer beyond the mega hits that have been presented to the world, then this list is for you.
1) RuriDragon
Because of the number of hiatuses since its debut in 2022, RuriDragon still only has 34 chapters and three volumes. It may be one of the reasons why it’s still underrated, but the story is good enough to make the wait worthwhile. Ruri Aoki, an average high school girl, wakes up one day only to find out she has horns sprouting out of her head. She learns from her mother that her father is a dragon. Despite the shocking news, Ruri still has to get ready on time and leave for school.
She ponders over the existence of dragons, which she believes is just a myth. Regardless of the sudden change, she strives to continue her ordinary life, but is overwhelmed by the attention she’s getting in school. The story continues as she comes to terms with her own identity and awakens her hidden powers while trying to live her normal life amid the chaos.
2) Akane-Banashi
Akane-banashi focuses on the traditional Japanese art of storytelling, Rakugo, which is predictably lesser-known outside of the country. The series has gained a small but dedicated fan base recently, but it’s not enough to compete with the mainstream Weekly Shonen Jump series internationally, remaining a beloved, underrated gem nonetheless. The story follows Akane Osaki, a high school girl, determined to become a master of rakugo, not only because of her passion but also to uncover the truth behind her father’s expulsion several years ago.
As one of the most talented rakugo performers, Akane’s father, Shinta Arakawa, was expelled by the strict master, Issho Arakawa, right before he could reach the prestigious shin’uchi rank. What’s worse is that Shinta was never given a clear explanation, and his career was ruined because of that incident. Blessed with the same talent as her father, she embarks on a quest to master the art in the male-dominated world of storytelling.
3) Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi
Written and illustrated by Shoichi Usui, a former assistant of Eiichiro Oda, Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi is surprisingly a wholesome comedy manga set in a world where demons invade the human world. The story follows a 16-year-old prodigy, Kiyoshi Harai, the youngest ever graduate from the Exorcist Academy. As someone said to be the strongest exorcist in history, Kiyoshi hides a major secret beneath his unparalleled power.
He has been terrified of demons since the day his parents died at the hands of one. Even though he is haunted by the memory of the tragic day, Kiyoshi strives to protect others by using his powers to exorcise demons. Despite the dangers involved and the high stakes, his missions are often accompanied by hilarious moments.
4) Shinobi Undercover
One of 2024’s best new series released in Weekly Shonen Jump, Shinobi Undercover, is still not being talked about enough. The series remains underappreciated despite being a unique action-comedy manga, blending the ninja action with a socially awkward protagonist struggling to adjust to an ordinary lifestyle. Even in modern-day Japan, a unit of elite intelligence operatives, who can use special skills called ninjutsu, hides in the shadows. They are part of the Ninja Public Safety Force and use their powers to eliminate anything that threatens the nation’s peace.
Yadoka, a young boy, is one such ninja who has exceptional skills but finds it difficult to interact with people. His new mission is to go undercover as a bodyguard and pose as a high school student. His job is to protect Aoi Mukai, the sole heiress to a vast fortune, which makes her a prime target for various organizations. As the story continues, he forms bonds with unexpected allies, slowly adjusting to life as an ordinary civilian on the surface while keeping the threats away from Aoi.
5) Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
It’s been over a decade since the manga reached its conclusion, but it’s still under the radar despite even getting an anime adaptation. One reason could be that it takes a little time to get engaging, but everything connects impressively at one point. The story and art are both remarkable, but what’s truly intriguing is the supernatural folklore through Yokai, which was all the rage during the 1990s and 2000s. The story follows Rikuo Nura, who appears to be an ordinary middle school student.
However, he is one-fourth yokai and is heir to a legendary clan led by his grandfather, Nurarihyon. Having heard tales of yokai’s evil deeds since childhood, Rikuo is reluctant to succeed the Nura Clan and tries to avoid his destiny. When the sun sets, he transforms into a yokai who resembles Nurarihyon in his prime. Rikuo realizes he can use his powers to protect others and finally chooses to accept his inheritance. The story continues as he works tirelessly to unite all the yokai factions in Japan and create his own version of the “Night Parade of a Hundred Demons,” one that doesn’t evoke fear among others.
6) Rookies
On the surface, this heartwarming sports manga may seem like a typical story about baseball, but at its core, it’s more of a redemption and coming-of-age story. While popular in Japan and clearly having sold its fair share with 21 million copies in circulation, it’s surprising more people don’t talk about Rookies. Rookies follows the story of Koichi Kawato, a high school teacher who believes in the potential of youth, even those who are rejected by society. He arrives at Futakotamagawa High School, where the baseball team is full of delinquents who caused a brawl in an official match and got suspended for a year from all school competitions.
By the time the suspension was over, the students had lost their passion for the sport and engaged in all kinds of problematic activities. However, Kawata swears to set the boys in the right direction and gives them a goal to reach the prestigious Koshien high school baseball tournament. With only a few months left, the students strive towards the goal while also facing several challenges, including opposition from the school and everyone around them.
7) Hima-Ten!
This ongoing romantic comedy follows Tenichi Iemori, a sixteen-year-old high school boy who works part-time with a house cleaning service to support his family as well as save up enough money for college. However, his life turns upside down when Himari Yoshino, who works as a model and is the president of her own company, transfers into his class, creating uproar in the school.
As the class representative, Tenichi is trusted to look after her. As he gets to know more about her, Tenichi starts admiring the girl and her cheerful personality. However, her cover is blown when she doesn’t know Tenichi is hired to be her house cleaner. He is baffled by the messy house, much to Himari’s embarrassment.
8) Kill Blue
Kill Blue is one of the lesser-known works of Tadatoshi Fujimaki, the creator of Kuroko’s Basketball. This ongoing series blends spy thriller elements with high school comedy, focusing on Juuzou Oogami, an exceptional 40-year-old assassin for a covert organization. However, he was somehow turned into a 16-year-old boy when a mission went wrong.
In order to find the cause and a cure to turn him back to normal, he now poses as a high school student while having the instincts of a world-class killer. What follows is a series of hilarious events with action sequences thrown into the mix as Tadatoshi struggles to keep up his youthful facade.
9) World Trigger
Despite having stellar worldbuilding and a captivating storyline, World Trigger is not considered a mainstream hit, perhaps because of the subpar quality of anime adaptation and even hiatuses caused due to the author’s health. The manga went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and returned in 2018 as part of the Jump SQ magazine with a monthly schedule. The story is set in Mikado City where a mysterious gate to another world opened out of nowhere.
The horrifying invaders from another dimension, called neighbors, caused nothing but destruction. What’s worse is that their technology is highly advanced, and even modern weapons are useless against them. The city was on the brink of destruction when a mysterious group from the Border Defense Agency appeared four years ago and protected the city. The gate is still open to this day, but the city is bustling more than ever, thanks to people’s faith in the Border. The story centers around Yuuma Kuga, one of the Border’s trainees, who appears ordinary at a glance but is hiding a major secret about his identity.
10) Bakuman
After the explosive success of Death Note, the manga author Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata collaborated again in 2008 to create Bakuman. While the series isn’t purely based on a true story, it draws heavily from the real-life experiences of its creators and features many references to real people and events. The story follows Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi n their journey to be serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump and become famous mangakas. Despite having immense talent in art, Moritaka is unsure about his future and believes he will lead an ordinary life.
However, his life takes a drastic turn when Takagi, an aspiring writer, sees one of Mashiro’s drawings. Akito insists on writing a manga together, much to Mashiro’s reluctance, whose uncle, a mangaka, died from overworking only a few years prior. However, Mashiro finds the courage to pursue a new dream when he learns that his crush, Miho Azuki, aspires to become a voice actress. He is determined to create a manga that can be famous enough to get an anime adaptation for her to star in. His resolve is further solidified when Miho reciprocates his feelings and agrees to marry him when they both achieve their dreams.
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