Weekly Shonen Jump from Shueisha is known for releasing some of the best manga series in history. It has serialized countless popular series, including classics like One Piece and Dragon Ball, and new additions to the manga world, such as Kagurabachi and Sakamoto Days. There are many magazines under the Weekly Shonen Jump umbrella, such as Weekly Shonen Jump, Monthly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, etc. Each magazine follows a different release schedule. A lot of the chapters end up getting illegally leaked on social media. This practice is still ongoing despite Shueisha actively taking action through legal measures and copyright claims.
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However, the ending of popular mangas like Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, and Oshi no Ko in 2024 has caused a rapid decline in the circulation of leaked chapters. While the leak culture hasn’t completely disappeared, they are less frequently discussed. JJK leaks, in particular, gained massive attention, with each leak post getting millions of impressions. Even My Hero Academia and Oshi no Ko leaks were quite popular. Now that these mangas with large fanbases have ended, only a couple or so Shonen Jump series get illegally distributed.
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The Drawbacks of Distributing Shonen Jump Chapters Ahead of Schedule
Social Media platforms are accessible to everyone, which allows the leakers to gain wide reach while maintaining their anonymity. These practices are quite common on Twitter, Reddit, and Discord. The leaks occur due to breaches in the supply chain or insider access. The physical copies are shipped to retailers before the official release date. So, individuals working in shipping, warehouses, or stores have early access to them, which means they can scan the copies and share them on social media. There are groups dedicated to translating manga that often help distribute the chapters.
However, leaking mangas is eventually futile because the chapters are officially released three to four days later with better translation and on a legal platform. The companies ultimately suffer losses because of this practice, which is why it’s a good thing that the leak culture is slowly disappearing. After the endings of major manga in 2024, only One Piece and Boruto (monthly serialization) are widely engaging in this practice. Kagurabachi keeps the leaks private on Discord platforms and doesn’t make them public before the official release. While there must be other leaks, they don’t get enough traction to pose a serious threat.
Even for readers, getting early access to chapters could cause a lot of confusion because the official translation is bound to differ. Spoilers often reveal the major plot points or twists beforehand, which risks reducing the enjoyment and ruins the experience. The leaked versions are usually either low-quality pages or just summaries of chapters. Shonen Jump‘s manga series are available to read on Manga Plus or Viz Media, which ensures the creators and publishers get enough credit and compensation.
H/T: Manga Mogura RE on X
