Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump has been struggling to find replacements for major series such as Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia to stand alongside One Piece as the magazine’s frontrunners. While a few new releases in recent years have shown potential, two manga have stood out the most. Serializing since 2023 and even becoming a global sensation during its debut, Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono was the first to demonstrate this potential. The second strong contender to join the new generation’s top three for Shonen Jump is Ichi the Witch, written by Osamu Nishi and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki, which was released last year.
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These two manga have shown the potential to become the new top three, and it seems Shueisha is no longer hiding its intentions, as they are pushing projects featuring both series. It has been announced that Ichi the Witch and Kagurabachi will appear on the cover of the first issue of January 2026 of Weekly Shonen Jump, which goes on sale on December 1, 2025. Furthermore, the announcement confirms that the two manga will collaborate in a special campaign titled the “Ichi or Bachi Challenge,” which is currently underway.
Ichi the Witch and Kagurabachi Take the Lead in Shonen Jump’s First Issue of 2026
The special campaign is meant to promote the two top manga, as the roughly translated campaign name Ichikabachika means “All In.” Further reports suggest that there will be seven special advertisements in Shibuya and Osaka promoting these two series. This is a clear indication that Weekly Shonen Jump has placed its hopes on these manga to lead the magazine into next year. The timing is also reasonable, as other leading titles have either ended or, like Sakamoto Days, are nearing their conclusion. With Ichi the Witch and Kagurabachi continuing to progress narratively and receiving a strong weekly reception, Weekly Shonen Jump truly seems to be going all in starting next year.
This promotion also hints that more major developments may be on the way for these two manga. It may even be an indication that their anime adaptations could be announced soon, with the special campaign serving as a strategic push to build momentum for a major launch when the anime debuts. While an anime adaptation for Ichi the Witch may be less likely for now, considering the manga is only a little over a year old, Kagurabachi already has over 100 chapters. Therefore, an anime announcement for Kagurabachi next year is very likely. In any case, this latest news strongly suggests that Shueisha recognizes Ichi the Witch and Kagurabachi as the leading manga of Shonen Jump’s new era, and it is a promising sign given that both series have the potential to become truly big.
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