Welcome to the latest installment of SJ Weekly Roundup, a weekly post where I discuss Shonen Jump Magazine's latest and greatest chapters of manga! The magazine will feel quite different while mangaka Oda-sensei takes a short break until July 24th to prepare for the next and possibly final arc of One Piece. However, the magazine is brimming with so much fresh new talent lately! If you’ve been thinking about trying a new series, now is a great time to jump in! Every series in my current roundup has less than 20 chapters out, making them very approachable to get into. Before you know it, you’ll be excitedly waiting for the latest chapter each Sunday like I am!
My goal with these posts is to cover as many currently running series as possible. However, please understand that I do not possess superhuman manga-reading abilities, and I am not caught up on every series in Jump. Check out the list below to see my current progress with series I am reading, which will be added to the roundup upon completion.
CURRENTLY READING:
Witch Watch (Ch. 5/63)
Blue Box (Ch. 18/54)
Me & Roboco (Ch. 8/90)
PPPPPP (Ch. 8/34)
Sakamoto Days (Ch. 11/72)
Undead Unluck (Ch. 10/112)
One Piece (Ch. 24/1050)
As always, Shonen Jump offers the oldest and newest 3 chapters of each series on their website completely free of charge, If you would like to read along with me. Without further ado, let's get in to this week's chapters!
RuriDragon (NEW SERIES!)
Story & Art by Masaoki Shindo
Chapter 2
Synopsis: Ruri’s mom wants her to learn how to control her fire breathing, so they find a nearby field to practice in. No matter what she tries, Ruri is all sneezes but can’t seem to conjure up any fire by her own free will. There is some good news though: Ruri’s throat is all healed, and it seems she has inherited dragon dad’s healing abilities. Another day begins, and Ruri comes to the conclusion that sneezing and breathing fire are not linked, and that the one time it happed must have been a coincidence.
Ruri’s mom remembers some advice dragon dad gave her last time they spoke, about how they need to rest easy and give it time so Ruri can develop these dragon traits on her own. While talking about dragon dad, Ruri starts to feel a tingling sensation and hotness similar to what she felt before in class… she gets up, takes a deep breath, and spits out a huge fireball! It happened again, and this time her throat is completely unscathed! It seems her body is adapting to these traits and she is beginning to learn how to rein them in.
My Thoughts: Ruri’s mom is great! She’s gives off this lackadaisical, cool older sister vibe that’s super charming and has clearly rubbed off on Ruri over the years. We learn more about her mom’s relationship with dragon dad in this chapter, which seems a little strained. It’s unclear whether dragon dad stays away on purpose or if mom purposely keeps him at arms length. Ruri is understandably a little hesitant to go back to school and just pretend like everything’s normal.
I wonder how the atmosphere at school will change as she further develops her dragon traits. Will her classmates smother her with attention again? Will they be afraid of her? No matter what, her friend Yuka will always be by her side and I thought it was really sweet how concerned she was for Ruri. She’s completely unfazed by Ruri’s dragon traits and treats her the same as always, which I imagine will make her Ruri’s rock during all of these confusing changes she’s going through. I’m having a great time with this series so far, and I’m hoping it maintains the comfy vibe it has in these first 2 chapters.
Aliens Area (NEW SERIES!)
Story & Art by Fusai Naba
Chapter 3
Synopsis: Tatsumi’s first day as a Foreign Affairs 5 member has officially begun, and his family has been moved into a nice apartment provided by the police department. Getting to his new workplace requires going through a series of secret elevators and doors at the police headquarters. The well-hidden Section 5 is chock full of researchers, lab workers, and alien creatures being experimented on. Foreign Affairs 5 has ten teams, and Tatsumi belongs to Team 7, also known as Team Sharaku. Tatsumi is introduced to the 3 other members of Team Sharaku, who curiously interrogate him about his implant.
Implantees are few and far between in Japan, especially in public security. Team 7 member Yumeko breaks things up and challenges Tatsumi to a hazing of sorts, where if he can defend against even one of her attacks, he passes. Yumeko has a warp ability where she can quickly teleport and reposition herself in a fight before even being noticed. Tatsumi has recently learned the secret to activating his implant: bite down hard on your back teeth and snarl like a wild animal! Will his implant abilities be enough to defend against Yumeko’s lightning-fast punches and kicks?
My Thoughts: Team 7 are sooo cool!! They give off such a brooding, mysterious energy and I’m really digging their character designs. That giant fish creature behind them really drives home how serious and real all this alien stuff is, and how Tatsumi can’t unsee the things he witnesses while working at Foreign Affairs 5. We get to watch Yumeko test Tatsumi’s abilities in this chapter, revealing that Yumeko has this warp ability that lets her zip around in battle, and surprisingly I didn’t notice until now that Team 7’s abilities are activated through watch-like screens they wear on their wrists. A battery was mentioned, which makes me think that these abilities have limits and can’t just be used carelessly.
I would also like to bring attention to the absolutely stellar action panels on display towards the end of this chapter, which were seemingly just a tease for what’s coming next chapter. Tatsumi’s ability looks far more complex and powerful this time, with multiple arms sprouting out of him and creating a cage around Yumeko. The action and art style of this series are what hooked me on this series initially, and on that front, it has been delivering in spades. On the other hand though, the story elements aren’t quite hooking me as much yet, even after 3 chapters. This series seems to be much more of a slow burner in the story department but there is clearly potential here! I hope that Aliens Area can find a way to stand out from other currently running battle manga series beyond the surface level through compelling, unique story arcs that bring as much heat as the art does.
Super Smartphone
Story by Hiroki Tomisawa
Art by Kentaro Hidano
Chapter 7
Synopsis: Tensions are high as the three-way chat between Q, Nagi, and Zenichiro begins! Q’s goal is to prove that Zenichiro is the high-rise instigator and to get Nagi on his side. Zenichiro’s goal is to use his status and influence to gain power in numbers by convincing Nagi, Q, and the police force to join him, becoming the strongest group in the world. Zenichiro reveals that he already has two other Super Smartphone users on his side. Q is unfazed by Zenichiro’s smooth and calculated speech, noting that based on what he’s said so far, he’s definitely the high-rise instigator. Q noticed a discrepancy in the list of valuable high-rise tenants that was handed out to the robbers: a person named “Yuma Kai” was listed as having far more money in their possession than they actually had!
Yuma Kai was purposely selected as a target, with the intent to have the robbers kill him amidst the chaos of the high-rise raid with none of the blame falling on Zenichiro. This allegation strikes a nerve with Zenichiro, although he is confident that the police won’t find a connection between him and Yuma Kai. Q makes a damning final point: he asks Nagi to list some traits about Zenichiro. “They’re smart, they take the initiative, and they are adamant on gathering allies and making a spectacle out of their actions.” Wait a minute… these are all the exact same traits as the high-rise instigator! Q treats Zenichiro like a normal person rather than a king, and this makes Zenichiro furious! His rebuttal? He turns his camera on, reveals his name, appearance, and location to the group, and invites them to investigate him to their heart’s desire!
My Thoughts: I was caught extremely off guard by Zenichiro revealing his identity to the group, as well as the little tidbit he dropped about having 2 other Super Smartphone users on his side! I can’t quite tell if revealing his identity is part of an elaborate plan, or if it’s sheer confidence. This chapter exemplifies every compelling quality of Super Smartphone and is my personal favorite chapter so far by a wide margin. The tension, the battle of wits, the measured, intelligent dialogue… Everything about this chapter was such a thrill!
Also good lord, the expressiveness of Zenichiro in this chapter! The panel on page 15 captures the raw fury Zenichiro is capable of in a way that honestly gave me chills. Nagi has this disgruntled, confused demeanor throughout the chapter that perfectly encapsulates what an outsider’s perspective would be on this whole “being a Super Smartphone owner” thing. I was very impressed with this chapter overall, and was struck by the sense of stability and confidence this series gives off despite spinning so many plates at once. Super Smartphone feels so at home in Shonen Jump Magazine and I am so glad to see it thriving.
Akane-Banashi
Story by Yuki Suenaga
Art by Takamasa Moue
Chapter 18
Synopsis: Akane has made it through the qualifiers and into the final round! Celebrations are in order, with Jumbo and Akane’s guidance counselor meeting up with her to share some encouraging words. Akane realizes she left her fan in the green room of the venue, so she goes to pick it up. On her way out, she overhears someone in the dressing room speaking in a Fukuoka dialect. she peeks behind the curtain, and sees Koragi talking on the phone with her mother!
The cat is out of the bag… Koragi is trying to pass as a city girl, but Akane has now discovered her secret. On top of this, Koragi sees Akane as her biggest rival and someone who has the advantage over her in every way. She wears a friendly demeanor on the surface, but deep down, she’s super pissed off at Akane. Both of them are more charged up than ever, and set on a collision course for the final round!
My Thoughts: It’s been twist after twist with Akane-banashi lately! This time we get some insight into Koragi’s background, where she is written in somewhat of a trope-y way as this country bumpkin archetype. The way this character trait is executed, however, is extremely compelling. From Koragi’s perspective, Akane is in an enviable position and has every possible advantage over her. The truth is, though, that Akane is going through struggles of her own. From Akane’s perspective, she’s grinding her way up from the bottom of the rakugo world and fighting for acceptance after the expulsion of her father from the Arakawa school.
My favorite aspect of Akane-banashi has arguably been the character writing. Each of the characters we’ve met so far are complex, layered individuals that feel like real people. Nobody is one-note, including the smallest of side characters. Yuki Suenaga has pulled off a monumental feat with this series’ characters, all while spotlighting the art of rakugo performance through their eyes. What we have here is an age-old art form being pushed beyond its boundaries by a fiery young generation, one who has also been spurned in several ways by rigid, traditional leaders and perspectives. There is such a bright, burning spirit within the pages of this series that I always look forward to each week and I get the feeling we’re only seeing a fraction of the potential this series holds.
Earthchild
Story & Art by Hideo Shinkai
Chapter 17
Synopsis: With Albert’s telekinesis propelling them forward, Reisuke and Albert embark on a journey through the meteor shower on a last-ditch effort to save Kareri! A few things are on their side: Kareri has a small defensive barrier around her that activates reflexively but only covers a short area, so the duo should be safer if they can get close to Kareri. Also, quite literally through the power of love, Kareri gets stronger when Reisuke is near. A piece of high-speed space dust grazes Albert’s head and sends him spinning away, pulling them both deeper into the cold vacuum of space, hurtling forward without a way to slow down!
The crystalized Kareri zooms by them with an outstretched hand, and Reisuke grabs it and holds it tight! Her love for Reisuke was so strong that it has saved them… now they just need to make it home safely… a piece of space dust pierces through both of their hands, quickly depleting the oxygen in Reisuke’s suit! While Reisuke is nearing the end of his rope, the love he has for Kareri is making her powers recover! Will the three make it back safely to Earth after getting this far?
My Thoughts: The pendulum continues to swing in this week’s Earthchild, as any time we are given a glimmer of hope, a new conflict rears its ugly head. Despite the absolutely bleak position Reisuke is in with this rescue mission, he never gives up. Regardless of how confusing this manga has been to follow recently, a prevailing message has always shone through: Never give up on what you love, no matter how tough the going gets. There are quite a few elements of Earthchild that I think are frankly really stupid and contrived but at this point, I’m just curious how it will end more than anything. I’m not really gelling with this manga recently, but I’m invested enough to see it through.
There’s potential here, everything is just moving WAY too fast and it feels like the story can’t keep up with itself or have any breathing room. It’s a tale of unstoppable familial love that pulls my heartstrings at its best, but has ultimately been a pretty exhausting read each week. Maybe that’s the point, maybe we are supposed to feel that same soul-crushing exhaustion Reisuke is going through, but I can’t help but take a cynical viewpoint on it and see the current state of Earthchild as a result of the cutthroat culture of the manga industry and the looming threat of cancellation not letting this series have enough time in the oven. All this being said, I am still hopeful that Hideo Shinkai can pull off a satisfying ending to the series. I hope the heads at Shueisha let him properly wrap things up in the way he intended.
If any of the series mentioned in this post caught your interest, Shonen Jump offers the first and last 3 chapters of each series on their website, completely free of charge.
Stay tuned here at the Jo's Tomorrow blog for future manga roundups and all things Shonen Jump; Happy Reading!
