Shonen Jump has remained the most popular manga publisher for 20 years. The publisher is known for giving the best reads to manga and anime fans. But it seems different this time.
Recent sales data shows that Shonen Jump has lost its place for top-selling manga spot to Kodansha’s series Blue Lock. Shonen Jump, a subsidiary of Shueisha, has been dominating the mange industry since the launch of its first issue in 1968. It’s behind many memorable manga, such as Dragon Ball and Naruto. Its popular release, One Piece manga, has recently broken many records.
Now, according to the manga sales tracker, Oricon, Shueisha, and Shonen Jump are no longer in the top spot. X account Shonen Magazine News says:
“With 10.527.146 copies sold, Blue Lock is the most sold manga in 2023, according to Oricon! Blue Lock becomes the first spokon and the first manga from Shonen Magazine to achieve that first place in Oricon era!”
Kodansha has always remained a competitor to Shueisha. But this is the first time that one of Kodansha’s manga has bested Shonen Jump’s manga to become the year’s best-selling manga series.
Blue Lock Beats One Piece & Jujutsu Kaisen
Comicbook.com displays Oricon’s list of top-selling manga. Although Blue Lock ranks first, the rest of the top sellers are more in line with past years. The list of highest-selling manga was dominated by Shonen Jump manga such as Chainsaw Man, Oshi no Ko, and Jujutsu Kaisen. One of the most surprising facts is that the sports manga Blue Lock surpassed One Piece in sales.
Most manga have witnessed a noteworthy increase in manga sales as the anime adaptation airs, some being drastic. The anime became a hit, and when the first season ended, a second season and a Blue Lock movie were announced right away. The World Cup 2022 also contributed to the catapulted sales of Blue Lock. The artists of the manga series partnered with Adidas to design jerseys for the Japanese national team inspired by the manga.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.
