Sunday Retrospective (2024)

It's the most wonderful(?) time of year again, with our annual WSS/Shogakukan round up article! Here we take a look at the ups and downs in Shogakukan, with a focus on WSS! First the serials.

Serializations

Unlike, say, Shonen Jump or Shonen Magazine Sunday generally has far fewer serializations. They are similar to the other magazines in that they happen around the same time each year --early spring and towards the end of summer. (With a surprise series dropping at the end of the fiscal year.) This time around, the new charge started in issue #18 with Ruka Konoshima's Utsuranaindesu, Yuzuo Batou's Rock a Rock, Mako Hatomachi's Hello Work Monsters, Akihisa Maki and Miki Yatsubo's Kaiten no Albus, and Shota Komatsu's Kokoro Himeru no zen himitsu. There were some intermittent pauses between new series, but these ran essentially back to back. As of this writing, all of them are still serialized in Shonen Sunday, but the writing is on the wall for Rock a Rock, Hello Work Monsters, and Kokoro Himeru no Zen Himitsu. 

And then a few issues later, four more series began, starting with Shinta Harekawa's Momose Akira no Hatsukoi hantanchu, Jinsuke Honda's Ichika Bachika, Number 8 and Ryouhei Masuko's Strand and Yellow Tanabe's Kaihen Wizards. As of current writing, Momose, Ichika and Strand's first volumes have just released, so it's hard to tell what their futures will be. Tanabe's a veteran, so Kaihen has a buffer, but it's a toss up beyond that. If one were just to go with the TOC locations (which you shouldn't.) then Ichika seems like it's fine, as is Momose Akira, but Strand is an anomaly. 

Then for the secret serialization behind door number 10 comes Chigusa Ichihara's Shite no Hana. This seires is so new (starting a few weeks ago in issue 47)  that it's way too soon to predict its reception. It got a shout-out from the authors of the well-loved Akane Banashi so that's a good sign....hopefully. Embarrassingly due to life being the way it is I haven't actually written our first impression of the series yet, and likely won't get to it until after the holidays. Sorry about that. 

But overall? Sunday has a strong lineup. Also, a very sparse one, which is why there have been far fewer cancellations in the magazine this year, and the few series that have ended are all ones that have reached their natural conclusions. Speaking of which....

The Dearly Departed.

Left to Right: Super String: Isekai Kenbun Roku, Shuuseki ban go 0 ban

I wanna do bad things with you

Left to Right: Call of the Night and Shiroyama to Mita-san

From top to bottom: Super String Isekai Kenbun Roku, Shuusekiban go 0 ban, I wanna do bad things with you, Call of the Night, and Shiroyama to Mita-san. Super String ended in issue #15, Shuuseki ban go 0 ban ended in issue #22-23 KimiWaru ended in issue #18, Shiroyama to Mita-san ended in issue #8 and Call of the Night in issue #9. Super String and Shuuseki felt like they were cancelled due to not catching on, and the latter two, Shiroyama and Call of the Night, ended with the natural conclusions of their stories. Shiroyama in particular ended with 10 volumes, which goes to show you don't necessarily need a 100 chapter epic to tell a story. I'm not as sure with KimiWaru er--I wanna do bad things with you, (I'm mixing names, but I'm partial to that one!) but seven volumes is nothing to sneeze at. You can read the series courtesy of Viz, by the way, so get to it! In short, there wasn't an onslaught of series like last year, which again is attributed to how little ran in Sunday overall, especially with favorites like Frieren: Beyond Journey's end and Detective Conan essentially being irregular serializations. The former of those two titles has settled into a sort of bi-weekly schedule as of late, but there are still hiatuses peppered in between chapters. 

This didn't technically end per se, but Fukuchi saw it fit to bless us with a return of The Law of Ueki this year to celebrate Sunday's 65th anniversary. Fukuchi-sensei has been busy with a ton of oneshots after the conclusion of Golden Spiral last year, but the pages of Shonen Sunday are his back yard, and it just doesn't feel right to not have his name among the list of current serializations. Luckily for us, we won't have to wait long for the next Fukuchi epic. But for now, let's get animated. 

Getting Animated 

Reboots are all the rage around the world, and anime is no exception. After Urusei Yatsura concluded, the expectation was for MAO to finally make the leap to the small screen, but the powers that be in anime production faked left and slammed us in the face with an adaptation of Ranma 1/2 instead. Something Takahashi fans had been partially joking about never happening again for years actually, well, happened! As I write this, the series's first cour is about to end, but it wouldn't make sense to have brought this property back to not animate the entire story --especially since the previous series didn't right? So even if the cour ends without news of a continuation, I think it's a matter of when, and not if, for more Ranma 1/2. Be sure to give it a watch on Netflix!

On the other hand, Shotan's You are Ms. Servant which is currently running in Sunday Webry also got an anime adaptation which is streaming on Crunchyroll. Online series have been getting their dues lately with series like The Legendary Hero is Dead! And Helck from Ura Sunday receiving sort of “back” adaptations (as in these series have been completed for some time, and are only now getting anime) though both weirdly didn't get full adaptations despite their serializations being complete. That aside, I do like that Shogakukan is digging into all of their coffers for anime adaptations. We love us some Shonen Sunday, but it's not the only magazine in town. Inio Asano's Dead Dead Demons Dededededestruction also had a theatrical run, and an extended “TV” cut, that streamed on CR. This is something else that's been happening lately, and I'm not sure how to feel about it. On one hand, I know these TV versions are the “complete” versions, but there's something about not having access to the film cuts that feels unfair to me. Granted, Dead Demons really did not do well in theaters, so it's completely understandable why this happened. There's more anime coming from Webry in 2025, but we're going to take an Ad(oyama) break. 

Mr. Shonen Sunday's on screen domination.

This is Conan's world, and we just live in it. This year's installment opened at #1, and surpassed 15 billion yen by June 23rd. Conan movies just continue to trend upward against all odds, and we at Weekly Shogakukan Edition got to see the movie in theaters during our trip in Japan....three times! Don't ask.  15 billion yen is a huge leap over 10 billion that the movie took last year. The movie itself is a lot of fun, and TMS entertainment has been dropping hints about perhaps bringing it stateside soon™ 

To give them credit, they have been showing up to conventions and showing Conan movies (specifically ANYC) there --even releasing them (digitally) right after those con theatrical showings. Show them some love and pick those up so the Conan movies can keep right on rolling. That's it for Conan, but the Ad(oyama) break continues into our next section.

Coming soon to a stream near you

Another series reboot starts off the anime gang, and it's a major one --Gosho Aoyama's pre Conan work (yes they do exist!) Yaiba will get an anime reboot, airing in April 2025! Like Ranma 1/2 before it, the series got an adaptation in the 90s that really only adapted one of the major arcs. With Aoyama reaching a milestone in his career (30 years as a mangaka!) it only seemed appropriate to go back to his roots and finish what the first series started. Announcements so far have said he's working closely with WIT STUDIO on the series, and that some events will be shuffled around and differ from the manga. To be honest, this has been a mixed bag to me. While having the creator on board is usually a great thing, I feel like even there are times when even they don't know what audiences like about their work. Whether Aoyama falls into this trap we'll have to see. I am wary of it even with my understanding that with a series this old (and long) some things will be modified. Though no worries, Viz is going all in with this, and not only bringing over the anime, but the entire manga in omnibus format! Preorders are already up for the release coming summer 2025, so If you're curious about the manga, you'll have it in print and digital to enjoy. 

Aside from that the next two series come from Webry and WSS respectively. Ao Tajima's Hotel Inhumans and Aya Hirakawa's Mikadono San shimai ga angai, choroi will also be airing next year. The latter is a true blue success story in that Hirakawa's been doing manga in Sunday for years, and only now has one of her series been green lit for an anime --by famed studio PA Works to boot! Though, what's odd about Mikadono is....where is the English hype? We'll talk about manga licenses in the next section, and one name is mysteriously absent....Mikadono. Even during the Aniplex stream it only got a quick mention that did not imply that there are any immediate plans to stream it overseas, unlike many of the other anime featured during the event. I don't doubt that it will stream on one of the big platforms next year, but it's very odd to me that there hasn't been more effort to synergize with the anime announcement. Perhaps due to its nature as a romcom from an unknown artist, the powers that be are playing it safe and will wait to see how it actually does streaming before going in deep. 

Hotel Inhumans is relatively unknown which is why it's manga hasn't been picked up yet. Though it's premise which can be described as John Wick but with a focus on the human drama side of a hotel that caters exclusively to assassins and neer-do-wells gets me thinking that this might change if the anime is done just right. It's produced by Studio Bridge which has done some competent work, but ultimately a studio is a name and a building. It's the director, the staff and their connections that make the magic happen. I'm looking forward to both of these when they begin broadcast next year! As noted, it's not known who will be streaming these --and there is a non-zero chance that they may not stream at all on the typical suspects. It's not completely unheard of (Blue Orchestra, the anime adaption of an Ura Sunday manga of the same name did not stream, and is even getting a season two!) but I'm choosing hope in the face of despair (and experience.) 

If season one was so good, where's season two?

Frieren Season 2 Advertisment 

Call of the Night Season 2

2025 is a good year for reboots, and the reboot's cute little sister, the second season. Two Weekly Shonen Sunday favorites are shashaying their way back onto TV with unknown dates but all the hype. Frieren season two felt like a shoo-in with all the positive press and thundering manga sales the first anime brought the series. Even with studio Madhouse's somewhat earned reputaiton of not doing second seasons of their IPs, they'd have been fools to shake off the opportunity to enter the magical lands of Frieren again. On the other hand, Call of the Night had several announcements after the manga concluded --none of which were a new anime. Just when many had given up hope, the anime's second season got green lit, and everyone cheered! Though I can't help but have some reservations about the second season --are they going to take their time adapting what's left (which keep in mind the first season adapted 5 volumes, 5 volumes out of 20.) Or is it going to be a clif's notes adaptation that'll rush to the ending? I realize without a doubt that there are things that can and probably should be skipped, but I also think there isn't a point of doing this if a ton is going to be left on the cutting room floor. Again, hope over despair (and experience) 

Call of the Night season one is streaming on HiDIVE and Frieren on Crunchyroll. As of now, the director from the first season of Call of the Night has confirmed their participation in season two, but Frieren?  Not so much. I'm sure they'll keep the staff together but things can and do change. 

Not quite an anime, but I'd be remiss not to mention that Atsushi Namikiri's MMA manga RedBlue will become a TV Drama! ...I'm surprised they're doing this over an anime, but Namikiri's work getting an adaption of any sort is well deserved. From what I've seen the drama will stream on Netflix so we're likely to get it almost immediately after Japan if not as a simul-stream. 

Shogakukan USA

Viz truly has been spoiling us with Shogakukan and Shonen Sunday this year, and people have been showing up for it in a big way! The Most read series this year on the Viz media app are essentially the same as last year, save for Detective Conan falling off. I'd assume this is likely because of it appearing less frequently, and people who were catching up with it last year have already. I'm still surprised at the reception for Fly Me to the Moon (Tonikaku Cawaii) since I don't hear many people talking about it online. It's been on a hot streak lately, so I'm glad people are appreciating it as much as I am. 

Perhaps the biggest news (if not very surprising) is Viz's continuous drip feed of getting one WSS title per year. That being said, Tsumiki Ogami's Not-so-ordinary-life being the choice did catch me off guard. The series is doing really well (and even got an animated commercial for it's fourth volume release in Japan!) but I didn't think it was to a point that Viz would lock in this early. (Is there an anime in the planning stages they know about?) It is pleasing to see the series doing well both at home and now appearing on a worldwide stage. They also shadow licensed Inio Asano's current series Mujina in the Deep, and are still providing simulpubs of Shogakukan series from the family of publishers. Go give VizManga a read if you haven't, and tell them WSSTB sent ya. 

This has turned into the Viz section. Unfortunately other publishers haven't been as keen on picking up Shogakukan titles this year, but Viz made up for that in a big way, picking up not only the yearly WSS title, but two Corocoro in Minecraft and Beyblade X a Big Comic Spirits title in Tokyo Alien Brothers, Sunday GX also got some love with Ryuhei Tamura's Cosmos and last but not least RaiRaiRai from Ura Sunday. Cosmos and RaiRaiRai especially are great grabs that I've been really enjoying them in Japanese. I can't wait to see how people react to these when they come out next year! 

Okay, okay I owe Viz an apology --we got two WSS titles this year as they've also picked up Yellow Tanabe's Kai-hen Wizards for a simulpub release. Which, I think, is their very first simulpub pick up from the magazine since they began the Viz "Vault"! We love to see it. Hopefully they'll pick up more from future serializations as time goes on. On that note, Sho-Comi also got some hype in Magical Girl Dandelion which I can't prove got big due to WSSTB, but I'd like to think we helped in some way with our coverage of the series, and the interview we had with Kaeru Mizuho-sensei. Dandelion has been a great pick-up and has something for manga fans of all kinds. After you're done here, go read it! 

The Future.

Visual from Syun Matsuena's new autobiographical manga Kichijouji Shonen which runs in Gessan. It will be serialized simutaneously with his new WSS series Chijou e which will begin in issue 7. 

Visual from Tsubasa Fukuchi's new series Parashoppers which will begin in WSS issue #8

There's a lot to look forward to in 2025 in Weekly Shonen Sunday. Interestingly unlike past serialization rounds that happen a little further in the year around spring, we've already been privy to the knowlege that Shun Kimi Wa 008 Matsuena and Tsubasa Fukuchi will be starting new series in issue #7 and #8 respectively. It's not completely unheard of for series to start this early in the year though it's been a long while since they've done this. Are we only getting two new series? What series will end (if any) to accomodate these? 

To answer the first question --we might get a third?! Yuuhei Kusakabe (Shiroyama to Mita-san) has been looking for assistants for a new work (it's not yet confirmed for WSS, but y'know) and Kazuhiro Fujita (Souboutei Kowasubeshi) has also been hinting he's working on something too (Again not confirmed to be for WSS.) As for series ending, I think that something out of the 2024 spring serializations is knocking on heaven's door, if you know what I mean. Also, Komi Can't Communicate is on its final arc, but what that means in the long run is up in the air. It could end in the middle of next year, or within a few issues. It's had an almost 10-year run (crazy, right?) so this would be a perfect time to bow out if it is. 

And so we end with a look at the new artists coming to a magazine (or online) in 2025. Many times these end up being oneshots in Webry, Sunday Super, or Gessan. With a smattering appearing in WSS proper. The one guy in the corner with the crown that looks like pixel art stands out among this interesting crop of series but as always the newbies all look promising. 

We're changing how we do things here as well, by going back to using the blog for series updates, which will occur once a month. The threads are fun, but the engagement for them are plummeting (something I don't blame anyone for), so it makes more sense to just bring my impressions on what's serialized in WSS here on the blog instead. We'll still do new serialization impressions (with Shite no Hana heading up that charge after the holidays) but the blog will be way more active in the 2025. The twitter will still be a hub for news and Shogakukan updates, so no need to worry! 2024 was a great year overall, and I've got a lot of hope that 2025 will continue to be a year of the sun. Happy Holidays and keep on reading!