Sunday Retrospective (2025)

For all intents and purposes, 2025 was a year. What kind of year it was is up to the individual, but a lot happened in the world at large and of course in the pages of Weekly Shonen Sunday. I feel like I'm ill-equipped to speak about the state of the world itself, but the state of the Sunday and by extension Shogakukan? Now there's something I can yap about.

Issue #44 cover celebrating the Shonen Sunday Culture festival. 

Serializations

Advert from issue #6 (2025) of WSS advertising new serials starting with issue #7

I've written about Weekly Shonen Sunday for a while, but I feel like it's only now I get how the serialization clock ticks. Last year saw ten new serializations, and that number was repeated this year. While I've known that serializations are things planned well in advance, it feels like I've unlocked the secret of why the editorial staff at Sunday does things the way they do. I don't believe that other magazines will have a single series serialized as a “round” the way Sunday does, but it all makes sense if they're aiming for ten a year. At the end of last year's retrospective, I spoke briefly on Matsuena's new serialization Sora e and Fukuchi's Parashoppers. However, I didn't know of Mitsutani's work Land of Monsters at the time. Sadly, as I write this, the series has been complete for a few months. (More in the in memoradium section) That's a real shame since it got a simulpub from Viz and everything. I'd love to be let in on the secrets of what they choose to simulpub over at Viz, (and maybe nudge them into getting Silver Mountain?)  but alas, I'm stuck on the outside looking in. Otherwise, this batch of two veterans and a newbie had the results you'd expect -- Sora e and Parashoppers are still around. Between the two of them, Parashoppers has had the better reception, being reprinted at least twice and maintaining a fairly decent TOC position. On the other hand, Sora e isn't selling or polling well. I'd even go as far as saying the current chapters imply the series is heading toward a conclusion, but as Matsuena is a pillar of not only the magazine but the publisher, it's hard to tell whether they'll let him tell the story he envisioned or cut it short. Also, it'd be remiss for me to neglect that Parashoppers has a Viz simulpub as well. 

Advert from issue #22 for new serializations beginning in issue #23.

The serialization rounds are almost down to a science, with spring serials beginning around the same time as last year.  (Issue #23 compared to #18) This time around, Sunday once again broke the mold by having two veterans in Kazuhiro Fujita (Silver Mountain) and Kazuhiko Shimamoto (Vampidol Tagiru) begin new series in the same issue. Though ultimately it works out the same sequentially as they took an issue off (#24) for new serializations and began Kusakabe's Kakukamata in #25 and Lettuce and Mashu Taro's Kagurai in #26. This round venerated veterans as well with three out of four artists already walking the hallowed halls of the magazine. As of now all four series are still around, but Silver Mountain is far and away the big hit of the batch. Kakukamata and Kagurai both poll good to decent, but neither has great sales numbers-especially the former. In truth, the other three series in this round haven't inspired readers to open their wallets, so I couldn't tell you offhand which will fall first. My bet is Kakukamata but we'll have to see how things play out in 2026.

Advert for Dragemis in issue #43. The serialization began in issue #44.

Last year, we got Akira fails in Love, Ichika bachika, Strand and Kai-hen Wizards around the time Dragemis began this year. Again, Sunday is no stranger to having single-series series serialization rounds, so this is nothing new. As it only started recently, volume one hasn't come out yet (It releases in January) but the poll numbers aren't great for this one, so I think it's pretty likely it will struggle to sell. I reviewed the series already so you can see my thoughts on why that might be in the review. I think it has potential, but I honestly don't see Dragemis surviving very long unless sales belie its reception in the magazine proper. 

Advert for new serializations beginning in issue 48

And now we're at the (near) present, with two new serials in Shiishihi and Yuki Tsukikoshi's Aga kimi chiruramu and Sakane Toyobashi's Futari Bus. Both of these have barely been in the magazine for a month at this writing so it's hard to tell where they'll end up come first volume time. Their poll positions have been mostly average, and while both series do have pedigrees (Shiishihi was the writer for Te no Geka, and Toyobashi has done some oneshots), they're not to the point where I think they could eke by on name recognition alone. That being said, they fill niches in the magazine (AgaKimi being a strategic warring states battle manga, and Futari Bus being a slow burn romcom) that I could see editorial giving them time to grow. 

Overall, the magazine continues to keep a strong lineup of series in different genres. I think this is the first year I'm not wanting for one genre over another. As a battle-hardened dinosaur, I'm happy with the amount of battle manga we have in the magazine, even if they're not the traditional sort you'd see elsewhere. The magazine is also not inundated with too many romcoms which can sometimes happen as well, with Akira, Mikadono, and Futari Bus being the main three (I guess Tonkaku and Tsumiki kind of count, but the former especially lately feels more like a historical fantasy series, and the latter is more like a slice of life manga with romantic elements in it). But yeah, overall? Good lineup going into 2026.

In Memorandum

Top, Issue #9 commemorating Komi Can't Communicate's final chapter. Below, Hello Work Monsters, Rock a Rock, Strand and Ichika Bachika all ended this year among others.

So the elephant in this pack of series is Komi Can't Communicate reaching its ending after what is essentially a decade of serialization. While I know there are plenty who thought it went on too long, I personally thought it was a charming series till its conclusion. Shogakukan agreed as it got the cover for it's ending, which is an honor in its own right. Another big series that bid farewell in this group is Aiko Koyama's Maiko-san chi no makanai-san. Which concluded in issue 8 this year. Other series like Hello Work Monsters, which ended in issue #6, Rock a Rock, which ended in issue #17, Strand, which ended in issue #45, and Ichika Bachika which ended in issue #50 All did so after being cancelled. The aforementioned Land of Monsters ended in issue #47 and one other series Shota Komatsu's Kokoro Himeru no Zen Himitsu ended in issue #11. Land of Monsters probably stings the most as it got a recommendation from Rumiko Takahashi, was simulpubed and Shogakukan went hard with the advertisements around Mitsutani the author, only being 20 years old at the start of the series. Sadly none of this was enough to save the series from it's fate. As mentioned in the review of the series it seems Japanese readers had issues with it from the beginning so this shouldn't be surprising as much as it is disappointing. Hopefully, Mitsutani returns with another work soon, as I think they do have potential. 

In less auspicious news, Shite no Hana moved from WSS to Sunday Webry. Generally speaking, this is a move made to either A) give a series a little more time before it's cancelled, or B) To allow for a better schedule than a weekly magazine would permit. From what Chigusa Ichihara, the author, has said on their twitter, while the "official" reason is B, what happened behind the scenes is much more complex and disappointing. We reported about it at length on our twitter, but to summarize the editors of the series dropped the ball in ensuring the drafts got to the printer in time, properly promoting the series, and even changing dialogue without Ichihara's consent. The editors who made this litany of errors have been removed, and Ichihara seems much more confident in their new editors, but it's a shame things got this far to begin with. Especially since the series has laid the foundation for cultivating interest in Noh plays as well as collaborating with famous Noh actors. My concern is that being on an online platform will prevent the series from receiving the same attention it would in a magazine, but I hope it can keep the momentum it has and pivot from a possible cancellation. 

Getting Animated 

Shonen Sunday saw a mix of the old with the new being animated this year with Aya Hirakawa's Dealing with Mikadono Sisters is a Breeze anime airing in summer. Season two of Ranma 1/2 airing in the fall, and Gosho Aoyama's Yaiba: Samurai Legend in the spring. Call of the Night season two also aired this year, to round things off. They were all great anime in their own rights, but the lack of season two announcements is....a little disappointing. only Yaiba has been confirmed to return at some point, though a special event will kick off in March for Ranma 1/2. Nothing is assured, but as I said last year, it's unlikely they'd bring back the series to only animate some of it, so I think we'll hear plans for the future of the anime adaptation there. 

Confirmation of Yaiba Samurai Legend season two.

Call of the Night and especially Mikadono have more than enough material for a season two, and I'd personally like to see the former earn a "complete adaptation" achievement. The Call of the Night anime has been well-received, so there's definitely a want for more. So let's hope there are plans for it sooner rather than later as right now the only confirmed "new" anime for 2026 is MAO. Takahashi fans have been eating well a while, and that tradition continues this April on NHK when MAO slashes his way onto TV. There's no way that this won't be streaming somewhere when it begins so it's a matter of waiting for the announcement. MAO has the vibes of Takahashi taking what she learned from Inuyasha and distilling it into a more streamlined work, and the anime staff understood the assignment. Most of the people working on MAO are veterans from Sunrise who worked on Inuyasha and Yashahime. So, fans are in for a treat come this year. Weirdly, I don't believe we had any Webry and or Ura Sunday series this year (Aside from Hotel Inhumans , which is getting a season two!) compared to last. Could they be gearing up for a renaissance next year? Could be with the likes of I want to End this Love game and Giant Ojosama both confirmed for anime at some point. 

Advert for the MAO anime adaptation.

Key art for Giant Ojo-sama anime (left) and I Want to End This Love Game (right.)

And of course, Mr. Shonen Sunday

One can't mention Shonen Sunday and anime without at least giving a nod to Detective Conan. The anime is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, and TMS is inviting fans to the party with the premiere of a 1-hour special-Episode Zero that will air January 3rd, 2026. In addition, the first 2 hour special in a decade will premiere this year, there will be an anime music concert, and special collaborations with the Japanese Soccer league, as well as a new movie that will be in theaters in April. This year saw the anime receive a new dub from TMS USA (which we have an article about here) so it's not just Japan that's getting into the mood to deduce. All in all, it was a good year for Conan in 2025, and the torch will pass safely to 2026. 

Shogakukan USA

Speaking of I Want To End This Love Game, it made it on the Viz Media app's most read this year! There have been some shakeups this year with Tsumiki asserting herself into the mix and Zom 100 (which runs in Sunday GX) replacing Magi and Ranma from last year. I'm again surprised by Fly Me to the Moon being on this list as there isn't much talk of it online, but it pleases me nonetheless. 

The Viz show continues with several high-profile licenses including Akira Failing in Love, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Seen, Alice in Borderland Retry and Cosmos. Akira has an ongoing simulpub that readers can dive into at the same time as the likes of Parashoppers while Alice in Borderland Retry isn't a surprising pick up since the Netflix show has done numbers. There's still another Alice in Borderland spinoff that has yet to be picked up, so I wonder if Viz will gun for all of the infinity stones? Meanwhile, Rom-Com Quest author mmk's webry series The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Seen (Tonari no Seki no Yatsu ga sou iu me de mitekuru) was also snapped up, as well as Cosmos, which has been coming out (and has a simulpub!) 

In "not-quite-Viz" news, Mikadono got licensed by AI manga publisher emaqi this year as well. The series runs on Viz Media, but unlike their other Sunday series, it is handled by emaqi instead. I'm aware of the reputation AI translations have, and this series rollout was...rocky to say the least. I've been keeping an eye on the series since then and haven't seen major issues with subsequent chapters, and it was inevitable that this would get licensed once the anime began airing. Hopefully, emaqi can continue to keep fans' voices in mind and release the series with high-quality releases. That being said I am a little disappointed that we won't get a physical release since I think Mikadono would do well on bookshelves.

And then Yen surprised everyone by grabbing the Frieren novel despite the manga being licensed by Viz. Yen definitely knows their way around Light Novels, so Frieren will be fine (and receive an audiobook to boot), but I'm surprised they (Viz) didn't want to keep the licenses together. As of this writing, a second novel has been released, so it's likely Yen will go for that before long as well. 

The Future

Advert in issue #4/5 for new serializations beginning in issue #6

As of this writing, three new series have been announced to begin in WSS this January. Hokago Voca Ken de by Atsu Benino (Beginning in issue #6) Kimi wa Akeboshi by Takenori Ichihara and Aiko Koyama (Starting in issue 8) and an yet unknown soccer series by Hajime Haruki and Kemuri Karakara that will begin in issue #13. We've discussed what each series is about on our twitter, so be sure to check the links, but it's an interesting mix of slice of life and sports. What stands out more than the serializations themselves is that Takenori Ichihara (former editor in chief of WSS) is writing the second series with Aiko Koyama illustrating, but it's been stated that he is Shiishihi, who is also writing AgaKimi as noted above. Why is he writing under his actual name for one series and a pen name for the other? The only thing that makes sense is if Shiishihi isn't actually him, and is someone else, but it's all but confirmed it is. It's confusing, but one thing is clear-it's wonderful to have Aiko Koyama back after she ended Maiko-san this year. 

As a side note, I'm a big fan of lesser-known series getting covers. In the past WSS would grant most, if not all, series a cover, but in recent years, they've been conservative, only giving that honor to series that are certified hits, such as Detective Conan. 

From top, Akira Failing in Love, Kaiten no Albus, Tsumiki Ogami's Not-so-ordinary-life, and Utsuranain desu

But this year the editorial staff was much more lenient in letting the newer series come to shine, with this generational run of covers. To me personally? I think this is how it should be. While I get to an extent why they have gravure idols and celebrities on the covers of these magazines as well (and I think to an extent they're important time capsles of what entertainment and trends were like at the time of their printings) a manga magazine should have manga on the cover, and not just the frontrunners --the series that are just as good even if they're not super popular. Parashoppers and Sora e also got covers for their first chapters but I'm not including them since they're by veterans. The series above, however, are all by authors who are new to Sunday serialization, and I hope we'll see more covers by them in the upcoming year.

As is customary for the first issue of the new year, Shogakukan shows off the rookies coming to print or online magazines in the upcoming year. Some of these will be in Weekly Shonen Sunday (usually as oneshots) but it's worth keeping an eye out on Webry, Sunday Super and Gessan. Some of these artists might just end up there too!

As for us here --we've not only got a new name but plan to slim down the threads a little more, and focus much more on the series writeups (AgaKimi and Futari Bus will come at the beginning of the year) as well as news, and interest. The twitter and our social media channels will remain mostly the same, but now that we're taking on translation work officially (and are open for hire /shameless plug) you may see non-Shogakukan works popping up more frequently. Worry not fans, we're still first and foremost a Shogakukan news source, and that won't change --we're just spreading the love to manga as a medium in all of its forms, and we hope you'll join us. Happy New Year, and we hope you'll keep reading!