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Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, Boruto, and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex are all series that highlight the growth of young ninjas placed in extraordinary situations throughout the course of the manga and anime series. However, in the case of this sequel series’ second part, I’m starting to think it might be even better at highlighting that development. The way in which Boruto matured from the first half to the second is so striking, and the recently released second volume of Two Blue Vortex especially highlights different ways in which he’s grown up over the course of all these chapters.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for volume 2 of the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga below. 2o5e3l

Throughout the first volume of the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga, we already started to see Boruto Uzumaki’s development. He’s working alongside Sasuke Uchiha to train. He’s understanding what’s happened in the world. He’s accepted needing to stay on the outskirts, even if it also means rushing in to help the people who falsely consider him an enemy. His thoughts on Kawaki’s motives and willingness to find a solution that could result in a situation that mirrored Naruto and Sasuke’s show it as well. But now that the second volume is here, it’s even more obvious how much he’s changed over the time-skip.

A big part of that comes up at the very outset of the second volume. We see an immediate parallel between his early training with Sasuke after the events in the first part of the series and the second. As the Divine Trees attack, he witnesses what happened to his master attempting to protect him. He made a commitment upon seeing his absorbed body. Especially since Sasuke asked him to protect Sarada. So at the very beginning, we’re seeing the level of respect he has for this man and the commitments he’s willing to make. 

Part of assuming that responsibility also shows the level of courage Boruto now possesses as of Two Blue Vortex. We always knew Naruto’s son was brave. However, at this point he’s willing to go to Konohagakure and risk attacks and capture so he can find Sarada and tell her what happened to her father. He is aware of the possible consequences. However, his relationship with the Uchiha family, assumption of the duty assigned to him, and respect for her and her father means he’s willing to risk it all. It’s quite telling.

So is the tact and intelligence he displays while there. Shikamaru Naru, the acting hokage following the incident involving Naruto, becomes aware of the effect of Eida’s Omnipotence and the fact that everyone’s memories has been tampered with. This is partially due to listening to Sumire Kakei and Amado Sanzu. He doesn’t behave rashly, and instead communicates in a mature fashion with Shikamaru. He takes the time to explain things, even if it might not make a difference. He’s never rash, showing how much he’s grown as an individual and over the course of the series. 

This extends to an encounter with Mitsuki. Mitsuki is enraged, due to Omnipotence and Kawaki’s influence. Boruto understands. He’s aware of it. He doesn’t behave in a hostile manner or go on an all-out attack in response. Instead, he’s extraordinarily kind in this encounter. He helps explain, even though Mitsuki is rightfully experiencing all sorts of emotions. He takes a chance and trusts him. 

In a way, I feel like these latest two volumes of the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga are offering even more insight and explanation into how unique Boruto is compared to his father. His growth as an individual is extraordinary. I’d say he’s more mature at this age than Naruto ever was, partially due to the circumstances. But it’s also due to who he is as an individuals. It really helps define this second part of the series and character.

Volumes 1 and 2 of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex are available now, and Viz Media hasn’t shared a release date for the third volume of the manga yet.

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Shueisha announced that the Shonen Jump manga RuriDragon is on a break until June 15, 2025. The last new chapter to appear is 34, which launched on May 18, 2025 worldwide. It can be read for free on both MangaPlus and Viz Media at time of writing, as both offer the first three chapters and three most recent ones to read for free online.

The 34th chapter in the series deals with some recent developments that came up around chapter 33. As Ruri’s draconic traits start to come in, it means suddenly learning to deal with and control them. One of the last ones is a frost ability. This means changing the temperature around her, as well as forming ice and freezing things, it means it’s gotten quite chilly and her temperature is dropping. We get to see how she deals with the new power even further.

As for physical copies of the manga, you can find one volume of RuriDragon in print now. Viz Media released that back in January 2025. Volume 2 is expected to debut on August 5, 2025 outside Japan. It’s up to three volumes released so far in Japan, as the third covered chapters 16-24 and debuted in March 2025. 

The series proved quite popular since its debut in June 2022. So much so that there’s already a Nendoroid of the character on the way.

RuriDragon chapter 34 is available to read for free online now, and chapter 35 of the manga will appear in Shonen Jump and online on June 15, 2025. 

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Shueisha announced its new Shonen Jump manga series is called Otr of the Flame. It can be found in English on both MangaPlus and Viz Media. Only the first chapter is available now. 

Otr lives in the Forest Kingdom, which ended up under siege by the Ice Kingdom. As a result, it’s basically winter all year round. He wanted to do something to help his sister Sanna and people in his community, even though he was considered too young and perhaps unsuitable to be a warrior. So he heads to the kingdom’s fortress to act as a cook. The fortress captain Alajoki noticed something unusual when Otr breathed on the fire there to “help it last longer,” and cautioned the boy while also assuring him he’ll meet his father in Valhalla and make him proud no matter what he does. When Ice Kingdom Captain Beezbl and his forces break in, things look dire, but Otr manages to fight back and get a chance to be the hero he dreamed of by protecting the flame. 

If the art or style looks familiar, it’s because mangaka Yuki Kawaguchi is something of an established creator. Previously, he worked on The Hunter’s Guild: Red Hood, following a 14th Gold Future Cup win. However, prior to this series, the creative previously tended to work on original one-shot series. 

This is the second new Shonen Jump manga series to debut in a row. May 2025 kicked off with Magical Girl and Narco War debuting. And at the end of April 2025, Nice Prison launched. War of the Adultsand GGG also showed up for the first time in April 2025.

Otr of the Flame is now running in Shonen Jump, with the first chapter available worldwide in multiple languages. Chapter two of the series will debut on May 18, 2025. 

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Shueisha announced a new manga series called Nice Prison is now available in Weekly Shonen Jump. The first chapter debuted on April 20, 2025. It’s from Tatsuya Suganuma, who hasn’t worked on too many series beyond a four-koma original just yet. It is available in English via both MangaPlus and Viz Media.

Nice Prison stars Horo Mitsuboshi, who has been a Super Model Prisoner at Nobana-shi Prison for three years. He’s used as an example to others to follow rules, stay in line, and serve their time peacefully. He “works” alongside Tera Adachi, a newly appointed guard at the prison who is following in her father’s footsteps. However, she finds all of the guards there are terrible at her job, and the prisoners are doing ridiculous things like recreating the upside-down Spider-Man kiss, blowing bubbles, treating guards like they’re dogs having hair cuts at a groomer, and doing aerial yoga. It’s then that Horo appears and everyone suddenly falls in line. 

Mitsuboshi then confirms his mom gave birth to him in prison. When he heard what happened to Nobana-shi, he decided to purposely get himself arrested and thrown in there to make it a better place. After learning what caused the facility to go downhill, Mitsuboshi and Adachi head out to face the major criminal behind the problems.

The first chapter of Nice Prison is available now, and the second chapter of the new Weekly Shonen Jump manga will debut on April 27, 2025. The first three chapters will be available for free, as will the six latest chapters according to MangaPlus. 

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When a mangaka behind a major series becomes famous, we’ll often get to see their early work thanks to publishers picking those up to capitalize on their popularity. It happened with Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto. Viz Media started to do that with Spy x Family star Tatsuya Endo and Tista. Now it followed that up with The Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family, and I feel like this manga collection shows a lot of progress and hints as to what Endo eventually would accomplish.

Editor’s Note: There will be some mild spoilers regarding the four stories in the The Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family manga below. 6w4fs

The Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family begins with “Western Game.” Ellena Fiscuff is a young woman who just ing the Third National Bounty Hunting Academy to deal with wild west-life in a world where things went to hell. Her childhood neighbor, who she affectionately knows as Uncle Holiday, is a teacher there. However, this rough-around-the-edges student proves she belongs there by immediately standing up to a bull named Kiel Kranston who tries to suggest she’d look better as a lady without a gun. It gets her suspended, but it also gets her a friend in the process. This is his debut work, but we already see the idea of a strong heroine who is working off of a bounty/mission system and is incredibly adept at fighting even without the use of any weapons. Likewise, this one-shot features a number of fights along the lines of ones in Spy x Family, so we’re already seeing the sort of framework and staging Endo was capable early on. 

From there, we move on to “Blade of the Moon Princess.” It pairs science fiction with an imperial and samurai sort of tale. Kaguya Crescentheart is the Imperial Empress who, as she’s about to ascend to the throne, is forced into exile. She and her father Nagi flee via escape pods, taking the sword signifying her position with them. He sends her to safety on the earth below, buying her time to escape and hone her skills with the blade in Hinomoto with local followers who moved there decades before the coup. We get to see her kindness and strength, some fun fight swordfighting scenes, and an unexpected mix of elements from different time periods. It feels the start of something fun and with political elements as Kaguya would fight back against the coup, and sure enough Endo eventually did create a Blade of the Moon Princess series! Viz picked that up as well, and it's great to compare this one shot and that full story.

After that, the The Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family manga gets into the story “Witch Craze.” As the title suggests, it’s about witches, with a pair of witch hunters named Nei and Morgana taking on the latest case. It gives us a sense of a power-couple duo like Loid and Yor could be. However, this is actually my least favorite story in the collection. It obscures too much for too long and then, by the time it gets going, I feel like Endo already assumes we know how the world works in this one shot. It feels like a chapter of a story you’d read after following a manga for at least a full volume, not an isolated piece.. So even though Nei and Morgana’s relationship and dynamic seems interesting, it isn’t well explained.

Finally, everything wraps up with “PMG-0,” which is my favorite manga in The Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family. I felt like this story seemed a bit closer in structure to Spy x Family, given the concept of an established agency. Heroine Tania is an unarmed Frencelle Republic Polo Musketeer Guard Group 0 unit whose goal is to step in during shady or dangerous situations to save people’s lives. It honestly sort of reminded me of Loid’s more altruistic goal behind his work as a spy. However, as this is more of a comedy, she’s not as disciplined as Loid or Yor, as she knocks out the very hostages she was sent to save in the introduction’s mission. Here we’re getting an idea behind a structured organization, such as the one Loid belongs to in Spy x Family. We’re seeing what life is like for one of these types of agents outside of work. We watch her interact with coworkers and deal with assignments. In the postscript, Endo compared it to “Western Game,” and I see the similarities, but I also feel like it is similar to “Blade of the Moon Princess,” in that it could still easily be picked up even now and turned into something more.

It’s fascinating to revisit a mangaka’s past work, and the four manga in The Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family are quite telling. Three of them feel like they could have been their own series, given the chance, rather than one shots. I especially liked the execution, characters, and stories told in “Blade of the Moon Princess” and “PMG-0!” But in all of them, we see already Endo’s foundations. There are strong female characters. The fight scenes seem well choreographed, though they do get better as the volume goes on. There’s worldbuilding here that comes across as fascinating, and even a look at some political intrigue or handling of corruption. It’s a great look back at this creator’s start.  

The Four Lives Remain: Tatsuya Endo Before Spy x Family manga compilation is available via Viz Media. It also handles Spy x Family outside Japan, while Crunchyroll handles the anime adaptation.

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Viz Media picking up Kazuyoshi Seto’s Minecraft: The Manga is interesting! In many situations, manga adaptations of games can offer different vibes or approaches to stories. They may even offer a chance to spend more time with certain subjects. However, the design direction and narrative decisions mean that this feels like a shonen series with a bit of Minecraft flavor, rather than a tale that could only be told in the game’s universe.

Editor’s Note: There will be some minor spoilers for the first volume of Minecraft: The Manga below. 4v42

Rather than following Steve or Alex, Minecraft: The Manga goes with an original character and standard sort of shonen storyline. Nico White is a crafter who wants to become an adventurer like his father. Everyone in the White family has a mark on their hands signifying their Mod power. This allows them to make things nobody else can, all without a crafting table. When heading to the mines to work for the first time when ten, zombies appear and overwhelm his group. The power to mod shines through, he crafts a much needed sword. He saves the day! However, that awakened ability means he can’t stay home any longer, so he sets out on an adventure to reach the end of the world.

Here’s the thing. While there are references to certain uniqueenemies and gameplay elements, such as Creepers, crafting, and mining, Minecraft: The Manga generally feels like any typical shonen manga geared toward kids. The age range is right, with Nico heading out at about the same age as kids would in the Pokemon series. There are gag elements, like with the Animal Crossing adaptation. A lot of it is more about reaching the end of the world, which isn’t uncommon in these types of adventure stories. The allies, such as Gray the human with a mod curse mark that makes him look like a zombie and Yamabuki the failed ninja journeying to redeem himself. If it wasn’t for the aesthetic, it wouldn’t necessarily feel very “Minecraft.”

This isn’t to say an effort isn’t made by Seto to bring in those elements from the game. Nico uses equipment like pickaxes and swords. Blocks come up quite a bit. We see references to the hearts used to track HP in a dire situation, and a sense of starvation kicks off the second chapter. All of the enemies are also pulled from the game, as are animals and terrain types.

However, the idea of maintaining the themes also isn’t tried and true. The character designs are a good example. Everyone’s head is shaped like a cube in Minecraft: The Manga, just as in the game. However, their bodies look… pretty normal and not angular. Also, facial features end up veering into more traditional manga expressions and designs, rather than blocky ones from the game. Gray is an exception, but the extremely expressive Nico is a good example of just going with designs that you’d expect in any shonen manga geared toward kids.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that Minecraft: The Manga feels like any young shonen series that just so happens to take place in the world of the game. The adventure ends up sometimes feeling a bit generic as a result. Every once in a while, they’ll be a reference to gameplay or an element pulled from the title. But it doesn’t really shape the story. Instead, it’s just another coming of age tale about a young kid trying to become a hero. For its target audience, this could be all someone needs, but I don’t think it would hold the attention of anyone older or more experienced with similar stories.

Volume 1 of the Minecraft: The Manga is available now, and Viz Media will release volume 2 on June 10, 2025. The original game is available on the New 3DS, Switch, PS3, PS4, PS5, Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices. 

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We have an update on the Frieren anime, but it is that it will be a while before we see more, as season 2 won’t start until January 2026. There’s no exact date yet, but it will be a part of the Winter season. The first season of the show is available to stream now via Crunchyroll. The last volume of the manga to appear in English was the twelfth one on February 11, 2025. 

Season 2 of the show will be on Nippon Television. That’s where the first season aired in Japan as well. There aren’t any details about arcs that will be covered. The key visual is available though, and it shows Frieren and Fern with Stark. The official social media also shared a teaser with plush of the elf. Crunchyroll hasn't stated if the second season will appear there yet.

Here are the teaser images:

While it will be a while before we see season 2 of the Frieren anime, it is still going to very much be an active presence in our lives. When 2025 began, it brought with it a PSO2 New Genesis crossover with the series. There have been a number of figures, such as Nendoroids. Even a brief light novel was included with volume 12 of the manga in Japan. 

Speaking of the Frieren manga, it is still running. Viz Media offers the new chapters in English as they release, with the last one being 140. However, it will be some time before more appears, as the series is in the midst of an indefinite hiatus. A new English volume is on the horizon though, as the thirteenth one debuts on May 13, 2025.

Season 2 of the Frieren anime will start in January 2026. The first season is available now via Crunchyroll. Volume 12 of the manga is out worldwide, and volume 13 of Frieren will debut in English on May 13, 2025. 

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Viz Media announced that the Yasuhisa Hara manga Kingdom, which started its run in January 2006 in Japan, will finally appear in English. The first volume will launch in North America on November 11, 2025. Pre-orders aren’t open yet.

Like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games and other titles, Kingdom is a China’s Warring States story. It follows the crusade of Xin, who works with King Ying Zheng of Qin. The two of them work together, with Xin starting as a soldier with ambitions of becoming a general. Together, they hope to bring China together.

The Kingdom manga is still running in Japan. The first volume launched there back in May 2006, and it covered the first eight chapters of the series. It is currently at 74 volumes so far, with the most recent one debuting in Japanese stores in December 2024.

While the manga will be new to us, we can see the anime now. We can stream all five seasons of the show on Crunchyroll. That started its run in June 2012, and the most recent season debuted in January 2024. 

The English version of the Kingdom manga will launch in the US on November 11, 2025. 

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Shoko Komi finally achieved her goal and her time in school is at an end, and so the Tomohito Oda manga Komi Can’t Communicate is now over. Chapter 499 debuted on January 28, 2025. It’s also available to read in English worldwide via Viz Media, the company that publishes it in North America.

Komi Can’t Communicate stars Komi, a high-schooler who is seen as some sort of ideal young woman. However, she’s secretly suffering from a communication disorder that keeps her from interacting other people, even though all she wants to do is open up and make friends. Her classmate Hitohito Tadano discovers the truth about her and learns that what she wants more than anything is to actually talk to people. So the two team up to help her make 100 friends. 

The final chapter of the Komi Can’t Communicate manga begins by revisiting what a communication disorder, before us seeing the graduation ceremony and end of the series from her perspective. It also puts Tadano in the spotlight as he gives a speech. The chapter ends with a riddle, but the solution won’t be revealed until volume 37 of the manga is out in Japan.

There are still Komi Can’t Communicate releases ahead, as physical copies of the manga are catching up. Viz Media released volume 32 on January 14, 2025, and volume 33 will debut on March 11, 2025. Two seasons of the anime adaptation are on Netflix, but it’s unknown if we’ll see more than that.

2025 kicked off with a number of manga series ending. Undead Unlock’s last chapter appeared in Shonen Jump on January 26, 2025. Mission: Yozakura Familyalso stopped on January 19, 2025.

The Komi Can’t Communicate manga is now over. The next physical copy of the manga to appear in English is volume 33, which launches on March 11, 2025.

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The Undead Unluck manga is now over, as its run ended with chapter 239 on January 26, 2025. That installment is available to read in English via MangaPlus and Viz Media. 

The premise of Undead Unluck is that it is set in a world where some people have special powers. Fuuko Izumo’s brings unfathomably bad luck to anyone she touches, with that increasing based on how close she is to the person. As she’s about to ensure nobody will ever suffer because of her again, she meets Undead. He can survive any situation and can’t die. The two end up teaming up, since she doesn’t have to worry about him dying because of her. The series initially starts with the two being hunted down as a result of their powers, then ing with a group that makes the most of their abilities for the sake of the world. 

Chapter 239 of Undead Unluck deals with what happens after the major antagonists are dealt with and the world is safe. It involves everyone gathering together for a rather special event. As both MangaPlus and Viz Media always offer the first three and last three chapters of a series free-to-read, people can catch up.

We will still end up seeing more of Undead Unlock now that the manga ended. Viz is releasing physical copies of the chapters. Volume 18 debuted on January 21, 2025, and consists of chapters 152-160. 24 volumes are out in Japan now, with the latest one covering chapters 206-214. David Production and TMS Entertainment worked on an anime adaptation that ran for 24 episodes on Disney+ and Hulu. However, there’s more of that on the way. A one-hour OVA is in the works. That will air at the end of 2025. 

Here’s how the teaser for that looked, in case you missed it:

The Undead Unluck manga is now over. Viz Media will release volume 19 on April 15, 2025, then continue to release physical copies after that in the coming months. The anime adaptation is on Disney+ and Hulu, and a one-hour special will air in 2025.

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Another Shonen Jump staple ended, as the final chapter of the Mission: Yozakura Family manga ran on January 19, 2025. Chapter 258 was called “Final Mission: The Yozakura Family’s Mission Continues On.” It is available in English via MangaPlus and Viz Media. The manga physical copies are still being published worldwide.

The finale of Mission: Yozakura Family actually started with chapter 256. That was a fast-forward epilogue set six years after the Teiou Academy battle with Asa, and it involved a two-part Cherry Blossom Vows banquet for Taiyo and Mutsumi. It involved important moments with not onlythem, but also Kyoichiro. The actual final chapter begins with more reuniting with old friends and family. 

While the Mission: Yozakura Family manga ended, there’s still more of it to come. The anime is currently running. The first 27 episodes of the first season are available now, and there is an English dub. A second season is in the works, but that won’t launch until 2026. Viz Media is also still releasing the manga series, with volume 15 due out in English on February 18, 2025.

The final chapter of the Mission: Yozakura Family manga is available worldwide now that the series ended. There’s no word yet on when the final volume will be available in Japanese and English. The anime adaptation is on Disney+ and Hulu.

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There are times in the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series when we’ll meet magnetic secondary characters, but not get to spend a lot of time learning about them or seeing what they get up to. Sometimes, these figures are even villains. Their charisma may be undeniable, and there may even be elements of them that make them seem like they aren’t always “bad.” JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond’s Demonic Heartbreak puts that sort of situation front and center, due to this spin-off manga starring former DIO ally Hol Horse as he aids someone who can’t go to the Speedwagon Foundation for help. Along the way, people who might not have gotten as much focus in the main series get more attention in the Kohei Kadono and Tasuku Karasuma spin-off.

Editor’s Note: There will be minor spoilers for the first volume of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak manga below. y1g56

Before Pet Shop was one of DIO’s agents, the falcon was an ordinary bird. DIO killed his trainer, and also ended up taking is parrot in the process. As JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond’s Demonic Heartbreak begins, that man’s mother turns to Hol Horse to find the missing bird. She thinks as someone formerly involved, he’ll be able to bring the bird back and not kill it in the process. 

From the very beginning, all of Hol Horse’s mannerisms are maintained in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond’s Demonic Heartbreak, even though this spin-off manga isn’t created by Hirohiko Araki. There are a few other additions to his personality that are a bit out of character, such as a new obsession with time that comes up even in the first 20 pages, but it makes sense. In a way, it’s almost a bit forced initially, given he keeps bringing up his respect for women and flirtatious nature both with the mother tasking him with his mission and Mariah immediately after. But then, I took it more as a means of rapidly establishing his character for those who maybe were more familiar with Diamond is Unbreakable and are coming to this spin-off for Josuke Higashikata’s appearance than the Stardust Crusaders elements.

Especially since early on, the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak manga takes care to focus on what it must have been like for people like Hol Horse, Mariah, Billie Jean, Oingo, and Boingo. As the former allies reunite when he comes to meet with and recruit Boingo, the topic of working for DIO comes up again. Mariah brings up how haunting it all was, to the point she still has nightmares. Likewise, Boingo is so influenced that he tells Hol Horse after this quest to completely forget about him. Not to mention that it is then that our new hero’s habit of wearing so many watches is because of his near-death experience in Stardust Crusaders, even with his insistence that he’s wearing as many watches as a Tetsuya Nomura character wears belts for “fashion.” Once the story gets to Morioh and we see Hol Horse confronted with the reality and influence of DIO again, we get to see firsthand how deeply it affected him and how he’s coming to with his decisions.

Even with the trauma DIO inflicted still causing trouble in the real world and influencing those who worked alongside him, the decision to have Hol Horse as the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak greatly helps the tone of the book. He’s getting a chance to redeem himself, following some supremely cowardly behavior in Stardust Crusaders. He’s fun to follow, due to his exaggerated personality, calling all Japanese schoolgirls Oshin girls when trying to investigate Boingo’s sudden disappearance, and him still being ready to run at a moment’s notice when he thinks he’s in danger during a one-on-one fight.

The execution of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak is quite clever really, because by using Hol Horse and his new allies to go on this mission to tidy up loose ends, we’re getting extra time with people who might not have had as many moments and seeing lingering influences from other stories. It’s also, by involving Josuke Higashikata, tying different arcs of the story close together. It’s really quite involved and compelling, and I’m glad Viz Media picked it up for a release outside Japan.

Volume 1 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Shining Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak is available now, and Viz Media will release volume 2 of the manga on February 4, 2025.

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Once a manga becomes really popular, we start to see callbacks to their past works. When Tatsuya Endo’s Spy x Family turned into a hit, Tistawas localized. Viz Media picked up  Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17–21 and 22-26after Chainsaw Man. It feels only natural that now Wanted: Eiichiro Oda Before One Piece, a compilation manga of other one-shots, is available in English now too. Like these other releases, it feels like a must-have because of the range and creativity it shows from one of the now most-famous mangaka in the world.

Editor’s Note: There will be no Wanted: Eiichiro Oda Before One Piece manga spoilers below. 4r3l36

The Wanted: Eiichiro Oda Before One Piece manga volume consists of four short stories called “Wanted,” “Future Present from God,” “Ikki Yako,” “Monsters,” and “Romance Dawn.” Of those, “Monsters” and “Romance Dawn” are probably the most interesting for those of us who love One Piece and are coming to this compilation. The former recently inspired a Netflix anime. The latter was the original Shonen Jump one-shot story that eventually became One Piece proper. But in their own way, each of these stories is fascinating due to both the storytelling and art. We can see Oda’s style and growth in every one. Each one is also followed by the author’s commentary, which I appreciated.

“Wanted” starts things out with an wild west themed piece about Gill Bastar. He’s an outlaw being hunted by the police and other folks, and one of the first things we is a wanted poster a la One Piece. Naturally, since this is an Oda story, Gill isn’t a bad guy. A goofy one, yes. It’s evident by a comical picture he struck for the aforementioned poster. We soon learn he killed in self defense, which is how he got the high bounty. He kills Wild Joe, a bounty hunter after him, and then ends up being trailed by his ghost, who he can see. The tale follows his brief adventure with Joe and encounter with another legendary bounty hunter. It sets the idea of a good-natured antihero wanted by authorities.

This continues a trend. “Future Present from God” involves another antihero. Branco is a thief who wants to go straight, but keeps stealing. God is watching, and he wants to teach him a lesson. But Branco steals the notebook seeing said punishments and witnesses them happen. However, as a result, Branco gets a chance to be a hero. Likewise, “Ikki Yako” follows Guko, a wandering monk, who is terrified by ghosts. However, he gets called upon to deal with a situation in a village, facing his fears and doing good for a community. 

In the case of “Monsters” and “Romance Dawn,” it’s really about seeing Wanted: Eiichiro Oda Before One Piece manga series come to fruition. We get to see the general storyline, concept, characters, and execution. It’s an opportunity to clearly witness how one inspired the other. In the case of “Romance Dawn,” I found it fascinating to see exactly how true to the final product that early one shot was. Not to mention, I loved seeing how the tone for each remained consistent. 

I really love when Viz Media releases these types of manga compilations, and Wanted: Eiichiro Oda Before One Piece is a delight to read. All of the works show us how the mangaka had sort of concepts and ideas for stories in mind that seemed to embody the One Piece vibe even before it happened. They’re all interesting enough to even sort of result in their own adaptations or larger, longer tales. (Something we even saw with Monsters.) I hope we continue to see Viz release these types of collections.

Wanted: Eiichiro Oda Before One Piece is available via Viz Media outside Japan. 

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There are times when a new manga series can be intimidating. If there’s too much hype behind it, sometimes I get apprehensive about starting it. What if it doesn’t hold up? Is it really going have staying power? It’s one of the reasons it took some time before I gave Kagurabachi a chance, because the manga seemed to immediately have people considering it to have the same sort of potential as series like Naruto, One Piece, Demon Slayer, and some of the most famous Shonen Jump series. With physical volumes properly releasing, I finally took a chance, and I’m glad I did. 

Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for the first volume of the Kagurabachi manga below. 3b4w5q

Kagurabachi begins by informing people about the Tanren forging process that uses Tamahagane steel to create Japanese katana, before showing people being cut down by said sword. From there, we get to see our hero Chihiro Rokuhira going to work with his swordsmith father Kunishige. One of Kunishige’s final lessons is teaching Chihiro about the weight the craftsmen like them carry, and they need to pick the correct people to forge them for. 

Things then flash forward to three years in the future. Chihiro is now scarred, carries a katana himself, and is meeting with his father’s associate Shiba. Chihiro is on a quest for vengeance, fighting anyone who may have answers or a lead to find the Hishako sorcerers responsible for killing his father and stealing six of the seven Enchanted Blades he forged. Here, at this moment, Chihiro has a chance to get closer to people who may have information or access to one of them, but it means going through the Korogumi Yakuza plaguing the city. 

In that first chapter, we get a perfect sense of tone. Chihiro has an incredibly serious mission. Given the number of katana he has to recover and the nature of the Hishako, there’s already an inkling that this won’t be a short journey. We get hints about both his power and the potential of the sword he has, Enten. However, there are also hints that maybe it won’t always be deadly serious, given the levity Shiba’s presence adds to early scenes in the first two chapters. In addition, we get an idea of what these sorcerers he’s hunting are capable of, due to the sampling of the power used by the one sorcerer when the Korogumi are threatening a resistance movement and a spell is triggered when Chihiro corners the Korogumi leader who might spill information. There’s absolutely potential.

Especially since other ing cast are also great at assisting with the narrative’s progression. Shiba is a lot of fun. Also, by the second chapter we’re back in Tokyo, and there’s some toying with Hinao breaking the fourth wall to educate us about the city’s lore, Chihiro, and Shiba. We learn about the sorcerers, yakuza, and other individuals in the city, and how Chihiro gets involved in the potential cases around him in the name of more information. The diversity of personalities means there are a lot of fun foils to Chihiro, and the initial cases and situations are gripping.

With the first volume of Kagurabachi, it’s pretty easy to see how this manga became such a darling with both general audiences and clerics. It hits the ground running. The initial cast is strong, as are the situations and set-ups. Revenge tales typically are good for long-running tales, as well as setting up mysteries, major fights, and maybe even a few secrets. It also helps that the pacing is handled so well that it really pulls you through Chihiro’s missions and keeps them engaging.

Volume 1 of the Kagurabachi manga is available now via Viz Media, and volume 2 will debut on February 4, 2025. New chapters are available to read on MangaPlus and Viz Media each week after they appear in Shonen Jump.

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MangaPlus and Viz Media added two new Shonen Jump manga series, which are Bug Ego and Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery. Syd Craft debuted first on MangaPlus and Viz Media, as its first chapter launched on November 17, 2024. Bug Ego debuted on MangaPlus and Viz Media on November 18, 2024, with four chapters available on each service. 

Bug Ego is interesting, as it is a series from One Punch Man’s One and Shinobuna: Chiyo-chan creator Kiyoto Shitara. Makoto Hitsujiya and Takehiro Kokudo are classmates. Hitsujiya just transferred in and is teaching Kokudo “hacks” to get by, since he isn’t well established and is sometimes bullied. In return, Kokudo starts teaching Hitsujiya about hacks that influence reality. However, we also get to see the consequences that can come from using them. 

Meanwhile, Taishi Tsutsui worked on series like We Never Learn, Steins;Gate: Hiyoku Renri no Sweets Honey, and Esprit before the new Shonen Jump manga Syd Craft. As the title suggests, it is about Syd. He’s considered a “great detective.” When the first chapter starts, we see him solving a crime. However, once Syd is alone in his office, we realize the women he discovered was the murderer was also someone he had a crush on, and he’s heartbroken that the dinner invite was just an alibi. He doesn’t want to be a detective, but everyone around him ends up involved in situations that result in him discovering or dealing with terrible situations. Other major characters introduced include his assistant Elio Evelyn and rival, which is is the police department’s Inspector Souffle Flamberry. 

Prior to these new reveals, one of the last new series to Shonen Jump were Shinobi Undercoverand Ichi the Witch. Both of those debuted in September 2024.  

The next new chapter of Bug Ego will appear via these platforms that share Shonen Jump series on December 18, 2024, and the next chapter of Syd Craft debuts on November 24, 2024. 

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