Weekly Shōnen Magazine Explained

Weekly Shōnen Magazine
Editor:Shintaro Kawakubo
Editor Title:Editor-in-Chief
Frequency:Weekly
Circulation:883,804
(July–September, 2016)
Category:Shōnen manga[1] [2]
Publisher:Kodansha
Country:Japan
Language:Japanese

is a weekly shōnen manga magazine published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high school or college student demographic. According to circulation figures accumulated by the Japanese Magazine Publishers Association, the magazine's circulation has dropped in every quarter since records were first collected in April–June 2008. This is, however, not an isolated occurrence as digital media continues to be on the rise.

It is one of the best-selling manga magazines. By March 2008, the magazine had 2,942 issues, having sold 4.55billion copies, with an average weekly circulation of . At an average issue price of ($), the magazine had generated approximately in sales revenue by March 2008. In addition, about compiled tankōbon volumes had been sold by March 2008.[3]

Jason Thompson stated that it is "more down-to-earth, as well as just a tad more guy-oriented" compared to Weekly Shōnen Jump and likened this magazine to "more like something you'd find in the guys' locker room."[4]

Features

Series

There are currently 25 manga titles being serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Out of them, Ahiru no Sora is on hiatus.

Series titleAuthor(s)Premiered
Miki Yoshikawa
Takeshi Hinata
Punatsu
Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura
Tsuyoshi Yasuda
Koji Seo
Nakaba Suzuki
Kei Urana
Ao Hatesaka
Negi Haruba
George Morikawa
Masamitsu Nigatsu
Oh! great
Nonco
Akimine Kamijyo
Jirō Katori, Shinichi Itō
Ran Kuze
Naoshi Arakawa
Reiji Miyajima
Muchimaro
Katarina, Ryosuke Fuji
Yoshitoki Ōima
Masakuni Igarashi
Marcey Naito
Kamio Fukuchi

Circulation

Circulation! Date(s) !! January–March !! April–June !! July–September !! October–December !! Magazine sales !!
March1959 to March20084,550,000,000
April2008 to December2008 - 1,755,0001,720,0001,691,667[5]
2009 1,664,167 1,633,334 1,614,616 1,593,637[6]
2010 1,571,231 1,565,000 1,556,250 1,551,819[7]
2011 1,529,693 1,491,500 1,489,584 1,472,084[8]
2012 1,447,500 1,436,017 1,412,584 1,404,834[9]
2013 1,376,792 1,357,000 1,324,209 1,308,117[10]
2014 1,277,500 1,245,417 1,211,750 1,192,267[11]
2015 1,156,059 1,127,042 1,107,840 1,085,110[12]
2016 1,038,450 1,015,659 995,017 986,017[13]
2017 964,158 932,713 883,804 840,667
January 2018 to March 2018815,458
March 1959 to March 20185,236,940,319

Magazine Pocket

, or, is an online web comic site run by Kodansha and tied in to their Weekly Shōnen Magazine line. It runs original manga created for the site as well as manga moved from one of the print magazines related to Weekly Shōnen Magazine. It opened on August 3, 2015.

Reception

The Weekly Shōnen Magazine achieved success in the 1970s and subsequently had increased sales. As a result, it became the top-selling manga magazine in Japan of its period, appearing popular amongst many otaku. But the position was later occupied by Weekly Shōnen Jump, when this competitor was born in 1968, knocking Shōnen Magazine off the top spot. Shōnen Jump had begun to circulate and dominate the manga magazine market. This started from the 1970s and continued throughout the 1990s.

In October 1997, Shōnen Magazine reclaimed its position as the top-selling manga magazine of its day until this was brokered in 2002. Currently, the two magazines have competed closely in terms of market circulation. Sales of the two magazines now remain very close. Circulation has dropped below two million.[14] In a rare event due to the closeness of the two magazine's founding dates, Weekly Shōnen Magazine and Weekly Shōnen Sunday released a special combined issue on March 19, 2008. In addition, other commemorative events, merchandise, and manga crossovers were planned for the following year as part of the celebrations.[15]

Others include Shōnen Magazine, published by Kobunsha of the same Kodansha group. Shōnen Magazine famously serialized Tetsujin 28-go, the first mecha anime from July 1956 to May 1966.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Boys' Manga . Japanese Magazine Publishers Association . September 2016 . ja . November 6, 2016 .
  2. Book: Thompson, Jason . . Jason Thompson (writer) . . 978-0-345-48590-8 . 2007 . 338–339.
  3. News: Shonen Magazine, Shonen Sunday Mark 50th Anniversary (Updated) . . March 18, 2008 . 1 February 2021.
  4. Web site: Thompson, Jason. Jason Thompson (writer). Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Harlem Beat. Anime News Network. 2012-02-02. 2020-04-14.
  5. 2008 circulation figures:
  6. 2009 circulation figures:
  7. 2010 circulation figures:
  8. 2011 circulation figures:
  9. 2012 circulation figures:
  10. 2013 circulation figures:
  11. Web site: Top Manga Magazines' Circulation Dropped 10%+ in 1 Year. Anime News Network. April 28, 2015. August 13, 2016.
  12. 2015 circulation figures
  13. Web site: Circulation figures "Boys' Manga" January-March, 2016 . Japanese Magazine Publishers Association. August 10, 2018.
  14. Web site: Weekly Shonen Magazine Circulation Drops Under 2M.
  15. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-18/shonen-magazine-shonen-sunday-mark-50th-anniversary Shonen Magazine, Shonen Sunday Mark 50th Anniversary (Updated) - Anime News Network