Weekly Shonen Jump to launch two new manga during the One Piece hiatus

It was announced earlier this week that one of the flagship series of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, One Piece, is set to take a one-month hiatus until the imprint’s July 17 issue. In a previous statement to fans, series creator, author, and illustrator Eiichiro Oda explained that the break was necessary so that he could have eye surgery to correct his astigmatism.

While other Weekly Shonen Jump series such as My Hero Academia, Black Clover, and Jujutsu Kaisen can still anchor the magazine, One Piece’s absence will nevertheless be felt. When such a juggernaut of the manga industry takes such a substantial break, it’s hard to not notice the gaping hole it leaves behind, however temporarily that may be the case.

Thankfully, Shueisha is taking advantage of the newfound publishing space to debut two new Weekly Shonen Jump series during One Piece’s looming hiatus. While Shueisha has had a spotty track record in terms of continuing new series, the fact of their debuting the upcoming duo during One Piece’s absence communicates a high degree of confidence in their success.

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Weekly Shonen Jump set to debut Asumi Kakeru by Kawada, Icehead Gil by Ikuo Hachiya in the coming weeks

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Author and illustrator Kawada’s Asumi Kakeru is the first series to debut, set to premiere in the 29th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump’s 2023 publications. Kawada is likely best known as the author behind the Hinomaru Sumo series, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from May 2014 to July 2019. The series had a 24-episode television anime adaptation produced by Gonzo Studios from October 2018 to March 2019.

The series is, obviously, a sports manga, with many suspecting that Asumi Kakeru will also be another sports series from Kawada. Considering the cult-classic level of success Kawada’s previous sports series had, many fans are expecting another exciting and engaging reading experience from the upcoming story.

The second series to debut will be author and illustrator Ikuo Hachiya’s Icehead Gil manga series, debuting in the magazine’s 30th issue of the year. Hachiya's only other manga credit is the Seiryuu no Magoi one-shot in Shonen Jump+. The title can be translated as The Black Garp of the Clear Stream.

The story follows middle school student Gouda Magoi, who takes advantage of his overwhelming physical strength to make money through violence. However, Magoi’s life begins to change after meeting the kind-hearted Ono Komomo, a girl he goes to school with.

One Piece is set to begin its hiatus following the publication of its 1086th chapter, set to debut on Monday, June 12, 2023, at 12 AM Japanese Standard Time. The series will return with its 1087th installment on Monday, July 17, 2023, at the same time.

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