One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue lock, and every other major shonen manga series on break for Obon week 2024

Modified Aug 31, 2024 18:23 GMT

One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue lock, and every other major shonen manga series on break for Obon week 2024 (Images via MAPPA, Toei Animation, and 8bit)

Monday, August 5, 2024, saw the start of the general manga publication break for Obon week 2024 in Japan, which includes major shonen manga series like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue Lock, and more. Obon week is a national holiday week in Japan and will likewise see major magazines from publishers like Shueisha, Kodansha, and more put their magazines on break for the holiday.

Likewise, this means some household name shonen manga series will be on break for the Obon week 2024 holiday period, including those mentioned above and many more. Even lesser magazines or publications from the above-named publishers and more, such as Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+, will be on break for the holiday celebration.

However, fans are understandably still curious as to exactly which of the biggest shonen manga series in the industry will be on break for the upcoming Obon week 2024 holiday. Follow along as this article fully breaks down every major series on break and when each will return.

One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue Lock, and more shonen manga will return in late August after Obon week 2024 ends

Series on break and when they’ll return

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As mentioned above, some of the biggest shonen manga series will be foregoing one week of serialization due to the Obon week 2024 holiday break. The series affected range from the modern-day titans of manga to lesser-known series just starting out and making a name for themselves across multiple publishers and publications.

The biggest names include One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue Lock, Wind Breaker, and Kagurabachi. These are arguably the five most popular shonen manga series currently and are also arguably being the most affected by the break. Most every series is at a major junction point, with One Piece and Kagurabachi set to soon begin new arcs while Blue Lock, Wind Breaker, and Jujutsu Kaisen are at the heights of their current arcs.

Thankfully, with other publications following Shueisha’s suit with international digital release platforms, all of the above series and more will be returning on different days at the same time.

All of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump series, for example, will return on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 12 am in Japan. Meanwhile, Blue Lock and Wind Breaker will return on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 12 am in Japan.

The expected return international return times for the above series relative to the 12 am Japanese release on corresponding days are as follows:

Pacific Standard Time: 8 am
Eastern Standard Time: 11 am
British Summer Time: 4 pm
Central European Summer Time: 5 pm
Indian Standard Time: 8:30 pm
Philippine Standard Time: 11 pm
Japanese Standard Time: 12 am
Australia Central Standard Time: 12:30 am

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Additional shonen series set to be on a forced break week as a result include Sakamoto Days, Hima-Ten!, RuriDragon, Blue Box, Undead Unluck, and Mission: Yozakura Family. While these are obviously smaller and more niche titles than the aforementioned shonen manga series, they’re nevertheless popular titles with large followings and engaging narratives. As a result, they’re worth mentioning here.

The Obon week 2024 holiday will be taking place from Tuesday, August 13 to Friday, August 16. The Obon holiday is an annual Japanese holiday that commemorates and remembers deceased ancestors of those still living.

It is believed that their spirits return at this time to visit their relatives, which is why chochin (paper) lanterns are hung to guide the spirits. Obon dances (bon odori) are also performed for the same reason. Families also celebrate by having reunions, visiting the graves of their relatives, and making food offerings at altars and temples.