Shueisha giving Ichi the Witch what it didn't Kagurabachi all but confirms the series' status

Modified Mar 08, 2025 18:36 GMT

Shueisha giving Ichi the Witch what it didn't Kagurabachi all but confirms the series' status (Images via Shueisha)

Without a doubt, two of the most popular manga series to be serialized by manga publishing industry giant Shueisha in recent years are Kagurabachi and Ichi the Witch. While the former series from mangaka Takeru Hokazono has been established as a powerhouse for some time, the latter story from author Osamu Nishi and illustrator Shiro Usazaki is only just reaching such heights.

Proving that Ichi the Witch is achieving levels of popularity and status similar to Kagurabachi is a recent feat the series has achieved which very few before it have. Likewise, Shueisha giving Nishi and Usazaki’s series what Hokazono’s series never received not only cements the story’s status but also shows Shueisha learning from its mistakes.

Kagurabachi walked so Ichi the Witch could run, and latest Weekly Shonen Jump issue proves it

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In the upcoming 15th edition of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump manga publication magazine for 2025, Ichi the Witch will receive its third cover. In other words, this will be the third time the manga has been given a dedicated feature on the magazine’s front cover. What’s so notable is that this third feature will come alongside just the 25th chapter of the series overall. This is a feat that few series have done, and even Hokazono’s Kagurabachi couldn't achieve.

The last manga to do so was Toriko, a bonafide household name manga amongst those who would call themselves general fans of the medium. Before Toriko, the only other series to achieve this include this are author Riichiro Inagaki and illustrator Yusuke Murata’s Eyeshield 21, Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro’s Seikimatsu Leader Den Takeshi!, and most notably, Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, and Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece.

To say Ichi the Witch finds itself among legendary names in that category is an understatement, with many being regarded as the backbone of Weekly Shonen Jump during their peaks. Some of the series mentioned above are even attributed with shaping the modern landscape of shonen which Nishi and Usazaki’s series finds itself so successful in. Likewise, doing something even Kagurabachi couldn’t all but confirm that the series isn’t getting axed anytime soon.

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Many are even going as far as to say that the two series have firmly identified themselves as the leaders of the next generation of Weekly Shonen Jump manga. While the above serves as more than an acceptable argument for Nishi and Usazaki’s series, Hokazono’s has an equally good, if not better argument. Most telling of this is the fact that Shueisha is alleged to internally view Hokazono’s series as having the ability to “carry the next generation of Jump.”

In any case, Shueisha has found its next series which can resonate with fans on a level similar to how Hokazono’s has in its year-plus of serialization thus far. It also shows that Shueisha is learning from its mistake with Hokazono’s series, unafraid to go all in on Nishi and Usazaki’s despite its young age. Nevertheless, Shueisha’s view of the pair’s series as one to invest all available resources into the production and promotion of is clear.

Final thoughts

Chihiro finally has company at the top of Shueisha's next generation (Image via Shueisha)

With the release of Shueisha’s latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump, it has become clear that Ichi the Witch has cemented itself as a series on the level of Kagurabachi. Fans can expect to see these two series become the foundation of Shueisha’s anime and manga offerings over the next several years as their audiences only continue to grow.