In the year 2026, Shueisha’s flagship magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, has unsurprisingly grown significantly different from its 1980s to late-2000s period of dominance. The publication has seen the majority of its best-selling hits emerge out of that period, but that hasn’t stopped its new generation from bringing the heat with titles quickly drawing reader attention and rocketing up the sales charts. While it’s certainly easy enough to point to the biggest new-gen manga of the era so far, Kagurabachi, for its runaway success and new anime. But this doesn’t speak enough to the impressive success of non-action series that have also managed to break out.
With the August 4, 2026 release of its fourth volume, Shonen Jump’s Someone Hertz is continuing to enjoy its moment in the sun, confirming it has surpassed 500,000 copies in circulation, averaging roughly 167k copies per volume. Considering most individual manga releases struggle to reach 100k, a coveted “bestseller” benchmark, it’s an astonishing achievement, yet certainly earned with every new chapter of this charming, endlessly quirky rom-com. To celebrate the manga’s success and ongoing serialization, Someone Hertz volume 4 will release in Japan with a special promotional obi featuring the creator of the magazine’s longest-running manga ever.
Creator Of Shonen Jump’s Longest Series Celebrates New-Gen Hit
Someone Hertz
At face value it might be difficult to realize how impressive Someone Hertz’s 500k copies is when stood against the greats. But putting aside decades-long runs, one big component setting the series apart from others is that Someone Hertz has yet to be localized in most other major markets outside of Japan, with likely months still ahead before its first volume hits North American shelves. It’s especially impressive given Someone Hertz’s inherently niche premise of two high school students, Mimei “Owl in the Woods” Fukumori, and Kurage “Eel Potato” Mizuo, who bond over their mutual love for the “Monday Midnight Talking” (Mon-Mid) late-night radio show, submitting jokes to be read on air.
But even with a quirky premise that’d fit right in with late-2000s and early 2010s American indie rom-coms, Someone Hertz speaks to its readership due to a central friendship/rivalry/romance motivated by a competition over who can bring the most joy to others. Getting jokes read on the air is a point of pride and real competition, with listeners opting to use radio apps, and others going oldschool, submitting their jokes either by email or even by postcard. It speaks to a bygone era while remaining distinctly modern, with KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops’ creator, Osamu Akimoto, contributing a commemorative illustration of his manga’s protagonist, Kankichi Ryotsu, holding a portable radio and a handful of postcards.
In addition to featuring on the promo art, Someone Hertz volume 4’s obi will feature the full quote by Akimoto, shown below:
“I feel soothed every week. There’s no way a ‘postcard writer’ and a ‘romantic comedy’ can speak the same language (laughs). I’ve drawn radio-related stories several times in Kochikame, but I never imagined two postcard writers falling in love (laughs). Also, everything Kurage does and says is just too cute. As someone who was a postcard writer in my student days, I wish I had had a youth like this…”
As reported by MANTANWEB, it’s a perfectly fitting compliment and a huge honor to be recognized by the creator of Shonen Jump’s longest-running manga. Akimoto’s series ran from 1976 to 2016, across 1,960 main chapters and 157.2 million copies circulated worldwide. Akimoto fittingly recognizes the story’s breakout character, Kurage, whose dry wit is just as iconic as her jellyfish haircut. The vicarious joy experienced by an absolute Shonen Jump legend is a far more perfect stamp of approval than virtually any current ongoing Shueisha creator’s words are. But this also speaks to the new-gen wave of Shonen Jump series, and the optimism surrounding them.
Someone Hertz’s Success Proves New-Gen Shonen Jump Is Going To Be Okay
While there’s plenty of time for doomsaying about titanic legends fading one after another from the publication, Shonen Jump needs to be able to healthily proceed without depending on legacy hits. With largely just One Piece and Hunter x Hunter to fall back on beyond going to other Shueisha publications, the primary magazine’s current series has multiple buzz-worthy hits driving public interest and social media engagement aplenty. This includes the absolute virality of Kagurabachi’s debut, leading to 4 million copies sold over just 11 volumes released, but it also includes recent and highly dependable hits like Ichi the Witch.
Weekly Shonen Jump · Ultimate Edition How Well Do You Know Shonen Jump Anime?
🔥ClassicsLegendary
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☠VillainsMenace
💪HeroesResolve
📖LegacyHistory
01
Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name?
✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth.
02
Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto?
✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage.
03
In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called?
✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.”
04
In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed?
✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential.
05
My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia?
✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person.
06
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called?
✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise.
07
In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns?
✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first.
08
Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024?
✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece.
✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin.
Battle Complete Your Power Level
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Are you a Shonen Jump master — or still stuck in filler episodes?
In fact, the latest new wave of Shonen Jump manga has gotten a fairly enthusiastic response out the gates, which isn’t always guaranteed for three series capturing various tried-and-true genre vibes. Whether one seeks sports thrills and gorgeous art in Hal Formula, or grandiose shonen battle spectacles like in Cannon Master, there’s a good chance readers can find what they’re looking for. Some series even actively defy expectations in the case of Under Doctor, becoming quickly successful after their first volume’s debut. So having a ringing endorsement from a Shonen Jump legend will certainly allow Someone Hertz to thrive in Japan, although it’ll be interesting to see how it fares once it hits shelves stateside, as well.
TV Show(s)
One Piece, Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hunter x Hunter, Hunter x Hunter, JoJo Bizarre Adventure, Death Note, Yu Yu Hakusho: Eizou Hakusho, Black Clover, Dr. Stone, Haikyuu!!, The Promised Neverland, Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma, Kuroko’s Basketball, Tokyo Ghoul, Toriko
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