Shonen Jump Roundup, Issue 38, August 17 2025
It's been a minute! However, if there's anybody I'm coming back to write about, you KNOW my girl Akane is getting my attention.
WE'VE GOT A FUCKIN ANIME BABY. I love being cool and correct and having amazing taste. Plus, plenty has changed since I last talked about jump, many new series are in the mix, and the state of the manga is really fuckin solid. I missed doing this so much, Let's Jump Right In!
21. Nice Prison
Honestly, I just want to know how this manga got through several editors and meetings to make it into the magazine. It's truly the worst gag manga I've read in the entire time I've spent reading jump. I'm just astounded every week. Moving on.
20. Otr Of The Flame
I've never actually read hunters guild. I only ever heard of it as if it was a majir cult classic. Sadly, reading Otr week to week gives me little to remark on. A bog standard plot that feels similar to ice head gil, Otr lacks clear paneling and strong composition, making it feel muddy, despite the strong visual identity. some hope is offered in this chapter with how the story's flow has shifted, but considering the ToC, this seems too little and too late.
18. Me & Roboco
aw man, just completely ignoring setup, straight punchlines the whole way through. that's asking for failure, right?
Wrong, Shuhei Yamazaki can clone the AkaBana style so easily that it's funny. I was laughing at the art and barely registering the lack of flow from joke to joke. Cloning some of the most iconic panels from Akabana was well worth it.
13. Harukaze Mound
I really do like the three(?) new sports manga in jump. there's several factors that make for a great sports manga in my mind. strong technical knowledge, striking visuals, and yaoiful dynamics.
Take a guess as to how many boxes this series ticks. Crisp lineart, bold inks, gayass dynamics, and a love of the forms of baseball are in every page. I want to root for this series every chapter, and it rewards me for my loyalty. Still, sports manga are slow burn via their subject matter, so we'll see how long it lasts.
10. Ping Pong Peril.
the reason I put a question mark on "3 (?) sports manga," is because I read ping pong peril, and I have to tell myself that this is about table tennis.
Where the fuck is the goddamn table. Jump is so fun these days, even with a couple stinkers in the back of the book. If this is the third match, there really isn't an upper bound on what fun bullshit we'll see next.
9. Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi
you can never say I wasn't a fan of this series. it's always been fun, even if there were many choices that harmed the longevity of the series by making it more generic than the potential offered by the debut chapter. But this series has never turned away from the visual identity that made it such a standout, and even though it's not quite over yet, I'm already waiting for Usui sensei's next work.
Plus, I love camp. This guy was a forum weapon factory.
5. Shinobi Undercover
He's just like me fr. Shinobi undercover is a strong consistent player, a series that fills out the middle of the book with quality work every week. this chapter is threatening us with an early climax, especially considering we haven't made it to the year mark quite yet. I really don't think this series needs to slide into the role of ultimate exorcist kiyoshi, lord knows there's enough series in their perpetual climax right now. frankly, this might be a red herring, but with such a solid slate right now, I do have to worry about all the stories I like until they end properly.
3. WITCH WATCH
Yeah, I suppose this was about as well as this was going to go.
like, I really just didn't want this to become accidental grooming, you know? Frankly, the one month distance helps keep that from being the case, but honestly the longer they spend talking about the cirvumstances, the weirder it'll get.
A nice emotional sendoff that was funny enough, and thankfully didn't end with a sudden ambush. solid work.
2. Ichi The Witch
ohoho, this is that GOOD shit. The way the harvest siblings' dynamic is portrayed is so intriguing, 3-dimensional, yet still offers clear reasons to hate Spica. The paneling tells a powerful story, and it really gives our girl a lot to work with.
One little detail I love is how ichi's cat-like features areused to make him either look predatory or comforting depending on the need. strong character design.
1. Akane Banashi (LEAD COLOR)
AN ANIME YIPPEE WAHOOO IM SO THRILLED
after three and a half years, its finally on the way. It feels so good to finally call AkaBana a jump flagship IP. Like, it's been a week since the announcement proper, but STILL. So fucking excited to see this.
Oh right, there's a chapter to discuss. Karashi is the oddball of the trio. even during the Karaku cup, he felt like "somebody forgettable only here to show Akane's mastery." Every single time he showed up after, it was like seeing him interupt hikaru and Akane's gay shit. He's been a sleeper hit with me, revealing more of himself every time he performs. Part of me is rooting for him, just because he hasn't taken a clean win yet. moue sensei's ability to sell presence is strong as ever, and I can't wait to see the next chapter.
KYAAAAAA STILL THRILLED ABOUT THE AKABANA ANIME YIPPEEEE! Jump was great this week, perfect example of why I bother to read the whole magazine each week. I don't know if this is me fully returning to jump reviews, but we'll see! glad to have you back.
