Weekly Shōnen Magazine

Weekly Shōnen Magazine

Cover of the first issue of Weekly Shōnen Magazine, published in 1959
Categories Shōnen manga[1][2]
Frequency Weekly
Circulation 995,017[1]
(July–September, 2016)
Publisher Kodansha
First issue March 17, 1959 (1959-03-17)
Country Japan
Language Japanese
Website Shōnen Magazine

Weekly Shōnen Magazine (Japanese: 週刊少年マガジン Hepburn: Shūkan Shōnen Magajin) is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. Despite some unusual censorship policies (until just recently, it was one of the only shōnen magazines to forbid the depiction of female nipples), it's mainly read by an older audience, with a large portion of its readership falling under the male high school or college student demographic. According to circulation figures accumulated by the Japanese Magazine Publishers Association, circulation of the magazine has dropped in every quarter since records were first collected in April–June, 2008. This is however, not an isolated occurrence as digital media continues to be on the rise.

Reception

The Weekly Shōnen Magazine achieved success in the 1970s and subsequently had increased sales. As a result, it became the top selling manga magazine in Japan of its period, appearing popular amongst many otaku. But the position was later occupied by Weekly Shōnen Jump, when this competitor was born in 1968, knocking Shonen Magazine off the top spot. Shōnen Jump had now begun to circulate and dominate the manga magazine market. This began from the 1970s and continued throughout the 1990s, largely owed to Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball. In the middle of the 1990s, Shōnen Jump suffered the loss of Dragon Ball, as the franchise had come to an end in 1996, and thus lost much of its readership. Shōnen Magazine had now made a comeback in October 1997, regaining its original position as the top selling manga magazine of its day until this was brokered in 2002. Currently, the two magazines have competed closely in terms of market circulation. Sales of the two magazines now remain very close. Circulation has dropped below two million.[3] In a rare event due to the closeness of the two magazine's founding dates, Weekly Shōnen Magazine and Weekly Shōnen Sunday released a special combined issue on March 19, 2008. In addition, other commemorative events, merchandise, and manga crossovers were planned for the following year as part of the celebrations.[4] Others include Shōnen Magazine, published by Kobunsha of the same Kodansha group. Shōnen Magazine famously serialized Tetsujin 28-go, the first anime Mecha from July 1956 to May 1966.

Currently running manga series

There are currently 23 manga titles being serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine.

Series Title Author Premiered
Acma:Game (アクマ ゲーム) Maeb, Kouji Megumi April 2013
Ahiru no Sora (あひるの空) Takeshi Hinata December 2003
Aho Girl (アホガール) Hiroyuki November 2012
Baby Steps (ベイビーステップ) Hikaru Kachiki October 2007
Chotto Morimashita. (ちょっと盛りました。) Hideo Nishimoto June 2012
Daiya no Ace Act II (ダイヤのA Act II) Yūji Terajima August 2015
Days (デイズ) Tsuyoshi Yasuda April 2013
Desert Eagle (デザートイーグル) Ken Wakui August 2015
Domestic na Kanojo (ドメスティックな彼女) Kei Sasuga June 2014
Fire Force (炎炎ノ消防隊) Atsushi Ōkubo September 2015
Fairy Tail (フェアリーテイル) Hiro Mashima August 2006
Fuuka (風夏) Kouji Seo February 2014
Hajime no Ippo (はじめの一歩) George Morikawa October 1989
Infection (インフェクション) Tooru Oikawa December 2015
Kamisama no Iu Toori Ni (神さまの言うとおり弐) Moved from Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Akeji Fujimura January 2013
Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo (金田一少年の事件簿) Yōzaburō Kanari, Seimaru Amagi, Fumiya Satō October 1992
Real Account (リアルアカウント) Moved from Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine Okushou, Watanabe Shizumu February 2015
Rupodama! (ルポ魂!) Yuki Okada, Shinpei Funazu July 2014
The Knight in the Area (エリアの騎士) Hiroaki Igano May 2006
The Seven Deadly Sins (七つの大罪) Nakaba Suzuki October 2012
To you,the immortal (不滅のあなたへ) Yoshitoki Ōima November 2016
Seitokai Yakuindomo (生徒会役員共) Tozen Ujiie July 2008
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (山田君と7人の魔女) Miki Yoshikawa February 2012

Series in Shōnen Magazine

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Circulation

Circulation (since April 2008)
January–March April–June July–September October–December Ref
2008 – 1,755,000 1,720,000 1,691,667 [5]
2009 1,664,167 1,633,334 1,614,616 1,593,637 [6]
2010 1,571,231 1,565,000 1,556,250 1,551,819 [7]
2011 1,529,693 1,491,500 1,489,584 1,472,084 [8]
2012 1,447,500 1,436,017 1,412,584 1,404,834 [9]
2013 1,376,792 1,357,000 1,324,209 1,308,117 [10]
2014 1,277,500 1,245,417 1,211,750 1,192,267 [11]
2015 1,156,059 1,127,042 1,107,840 1,085,110 [11][12]
2016 1,038,450 1,015,659 995,017 – [1][13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Boy's Manga" (in Japanese). Japanese Magazine Publishers Association. September 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ Thompson, Jason (2007). Manga: The Complete Guide. Del Rey Books. pp. 338–339. ISBN 978-0-345-48590-8.
  3. ↑ "Weekly Shonen Magazine Circulation Drops Under 2M".
  4. ↑ Shonen Magazine, Shonen Sunday Mark 50th Anniversary (Updated) - Anime News Network
  5. ↑ 2008 circulation figures:
  6. ↑ 2009 circulation figures:
  7. ↑ 2010 circulation figures:
  8. ↑ 2011 circulation figures:
  9. ↑ 2012 circulation figures:
  10. ↑ 2013 circulation figures:
  11. 1 2 "Top Manga Magazines' Circulation Dropped 10%+ in 1 Year". Anime News Network. April 28, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  12. ↑ 2015 circulation figures
  13. ↑ "Circulation figures "Boy's Manga" January-March, 2016". Japanese Magazine Publishers Association. Retrieved August 13, 2016.

External links

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