The flood of anime adaptations from Magazine’s lineup has kicked off with the October season. Five series from the magazine will be airing on Japanese TV in the coming months. We’ll keep an eye on the editorial priorities and audience reception, while also keeping track of how the manga are doing. Let’s start with the TOC:
1 – Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi (Cover and Lead Color Pages) Ch. 154
2 – Blue Lock Ch. 277
3 – Kuroiwa Medaka ni Watashi no Kawaii ga Tsujinai Ch. 150
4 – Kanan-sama wa Akumade Choroi Ch. 114
5 – Mokushiroku no Yonkishi (Color Page) Ch. 164
6 – Banjou no Orion Ch. 32
7 – Batchiri Scratch! Ch. 13
8 – Shangri-La Frontier ~Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su Ch. 194
9 – Yumene Connect (Color Page) Ch. 06
10 – Kaijin Fugeki Ch. 16
11 – Kanojo, Okarishimasu Ch. 347
12 – Sentai Daishikkaku Ch. 155
13 – Yowayowa Sensei Ch. 91
14 – Fumetsu no Anata e Ch. 191 – 3
15 – Irozuku Monochrome Ch. 07
16 – Kakkou no Iinazuke Ch. 222
17 – Ao no Miburo Ch. 144
18 – Mayonaka Heart Tune Ch. 48
19 – Love Forty Ch. 15
20 – Henkyou no Kusushi, Miyako de S-Rank Boukensha to Naru: Eiyuumura no Shounen ga Cheat-yaku de Mujikaku Musou (Magazine Pocket Special Chapter)
21 – Gachiakuta Ch. 112
21 – Hajime no Ippo Ch. 1472
Absences: GALAXIAS Ch. 08, Akabane Honeko no Bodyguard Ch. 97, Seitokai ni mo ana wa aru! Ch. 108, Megami no Café Terrace Ch. 170, Ahiru no Sora Ch. 618 (Hiatus)
Those following the Portuguese website know it’s rare for a manga to grace the cover of Weekly Shonen Magazine, but Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi earned that honor this week with the premiere of its anime!
Launching alongside the highly anticipated Blue Lock season, the series that sells the most in this lineup, the editors chose to promote Amagami this time. It’s its first season, and it always showed good potential with the anime audience, much like Gotoubun no Hanayome and Kanojo Okarishimasu before it.
The anime itself has decent production quality, a strong voice cast, and has been well received by fans. However, the old volumes haven’t been appearing in the sales rankings, which typically happens with successful adaptations. This is even more important for Amagami, as it has seen declining volume-to-volume sales.
The early parts of the story are its weakest, with Amagami‘s arc structure only taking shape later on. Maybe the anime should have restructured the first episode rather than being completely faithful, but there’s always a deep respect for the original material, so it’s hard to criticize. Let’s hope the sales pick up as the season progresses.
Blue Lock takes second place. As one of the biggest series in the market, a new season means many collaborations, marketing campaigns, promotions, etc. Blue Lock is by far the most commercially present series from the Magazine in Japan.
This season likely won’t cause a massive sales spike like the first one did, as most new readers have already bought the previous volumes. However, it’s still important for keeping volume sales high while the franchise profits in many other ways.
Closing the podium is Kuroiwa Medaka, a series without an anime this season, but with one already in production and a trailer out. This position reflects positive reader reception and highlights the growth potential of the manga heading into 2025.
In fourth place, Kanan-sama is in the middle of a long arc and getting good focus. An anime announcement may come in the next few months, but it’s more likely for 2025.
Continuing with the season’s anime, fifth place goes to Mokushiroku no Yonkishi, which premiered on October 6, right after Blue Lock. It’s one of those series that won’t see a sales boost with another season, but the anime itself is profitable, with both local and international appeal.
A well-deserved sixth place for Banjou no Orion. Its new volume sold over 10,000 copies in two weeks, 2,000 more than last month’s entire result! The manga is in a great spot, and readers are loving the chapters, which perfectly blend shogi with emotional character development.
Surprising but not shocking, Batchiri Scratch takes seventh in the TOC. This 4-koma comedy remains largely invisible to Magazine readers, but the editors gave it a chance this week. The first volume isn’t out yet, and the editors tend to be lenient with early support, but the outlook isn’t great.
Following the anime debuts, Shangri-La Frontier ranks eighth. In its final arc battle, the manga will get more focus next week with color pages marking the start of its second season.
Yumene Connect gets ninth with a color page. Reader reception has been decent, and there’s a growing fan base. The art and self-deprecating humor stand out, offering something unique in the current magazine lineup. Fans of ecchi and comedy are getting a solid series right from the start.
In tenth place, Kaijin Fugeki delivers a visually spectacular chapter with a battle full of creativity. The author’s art is well-known, and chapters like this can boost the reception of a series that already started strong in sales.
Moving along peacefully, Kanojo, Okarishimasu comes in eleventh in the TOC. The manga isn’t in a rush to start the highly anticipated arc and instead dedicates a chapter to Ruka, who hasn’t made an appearance in a while. All is calm in the world of Kanokari.
In twelfth place, Sentai Daishikkaku seems to be starting a new arc, and it doesn’t look like the final one either. Steady as usual.
Yowayowa Sensei ranks thirteenth. The manga isn’t being heavily promoted in a way that suggests an anime announcement is imminent, but it’s also not being ignored, regularly receiving color pages. With its recent episodic chapters, more news might come in 2025.
Breaking away from its usual last spot, Fumetsu no Anata E is in fourteenth place this week. Besides the typical fluctuation, this is likely due to the climactic events of its current arc. The editors tend to highlight such moments that can attract even non-regular readers.
Volume 1 de Irozuku Monochrome
In fifteenth place is Irozuku Monochrome, which will release its first volume this month. This is a crucial test for the romcom, which has had decent online reception. The key will be reaching 7,000-8,000 sales in its debut month. While the manga continues to stick to a familiar formula, the author could benefit from developing slightly longer story arcs.
Kakkou no Iinazuke comes in sixteenth with a chapter that could be the start of a final arc. However, that seems unlikely, especially with the second season of the anime on the way (although Kanojo mo Kanojo wrapped up in a similar situation, which is rare).
Far from its seasonal peers, Ao no Miburo takes seventeenth in the TOC. The anime won’t air until the 19th. A low rank for a series with an adaptation is a bit disappointing but understandable given its lower popularity. The samurai manga will get color pages in issue 46.
Mayonaka Heart Tune lands in eighteenth, likely due to rotation and the pacing of the magazine. The chapters continue to highlight different heroines, always striving to give each of them the spotlight.
Picking up the pace, Love Forty, in nineteenth place, quickly wrapped up the ongoing school competition and shifted focus to the boys’ coach, even giving him a backstory. These moves suggest that the authors are aware of the manga’s precarious popularity and are still trying to push it forward.
After a oneshot, Gachiakuta ranks second to last. As I’ve mentioned before, this isn’t a cause for concern, especially with an anime in production. Some editors have even noted that Gachiakuta has growth potential, particularly due to its strong international following. Expect more promotions as the anime release approaches.
Hajime no Ippo closes the issue. The chapter is quite emotional for longtime fans, and the choice to place it last is likely a move to leave a strong final impression on weekly readers.
Next issue: the return of Galaxias — with color pages!
