The birthday of Ogami Tsumiki, the anticipated “beginning” of Strand, and the ever more stagnant back rows.
TOC Weekly Shonen Sunday #46 (09/10/2024)
Sousou no Frieren c135 (Cover and Opening Color Page)
02 – Ryuu to Ichigo c211
03 – Kaihen no Mahoutsukai c05
04 – Maou-jou de Oyasumi c378
Momose Akira no Hatsukoi Hatanchuu c10 (Color Page)
06 – MAO c247
07 – Major 2nd c289
08 – Mizuporo c41
Strand c06 (Color Page)
10 – Mikadono Sanshimai wa Angai, Choroi c133
11 – Tonikaku Kawaii c290
12 – Komi-san wa, Komyushou desu c485
Ogami Tsumiki to Kinichijou c42 (Color Page)
14 – Kaiten no Albus c21
15 – Utsuranin desu c27
16 – Ichika Bachika c07
17 – Red Blue c126
Kimi wa Meido-sama (Promotional Chapter)
19 – Himeru Kokoro no zen himitsu c20
20 – Aozakura: Bouei Daigakukou Monogatari c360
21 – Te no Geka c61
22 – Rock a Rock c26
23 – Hello Work Monsters c22
24 – Tokachi Hitoribocchi Nōen c326
Absent: Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san, Shibuya Near Family, Tatari, Detective Conan (hiatus), Magic Kaito (hiatus), Ad Astra Per Aspera (hiatus).
Greetings, dear readers. We’re back for another week of our beloved Weekly Shonen Sunday, and it’s a week that certainly deserves celebration. Today, on this very issue, I celebrate 1 year of Analyse It. Congratulations to me, to us!!! I admit I considered abandoning ship countless times, due to exhaustion, boredom, discouragement, disgust, or simply laziness—let’s be honest, that was the predominant factor 90% of the time.
But here we are, a whole year, without skipping a single issue. I don’t know what the future holds. I might keep going for another year, maybe two, or I could quit tomorrow—it all depends on the shared will of both the writer and the readers. It’s always been that way and will continue to be. This first year was harmonious enough to secure the anniversary; whether there will be others, we’ll find out next year. For now, let’s dive into what really matters: the TOC.
Both the cover and the first color page go to none other than Sousou no Frieren. It’s been a while since Frieren graced the cover, and even longer since the series got a color page, which is a crime because every time we do, we’re treated to its fantastic art.
Sousou no Frieren Color PageFrieren is one of those manga that truly shines when it focuses on its reflective and melancholic aspects, but it would be crazy to say I don’t equally enjoy it when the action takes over, and we get a flood of awesome power moves—the series excels in that as well.
It’s sad that there won’t be a chapter next week, especially now that we’re entering a new arc that promises to be quite long. But at least the manga has stabilized its serialization. It’s better to have a chapter every other week than to go without one for several weeks.
In second place, we have Ryuu to Ichigo, which once again is positioning itself very well, like in the old days. There’s not much new in the story this week, so we move on. Next up is Kaihen no Mahoutsukai with another excellent chapter. I think the most honest and correct attitude toward Kaihen is to accept its narrative style for what it is, not for what it could or should be.
Does it have a claustrophobic narrative with lots of meaningless chatter? Yes, but it works, and I enjoy reading it. That’s enough for me. It’s even better when this perspective aligns with the Japanese readers, who continue to praise the series. The manga doesn’t worry about being anything other than itself, and for now, that’s working. May it continue that way.
Next, we have Maou-jou de Oyasumi, which, for some supernatural reason, has been ranking much higher than usual. The series typically sits in the middle or lower part of the TOC, so seeing Sleepy Princess at the top of the magazine for so many weeks is certainly curious. I’m not sure what to make of it, but I assume they’re trying to prevent the middle of the magazine from getting too crowded with the “old” series.
With the second color page of the issue, we have Momose Akira no Hatsukoi Hatanchuu. The manga continues its incredible rise, and Sunday doesn’t want the hype to fade. Its first volume doesn’t even have a release date yet, but the story already has enough material for it, and the editors are solely focused on attracting as many readers as possible before its launch.
Following that, we have the two main veterans of the issue, MAO and Major 2nd. Although MAO doesn’t have anything new this week, our dear and beloved Rumiko Takahashi is celebrating her own anniversary. The queen of manga has just turned 67, growing more youthful and full of energy to keep drawing. I hope we get many more birthdays from her.
As for Major, the manga is releasing its 29th volume next week. Not the next issue, but the one after that will likely feature a color page to help promote it.
In eighth place, we have Mizuporo, which continues its peaceful run without bothering anyone. On the other hand, Strand is done with being peaceful, delivering its best chapter so far. The story took its time, fully exploring its prologue, but now it’s finally time to move things forward. I really liked the chapter, and I’m invested in seeing more. Based on what I’ve observed in Japanese forums, the opinion seems to be universal. Now, let’s hope the series maintains this quality as it begins its rise.
In the following positions, we have Mikadono Sanshimai wa Angai, Choroi, Tonikaku Kawaii, and Komi-san wa, Komyushou desu, the magazine’s main romantic comedies, ranked from best to worst, where even the “worst” is still one of the best in the genre.
Next, we have another celebrant, Ogami Tsumiki to Kinichijou. The series is celebrating its first year of serialization, and it’s a milestone worth celebrating. The start of the journey wasn’t easy for Miyu Morishita, as the author got HIT BY A CAR in her second month of work, leaving everyone worried. Luckily, she recovered quickly without any serious consequences, and, unlike her lazy competitor Masaoki Shindou, she was back to work soon after, continuing with the only 2023 manga that brought a significant return for Sunday.
If 2024 was good for Ogami Tsumiki, 2025 promises to be even better, as the manga continues to grow—very slowly—in sales, rekindling the magazine’s hope, which is desperately searching for a new hit. The Next Manga Awards are behind us; now we want the Manga Taisho!
Color Page: Ogami Tsumiki to Kinichijou
Kaiten no Albus and Utsuranin desu are two works aiming for similar success. While they are far from achieving anything close, they are walking a similar path. Something that Ichika Bachika is unlikely to do, as the manga’s popularity is on par with the popularity of Joker 2.
Next on the list is Red Blue, which, after its “big” news—its drama adaptation—has nothing else to report. It’ll stay at the bottom of the magazine and occasionally get a color page, and that’s that. A Sunday-Webry success appears as a guest in the magazine, and we’re talking about Kimi wa Meido-sama. I don’t know much about the story, but I saw that its anime is airing, and it seems quite cute. It might be worth checking out—it looks charming.
In the final part of the magazine, we have Himeru Kokoro no zen himitsu, which keeps getting poor rankings, but there’s no need to worry too much since others are in worse shape. Plus, the manga is getting a color page next week to help promote its second volume. Aozakura: Bouei Daigakukou Monogatari follows, and as always, there’s nothing new.
Página Colorida de Kimi wa Meido-sama
In the “danger zone” we have the usual suspects: Te no Geka, Rock a Rock, and Hello Work Monsters. The only one missing is Tatari, but it decided to take a break this week.
We’ll have another debut next week, a new manga by Chigusa Ichihara, titled Shite no Hana – Nougakushi Haga Kotarou no Sakikata.
I had completely forgotten about this manga; it was announced mid-year, and it seems like the time has come for it to begin. Despite this issue having several short chapters, we still had 24 mangas published, which is well above average.
Not to mention the other 6 absentees. The magazine has 30 mangas in its lineup and is about to debut its 31st—clearly too much for a weekly magazine. Either Sunday starts a slow revolution by increasingly rotating its stories, or we’ll get the usual solution: the good, old, and foolproof axe. We know how this story ends—someone will have to say goodbye. The question remains the same as last week: who will be the first victim?
We won’t find out this issue, but maybe next time. Thank you for your attention, and I’ll see you next week, same place as always. Goodbye!
