Weekly Shōnen Magazine

is a weekly manga magazine published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant 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, the magazine's circulation 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.

It is one of the best-selling manga magazines. By March 2008, the magazine had 2,942 issues, having sold 4.55billion copies, with an average weekly circulation of . At an average issue price of ($), the magazine had generated approximately () in sales revenue by March 2008. In addition, about compiled volumes had been sold by March 2008.

Jason Thompson stated that it is "more down-to-earth, as well as just a tad more guy-oriented" compared to Weekly Shōnen Jump and likened this magazine to "more like something you'd find in the guys' locker room."

History The magazine, launched on March 17, 1959, was the first weekly manga magazine, followed rapidly by Weekly Shōnen Sunday by rivalling publisher Shogakukan. Throughout the 1960s, Weekly Shōnen Magazine was the top selling weekly manga magazines besides Weekly Shōnen Sunday and . During the first years of its run, the magazine was not solely focused on manga, but also published other content for children.

From 1965 onwards, the chief editor of Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Masaru Uchida, invited artists associated with the movement to work for the magazine. The movement had a style marked by dramatic, realistic storytelling often aimed at mature audiences. Blending children's manga with adolescent gekiga themes and styles attracted new readers to manga magazines. In a short time, the readership of the magazine expanded rapidly and was at nearly one million by the end of 1966.

Features Series

There are currently 31 manga titles being serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Out of them, Ahiru no Sora is on indefinite hiatus.

Series title Author(s) Premiered Takeshi Hinata Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura Tsuyoshi Yasuda Miki Yoshikawa Hiroyuki Muchimaro Fairy Tail Re:Fantasia Hiro Mashima Nakaba Suzuki Kei Urana Negi Haruba Otemoto George Morikawa Oh! great Killer + Sitter Akimine Kamijyo Kou Suzumoto Tsumugi Musawo Nonco Ran Kuze Haruka Imai Naoshi Arakawa Reiji Miyajima A-10, Ryūga Kawasaki Katarina, Ryosuke Fuji Tanaka Drill Masakuni Igarashi Kōji Seo Kojiro Kamio Fukuchi Kou Sawada Shōichirō Edo Kano Kashiwagi

Circulation

+ Circulation Date(s) January–March April–June July–September October–December Magazine sales March1959 to March2008 4,550,000,000 April2008 to December2008 — 1,755,000 1,720,000 1,691,667 2008 circulation figures:

2009 1,664,167 1,633,334 1,614,616 1,593,637 2009 circulation figures:

2010 1,571,231 1,565,000 1,556,250 1,551,819 2010 circulation figures:

2011 1,529,693 1,491,500 1,489,584 1,472,084 2011 circulation figures:

2012 1,447,500 1,436,017 1,412,584 1,404,834 2012 circulation figures:

2013 1,376,792 1,357,000 1,324,209 1,308,117 2013 circulation figures:

2014 1,277,500 1,245,417 1,211,750 1,192,267 2015 1,156,059 1,127,042 1,107,840 1,085,110 2015 circulation figures

2016 1,038,450 1,015,659 995,017 986,017 2017 964,158 932,713 883,804 840,667 January 2018 to March 2018 815,458 March 1959 to March 2018 5,236,940,319

Magazine Pocket , or , is an online web comic site run by Kodansha and tied in to their Weekly Shōnen Magazine line. It runs original manga created for the site as well as manga moved from one of the print magazines related to Weekly Shōnen Magazine. It opened on August 3, 2015.

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 Shōnen Magazine off the top spot. Shōnen Jump had begun to circulate and dominate the manga magazine market. This started from the 1970s and continued throughout the 1990s.

In October 1997, Shōnen Magazine reclaimed its 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. 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.Shonen Magazine, Shonen Sunday Mark 50th Anniversary (Updated) - Anime News Network

Others include Shōnen Magazine, published by Kobunsha of the same Kodansha group. Shōnen Magazine famously serialized Tetsujin 28-go, the first mecha anime from July 1956 to May 1966.

Weekly Shōnen Magazine

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