Shonen Jump is on Instagram! WOO 💪
FOLLOW US ON IG📱
And heeeeeeeeere’s today’s Substack! Hi, how you doin’? I hope you’re good, hope your week rules already, and I hope you’ve been reading plenty of manga! There was a very popular ball-throwing mega-event yesterday that I’m sure some of you enjoyed. 🏈And then Valentine’s Day is this week, which means love is blooming all around us! 💞 Whether you have a boo (or two) or you’re single, I think we can at least agree love matters. Speaking of the subject…
…I LOVE the official new Shonen Jump Instagram account! The account just launched recently, and it’s the go-to spot for all your Instagram Shonen Jump needs. Follow the account for everything ranging from panels, to weekly rundown videos (fun content that walks viewers through the latest SJ chapters), plus more. You’ll be treated to the whole manga caboodle (dunno what that word means)! Thanks for the many happy welcome messages, totally excited for what’s to come!! 🔥
A new Shonen Jump series dropped too: Astro Baby by Shiro Moriya. It’s got quite the gnarly setting, as townspeople morph into cannibals following a meteorite crash. And yes, a newborn baby plays a huge role in the story.
Cannibalism doesn’t come up much in manga, uh, at least not often? I’ve also never seen the genre crossover into sci-fi territory either, so that imbues Astro Baby with fresh energy and potential. Also, a literal baby plays a central role…in a cannibal story…which is really unique. I’m always pumped for a new gritty entry in the weekly world of Shonen Jump! Make sure to read chapters 1 & 2 for free here.
You know what else is pudgy and effortlessly adorable aside from human babies? PENGUINS!! 🐧 And who’s a chainsaw-totin’ demon-slayer, but also endearingly child-like? DENJI! When you put those two together, you get the panel below from Chainsaw Man, Vol. 14!
I love how Chainsaw Man shifts tones so graciously! Fujimoto-sensei creates some ingenious tonal shifts, going from gory action to humor all in the span of a few panels. I appreciate the way he’ll blend those thematic elements too, sometimes combining epic demon-fights into a comedic context simultaneously. That’s no easy feat to cohesively shift and blend seemingly disparate themes together like that, so huge props to Fujimoto-sensei!
Also, how adorable are penguins, in manga and irl? Like seriously, I wish those cute waddling bundles of joy could safely exist all over the world so I could see them casually cruising through the streets on their soft tum tums. 🥺 Aren’t manga animals just the best? Let me know some of your favorite animal appearances in the comments below!
FRIENDS: plz do not forget to submit your cosplay submissions (or that of your furry friends) to this email because I’d love to feature it: heysocial@viz.com
And that’s all for today’s Substack! Have you followed the new Shonen Jump Instagram account yet? What do you think? Also, what’s your thoughts on the new series Astro Baby, and what’s your thoughts on penguins?? These are all very important questions to ponder, so let me know what you think in the comments below! Until later~~
I voted fish 'cause Charlotte Praline. O__O