The Shonen Succession: Why "My Hero Academia" and "Jujutsu Kaisen" Can’t Be the New Big Three
In the mid-2000s, the shonen anime landscape shifted dramatically with the rise of the Big Three: Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, Tite Kubo’s Bleach, and Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. These titans of manga, all published in Shonen Jump Magazine, became synonymous with the genre, enjoying global popularity, lengthy runs, and prominent magazine covers. While not always the biggest sellers, their popularity cemented them in the cultural zeitgeist, thanks largely to their equally successful anime adaptations.
Today, fans are eager to crown new contenders for the shonen throne. Kōhei Horikoshi’s superhero epic My Hero Academia and Gege Akutami’s action-horror series Jujutsu Kaisen have emerged as potential successors. Both gained traction in a similar timeframe, enjoyed widespread acclaim, and are ending in close proximity to one another: My Hero Academia concluded this past August, while Jujutsu Kaisen‘s final chapter drops on September 30th.
While both series deliver compelling narratives and showcase creative spins on classic genre tropes, they fall short of achieving the legendary status of their predecessors. This isn’t to say they are lacking in quality; both offer engaging stories and exciting moments, making their anime adaptations highly successful. However, their rise to popularity is less surprising, less "lightning in a bottle" than that of the Big Three.
My Hero Academia, at its core, capitalizes on the booming superhero wave of the 2010s, mirroring the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The story taps into a timeless theme – the young superhero – that Marvel and DC were not fully embracing after the cancellation of Young Justice. It’s essentially a Japanese version of the 2005 film Sky High, riding a pre-existing wave of interest. Similarly, Jujutsu Kaisen benefits from the enduring appeal of horror, building upon the foundations laid by successful series like Tokyo Ghoul and Attack on Titan. It’s worth noting that both Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan were animated by MAPPA, a studio known for its high-quality work, which undoubtedly contributed to their popularity.
While the Big Three were influenced by prior works, they also acted as trendsetters, inspiring future creators in profound and direct ways. Can the same be said for My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen? While undoubtedly popular – evidenced by the abundance of merchandise and video games – their popularity feels different in the current media landscape. In an age of franchise-mania, simply being popular doesn’t hold the same weight as it did two decades ago.
Furthermore, while references to characters like Gojo Satoru might pop up in a Miles Morales comic or a Megan Thee Stallion song, it’s unclear what lasting legacy these two manga will leave. What unique aspects of Deku Midoriya’s or Yuji Itadori’s journeys will inspire future generations?
The success of the Big Three was a unique confluence of factors. The shonen medium was large enough to support their popularity, yet not so saturated that they would get lost in the shuffle. This is a challenge in today’s media landscape, where countless works compete for attention, often only gaining recognition near release or failing to find an audience altogether.
In a different era, My Hero Academia or Jujutsu Kaisen could have easily been overshadowed by other contenders. The Big Three’s enduring success can be attributed in part to the influence of US television networks like Cartoon Network’s Toonami and Fox’s 4KidsTV during the mid-2000s. One Piece premiered on 4KidsTV in 2004, then moved to Toonami in 2005, the same year Naruto started airing. Bleach followed in 2006. These networks played a significant role in establishing these series as global phenomena. By contrast, My Hero Academia is the only of the two modern titles to air on actual television, relying primarily on streaming platforms like Crunchyroll.
The current shonen boom is undeniably tied to shifting tides in the media landscape. My Hero Academia, debuting in 2014, coincided with the rising popularity of both manga and anime in the West. By the time Jujutsu Kaisen arrived in 2018, the West had embraced both formats wholeheartedly. Bookstores expanded their manga sections, and anime became readily available on Netflix and other streamers, in addition to theatrical screenings.
While both series are popular in Japan, they made a splash in the West, further amplified by easy accessibility, both legal and otherwise.
If My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen have left a unique mark, it’s perhaps their role in the rise of online leak communities. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, fans anticipated leaks revealing the events of upcoming chapters before their official release on Sundays. These leak events became a phenomenon, with spoiler-free fans often left on the sidelines. Major reveals and plot twists were often spoiled days in advance, generating immediate trending conversations across social media.
This issue became so prominent that a pair of shonen leakers were arrested in Japan last February. Although the leak community temporarily retreated, they are likely to re-emerge and target other ongoing manga series.
Ultimately, neither My Hero Academia nor Jujutsu Kaisen are bad series. They deliver solid entertainment with compelling narratives, even when they venture into self-indulgent territory. However, the shonen community’s attempts to elevate them to the status of the Big Three ultimately do them a disservice.
There is nothing wrong with being a well-crafted story that doesn’t necessarily reach the top of the mountain. In fact, both series ultimately land in that category.
Yet, for those seeking a successor to the Big Three, a series that fulfills the desire for the next "big thing," it appears Kagurabachi is poised to step into the spotlight. It seems the quest for a new shonen champion is far from over.
