Comic Natalie Access Ranking: Weekly Shonen Jump Steals the Spotlight
From March 26, 2026, to April 1, 2026, the anime and manga world saw quite a bit of movement. The article that actually grabbed the most eyeballs on Comic Natalie was a major news piece about upcoming serialisations in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha). It seems fans are really eager to see what is coming next in the magazine's line-up.
According to the reports, Jump is all set to launch a new series for three consecutive issues, starting from Issue 19. This is quite a big move for the publication. Issue 19, which hits the stands on April 6th, will feature Mitsushi Nakamura's work titled Roku no Oka na Ie. Following that, in Issue 20 on April 13th, we will see Summer and Hotarakago by Masayoshi Satosho. But the real buzz is around Issue 21, releasing on April 20th. This issue will mark the return of Hideaki Sorachi, the legendary creator of Gintama, with a brand-new series called Class 2B Brave Destroyers. For fans, why you need to watch the anime and read the manga of his previous work is a common topic, so this new launch is definitely the highlight of the month.
Event Highlights and April Fool's Buzz
This particular collection period was quite busy because it overlapped with both AnimeJapan 2026 and April Fool's Day. Because of this, many report articles and special April Fool's project pieces also managed to rank very high in the weekly access rankings. It’s always fun to see how these studios and creators come up with creative pranks that actually get people talking.
In the reading section, there was a very interesting interview with Chinami Akio. She is the author behind The Fourth Husband, which is a Japanese-style mystery romance. The work is currently getting a lot of attention at the Japan-Korea Vertical Reading Manga Awards. We got to ask her about the behind-the-scenes details and how she developed the story.
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The interview explored whether the mystery elements, which are now the core of the story, were actually added later in the process. Chinami Akio also shared what she gained by making the switch from traditional horizontal reading to the vertical reading format that is becoming so popular now.
Short Films and Personal Influences
Another major highlight was Fukufuku Map. This is an 11-minute short animation produced as a brand movie for Fukushima Prefecture's magazine. It was directed by the very talented Sunao Katabuchi. Having just finished a screening in Fukushima, Katabuchi spoke about re-teaming with Kouno Fumiyo and Kotringo for the first time since their work on In This Corner of the World.
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The director went into detail about the three-day location scouting and his emotional connection to the characters. He mentioned how, 15 years after the earthquake, Fukushima is being re-examined through a new lens. For many, this kind of storytelling is exactly why you need to watch the anime and read the manga to understand the depth of Japanese culture and resilience.
We also had a column titled Anime that changed my life, where we talked to Kashin Terao from the group DXTEEN. He spoke very fondly about the anime that influenced him, specifically naming No Game No Life as the one that really changed his perspective on things.
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Award Winners and New Trends
Finally, we conducted email interviews with the winners of the Vertical Reading Manga Award 2025. The domestic category was won by the author of This is the evil woman of His Majesty the Tyrant, while the overseas category went to This life will be the head of the family. They shared their inspirations and what they keep in mind while writing such engaging vertical content.
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Looking back at the new series from February, we noticed some strong trends. Music manga like Kins of Blue! and Nishitokyo Metal Brothers are doing well, alongside sports titles like the soccer manga Paradon. Also, the return of LIAR GAME with The Last Game after 10 years has really sparked a lot of conversation among veteran readers.
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