The online Shonen Jump platform lets readers around the world follow the magazine's current manga series in English as they publish in Japan, but for those who like binge-reading and are looking for a productive way to spend their free time over the holidays, here are 12 great series that are done publishing and can be enjoyed in their entirety with a $2 Shonen Jump subscription.
All You Need Is Kill
Based on a 2004 light novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and later adapted into the 2014 Hollywood film Edge of Tomorrow, All You Need Is Kill is an action/sci-fi military manga with art from Takeshi Obata (Death Note, Bakuman) and a story adapted by Ryosuke Takeuchi (Moriarty The Patriot). The story takes place on earth during an alien invasion and follows a man named Keiji Kiriya, who is a new recruit in a special defense force tasked with fending off this alien threat. Keiji is immediately killed on his first mission, but in an odd turn of events, he wakes up moments before his first deployment again.
All You Need Is Kill is a heart-pounding time-loop manga wherein Keiji must live the same moment over and over until he figures out a way to prevent his death and win this war. This series is filled with detailed action including some gory moments. It's also the only seinen manga on this list, skewing toward a more adult audience.
All You Need Is Kill has 17 chapters compiled into two volumes.
Assassination Classroom
On the slightly lighter end of the spectrum, Assassination Classroom is an action/comedy manga written and illustrated by Yuusei Matsui (Neuro: Supernatural Detective). This story also has to do with aliens... Well, an alien, rather -- and a peculiar one at that. Some time ago, this yellow tentacled creature blew a good chunk out of the moon and promises it'll do the same to the earth next year. It doesn't really sound like a comedy so far, does it? Well, the kicker here is that the creature does issue a request to the government of Japan in the meantime: to become a teacher!
Assassination Classroom then follows an ensemble cast of characters belonging to the class taught by this alien, whom they dub "Koro-sensei." While they're completing their studies just like any other class, their ultimate goal is to gather information and assassinate the practically invisible Koro-sensei before the school year is up. What they don't expect is to form close bonds, resolve personal issues, and learn valuable lessons along the way.
Assassination Classroom has 181 chapters compiled into 21 volumes.
Astra Lost In Space
Astra Lost in Space is an action sci-fi manga written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara (SKET Dance). In a year where space travel is a thing, a high school trip to a camp on a neighboring planet goes haywire when a small group of students are sucked into a mysterious orb of darkness. When they come to, they find themselves thousands of lightyears away from home, and the story then revolves around them trying to find their way back in the vast blanket of space.
It's not so much a hard survival story as it is a space adventure, but that doesn't mean the trip back isn't a difficult one, as there may also be danger lurking from inside the group... Astra Lost In Space has mysteries and plot twists for days and does a good job of making you flip pages faster than your questions can be answered.
Astra Lost in Space is 49 chapters compiled into five volumes.
Claymore
One of the few high fantasy series in the Jump catalog, Claymore is a middle-ages adventure story of revenge written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi. In this grim fantasy world there exist man-eating monsters called "Yoma" that can only be defeated by an elite group of manufactured half-human, half-yoma beings commonly referred to as "Claymore," or "silver-eyed witches." The main character, Clare, is one of these witches and the story follows her going from town to town taking out these monstrous threats.
Eventually, she's joined by a young boy named Raki, whom she forms a strong bond with as she continues on her violent journey to find the yoma who wronged her. Everything about this manga feels epic, from the sheer number of characters to the impressively long and fleshed-out action sequences.
Claymore is 155 chapters compiled into 27 volumes.
Demon Slayer
A manga that definitely doesn't need an introduction at this point, Demon Slayer is a supernatural action series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. The Taisho-era story follows a young poor boy named Tanjiro Kamado who lives in the mountains with his family. This cozy peaceful existence doesn't last long, however, as Tanjiro's family is swiftly and brutally murdered by demons. The exception is his younger sister, Nezuko, who survives without being fully turned into a demon herself.
From this point on, Tanjiro endeavors to find a way to return his sister's humanity while dispatching the demons responsible for his despair. Part of Demon Slayer's appeal comes from its wonderfully empathetic protagonist but also the creative enemy compositions and abilities that make the action stand out from its contemporaries. Unlike the Ufotable anime which is ongoing, the manga is now complete.
Demon Slayer has 207 chapters compiled into 23 volumes.
Dr. Slump
A series that is a bit overshadowed by its successor but still a great manga in its own right, Dr. Slump is a slice-of-life comedy manga written and illustrated by the legendary Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball). It follows a young robot girl named Arale, who gives off kid-Goku vibes: she's super overpowered, naïve and lacks common sense.
If you are a fan of Toriyama's brand of comedy in Dragon Ball, particularly in the earlier parts, then this series should be a smooth transition. Like in Dragon Ball, the humor relies on lots of fun gags involving Arale who causes all sorts of trouble for her creator, as well as the quirky cast of characters surrounding her.
Dr. Slump has 235 chapters compiled into 18 volumes.
The Emperor and I
The Emperor and I is another slice-of-life comedy written and illustrated by Mato. It's also a rather simple story about a girl and her family living with a penguin who suddenly emerges from their refrigerator one day.
The humor is more subdued in this one -- it leans more on the cute slice-of-life moments the family shares with their new arctic friend and less on laugh-out-loud shenanigans. Still, the style is rather unique, as it is in full-color instead of black-and-white.
The Emperor and I has 38 chapters compiled into four volumes.
Fire Punch
Fire Punch is a supernatural action mystery written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw Man). Due to the explicit content warning, it can't be found on the Shonen Jump app itself, but it is available on the Viz Media website to read in full. In what is essentially a post-apocalyptic story set in a land cursed with eternal winter, Fire Punch is about a young man named Agni blessed with extraordinary regenerative abilities.
When his village is burned down by a young traveling soldier named Doma, Agni is engulfed in flames, but due to the nature of the flames and his regenerative ability, Agni survives the attack... but the flames don't extinguish. Several years later, the flames clinging to Agni continue to burn but he's learned to tolerate the excruciating pain. This is a pure revenge story, though it's a bit edgy (purposefully) and may not be for everyone.
Fire Punch has 83 chapters compiled into eight volumes.
Genkaku Picasso
The quickest binge on the list, Genkaku Picasso is a psychological drama written and illustrated by Usamaru Furuya (Lychee Light Club, No Longer Human -- the 2009 adaptation). It's about a talented artist named Hikari Hamura who helps people through the power of his art. Putting it that way, it sounds like a grounded, slightly romantic story, but things are more surreal than that.
At the start of the story, Hikari and his close friend Chiaki are struck and killed in a freak helicopter accident. Chiaki prays to save Hikari's life -- and her prayers are answered. Hikari survives the accident under the condition that he helps people, lest he literally rots to death. Joined by an angel version of Chiaki, Hikari helps solve his peers' personal problems by drawing abstract pictures that represent their psyche before diving into them.
Genkaku Picasso has 11+ chapters compiled into three volumes.
Haikyuu!!
Haikyu!! is a sports drama written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. Ending this year, it's finally available to binge in full! At its core, its a story about a boy named Shoyo Hinata who is determined to make it to the top with his high school volleyball team. Volleyball is a team sport, and the author does a wonderful job at emphasizing this by focusing on multiple characters' developments through the story, including those on opposing teams.
Furudate is also great at showing the importance of strong character relationships both on and off the court, and how events happening in one end can affect those in the other. If you're knowledgeable about volleyball, rest assured, Furudate played the sport in junior high and does its depiction justice with his detailed art and dynamic panel composition. However, like any good sports manga, it keeps you invested in the story regardless of your own knowledge.
Haikyu!! is the longest binge on this list with a whopping 402 chapters compiled into 45 volumes.
Hikaru no Go
Hikaru no Go can also be considered a sports drama and is written by Yumi Hotta with illustrations by the aforementioned Takeshi Obata. It's a different take on the sports genre, focusing on the Chinese strategy board game "Go." Go is a complicated, abstract-looking game but thankfully it's not required to learn in order to read and appreciate this manga.
The story follows a boy named Hikaru who has no interest in the board game until he stumbles upon an ancient Go board inside his grandfather's attic. He finds that it's haunted by a Heian-era spirit named Fujiwara no Sai, who used to be a Go instructor to the Emperor of that time. Shenanigans ensue, and Hikaru finds himself wrapped up in the world of Go with the spirit of Fujiwara as his mentor. It's a drama-filled, coming of age story wherein Hikaru learns and discovers a passion for the game he never knew he had.
Hikaru no Go is 198 chapters compiled into 23 volumes.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! is a blend of many different genres, ranging from the supernatural to the historical, and is written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. While there are several spinoffs, the main Yu-Gi-Oh! story is split into three parts on the Jump app: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist and Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World. Most people have some sort of familiarity with the series, whether it's through the plethora of anime adaptions or the popular trading card game itself, but few have engaged with the original Weekly Shonen Jump manga that started it all.
The first part, titled just Yu-Gi-Oh!, is very different from the anime adaptation. It features the protagonist, Yugi, along with most of the core cast, but the focus is mainly on "Shadow Games" that Yugi plays against people (bullies, typically). These are high stakes games that take various forms unrelated to the popular card game that end in losers being sent to the "Shadow Realm," a fate worse than death.
In Duelist, the manga shifts focus to the card game that we've grown familiar with, and nearly all conflict (including the fate of the universe) is decided on the results of these matches. It's a rather dark story that is also kind of silly and over-the-top in the best ways. It's an enlightening read for those who've only seen some of the anime, and a solid shonen story for those who've never engaged with the story at all.
The three core parts of Yu-Gi-Oh! add up to a total of 343 chapters compiled into 38 volumes.
