The winter months have been fairly sparse as far as new additions to Japan's foremost manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, are concerned. After adding four new titles to its roster between August and September, October and November contribute just three. One, Build King, comes from famed Toriko creator, Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro. Another is Sakamoto Days, by relative newcomer Yuto Suzuki. The last one is Moriarty the Patriot, which isn't a new title for this year but is new to English-speaking Jump readers.
Here are Shonen Jump's newest titles from the past two months, and what you need to know about them.
Moriarty the Patriot
Based on the world-famous detective series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Moriarty the Patriot reimagines Sherlock Holmes' nemesis in a more sympathetic light. Though still a cunning Professor and criminal mastermind, the eponymous villain devotes his schemes to help those hurt by Victorian Britain's oppressive class system, with the help of his two brothers, Albert and Louis, and two accomplices. But it isn't long until Holmes is on their case.
Written by Ryōsuke Takeuchi and illustrated by Hikaru Miyoshi, Moriarty the Patriot has actually been published by Shueisha's Jump Square since 2016 but to commemorate the manga's first English-language release, as well as the currently airing anime, the series' first three chapters have been made available via Shonen Jump and Viz Media online. The first volume can also be purchased, with a second on the way soon.
Build King
Much like Dr. Stone's futuristic take on caveman-style living, Build King takes place on a strange and hostile island, Hammer Island, a place where "no human should be able to survive." Its central protagonists, Tonkachi and Renga, manage to do just that, however, by building houses out of wood for the other people who live there. As this is Shonen Jump, they're no ordinary carpenters either, and the series is highly fantastical in nature.
Build King's creator, Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, is no stranger to Jump having got his start with Seikimatsu Leader den Takeshi! in 1998 and the better-known Toriko, which ran from 2008-16, earning his characters time in the spotlight alongside Goku and Luffy in a few anime crossover specials. However, readers should be aware before deciding whether or not to pick his manga comeback up that Shimabukuro was arrested and convicted in 2002 for violating Japan's child prostitution laws, which is what led to his first series being canceled by Jump. Build King began serialization on November 15 with new chapters releasing weekly every Sunday.
Sakamoto Days
Like many an aging Hollywood action star, Sakamoto Days' Tato Sakamoto is a retiree who gets pulled back into his former life -- that life being a professional assassin. Though he once commanded a fearsome reputation from his peers and enemies alike, Sakamoto isn't quite the hitman used to be, physically-speaking, but with a shop's worth of guns at his disposal, he's ready to do what it takes to look after those he loves in this action-comedy romp.
The creation of Yūto Suzuki, Sakamoto Days started as a one-shot published that was in the winter edition of 2018's Jump GIGA. It began serialization on November 20 with new chapters releasing weekly every Sunday.
