In 1996, with the conclusion of the final pillar of the Golden Age, "Slam Dunk," Shonen Jump truly entered its dark period.
During that year, Shonen Jump's sales even plummeted to just over 2 million copies at one point—only a third of its peak—and it was overtaken by "Weekly Shonen Magazine."
At the same time, internal power struggles within the company intensified, casting a dark cloud over Shonen Jump.
This situation persisted until 1997, when "One Piece" began publication, finally allowing Shonen Jump to break free from the muddy depths of its dark period.
By the present year of 1999, Weekly Shonen Jump's sales have recovered to around 3.6 million copies, reclaiming its throne as the number one of the three major shonen manga weeklies.
However, with the arrival of the internet age, the rise of more entertainment options like games and light novels, and the continued economic downturn... Shonen Jump will likely never be able to recreate its former glory.
But regardless, Shonen Jump, with its current 3.6 million sales, remains the leader of the three major shonen manga weeklies.
It doesn't need to prove or promote itself to anyone, because the name "Weekly Shonen Jump" is the greatest promotion there is!
Thus, on the eve of July 6th, 3.6 million copies of the latest Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 31 were shipped across the country, placed in the most prominent positions on the shelves of major bookstores.
However, unlike previous issues of Shonen Jump, the cover this time wasn't the usual group shot of the protagonists from the currently serializing manga; instead, it featured a close-up of a new character—
A young boy with short orange-red hair, brown eyes, and a sharp, straightforward gaze.
What was exceptionally eye-catching was that the art quality of this color cover page was incredibly exquisite—it didn't look like it came from the hands of an ordinary manga artist, but rather like a commercial illustration meticulously drawn by a professional illustrator.
After being drawn in by the color cover, the second thing one noticed was the large, clearly designed font—
"Fate/stay night"
Genius Rookie Manga Artist
Mochizuki Akira-sensei's New Serialization!!
In addition, there was a somewhat cryptic introduction:
"—Ahead, lies hell."
Immediately upon receiving this batch of weeklies, Kayo took the lead, reading the manga through several times before giving Akira a call.
"Mochizuki-kun, was that 'Fate/stay night' really drawn by you?"
"Uh, is there a problem?"
Akira was a bit puzzled.
He remembered telling her the news quite a while ago, didn't he?
"It's nothing, I just feel... for a person to be both handsome and so amazing at drawing, God really is biased."
"..."
Her usual peculiar train of thought left him stuck between laughter and tears: "Excuse me, is that a compliment?"
"Of course it is."
Kayo chuckled a few times, regained her composure, and said sincerely:
"Mochizuki-kun's manga is drawn really well, it's beautiful. The content is very captivating too."
"I believe 'Fate/stay night' will definitely become a popular manga!"
"Thank you."
Akira accepted the blessing with a smile.
Then, she suddenly changed the subject and said with a smile:
"So, future great manga artist, can I have an autograph?"
"Of course, no problem."
...
...
After finishing his chat with Kayo and hanging up, Akira looked at the Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 31 on his desk.
As a serialized manga artist for Shonen Jump, he had naturally received the latest issue from Hisashi in advance.
Speaking of which, he seemed to have discovered another hidden perk.
That is, during his time as a serialized manga artist, it seemed he wouldn't have to spend his own money to buy Weekly Shonen Jump anymore.
Of course, it didn't cost much to begin with.
Back to the topic at hand.
Looking at Emiya Shirou on the magazine cover, he couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
Even though it was expected, seeing the manga he drew actually appear in Shonen Jump with his own eyes still felt very miraculous.
It goes on sale officially tomorrow...
Well then, let's see how "Fate/stay night" performs in this world's Shonen Jump!
---
July 6th, Wednesday, moderate rain.
In July, Tokyo entered the transition phase from the rainy season to midsummer.
Although it was a transition phase, the weather was already hot enough; daytime highs could reach over 35 degrees, and even the morning lows were above 23 degrees.
At the same time, the frequent rainfall at the end of the rainy season made the air even more humid and muggy, making it very uncomfortable to walk on the streets.
Today was another muggy, rainy day, and since it was a workday, pedestrians with umbrellas were even sparser than usual.
But in contrast to the ordinary streets, various manga bookstores in Tokyo still had many customers coming and going, appearing quite lively compared to the desolate scene on the streets.
The reason was simple: Wednesday was the day the latest issues of Weekly Shonen Jump, Weekly Shonen Magazine, and Weekly Shonen Sunday were all released simultaneously.
As the big three of weekly shonen manga, on release day, the three weeklies would basically be placed together on the most prominent shelves in bookstores for a head-to-head competition.
And today, loyal readers of Shonen Jump, as well as readers of other magazines, quickly noticed something unusual—
"It's an unfamiliar character..."
"Ah, there's a new serialized manga!"
"Shonen Jump has another new serialization..."
For loyal Shonen Jump readers, although they didn't yet know the quality of the new work, the appearance of every new serialization was something to be joyful about.
Especially this new work—just looking at the quality of the color cover page, it was clearly something special!
What incredible artwork!
Did they hire a specialized illustrator?
Or is the author a professional art student?
"Fate/stay night"...
Fate's Night?
Akira...
Never heard the name, but he actually dares to be called a genius manga artist?
In short, the information revealed on the cover alone was enough to pique people's curiosity.
Compared to Shonen Jump readers, some die-hard fans of other magazines had more complex reactions, but these people were a minority after all.
Most people were just ordinary readers who read a bit of everything.
Therefore, many readers who had originally intended to buy other magazines saw the new serialization in Shonen Jump and, driven by curiosity, bought a copy of Shonen Jump as well.
They wanted to see what kind of manga this so-called genius manga artist had drawn.
Besides, a copy of Shonen Jump was only priced at 220 yen; even buying an extra copy could hardly be considered a financial burden.
It wasn't just Shonen Jump; the prices for the other two magazines were in a similar range.
In short, driven by various thoughts, this issue of Weekly Shonen Jump began to sell at a faster pace than usual.
Not just in Tokyo, but this scene was playing out in bookstores all across Japan.