My Hero Academia Ends: Japan Reacts as Shonen Jump’s New Successor Shines

Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia was a Shonen Jump mainstay from July 7, 2014, until August 5, 2024. Over the course of a decade-long run, it grew into one of the most widely read manga in the world. That kind of longevity is rare for modern shonen titles, and My Hero Academia proved to be an unusual case. With the series now finished, Shonen Jump lost one of its biggest publishing pillars—so the magazine has leaned on a new contender: Ichi the Witch.

Release & platform tracker: serialization start, chapter count, and sales milestone

Authored by Osamu Nishi and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki—who previously worked on Act Age—Ichi the Witch has quickly established itself as a major follow-up to My Hero Academia. It has also managed something that’s difficult to pull off in today’s competitive shonen landscape: it keeps attention high for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. Horikoshi himself has publicly endorsed the manga, and Ichi the Witch is being treated as one of the defining “next generation” series in the magazine right now. After roughly two years of serialization, it’s now been positioned as a true breakout in Japan, with a stated milestone of 2.2 million sales as of June 28, 2026.

Kohei Horikoshi’s recommendation helps push Ichi the Witch past the 2 million mark

Shonen Jump operates as a large ecosystem where multiple creators work in the same space, and—just as importantly—often support each other’s work. When a promising new title appears, established mangaka typically pay attention, and if they feel the quality is there, they may recommend it to readers. Ichi the Witch—written by Osamu Nishi with art by Shiro Usazaki—was one of those launches that caught Horikoshi’s notice. The endorsement was immediate: Horikoshi recommended the series to his audience right away.

That kind of creator-to-fan support tends to translate into real momentum, and the manga saw a notable sales lift shortly after the recommendation. The claim here is that this surge wasn’t just luck; it was driven by the series’ storytelling quality, amplified by the fact that a creator of Horikoshi’s stature was backing it. With that early push as context, the latest figures are meant to show that Ichi the Witch has kept building on its initial impact.

“Ichi the Witch’s uniquely achieved a balance between lightness, style, and depth that makes it an ideal fantasy work for readers to imagine and expand the world presented.” — Kohei Horikoshi, Ichi the Witch Volume #1

Serialization for Ichi the Witch began on September 9, 2024, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #41. By June 28, 2026, when the newest referenced release appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, the manga is described as having nearly two years of run time under its belt and maintaining consistent quality. At that point it was sitting at 88 chapters. The stated result is that the title has officially passed the two-million sales threshold, with 2.2 million copies sold in Japan—an impressive number for a series that’s still relatively new.

The article frames this as evidence that Horikoshi’s confidence in Ichi the Witch as a successor to his own My Hero Academia was justified. As it continues to grow, the argument is that it’s proving itself not just as a temporary replacement, but as a series with staying power for the years ahead.

“I’m thankful for the fruits and plants. The animals. The birds, insects, and fungi. I’m thankful for all life in this world.” — Ichi, Ichi the Witch Chapter #1

Desscaras is described as becoming an iconic shonen heroine, with some readers already pushing the idea that she could be the series’ new “best heroine” for Jump.

Why Ichi the Witch is seen as carrying the spirit of My Hero Academia

The push to recommend Ichi the Witch to fans in 2025 isn’t presented as merely a timing coincidence after My Hero Academia ended. The emphasis is that Horikoshi was genuinely impressed with what the series is delivering. Another angle offered is that Ichi the Witch carries a similar “soul” to Horikoshi’s own work. Like My Hero Academia, it builds around a broad world where people develop special abilities—commonly framed in that universe as something akin to Quirks. In this story, though, the magic system is gendered: only women can become witches.

“In this world, magic is alive. Living magic, called Majiks, first contacted humanity long ago. Out of nowhere, a blob of talking water appeared. After that, the bonfire Majik said ‘Hold me for one hour.’ The iceberg majik said ‘Sleep beside me for a night.’ By passing the Majik trials, they acquired the Majik itself.” — Narrator’s words show similarities between Majiks and Quirks from My Hero Academia, Ichi the Witch Chapter #1

That setup is also why Ichi—the series’ protagonist—is treated as especially important, with parallels drawn to Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia. Izuku, as described here, wasn’t born with powers due to bad luck. Still, his persistence eventually leads him to gain One For All, granted by Japan’s strongest Hero, All Might.

Similarly, Ichi the Witch is said to revolve around Ichi becoming the first male witch by obtaining majik power from King Uroro. Beyond that central connection, the article lists more shared beats: a large cast of characters designed to keep readers guessing; the mentor trope that leans into “overpowered guidance,” tying back to the same emotional function All Might served; and even an overpowered villain dynamic that has historically worked well for delighting fans.

Overall, the hope being expressed is straightforward: Ichi the Witch continues filling the role that My Hero Academia left behind, demonstrating that it’s a legitimate successor—and that it isn’t going away anytime soon.

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Without an anime, Ichi the Witch’s momentum points toward a bigger adaptation later

With Ichi the Witch reaching 2.2 million sales as stated in the latest referenced reporting from Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, the article also highlights that the series has achieved this attention without an anime adaptation so far. The logic presented is that hitting a 2.2 million sales level without TV tie-ins suggests strong built-in demand—demand that typically leads to adaptation plans. The claim is that the only real requirement is having enough chapters ready to support a studio run, which is why the article says an Ichi the Witch anime won’t arrive in 2026.

Even so, it suggests that an announcement could happen by the end of the year. The earliest timing offered is that the anime could debut sometime in 2028, or possibly in late 2027. Either way, the expectation is that an adaptation is coming, and that it will further boost popularity and manga sales. With a new generation of Jump manga already underway, Ichi is framed as having a chance to become a leader alongside series like Kagurabachi, and the piece closes by saying readers can’t wait to see how this new era develops.

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All chapters of Ichi the Witch are currently free to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.

Source: Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, 2026