Shonen is the most popular genre in manga, with its target audience being mostly adolescent boys and young men. Over the decades, this genre has produced some of the most successful manga in history, including *Dragon Ball*, *Bleach*, *Naruto*, *One Piece*, and more recent hits like *My Hero Academia* and *Jujutsu Kaisen*.
When the latter two both ended in 2024, there was much discussion around the fact that *Weekly Shonen Jump*, the flagship magazine of publisher Shueisha, would have a hard time finding worthy successors capable of supporting the unshakable pillar that is *One Piece*. However, fans of Shonen Jump, and of manga in general, can rest easy, because the captain of a new generation of great shonen has arrived.
Anointed by its victory in the Next Manga Award 2025, **Ichi the Witch** is an exciting new series that mixes dark fantasy, action, comedy, and a delicate yet detailed artistic style. If that wasn’t enough to persuade you to check it out, know that this manga would suit the tastes of any fan of the legendary late Akira Toriyama, creator of *Dragon Ball* and *Dr. Slump*.
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### About the Next Manga Award
The Next Manga Award is an annual prize for manga series presented by Kadokawa Corporation’s *Da Vinci* magazine and Niconico website. Eligible series must be currently serialized and have no more than five volumes in print, making this award a great spotlight for new series making waves in the manga world.
Notable winners over the past decade include *My Hero Academia* (2015), *Kaguya-sama: Love Is War* (2017), *The Apothecary Diaries* and *Spy x Family* (2019), *Oshi no Ko* (2021), and *Kagurabachi* (2024).
This year, *Ichi the Witch* grabbed first prize in the Print category, followed by *COSMOS* in second place and *Super Psychic Policeman Chojo* in third.
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### Behind *Ichi the Witch*
*Ichi the Witch* comes from an all-women mangaka team: Osamu Nishi (*Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun*) as the writer, and Shiro Usazaki (*Act-Age*) as the artist. This is clearly the work of two mature creators rather than a typical debut series made for long-term serialization, as often happens with new Shonen Jump titles.
The series knows where it’s going and how to capture readers week by week. It crafts a compelling story that hits some basic shonen tropes while staying fresh and original.
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### Story Overview
The titular character, Ichi, is a feral boy who lives alone in the mountains of a fantastic world populated by magical beings called Majiks. In this world, capturing and taming Majiks to obtain their powers is possible — but only women are believed to have this capacity. When Ichi manages to subdue the extremely powerful and unruly Majik Uroro, the witch Desscaras is forced to recruit him into her association, making Ichi the first male witch.
Ichi immediately stands out as an “odd protagonist.” In a world imbued with magic, he hunts relying purely on instinct. This feral child aspect creates endless comedic moments as he is introduced into the sophisticated world of witches as part of Team Desscaras. As he acquires Majik powers, he integrates them with his hunting techniques. His killing instinct is so sharp that even fearsome magical creatures obey him.
Meanwhile, a world-ending threat looms: the World-Hater Majik, a being of unfathomable power bent on hating and destroying the world.
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### Tone and Themes
Beyond the classic action shonen elements, *Ichi the Witch* incorporates a healthy dose of levity. The characters are naturally funny thanks to their extreme personalities—they often goof around even in the middle of action scenes. The manga makes generous room for gags and comic relief, which is less common in contemporary shonen.
Levity also emerges through exploration of the characters’ feelings and relationships. Ichi and his team embody the classic “found family” trope, with Desscaras acting as a mother figure. Though the trope isn’t new, it’s executed very well here.
*Ichi the Witch* doesn’t try to reinvent the shonen wheel. Instead, it pays homage to classic shonen works, adding enough originality to keep the story engaging. The world is whimsical and light-hearted—far removed from the darkness dominating series like *Jujutsu Kaisen* and *My Hero Academia*—but danger is never far away.
The relationships and backstories aren’t overly complex but are developed meaningfully and effectively. For example, the climax of Gokuraku’s arc is genuinely moving.
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### A Nod to Akira Toriyama’s Legacy
It’s hard not to think that Akira Toriyama would love *Ichi the Witch* and its classic fantasy setting. Toriyama worked on iconic JRPGs like *Chrono Trigger*, the *Dragon Quest* series, and *Blue Dragon*. Many of his post-*Dragon Ball* works—such as *Sand Land* and *Kajika*—also have a distinctive fantasy vibe.
Moreover, Toriyama was renowned for integrating comedy into his work. *Dr. Slump* is famously hilarious, and even *Dragon Ball* carries considerable levity, especially in its first half. While *Ichi the Witch* is not purely a comedy manga, it strikes a great balance between action and humor.
*Dragon Ball* isn’t especially complex or refined, yet it resonated with generations thanks to Toriyama’s storytelling skills. It was simple enough for anyone to enjoy but emotionally deep at the same time. Early signs suggest that Nishi shares this ability. The skills honed during *Iruma-kun* are on full display in *Ichi the Witch*, complemented by new nuances shaped by the evolution of the shonen genre.
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### Artistic Excellence by Shiro Usazaki
Toriyama is also remembered for revolutionizing manga art with a realistic style. While it’s not an exact comparison, Shiro Usazaki is a fantastic artist who earned praise for her work on *Act-Age*, a promising series unfortunately cut short due to a scandal involving the writer.
Her artwork in *Ichi the Witch* is delicate but detailed. The uniforms worn by Ichi and the other witches are particularly dazzling, and the fantastic world truly comes alive through her vivid style.
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### The Future of Shonen Jump
*Dragon Ball* is perhaps the most important shonen series in history. Toriyama’s torch was carried forward by a new generation that crafted hits like *One Piece*, *Bleach*, and *Naruto*. When these influential “big three” ended, a newer generation stepped up with *Demon Slayer*, *My Hero Academia*, and *Jujutsu Kaisen*.
Now that those series have also finished, a void has opened up in *Weekly Shonen Jump*. *Ichi the Witch* has everything it takes to fill that space and become the next big pillar of Shonen Jump. After all, Eiichiro Oda (creator of *One Piece*) will have to rest at some point, right?
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With its unique blend of classic shonen elements, fresh storytelling, emotional depth, humor, and striking art, *Ichi the Witch* is poised to become a defining series for the new generation of manga readers. Fans looking for the next great adventure in Shonen Jump should definitely keep an eye on this one.
https://www.polygon.com/ichi-the-witch-next-manga-award-winner-toriyama/
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