This topic of discussion is inspired from the question: What does a Shonen Jump mean?
I claim it’s the Pioneer of Japanese Animation. It’s the Same as how Looney Tunes are universally Seen as the original cartoons of the world. You think of originally defining tales of fiction that has origins from the east, and you have to acknowledge Shonen Jump.
Pioneers of Shonen Jump
When thinking of the pioneers of Shonen Jump, there’s several names that instantly should come to mind, but Naruto is first. We’re talking about a series that’s sold over 250 million copies of its manga to date! Shouldn’t be too hard to tell that this stat earns it the status of Best Selling Manga to date.
It’s more than just sales though. You get into Naruto and quickly discover that you’re committing to a story that’s easily relatable. A ninja seen as a misfit in his home village commits to a goal of being the leader.
Along with Naruto is Dragon Ball Z. This show is possibly the most popular Shonen of all time! It’s pioneeristic in a way that it mirrors a western great in Superman and made it an eastern sensation.
Matter fact, you can do a quick search and easily find tons of debates about “who would win between Superman and Goku?”. What that does is only solidify how impactful the Dragon Ball Z story is. It’s still being continued up to this day. Have you experienced DBZ yet?
We’re gonna continue with mentioning “Hunter x Hunter”. This is another adventure based series that’s widely loved and respected in the anime community. It’s probably the least popular and selling out of the rest, but the impact is real.
You got a story of Gon who decides to become a certified Hunter and work those credentials in his favor to finally meet his father. In a way it’s a tale of self-discovery. The action is second rate to none. And it shares the shine as far as character development goes.
Last for the moment is “Yu-Gi-Oh!”. This is another highly impactful Shonen Jump story that geniusly created an impact off a tri-fecta: manga, anime, and card game! I can personally speak to the effects it had in my own city.
Card shops would earn Stupid Money off what the magazines and airings of the television shows would do. People could really be like the characters they were watching in print and video. When you’re a brand that rivals the sales of the popular Pokemon game, you deserve accreditation.