On the 19th, Shueisha streamed the information program "Jump PRESS" on the official Jump YouTube channel, announcing that the manga "Jujutsu Kaisen" (by Gege Akutami) will conclude in Weekly Shonen Jump issue #44, which will be released on September 30. Additionally, "HUNTER×HUNTER" (by Yoshihiro Togashi) will publish a new chapter in Weekly Shonen Jump issue #45, releasing on October 7.

"Jujutsu Kaisen" is set to end in 5 chapters, concluding its 6.5-year run since its serialization began in March 2018. Gege Akutami had previously hinted at the story’s conclusion during the "Jump Festa 2024" stage event held at the end of 2023, saying, "This will most likely be the last Jump Festa with Jujutsu Kaisen still being serialized," indicating that the story would conclude in 2024.

With the official announcement that only 5 chapters remain, Akutami commented, "The story will end in 5 more chapters. Being able to finish the story the way I wanted is entirely thanks to the support and cooperation of all the readers. Thank you so much!! I am working hard on a final chapter that (hopefully) satisfies as many people as possible who have supported Jujutsu Kaisen. Please forgive me if anything falls short!!"

The latest chapter of "HUNTER×HUNTER" will be the first in about 1 year and 9 months, since the last publication in the December 26, 2022 issue. Volume 38 of the manga will be released on September 4, but the series has not been serialized weekly since chapter 400 was published in the December 26, 2022 issue.

Regarding the reason for the pause, the editorial department explained, "After consulting with Togashi-sensei, taking his health condition into consideration, we have decided that future chapters will not follow a weekly serialization format."

They added, "Togashi-sensei continues to write the story, and the editorial department will continue to support him until HUNTER×HUNTER reaches its conclusion. We will announce details about future publication dates and formats in Weekly Shonen Jump. We appreciate your continued support of HUNTER×HUNTER."

The "Jump PRESS" program also announced the launch of a new battle manga competition titled the "Jump Next Generation Battle Manga Award," with judges including Tite Kubo ("Bleach"), Kohei Horikoshi ("My Hero Academia"), Yūki Tabata ("Black Clover"), and Gege Akutami ("Jujutsu Kaisen").

The application period for the award runs from October 1, 2024, to January 20, 2025. Winners of an Honorable Mention or higher will have the opportunity to serialize their work in Weekly Shonen Jump, and when their manga is released in comic form, they will receive a special endorsement comment on the cover from one of the four judges.

Source : ORICON NEWS