Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #23 (May 9th 2021) Roundup

Weekly Shonen Jump is back with Issue #23 following on from Golden Week. The Elusive Samurai has the lead colour pages this week with Sakamoto Days also featuring a colour page. One-shot Dai Tokyo Oniyome-den by Nakama Tadaichi also featured a colour page in this issue but unfortunately, it’s not available for English readers. Jujutsu Kaisen is on a break this week and should return in the next issue.


You can read all of the chapters listed below for free via the Shonen Jump app or website. Note that you can only read the first 3 chapters and the latest 3 chapters of a given series for free. You can access the rest of the chapters plus more series by subscribing for a monthly fee of £1.99/$1.99.

You can also read via the Manga Plus app or website. There’s no paid option so it’s entirely free with a lot of other series available in their entirety.


Each series is listed in the order they appear in a given issue. Then accompanied by a brief opinion of that chapter.

The Elusive Samurai Ch. 15 – Lead Colour/Cover

Finally an interesting character. Moriyoshi Shinno, the son of the now Emperor Go-Daigo, an accomplished warrior in his own right and not fooled by Ashikaga Takauji. It’s taken a bit too long to introduce a character that actually has some substance but ultimately the story as a whole hasn’t really moved forward in any meaningful way since the series debut.

Dr. Stone Ch. 195

It’s tough having to watch Suika struggle alone but at the same time, we’re seeing just how dependable she is. That is of course no secret and she may have been the only real choice to survive this situation. Suika is perhaps the most skilled survivalist of the group but now she needs to level up and do some science.

One Piece Ch. 1012

It’s absolute chaos on Kaido’s island with samurai and straw hats running all over the place. Looks like we’re about to get an epic three-way showdown between Nami, Big Mom and Ulti and with Zeus looking for Big Mom how will that affect the outcome of the fight.

My Hero Academia Ch. 311

The darker tone of these latest chapters has really set the series apart from its origins and the other series currently running in Shonen Jump. MHA has matured over the course of its run and the last arc really pushed through a threshold of storytelling. How far will this arc take us as we start to get the ball rolling?

Witch Watch Ch. 13

This week’s chapter of Witch Watch has left me in two minds. First, we get to explore Ms Makuwa and her clear otaku tendencies alongside those of Kuku’s. Second, this was completely out of place and random never mind the massive amount of text dumps. If the series is aiming for a more random approach then this chapter certainly hit the mark. For all the negatives this series has these out of nowhere snippets of daily life are quite entertaining. 

Sakamoto Days Ch. 22 – Colour

Anyone order an epic showdown between Mr Sakamoto and a mechanised dinosaur skeleton security system because that’s what we got here. This series has its action sequences down. I’d like to see this series get an anime adaptation for the action alone, it’s glorious. 

Mashle: Magic and Muscles Ch. 61

Mash forces his way to a win over Macaron even with the almost impossible task of catching someone moving at the speed of sound. The end of this fight come about quicker than anticipated but nevertheless, Macaron admitted defeat putting Mash one step closer to Visionary. The tournament will no doubt be put on hold for the time being as Innocent Zero has crashed the party. 

Black Clover Ch. 292 

Really nice continuation of the fight between Magna and Dante of the Dark Triad. Starts out with a brief bit of back story on Magna’s new spell and how he came to terms with having low mana. The stipulation of the Soul Chain Death Match spell is a steep one meaning this fight will not end well for one of the parties involved.

Me & Roboco Ch. 40

A funny mix of parodies and references pulled this chapter along. Roboco doubts her own heroine charms after reading the new Jump series Blue Box. As always making outrageous claims about herself that really aren’t applicable. That in itself is a charm of Roboco and of course, by the end, she comes to terms with the situation.

Undead Unluck Ch. 62

This fight has been very stop-start over the past few chapters. While it’s fine to have these little snippets of dialogue and flashbacks it would be more thrilling to let the fight do the talking. When the combatants are two expert martial artists and an undead this should be the fight of the series. So far it’s not reaching the heights that it could.

Candy Flurry (Ame no Furu) Ch. 3

After the events of the last chapter, the Recette has put another agent on the trail of the Lollypop user. She also happens to attend the same school as Tsumugi and Misaki. It’s clear this new 3-star agent could spell real trouble for Tsumugi but the question remains is this powerful Ice Cream user already onto them or is she just clueless. Decent chapter, the series really needs to be doing more in these early chapters.

Blue Box Ch. 4

Another great chapter focusing on the attractive qualities of Taiki’s friend Hina Chono, clearly second only to Chinatsu in terms of popularity amongst the male students. While Taiki may be oblivious there’s clearly a romantic attraction on Hina’s part. Still, she’s prepared to support her friend in his own romantic pursuits. I expect we’ll also get a chapter focusing on Taiki’s stoic friend Kyo Kasahara sooner or later no doubt pining for Hina. Though maybe that’s a little too cliche. 

Magu-Chan: God of Destruction Ch. 42

It’s chapters like this that flirt with the Shonen battle formula that is more interesting than the flat falling gags. This chapter even employed more varied panel layouts than usual that definitely helped the small fight. It’s also nice to shift the focus away from the main characters for a little bit.

Highschool Family: Kokosei Kazoku Ch. 37

Ichiro’s efforts have paid off and he’s become a starter on the volleyball team albeit as a substitute for Suzaki. It’s time to put his talents to use as a practice match against Sorree High begins. However, so overcome with emotion at being able to play after 30 years he can’t bring himself to move. Some strong words and a stiff clipboard to the head from Akai and Ichiro is ready to play exuding an aura that means business. While Highschool Family is not a volleyball manga the excitement of one is rightly present. 

Mission: Yozakura Family Ch. 81

Kawashita’s long history with the Yozakura is further explored and extends back to WW2 where he researched the first Yozakura head. Making a connection with her he set about sacrificing his own life when Japanese military officials arrived to send her to an enemy country in exchange for their own safety. As he waits for death, after blowing up his lab, the first head imparts upon him the power of Yozakura blood much like Taiyo. Taiyo infected with this older thicker variant of Yozakura blood experiences an anaphylactic reaction as Kawashita forcefully feeds his mind with information through their Yozakura connection.

Ayakashi Triangle (Web-Only) Ch. 43

There was actually a good balance of narrative progress and lewdness on display here which was impressive. No doubt fans read for the plot but the actual story appears to be ramping up.

i tell c Ch. 14 

The build for this caper has been a real lacklustre execution. The whole chapter feels pointless in getting us to this point. What is even on the line here? Sure a piece of art might get stolen but the real-world ramifications seem minimal and unimportant. The characters appear to portray more comedic parodies of themselves compared to what they were. 

Hard-Boiled Cop and Dolphin Ch. 41

This series is really diving into deeper waters with this chapter. Guru brings with him knowledge of the deepest parts of the Ocean a literal hell further from humanity than space itself. Wielding skills never seen before Guru places Orpheus in Tartarus a space that mimics an 8,000 meters deep freezing and pressure crashing environment. Facing his end Orpheus remembers his earlier memories of Chako before being brought back to reality when Shark miraculously pulls him out. With Orpheus back in business and shedding his dolphin appearance, we’re left to wait for the next chapter. 

Nine Dragons’ Ball Parade Ch. 12

A new chapter and a new member of the Nine Dragons’. Recruited over the ace and captain of his junior high team Shuhei Kido is a solid allrounder and perfect support for this rambunctious group. The end of the chapter teased a loud, brash hulking individual wanting to join the team. With the claim of being Tsurugi’s lifelong rival is this a setup for a quick story arc away from recruiting or an unintended addition to the Nine Dragons’ roster.


Let us know in the comments or via social media your thoughts on this week’s Shonen Jump. Be sure to check back in next week for another roundup!

Editor-in-chief