To become a chief editor at one of Weekly Shounen JUMP's branch divisions—let alone to qualify as a candidate for the main office's Editor-in-Chief position—was something that required a career most would envy. Every person seated here had the credentials, the capability, and above all, the ambition. Each one of them had already sensed that something was amiss. But with their positions, it hadn't been their place to speak out first. Now that the Editor-in-Chief himself had opened the floodgates, everything would become easier to address.
"As you all know, although Shueisha and Shogakukan belong to the same corporate group, Shueisha originally started out as nothing more than a spin-off from Shogakukan," the man named Tanaka said slowly as he stood.
Though his figure was old and small, stooped with the weight of age, the moment he stepped to the front of the table, a towering presence radiated from him, suppressing the room like a giant casting his shadow over the next generation.
His eyes swept across the gathered editors. Every single one of them straightened up the moment they felt his gaze. Not one dared show even a hint of negligence.
"Shueisha was founded before I was even born. But when the first great manga boom surged in the 1960s, I joined the company while still young, and fought shoulder to shoulder with the veterans. While Kodansha and Shogakukan carved up the manga industry between them, we clawed out a path of our own—brick by brick. We built what is now Japan's number one weekly manga magazine in terms of sales."
His voice was steady and deep, narrating the unknown stories of how Shueisha clawed its way from obscurity to dominance.
The editors present had never lived through that era. But listening to his stories, they couldn't help but feel the fire stir in their blood.
"Now, our seniors are gone. But I've held on this long through sheer love of manga. I know, however, that the time has come. I'm old. It's time I stepped down. And the one to take my place… may very well be one of you."
Tanaka's gaze drifted slowly from face to face. The room was silent, yet the flicker of suppressed anticipation was palpable on every face. He gave a small nod of approval.
This magazine—this legacy—meant everything to him. He didn't want to see it crumble after his departure. There were plenty of talented editors who could replace those in the branches, but the next Editor-in-Chief of the head office… that list was much shorter.
He needed someone who could lead Weekly Shounen JUMP into its next era.
"Editor-in-Chief Tanaka, you're still going strong! I'm sure you'll be leading us for another ten years at least!"
"Absolutely! We still need your guidance, sir."
Compliments flooded the room, each more hollow than the last. Tanaka simply smiled and shook his head.
He wasn't senile—far from it. He knew perfectly well that many of them were impatient for him to retire. Still, he didn't mind. That hunger to rise was natural. It was also the proof of their value. In any company, it was the ambitious who formed the core—because ambition meant hard work.
Ahem.
He coughed lightly into his hand, bringing the room back to order.
"Alright, settle down. It's time we talk about what really matters. The reason I started off talking about the past… is because it may finally be time for us to change."
"Let's not dwell too much on what our seniors did to help us escape those desperate years..."
At that, the editors chuckled knowingly.
Though they hadn't lived through it themselves, every chief editor at JUMP knew the company's history. In its darkest days, Weekly Shounen JUMP had stirred controversy with borderline erotic or gangster-themed works—riding scandalous themes to ignite public attention. It brought criticism, yes—but it also brought fame.
"Afterward, we reoriented our strategy, repositioning our core readership to the 15-and-up demographic. We pivoted toward action and sports-themed manga to grasp the hearts of our audience. And that strategy paid off."
He took a pause.
"But even if we're not in a life-or-death situation now, even if we still rank number one in sales… this kind of stagnation? This stability? It's dangerous. It's a good thing for other magazines—they need the time to grow. But for us? It's a threat."
"If we want to continue leading the industry, we can't settle for this."
"Let's be honest—what truly took us to the top… were those phenomenon-level hits. Dragon Ball from Toriyama-sensei. Slam Dunk from Inoue-sensei. Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter from Togashi-sensei. Those titans set the course for the entire industry. But lately—though the market has been 'stable'—that's just another word for stagnant."
Every editor nodded in silent agreement. It was true. "Stability" sounded nice. But in truth, the industry was coasting downhill.
What they needed—what JUMP needed—was another national icon. Another cultural earthquake.
"We've always had an unspoken rule: we tend to pick manuscripts from authors who've already published before, or submitted multiple times. But let's face it—those authors may bring us stability, but they're not giving us breakthroughs anymore."
Tanaka's voice was cold now, the tone of a business executive unsentimental about the past. His message was clear:
We've given them chances. Many. But they haven't delivered. No matter how long we've worked with them, if they can't bring us what we need… they're out.
"That's why we need to speed up our rotation. Swapping out titles faster won't shake our foundation—but it will help us find new directions."
"Before, we used to cancel two series at a time. This time—"
He paused.
"I've decided to cut four."
A breath held across the table.
"…And we'll need to find new talent. Fast."