Shonen Jump's Newest Goldmine Is Awkward Romances


The growing number of romances in Shonen Jump are marked by unique takes on the genre as the publisher attempts to stand out. Weekly Shonen Jump isn't where most would think of turning to for romantic content, but that's slowly changing.

Latest News Today

Read More: https://cinecittacinema.org/

 

The growing number of romances in Shonen Jump are marked by unique takes on the genre, which could be attributed to the publisher trying to stand out. Not only do these romance stories have something new for old readers, but they might also attract those who usually scoff at such stories.

 

The promotional imagery alone creates a whole other impression by showing a boy holding a racket and a girl with a basketball. Just based on how this particular genre is usually written, such a setup should be impossible. 

 

The manga often takes a microscopic view of the many intricacies of the featured sport to such an alarming degree that readers are actually empowered and might even believe they can actually master the game they're reading about just by treating the manga like a sort of how-to guide. How can this possibly work with two sports?

 

Contrary to most series in its genre, Blue Box accomplishes this by actually putting romance in the forefront and pushing badminton and basketball onto the sidelines as a means to embellish the cute and heartwarming situations that basketball player Chinatsu Kano and Taiki Inomata of the badminton team find themselves in throughout the series. 

 

Of course, sports is still a central theme as the two characters connect through basketball and badminton, and there are common romantic tropes that are used in romantic comedies like Taiki loving Chinatsu but not knowing whether she reciprocates his feelings or not. But mangaka Miura Kouji masterfully connects the two genres in more ways than just having them practice in the same gym simultaneously, though, their location does serve as the catalyst.

 

Blue Box has a similar concept, featuring two young student athletes whose parents are actually old friends. This leads to high school basketball star Chinatsu moving in with badminton star Taiki, who has a crush on her. This comes after they've become committed to doing their best in their respective sports, with the new living situation leading to all manner of uproarious hijinks.

 

These romances all have some sort of strange twist or even paranormal concept that turns things on their head compared to the average love story. Witch Watch is one of these romances, featuring the blossoming love between a witch and her shapeshifting ogre familiar. These two are best friends, with the hex-ual tension and magical antics getting hotter than ever when she randomly moves in with him.

 

Why Shonen Jump Is Going All In On Odd Couples

 

As mentioned, putting a spotlight on romance stories is something new for Shonen Jump, which as its name suggests has historically had a young male audience and action-driven stories. This could all simply be part of the publisher expanding its horizons and attempting to gain new ground and audiences as the reach of manga has grown over recent years.

 

Mangaka Miura Kouji, of course, finds more innovative ways to use sports as a means to deepen the romantic elements between both characters like all effective manga do. For example, competitive elements artfully explore conflicts that manifest both on the court and in each character's heart. Taiki might be a rising star as a result of Chinatsu's effect on him, but the best player on his team is also Chinatsu's very close friend who's a boy. 

 

This dynamic creates friction in numerous instances, especially when Chinatsu's friend learns how Taiki feels about her and when readers discover his intentions with Chinatsu. Then there's even Taiki's relationship with an energetic gymnast who takes it upon herself to help Taiki connect with Chinatsu, but whose own techniques in her craft are explored in such a way that adds more layers to her character.

 

These concepts also help to attract Shonen Jump's usual audience: boys and young men. This audience might not be particularly interested in reading stories about people falling in love, but if one of them happens to be a shapeshifting goblin or ogre and his love interest has whimsical magical powers, the idea is likely a lot more palatable. Readers are therefore now in the middle of a wave of supernatural or just plain weird romances that have the potential to attract new audiences looking for something beyond battles and muscles.

116 Views