Yesterday saw the launch of Weekly Shonen Jump, the latest incarnation of Viz Media's anthology collecting material from the Japanese title of the same name. The reason for the relaunch is a good one, though: Now the digital magazine will include material released on the same day in the original Japanese version.



Released digitally, Weekly Shonen Jump features the latest installments of Bleach, One Piece, Toriko, Cross Manage, Nisekoi, Naruto and brand new strip One-Punch Man on the same day as the strips' appearance in Japan, with monthly strips Blue Exorcist, Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration and Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal appearing on the Monday following their Japanese release.


Talking to retailer site ICv2 about the shift to simultaneous publication with Japan, Weekly Shonen Jump's editor-in-chief Andy Nakatani said that, for the publisher, "the main objectives are increasing circulation and increasing our subscriber base for it as well as creating a buzz for the whole [Viz Media] line," although he admitted that the effect this may have on piracy and scanslated material is also a factor: "We are trying to provide an alternative for those people who do want it right away," Nakatani said. "The fastest that we can release the material is when it officially releases in Japan. We can't go before that. That's the best that we can do."

Weekly Shonen Jump is available now.