Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia manga was a Shonen Jump staple from July 7, 2014, right up until August 5, 2024. This sensational manga ran for 10 long years and became one of the most popular series in the entire world during its run. But modern shonen stories rarely surpass 10 years of serialization, and even My Hero Academia was an anomaly in that regard. After the conclusion of My Hero AcademiaShonen Jump felt the loss of one of the biggest giants, but as is usually the case, a new series called Ichi the witch stepped up.
Ichi the Witch, written by Osamu Nishi and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki, formerly of Act Age fame, is a sensational new story that has done incredibly well to succeed My Hero Academia and keep interest in Shueisha's Weekly Shounen Jump incredibly high. MHA creator Kohei Horikoshi recommends the manga himself, and it's one of the biggest defining next-gen series Shonen Jump currently has. Now, after two years of serialization, Ichi the Witch is officially a major manga in Japan. Its latest record of reaching 2.2 million sales in Japan on June 28, 2026 officially confirms its status as a major series.
'My Hero Academia' author Kohei Horikoshi recommended 'Ichi The Witch' officially reaches 2.2 million sales in Japan
Shonen Jump is a large organization within which several popular mangaka work together and often support each other. As such, when an upcoming manga appears, veterans are often curious about the quality of their work. If they like it, they usually go on to recommend their works to fans. Ichi the Witch, by Osamu Nishi and Shiro Usazaki, was one such work that caught the attention of the creator of My Hero Academia, Kohei Horikoshi. In fact, Horikoshi loved Ichi the Witch so much that he immediately recommended it to his fans, and as such the series saw a significant increase in sales immediately after. This increase in sales was due to the incredible quality of the series, but at the same time the support that creators such as Kohei Horikoshi showed the series. Now it's clear that Ichi the Witch has built on this tremendous start.
“Ichi the Witch has uniquely achieved a balance of lightness, style and depth that makes it an ideal fantasy work for readers to imagine and expand the world presented.” — Kohei Horikoshi, Ichi the Witch Volume #1
Having started on September 9, 2024, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #41, Ichi the Witch has completed almost two years of serialization and has continuously maintained its quality. Now, with the manga currently at 88 chapters, with the latest release on June 28, 2026, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, Ichi the Witch now officially has over 2 million sales. Currently, Ichi the Witch has sold 2.2 million copies in Japan, which is an amazing record for a series that is relatively new. It shows that Kohei Horikoshi's faith in the manga as a successor to his own My Hero Academia was not misplaced. As Ichi the Witch continues to grow further, it proves Horikoshi right and shows that this series is a very worthy replacement for MHA and is here to stay for years to come.
“I am grateful for the fruits and the plants. The animals. The birds, the insects and the mushrooms. I am grateful for all life in this world.” — Ichi, Ichi the Witch Chapter #1
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Why “Ichi The Witch” carries the soul of My Hero Academia
The reason why Kohei Horikoshi recommended “Ichi the Witch” to his fans in 2025 is not only because his story ended and another new manga took its place. The author of My Hero Academia was thoroughly impressed with the quality that Ichi the Witch delivered, and more than that, it may have to do with the fact that the latter carries the soul of Horikoshi's very own story. Like MHA, Ichi the Witch has an expansive world where people are born with different abilities, such as Quirks. But in Ichi's world, only women can be witches.
“In this world, magic lives. Living magic, called Majiks, came into contact with humanity a long time ago. Out of nowhere, a trickle of talking water appeared. After that, the bonfire Majik said, “Hold me for an hour.” The Iceberg Majik said Sleep beside me for a night. By passing the Majik Trials, they acquired Majik themselves.” — Narrator's words show similarities between Majiks and Quirks from My Hero Academia, Ichi the Witch Chapter #1
This is precisely why Ichi, the protagonist of the series, is special, and in a way, this connects him directly to Izuku Midoriya, the protagonist of MHA. Izuku wasn't born with any powers because he was unlucky. But in the end, his efforts earned him the power of One For All from none other than the strongest hero in Japan, All Might.
Likewise, the witch Ichi sees Ichi become the first male witch by gaining majik's power from King Uroro. There are countless other similarities between the two, such as an incredible cast that keeps fans on their toes, the overpowered mentor trope, which connects All Might directly to Desscaras, and even the overpowered villain trope, which has served incredibly well to please fans over the years. We can only hope that Ichi the Witch continues to fill My Hero Academia's shoes and show the world that it is a worthy successor.
“Ichi The Witch's” non-anime success sets up a major anime adaptation in the future
With Ichi the witch after being confirmed to reach 2.2 million sales in the latest report published in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, we can also sit back and appreciate the fact that the series has made it without even having an anime adaptation. For a story to reach 2.2 million sales without an anime means it has huge potential and is practically guaranteed for an anime adaptation sooner rather than later. The only thing the anime adaptation needs is enough chapters, and that's exactly why we won't be getting an Ichi the Witch anime in 2026.
That said, it is very likely that an announcement about the adaptation of Ichi the Witch could be made by the end of the year. This series will most likely debut sometime in 2028 or late 2027 at the earliest. Either way, an Ichi the Witch anime is likely on the way, and this anime adaptation will give it another boost in terms of popularity and manga sales. With a new generation of Jump manga officially beginning, Ichi could position itself as a leader alongside series like Kagurabachi, and we absolutely can't wait to see how this new era unfolds.
All chapters of Ichi the Witch are currently free to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
Source: Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #31, 2026
