by Manga fans refer to Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) in the 1980s and 1990s as the “golden era,” when titles such as “Dragon Ball” (Akira Toriyama) and “SLAM DUNK” (Takehiko Inoue) were serialized. Many. However, other major manga magazines also have a period that could be called a “golden age.”
Weekly Shonen Magazine” (Kodansha) in the late 1990s was unique. Magazine” rose to replace Jump,” which entered a dark period” after the end of its popular series. By early November 1997, Jump had sold 4.07 million copies, while Magazine sold 4.15 million copies. It surpassed Jump in circulation. Magazine back then was definitely in its “golden age.” What was the driving force behind the world’s “Jump”? This time, we will reflect on the super luxurious serialization team that made “Magazine” exciting in 1997.
“Hajime no Ippo” and “Kindaichi Case Files”…The heyday of super long hit titles Works that stood out from the serialization team in 1997 were Hajime no Ippo” (by George Morikawa), The Kindaichi Case Files” (original work and idea by Seimaru Amagi/Yozaburo Kananari, manga by Fumiya Sato).
There are two works by Mr. Speaking of ” “Hajime no Ippo”, ” which is a monumental boxing manga in which Ippo Makunouchi, who possesses mighty punching power, rises to become a professional boxer. 1997 focuses on a world battle in which former Japanese champion Eiji Date challenges Ricardo Martinez, the most vigorous featherweight world champion. It was a great match in which Date fought to the end against Ricardo, and it was both painful and dazzling. Many readers cite this as the best out of this work. This is also the year Ippo’s senior, Mamoru Takamura, enters his first-world challenge.
This was also a trendy match among readers. Hajime no Ippo” in 1997 can be said to be the heyday of the series, where the best episodes selected by readers were concentrated. The Kindaichi Case Files have also not been defeated. It was a year when the media mix was fascinating, with the first terrestrial television anime of this work being broadcast in April and a live-action movie starring Tsuyoshi Domoto being released in December. Even in the main manga series, long stories such as “The French and Dutch Silver Coin Murders” and “The Reika Hayami Kidnapping and Murder Case” have been serialized, and the quality has remained stable.
The “True Correct Quiz,” a sweepstakes project in which readers were asked to guess the truth behind an incident, was also famous, creating a natural mystery sensation throughout Japan. One of the strengths of Magazine’s golden age in the 1990s was that it had two legendary manga that continue to be hits even after 25 years.
