Dragon Ball Fans — Discover This Award‑Winning New Manga

Shonen has long been the dominant force in manga, spawning household-name series like Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece — and more recent breakout franchises such as My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen. When titles like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen wrapped up in 2024, many wondered whether Weekly Shonen Jump, Shueisha’s flagship magazine, could find fresh franchises capable of standing beside the enduring juggernaut that is One Piece.

That uncertainty has eased with the emergence of a promising new contender. Crowned the Print category winner at the Next Manga Award 2025, Ichi the Witch blends dark fantasy, kinetic action, and sly comedy with detailed, expressive artwork. If you appreciate the playful spirit and adventurous tone that defined much of Akira Toriyama’s work, Ichi the Witch will likely appeal to you.

The Next Manga Award — run by Kadokawa’s Da Vinci and the Niconico platform — highlights serialized series with up to five volumes in print, making it a useful barometer for rising titles. Past winners include My Hero Academia (2015), Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (2017), The Apothecary Diaries and Spy x Family (2019), Oshi no Ko (2021), and Kagurabachi (2024).

This year Ichi the Witch took first place in the Print category, followed by COSMOS in second and Super Psychic Policeman Chojo in third. The series is produced by writer Osamu Nishi (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun) and artist Shiro Usazaki (Act-Age). Rather than feeling like an uncertain debut, Ichi reads like the work of experienced creators who know how to pace a long-running shonen: it leans on familiar conventions while adding original touches that keep the story engaging.

The story centers on Ichi, a feral boy raised in the mountains of a fantastical realm inhabited by magical creatures called Majiks. In this world, Majiks can be captured and harnessed to grant abilities — a skill traditionally associated with women. When Ichi tames the unruly, immensely powerful Majik Uroro, he is recruited by the witch Desscaras’ organization and becomes a startling anomaly: a male witch.

Ichi immediately reads as an outsider protagonist. He survives by instinct, making for frequent fish-out-of-water comedy when he’s thrust into the more refined society of witches on Desscaras’ team. As he absorbs Majik powers, he incorporates them into a brutal, efficient hunting style; his predatory instincts make even dangerous creatures recoil. At the same time, a looming menace — the World-Hater Majik, an entity bent on annihilation — raises the stakes beyond everyday conflicts.

Beyond standard shonen action, Ichi the Witch leans into levity. The cast’s exaggerated personalities produce genuine humor amid fights, and the series gives space to gags and lighter moments that many contemporary shonen often sideline. The emotional core comes through in the relationships: Ichi and his companions form a found family, with Desscaras serving as a maternal anchor. It’s a familiar trope, but one the series executes with sincerity.

What makes Ichi the Witch notable is how it borrows confidently from shonen traditions without feeling derivative. The setting is whimsical rather than relentlessly grim — a contrast to darker series — yet danger is never far away. Character arcs and backstories are straightforward but impactful; the emotional payoff, particularly in Gokuraku’s arc, lands hard.

There are echoes of Akira Toriyama’s sensibilities here: a love of adventurous fantasy settings, playful design, and well-timed humor. Toriyama’s post‑Dragon Ball work and his contributions to classic JRPGs exuded that same blend of charm and fun, and Ichi the Witch channels a similar spirit while adding contemporary refinements.

Artistically, Shiro Usazaki’s line work is both delicate and richly detailed. Usazaki — whose previous series Act-Age drew praise before its premature end amid controversy surrounding its writer — brings visual clarity to the world: character costumes, environments, and action sequences all read vividly and with purpose.

Ultimately, Ichi the Witch feels like a well-crafted continuation of shonen’s strengths: clear storytelling, memorable characters, and a balanced mix of humor and peril. With several of Jump’s recent flagship series having concluded, the magazine needs fresh pillars to carry its weekly pages, and Ichi the Witch shows the narrative clarity and visual flair to be one of those new anchors. Even long-running creators like Eiichiro Oda will need time away someday — and when they do, it’s reassuring to see successors ready to rise.

Source: Polygon