Festivals - Japan Expo 2026 : MANGA Plus Presents the Next Generation of Shonen Superstars

By Mulder, Villepinte, Parc des expositions, 09 july 2026

One of the busiest attractions inside Japan Expo 2026 was the exhibition dedicated to MANGA Plus by Shueisha, the publisher’s international digital platform that has fundamentally changed the way readers outside Japan discover manga. Located within the exhibition halls of the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte, the stand welcomed visitors with a large photo wall celebrating some of the service’s most recognizable titles while offering an exhibition built around nine flagship series currently available on the platform: One Piece, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, SAKAMOTO DAYS, SPY x FAMILY, Akane-banashi, Kagurabachi, Dandadan, Ichi the Witch and Hima-Ten!. Throughout the opening day, fans eagerly queued to photograph themselves alongside the oversized visuals, illustrating how MANGA Plus has become much more than a reading application: for many international readers, it represents their primary gateway into the contemporary world of Weekly Shōnen Jump and other Shueisha publications.

Launched worldwide by Shueisha on January 28, 2019, MANGA Plus was created to answer a challenge that had become increasingly important as manga readership expanded beyond Japan. Rather than relying exclusively on local publishers to distribute new chapters months after their Japanese release, the platform introduced simultaneous publication of new Weekly Shōnen Jump chapters in English, a strategy that dramatically reduced the gap between Japanese and overseas readers while also offering an official alternative to piracy. The service subsequently expanded with additional languages—including Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and others—and broadened its catalogue to include works from Shōnen Jump+, Jump Square, Weekly Young Jump, Tonari no Young Jump and V Jump. In recent years, Shueisha has continued strengthening this international strategy by extending simultaneous worldwide publication to all new Shōnen Jump+ series, English releases of one-shots and, since October 2025, every newly launched Weekly Young Jump manga, demonstrating how overseas audiences have become an integral part of the publisher's editorial vision rather than a secondary market.

The selection showcased during Japan Expo perfectly reflected the remarkable diversity now available through MANGA Plus. Long-running phenomenon One Piece remains the platform's most emblematic title, while Boruto: Two Blue Vortex continues the legacy of one of manga's biggest franchises. Action enthusiasts were naturally drawn to SAKAMOTO DAYS, whose blend of inventive combat and comedy has made it one of the fastest-rising contemporary series, whereas SPY x FAMILY continues attracting readers far beyond the traditional shōnen audience thanks to its successful mixture of espionage, family comedy and heartfelt relationships. New-generation hits such as Kagurabachi and Dandadan generated particularly strong interest among younger visitors, reflecting how quickly recent series can achieve worldwide popularity when chapters become instantly available across multiple territories. The inclusion of Akane-banashi, centred on the traditional Japanese performing art of rakugo, alongside fantasy newcomer Ichi the Witch and romantic comedy Hima-Ten! also highlighted Shueisha's willingness to promote a wide range of genres instead of focusing solely on battle-oriented manga.

The exhibition also served as a reminder that MANGA Plus has evolved well beyond a simple digital reader. The platform now combines free access to the opening and latest chapters of most series, subscription options through Manga Plus MAX, creator-oriented initiatives such as Manga Plus Creators for aspiring artists worldwide, multilingual support and community features that encourage interaction between readers across continents. For visitors attending Japan Expo, these developments underscored how digital publishing has transformed manga into an almost simultaneous global cultural experience. Instead of waiting for translations months or even years later, international fans can now follow many of Shueisha's newest titles alongside Japanese readers, discuss weekly chapters online and discover emerging creators as their careers begin. The enthusiastic crowds surrounding the MANGA Plus exhibition throughout the opening day of Japan Expo 2026 demonstrated that this global strategy has successfully connected millions of readers with Japan's most influential manga catalogue, making the platform one of the defining pillars of the modern manga industry.