2025 has been a great year for anime, and the same can be said for manga as well. The leading genre, shonen manga, most of which are published under Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, has always been a top contender in sales. This is exactly what the 2025 manga sales records reveal. One Piece, the juggernaut of the manga world, has finally reclaimed the top spot as the best-selling series of the year after seven years. Meanwhile, other major shonen titles such as Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, Sakamoto Days, and Blue Box also rank within the top ten.
While it is no surprise that the majority of this year’s top ten titles hail from Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, and One Piece securing the top position is exciting, the overall sales numbers for 2025 are reportedly much lower compared to last year. One Piece, as the highest-selling manga in Japan this year, has around 4.2 million copies in circulation, whereas last year’s top contender, Jujutsu Kaisen, had more than 7.6 million. The numbers are noticeably low, and while there could be many reasons, one concerning factor is fans choosing not to purchase physical copies anymore.
Records for Manga Sales in 2025 May Hint at a Declining Desire for Physical Copies
The Oricon yearly sales in Japan, shared online by @WSJ_manga on their X account, reveal the number of physical manga copies sold. These totals exclude any digital copies. Considering how steep the drop is, some fans are speculating that readers in Japan have begun opting more for digital platforms rather than buying physical volumes. Reports have also indicated rising manga prices, which may be pushing more people toward digital options. This is certainly plausible, as technology continues to move toward greater digitalization, making this shift unsurprising.
But for avid manga fans, this shift is concerning, as the authenticity of manga is often tied to physical copies. If this trend continues, major magazines might eventually switch to digital distribution completely. While this may not happen immediately, it could become a reality within a few years or a decade. However, fans online are also speculating about other reasons behind this year’s low sales.
With no major new shonen anime debuts, there was little to boost manga sales, which usually benefit greatly from anime adaptations. If this is true, sales may rise again next year, especially with Jujutsu Kaisen returning with a strong new season and the possibility of a major anime announcement for Kagurabachi, which could boost sales once more. Nevertheless, the world is indeed leaning more toward digital copies as technology advances, and the shift from physical manga to digital formats seems increasingly imminent.
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The post Records for Manga Sales in 2025 Reveal a Major Problem (And Signal a Shift) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
2025 has been a great year for anime, and the same can be said for manga as well. The leading genre, shonen manga, most of which are published under Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, has always been a top contender in sales. This is exactly what the 2025 manga sales records reveal. One Piece, the juggernaut
The post Records for Manga Sales in 2025 Reveal a Major Problem (And Signal a Shift) appeared first on ComicBook.com. ComicBook.comRead More