Act-Age Artist Releases Ichi the Witch, Shonen Jump’s Best New Series

Act-Age Artist Releases Ichi the Witch, Shonen Jump's Best New Series

As a seasoned gamer and manga enthusiast with over two decades of immersion in the realm of Japanese pop culture, I can confidently say that Ichi the Witch is shaping up to be an exceptional addition to Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The pedigree of its creators, Usazaki and Nishi, has already proven their prowess with Act-Age and Demon School! Iruma-kun respectively, and the fusion of their talents in Ichi the Witch promises an exhilarating ride for manga fans everywhere.


The enchanting character, Ichi the Witch, has graced the pages of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine for the first time, and the series created by the artist behind Act-Age shows great potential to become the most exciting addition in the magazine. Fans quickly took a liking to Act-Age when it was introduced, eagerly awaiting each new installment. As the manga started with Weekly Shonen Jump, the fascination of fans grew so much that it seemed destined for an extensive run, with an anime adaptation and further expansions in the works. However, these expectations were not met.

Artist Shiro Usazaki, famed from Act-Age, has teamed up with Osamu Nishi, creator of Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, for a fresh series titled Ichi the Witch. This new collaboration made its debut in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and its 57-page introduction is one of the most powerful since Kagurabachi due to its compelling central idea. If everything goes smoothly, this could be the next major success.

As a gamer immersed in a realm teeming with magical witches and potent beasts, I anxiously anticipate seizing my chance among them, all while enjoying unhindered access to the original content straight from its trusted origin!

— Shonen Jump (@shonenjump) September 8, 2024

What Is Ichi the Witch?

In the premiere of “Ichi the Witch,” we meet Ichi, a young boy residing in the mountains who was left there as an infant. He’s become quite adept at hunting animals not out of bloodlust, but rather for sustenance or protection purposes. Ichi is not someone who revels in taking lives casually; instead, he only pursues creatures that can be utilized for food, resources, or those posing a threat to people. His belief in “death for a purpose” keeps him rooted on the mountain, as he feels there’s an important task awaiting him before he can depart. The goal is to track down and eliminate a formidable creature that has been sighted on the mountain.

It’s soon revealed that Ichi lives in a world full of witches, who are women that are able to conquer beings called Magiks. These magical beings pop up in the natural world and challenge women to a certain trial in order to claim their respective magical ability (with examples being water and fire spirits, which allow the witch to eventually control water or fire). It turns out that the large beast is actually one of these Magiks, King Uroro the King Magik. When a witch fails to defeat it, King Uroro reveals that his challenge is to stop his heart but that no woman can do so.

As a male character, Ichi possesses the unique ability to deliver the decisive strike and incorporate King’s magical powers into his own physical form. The upcoming narrative intrigue lies in exploring how Ichi copes with assuming the role of a witch, which is traditionally forbidden for men, and maintaining control over King’s potent magic residing within him. This extraordinary circumstance is referred to as a “miracle.” To delve further into this captivating tale, readers can access it through Viz Media’s digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha’s MangaPlus service.

Act-Age Artist Releases Ichi the Witch, Shonen Jump's Best New Series

What Happened to Act-Age?

Shiro Usazaki, who previously starred in the popular Shonen Jump series “Act-Age,” which debuted in 2018 (alongside Jujutsu Kaisen), has received a significant comeback. However, after running for two years, the series was suddenly canceled due to the writer of the series, Tatsuya Matsuki, being charged with indecent harassment of a minor. Shueisha quickly ended Act-Age and removed it from its library, and Viz Media also stopped their English releases of the series and scrapped any future plans for manga publications.

Usazaki conveyed a message to fans following the termination of Act-Age, concluding with, “It is not the victim’s fault that the project ended. It is always right for the victim to speak up, to endure suffering, and not to disregard abuse or assault. This was the correct course of action. The courage and actions taken should be respected, not ridiculed, or subjected to further humiliation with degrading comments.” With the artist now back in the magazine, a promising future lies ahead for this story, serving as an impressive opening chapter.

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2024-09-09 00:10