Love Naruto? Shonen Jump Has a Perfect Successor (And It’s Not Boruto)

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Fans loved the ninja action in Naruto, and now Shonen Jump magazine has a new series that’s filling that void – surprisingly, it’s not even Naruto‘s official sequel, Boruto. Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto became a huge hit in Weekly Shonen Jump, leading to a popular anime, movies, video games, and more. While Boruto continues the story and has also found success as an anime, the sheer popularity of the original series presents its own challenges.

Even though the official sequel to Naruto has been well-received, it still doesn’t quite live up to the original series. Naruto was such a huge success that even its creator, Kishimoto, hasn’t been able to recreate the same exciting ninja experience for fans. Luckily, Shonen Jump has a new series, Shinobi Undercover, that delivers that same thrilling ninja action and deserves more attention.

What Is Shinobi Undercover?

Created by Ippon Takegushi and illustrated by Santa Mitarashi, Shinobi Undercover debuted in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump last year and has quickly gained popularity. Though it’s only been a little over a year and around 60 chapters, the series shows a lot of promise. It immerses readers in a hidden world of ninja teams and dangerous missions across Japan. One particularly compelling character is Yodaka, a remarkably skilled ninja who seems like a ruthless assassin.

I was assigned to protect a girl named Aoi Mukai, who’d been hunted by ninjas her whole life. It meant going undercover as a high school student and getting way more involved in her everyday life than I anticipated. The problem was, despite being a skilled ninja, I struggle with severe anxiety, which made being around Aoi incredibly challenging. Suddenly, my life turned upside down, and I found myself facing off against increasingly dangerous opponents, each with their own unique and crazy abilities.

While Shinobi Undercover isn’t a huge hit with readers yet, Shueisha sees it as a promising series for the future. This is a smart move, as the series successfully captures the same exciting feeling as Naruto. It draws inspiration from newer series like Sakamoto Days, giving its characters realistic abilities, but goes further with those abilities, allowing for impressive and dynamic action.

Why Shinobi Undercover Should Be Shonen Jump’s Next Naruto

The battles are taking place on impressively large scales, creating huge, exciting moments that haven’t been fully revealed yet. A recent storyline introduced a special ninja ability limited to certain families, which is changing the nature of the fights we’ll see. It’s moved beyond simple hand-to-hand combat to include a variety of fantastical powers and elements. This shift is happening at a great time, making now the perfect moment to start watching as the series gears up for another year.

I’m a little worried about Shinobi Undercover – Shueisha cancelled two other series this year after they’d already been running for a while, so it’s definitely not safe yet! But honestly, ever since Naruto finished, Shonen Jump’s been searching for its next big hit, and I think this ninja series could be it. Things are really starting to pick up now, too – Yodaka’s bodyguard job is getting way more complicated, and there’s even some romance thrown in the mix! It’s getting so good!

While not as epic as Naruto with its large-scale battles and multi-generational story, Shinobi Undercover is a consistently enjoyable ninja series that sets it apart in the magazine. It evokes the same weekly excitement of reading Naruto, something the monthly Boruto release doesn’t quite match. Hopefully, Shinobi Undercover will have a long run and get the chance to fully develop its potential.

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2025-11-28 01:20