Weekly Shonen Jump isn't where most would think of turning to for romantic content, but that's slowly changing. The growing popularity of manga and anime has seen many different and creative manga come about from the publisher, some of which break the mold of its usual fare.
The growing number of romances in Shonen Jump are marked by unique takes on the genre, which could be attributed to the publisher trying to stand out. Not only do these romance stories have something new for old readers, but they might also attract those who usually scoff at such stories.
Blue Box, Witch Watch and Sekime-san
These romances all have some sort of strange twist or even paranormal concept that turns things on their head compared to the average love story. Witch Watch is one of these romances, featuring the blossoming love between a witch and her shapeshifting ogre familiar. These two are best friends, with the hex-ual tension and magical antics getting hotter than ever when she randomly moves in with him.
Blue Box has a similar concept, featuring two young student athletes whose parents are actually old friends. This leads to high school basketball star Chinatsu moving in with badminton star Taiki, who has a crush on her. This comes after they've become committed to doing their best in their respective sports, with the new living situation leading to all manner of uproarious hijinks.
Then there's the comparatively mundane but still weirdly romantic Don't Blush, Sekime-san. The manga is about a boy whose girlfriend, Sekime, is popular at school. Despite this, she's incredibly shy and bashful, becoming embarrassed easily and making the couple's dates hilariously and adorably awkward. These new spins on young folks in love come together to form something of a trend for Shonen Jump -- one that helps them move forward into uncharted genre waters.
Why Shonen Jump Is Going All In On Odd Couples
As mentioned, putting a spotlight on romance stories is something new for Shonen Jump, which as its name suggests has historically had a young male audience and action-driven stories. This could all simply be part of the publisher expanding its horizons and attempting to gain new ground and audiences as the reach of manga has grown over recent years.
Likewise, given that it's something of a Johnny-come-lately with romance titles, Shonen Jump has to add an extra bit of spice to its own in order to stand out against its manga publishing competitors in the sea of smooches. Thus, these romance stories frequently involve fantasy, magical and even science fiction concepts like some of the material mentioned above. These more fantastical elements contrast with more typical, usually more realistic romances. Even the simple awkwardness of Sekime-san, which isn't necessarily unrealistic, is still different than most other everyday manga love stories.
These concepts also help to attract Shonen Jump's usual audience: boys and young men. This audience might not be particularly interested in reading stories about people falling in love, but if one of them happens to be a shapeshifting goblin or ogre and his love interest has whimsical magical powers, the idea is likely a lot more palatable. Readers are therefore now in the middle of a wave of supernatural or just plain weird romances that have the potential to attract new audiences looking for something beyond battles and muscles.