Shonen Jump wants fans all over the world to share the excitement of their favorites series at the same time.

Manga Plus might be just about the most generic name possible for a digital manga service, but you don’t need a snappy moniker when you’re the international version of Shonen Jump +, which is itself the digital version of publisher Shueisha’s Shonen Jump, the biggest manga magazine there is. As the English-language online home of smash-hit series like One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Spy x Family, there’s already a lot to like about Manga Plus, and there’s going to be even more to love starting next year.

At this week’s Jump no Mirai (“Future of Jump”) 2022 event, Shueisha announced that starting in 2023, it will be aiming to publish English translations of all new original Shonen Jump + serializations simultaneously with their Japanese versions.

There are a few caveats to that, starting with Shueisha’s off-hand mention in the press release that “Due to various circumstances, some works may be available only in Japan,” seemingly a reference to potential licensing or content issues that don’t allow for overseas distribution. Simultaneous English translations won’t be available to readers in Japan, South Korea, or China, since those countries are serviced by Shonen Jump +, not Manga Plus, nor will there be simultaneous English versions for indies titles hosted on Shonen Jump +.

Still, that leaves a lot of content that readers all over the world are going to be able to access the exact same second that fans in Japan can. Shueisha says one of its goals for the project is for fans in side and out to be experiencing series at the same time and pace, building excitement on a global scale as the publisher looks for its next worldwide hit, and it’s also planning to add a platform within Manga Plus where non-Japanese creators can post their own comics.

Source: Oricon News via Livedoor News, PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso
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