Weekly Shonen Magazine

2000 Issue #8
Published by Kodansha
Update by Rika Takahashi

Reviewer's Note:
Each major publisher in Japan has a weekly magazine targeted for "boys." EX readers have been able to follow (albeit sparsely) two of the three largest weekly magazines—that being JUMP and SUNDAY. For this issue, you the reader will get a short sample from the other "major" weekly phonebook for "boys." However, this sampling, unlike the ones for JUMP and SUNDAY, is not a regular column.

What is MAGAZINE?
MAGAZINE started publication at approximately the same time as SUNDAY, and held Japan's highest circulation count a couple decades ago with huge hits like ASHITA NO JOE. In the 1980s, it gave up its top circulation spot to JUMP; however, in the mid-1990s, after the end of popular JUMP hits such as DRAGON BALL, SLAM DUNK and YUU YUU HAKUSHO, MAGAZINE made a comeback as the magazine in Japan with the highest circulation. Now, the weekly phonebook houses KINDAICHI SHONEN NO JIKENBO—the largest current whodunit hit next to DETECTIVE CONAN—and GTO, the ultra-popular series that spawned a hit drama series and now an anime series in Japan.
Selected News:
Fans of the hit J-rock group L'ARC-EN-CIEL are in for a wonderful treat—this issue features snapshots of the 4-man band as well as an in-depth interview, along with caricatures from a certain well-known author who currently is running a series in JUMP (whose wife got a big break in another magazine published by Kodansha).

HARLEM BEAT
by Nishiyama Yuriko

Overview: Naruse Tohru ("Narucho") was second-rate at any sport he tried until he was led to Three Men's Hoop, a half-court for 3-on-3 street basketball, by Kusuda Mizuki. There Narucho found out that he too could be a hero on the court.
This Issue: The series of five-and-a-half years comes to a close with the last episode, "Let's Play Basketball." The sit-in protest that Narucho and company started against the demolition of the Three Men's Hoop led to a 3-on-3 dream match: Scratch vs. Three Men. Mizuki comes in, asking if this was Narucho's way of saying goodbye to the half-court. Narucho replies that it was his way of saying thank you, and that the memories they shared on the court will not disappear even if the court is torn down. A few days after the game, the group sees Shu off as he leaves for Indonesia to volunteer in refugee camps for a year, and they are surprised to see Kiriko flying with him for the duration of her vacation. Narucho smiles that at least the backboard from Three Men's Hoop got a new life as the basketball hoop for little kids in a nearby park. A few months later, three boys walk down the streets looking for a certain 3-on-3 hoop. One boy wonders if hunting down the hoop is worth it for alternates like them. But when the three find the hoop, and are welcomed by the leader of the team that rules the court, the boy smiles and stands up for the challenge. The place is Scratch Hoop, a place that the guys found after the demise of Three Men's Hoop, and the leader that let the alternates onto the court is none other than Narucho, who was in the same shoes himself when the series began.

LOVE-HINA
by Akamatsu Ken

Overview: The hustle and bustle of daily life for Urashima Keitarou and all his neighbors in the apartment complex Hinata-sou.
This Issue: Keitarou, Narusegawa, and Mutsumi all prepare for the center-exam (Japanese equivalent of the SAT, of sorts). Keitarou is especially nervous because if he flunks, he will have missed college entrance for four years in a row. That fear turns to reality on the day of the exam, when Keitarou's mind blanks out. He feels ashamed that he flunked again, and runs away from the two women. Narusegawa manages to hunt him down to convince him to at least do a rough check of how he did. There, Keitarou finds out that he did better than expected—and the next day, all three learn that they passed the exam.

MUSHIMARO!
by Yanagisawa Tetsurou

Overview: The little caterpillar Mushimaro searches for his mother and his identity.
This Issue: Chouko and Choumi gossip about Choumi's husband-to-be. Chouko jokes that it might be Mushimaro, but Narikin the beetle kicks Mushimaro down into animal dung. Choumi notices a string on her finger, and she pulls on it to find Mushimaro on the other side—and the manner in which he is being pulled up closely resembles the description of her husband-to-be given to her by an old fortuneteller.