Suvudu Universe

Viz Media has launched “Jump Start“, bringing the first three chapters of every brand-new manga series appearing in the Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump to English. The digital translated Weekly Shonen Jump will feature these chapters, one per week, on same-day release as the parent country.

The first three titles are

• Judos by Shinsuke Kondo, a martial arts series about a 15-year-old village kid who wants to be the best judo practitioner in his village full of the world’s most powerful fighters — available now
• Hi-Fi Cluster, starting September 15, a sci-fi crime thriller by Ippei Goto
• Sporting Salt by Yuto Kubota, about sports medicine (interesting!) and debuting September 23

Fans, who are often concerned about authenticity, should love the chance to check out brand-new series in super-timely fashion. (This cuts the legs out from under scanlation sites, too, as who would want a sometimes-sloppy translation when they can get the official in the same time frame?) Readers also get the chance to leave feedback through an online survey. Magazine Editor-in-Chief Andy Nakatani says,

“The ‘Jump Start’ initiative begins a new era in digital manga publishing that will give seasoned readers, as well as those new to the genre, seamless, same-day, simultaneous access like they’ve never enjoyed before to what’s hot and brand new in the world’s most popular manga magazine. ‘Jump Start’ gives new titles an important opportunity to develop an international following. Our readers can play a more active role than ever to help VIZ Media and Shueisha discover what new series resonate on an international level and decide what might possibly be featured on a regular ongoing basis.”

So put in those surveys, kids, and you too can have a voice in manga to read. Weekly Shonen Jump is 99 cents an issue or $25.99 for a yearly subscription (48 issues).