Kara Dennison
June 30, 2023 
Sometimes you want to watch people fight each other. And sometimes, you also want people to have a nice and happy time. But how can you get both of those at once? Shonen Jump!
We can’t help but notice an alluring subgenre of manga that combine these two fictional vibes into one delightful package. And if you, like us, enjoy that kind of thing, we’ve got you covered. You can read all of these series as they come out in the Shonen Jump app, too!
Kill Blue
When you start a career in the middle of your childhood, you miss out on a lot. Just ask middle-aged hitman Ogami, the protagonist of new Shonen Jump title Kill Blue. But when a strange wasp stings him, he gets fully Detective Conan‘d. Now, Ogami is a middle schooler… and that’s actually working out surprisingly well for him.
While Ogami is still technically on the job—keeping an eye on a high-profile young target—his associates try to reverse his strange condition. But he’s making the most of it, discovering a love of learning and facing life lessons he never got before. He’s also kept his hitman skills… which is handy, now that shady characters are showing up at school!
Sakamoto Days
Shonen Jump subscribers will have plenty to dig into with Sakamoto Days. This manga has been running for a fair bit, but you can still catch up in a decent amount of time. Like Ogami above, Sakamoto was once a hitman. Unlike Ogami, Sakamoto chose his slow life: a wife, a daughter, and a job running a convenience store. But his former foes aren’t content to let him be.
Sakamoto still has a massive bounty on his head. And to keep his family safe, he’ll have to do something about it. But his family has a rule: no killing. As he brings other skilled assassins under his wing (subject to the same rule), he fights to protect the happy life he’s built for himself.
SPY x FAMILY
This Shonen Jump hit is a no-brainer, and probably the best known title on this list. But if you haven’t dug into the SPY x FAMILY manga itself, you’re missing out on a lot!
Anime fans know the story already. To establish a cover for his latest job, spy Twilight (now Loid Forger) builds a fake family. But his wife Yor is an assassin, and his daughter is psychic. Hijinks ensue… but there are even more hijinks in the manga. Things are heating up as connections are drawn between surprisingly important characters. While we’re sure the anime will keep going for a while, being up-to-date with the manga is a thrill ride in itself.
