is a weekly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine published by

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics ( manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the H ...

. The first issue was published on October 14, 1980. Food,

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

and business are recurring themes in the magazine, and the stories often question conventional values. The magazine is published every Monday. Circulation in 2008 averaged over 300,000 copies, but by 2015 had dropped to 168,250.Japan Magazine Publishers Association ''Magazine Data 2008''
. In 2009 Shogakukan launched a new sister magazine, ''

Monthly Big Comic Spirits Monthly usually refers to the scheduling of something every month. It may also refer to: * ''The Monthly'' * '' Monthly Magazine'' * ''Monthly Review'' * '' PQ Monthly'' * '' Home Monthly'' * '' Trader Monthly'' * ''Overland Monthly'' * Menstruati ...

''.

History

''Big Comic Spirits'' launched on October 14, 1980 as a monthly magazine. The following June, it changed to a semimonthly magazine published on the 15th and 30th days of each month. Beginning in April 1986, the magazine became weekly, with new issues published every Monday.

Currently running manga series

Notable manga artists and series featured

Buronson , known by the pen names and , is a Japanese manga writer. Making his debut in 1972, he first found success with the hardboiled detective manga series ''Doberman Deka'' (1975–1979) alongside illustrator Shinji Hiramatsu. He is best-known for ...

and Atsushi Kamijou **''DOG LAW'' * Tetsuya Sekiya **''

Bambino! is a Japanese cooking manga written and illustrated by Tetsuji Sekiya. The manga has been serialized in Shogakukan's seinen magazine (aimed at older men) ''Big Comic Spirits''. As of February 2009, Shogakukan has published 14 '' tankōbon ...

'' *

Koji Aihara is a Japanese manga artist from Hokkaido. Aihara grew up reading the works of Osamu Tezuka. He made his debut with ''Hachigatsu no Nureta Pantsu'' in 1983, which ran in '' Weekly Manga Action Magazine''. He is one of the authors of '' Even a M ...

**''Koji En'' *

Inio Asano is a Japanese manga artist. Asano created the acclaimed manga '' Solanin'', which was released as a feature film in Japan in April 2010, starring Aoi Miyazaki. He is also famous for the series ''Goodnight Punpun''. Known for creating character- ...

**''

Oyasumi Punpun is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Inio Asano. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Young Sunday'' between 2007 and 2008. Later in '' Weekly Big Comic Spirits'' from 2008 to 2013, its chapters were collected in thirt ...

'' (moved from '' Young Sunday'') ** ''

Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction , also abbreviated as ''DDDDD'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Inio Asano. It is about two high school girls who struggle with the mundanity of life after an alien spaceship descends on Japan. The manga was serialized ...

'' *

Tatsuya Egawa is a Japanese manga artist and film director. He is probably best known for his '' Golden Boy'' manga series, which debuted in 1992. Egawa is known for his drawings of over-the-top facial expressions always crediting the staff of his creations, ...

**''

Tokyo Daigaku Monogatari is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Egawa. It was published in Shogakukan's ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1992 to 2001, its chapters were collected in 34 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The story follows, high schooler Naoki ...

'' * Hisashi Eguchi **''Paparinko Monogatari'' * Tooru Fujisawa **''Animal Joe'' *''Ai Kozaki'' **''

Asahinagu is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ai Kozaki. It revolves around the life of a timid girl who joins a naginata club to improve herself. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Big Comic Spirits'' magazine from January 2011 to S ...

'' * Akira Hanasaki and Tetsu Kariya **'' Oishinbo'' *

Kengo Hanazawa is a Japanese manga artist, known for his ''seinen'' works. He won the Topic Award of the 2005 Sense of Gender Awards for ''Ressentiment'' and was nominated for the 3rd, 4th and 5th Manga Taisho for '' I Am a Hero''. His series ''Boys on the ...

**'' I Am a Hero'' * Hidenori Hara **''Aozora'' **''Yattarou Jan!!'' **''Minna Ikiteru'' * Shohei Harumoto **''CB Gan'' * Mochiru Hoshisato ** '' Living Game'' *

Fujihiko Hosono is a Japanese manga artist. Hosono was born in Ōta, Tokyo. In 1979, he made his debut with ''Crusher Joe'' while he was a student at Keio University. Around the same time, he joined the as an animator. He has had stories published in the mang ...

**''

Gallery Fake is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujihiko Hosono. It was firstly serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Big Comic Spirits'' from 1992 to 2005, with its chapters collected in thirty-two ''tankōbon' ...

'' *

Ryoichi Ikegami is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He is best known for ''Crying Freeman'' (1986–1988), written by Kazuo Koike, and '' Heat'' (1999–2004), written by Buronson. The latter won the ...

and

Kazuo Koike was a prolific Japanese manga writer ( gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful ''seinen'' manga, notably ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), '' Lady Snowblood'' ...

**''

Crying Freeman is a Japanese manga series written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. ''Crying Freeman'' follows a Japanese assassin hypnotized and trained by the Chinese mafia (called the "108 Dragons") to serve as its agent and covered in ...

'' **'' Wounded Man'' *

Kazurou Inoue is a Japanese manga artist from Sano, Tochigi Prefecture. He received recognition for his manga at the 40th Rookie Comic Awards. After training under Kazuhiro Fujita, he published ''Heat Wave'' in '' Shōnen Sunday Super'' in 2001. He is most ...

**''Undead'' *

Yūgo Ishikawa is a Japanese manga artist. He made his debut in Young Jump with Kakumei Route 163 in 1982. He is best known for his series ''Yoiko is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūgo Ishikawa. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ...

** '' Yoiko'' *

Muneyuki Kaneshiro is a Japanese manga artist. He debuted in 2011 with '' As the Gods Will'', which was adapted into a live-action film. After serializing several other works, he launched ''Blue Lock'' with Yusuke Nomura in 2018, which won the 45th Kodansha Manga ...

and Nishida Kensuke **'' Jagān'' *

Junji Ito is a Japanese horror manga artist. Some of his most notable works include ''Tomie'', a series chronicling an immortal girl who drives her stricken admirers to madness; '' Uzumaki'', a three-volume series about a town obsessed with spirals; and ...

** ''

Gyo , fully titled in Japan, is a horror ''seinen'' manga written and illustrated by Junji Ito, appearing as a serial in the weekly manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 2001 to 2002. Shogakukan collected the chapters into two bound volume ...

'' ** ''

Remina is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. It was serialized in '' Big Comic Spirits'' from September 2004 to July 2005, and published in one volume. Synopsis Following the discovery of a mysterious rogue planet which ...

'' ** ''

Uzumaki is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1998 to 1999, the chapters were compiled into three bound volumes by Shoga ...

'' * Takashi Iwashige **''Bokkemon'' * Masasumi Kakizaki and

George Abe , known by his pen name , was a Japanese author and former yakuza. Outside Japan he is best known for writing the manga series '' Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin'' in collaboration with artist Masasumi Kakizaki. As a teenager Abe became a me ...

**'' Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin'' (moved from '' Young Sunday'') * Atsushi Kamijo **''8 -Eight-'' * Ryo Kurashina and Taro Sekiguchi **''Teiou'' * Tsutomu Kamishiro and Yuu Nakahara **'' Last Inning'' * Katsutoshi Kawai **''

Tomehane! Suzuri Kōkō Shodōbu is a Japanese manga series about Japanese calligraphy, written and illustrated by Katsutoshi Kawai. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Young Sunday'' from December 2006 to July 2008, when the magazine ceased ...

'' (moved from '' Young Sunday'') * Sakyo Komatsu and Tokihiko Ishiki **'' Nihon Chinbotsu'' *

Eisaku Kubonouchi is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. Biography Kubonouchi made his professional career debut in 1986 with the short story ''Okappiki Eiji'' published in the manga magazine '' Shōnen Sunday''. From 1988 to 1991, he worked on his ...

**'' Chocolat'' *

Kuromaru The , or "Black Fortress", was a fortress of the ''Kanrei'' Shiba Takatsune located in Echizen Province (present-day Nittazuka, Fukui, Fukui Prefecture) in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It was attacked twice during the Nanboku-chō Wars of t ...

**''

Kurosagi is a Japanese manga written by Takeshi Natsuhara and illustrated by Kuromaru. The series is about a boy named Kurosaki who swindles only other professional swindlers known as . The series was adapted as an 11-episode TV drama that was a ...

'' (written by Takeshi Natsuhara and moved from '' Young Sunday'') * Motorō Mase **'' Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit'' (moved from '' Young Sunday'') * Taiyō Matsumoto **'' Takemitsu Zamurai'' (written by Issei Ifuku) ** '' Tekkonkinkreet'' ** ''

Ping Pong Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

'' *

Norifusa Mita is a Japanese manga artist born in 1958 from Iwate Prefecture. He is best known for '' Dragon Zakura'' for which he received the 29th Kodansha Manga Award. ''Dragon Zakura'' has been adapted to live-action television series in Japan and South Ko ...

** ''Boys of Summer'' *

Go Nagai , better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', but is best known for creating popular 1970s ...

** '' Iron Virgin Jun'' * Yu Nakahara and Ryu Kamio **'' Last Inning'' * Masaharu Noritsuke **''

Afro Tanaka is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masaharu Noritsuke. It follows a 24-year-old Afro-haired young man named Hiroshi Tanaka who falls in love for the first time. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga maga ...

'' * Tobira Oda **'' Danchi Tomoo'' * Noboru Rokuda ** '' F'' *

Shūhō Satō is a Japanese manga artist. He won the Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Award for his work '' Say Hello to Black Jack''. His assistants have included his wife, manga artist Tomomi Satō, as well as Masasumi Kakizaki (one year before his debut), ...

**''New Say Hello to Blackjack'' *

Fumi Saimon is a female Japanese manga artist and novelist. She is best known for the series '' Tokyo Love Story'', which was adapted as a live-action television series. She won the 1983 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for '' P.S. Genki Desu, Shun ...

** ''

Tokyo Love Story is a Japanese manga written by Fumi Saimon. It was published by Shogakukan in ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1989 to 1990 and collected into 4 ''tankōbon'' volumes. ''Tokyo Love Story'' was adapted into a Japanese television drama in 1991 which ...

'' ** '' Asunaro Hakusho'' * Yukizou Saku **'' Hakuba no Ouji-sama'' * Masahito Soda **''Subaru'' ** ''MOON - Subaru Solitude Standing'' * Noboru Takahashi **''

Mogura no Uta is a Japanese manga series written by Noboru Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Young Sunday'' from 2005 to 2008, and transferred to ''Big Comic Spirits'' in 2008. It has been adapted into a live-action film, titled ''The M ...

'' (moved from '' Young Sunday'') *

Rumiko Takahashi is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with '' Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, Takahashi is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are popular worldwide, where they have ...

** ''

Maison Ikkoku is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1980 to 1987, with the chapters collected into 15 ''tankōbon'' volumes. ' ...

'' * Shin Takahashi ** ''

Ii Hito is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his series ''Saikano'' (''She, the Ultimate Weapon'') and '' Kimi no Kakera''. Inio Asano had a brief stint as his assistant during the creation of ''Saikano''. List of works * ''Ii Hito'' (1993 ...

'' ** ''

Saikano , also known as ''She, the Ultimate Weapon'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shin Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Big Comic Spirits'' from December 1999 to October 200 ...

'' * Kentaro Takekuma and

** ''

Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga is a parody instructional book by Koji Aihara and Kentaro Takekuma. Publication history In Japan, the series was originally serialized in Shogakukan's ''Big Comic Spirits''. Shogakukan later published the manga's three ''tankōbon'' volumes ...

'' * Yuji Takemura and

Yoichi Komori Yoichi may refer to: *Yōichi, Japanese given name *, district in Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan *, town in Yoichi District *, a Japanese whisky distillery in the town *, train station in Yoichi District * also Yoichi is a masculine Japane ...

**''Master of Sea UMISHI'' *

Jiro Taniguchi was a Japanese manga writer/artist. His works belong to the gekiga, or "dramatic pictures", genre of manga. In France he was knighted a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2011. Career Taniguchi began his career as an assist ...

and Jinpachi Mori **'' Benkei in New York'' * Sekiya Tetsuji **''

'' *

Kei Toume is a Japanese mangaka, manga artist. Kei Toume studied at the Tama Art University in Tokyo. Her first manga, ''Rokujō gekijō'', was published in Comic Burger magazine in 1992. The manga won her the Shiki prize in a contest held by Kodansha i ...

**''Momonchi'' * Kazuo Umezu **''My Name is Shingo'' *

Naoki Urasawa is a Japanese manga artist and musician. He has been drawing manga since he was four years old, and for most of his professional career has created two series simultaneously. The stories to many of these were co-written in collaboration with his ...

** ''

20th Century Boys is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. It was originally serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1999 to 2006, with the 249 chapters published into 22 '' tankōbon' ...

'' ** ''21st Century Boys'' ** '' Happy!'' ** ''

Yawara! ''Yawara!'' (also stylized as ''YAWARA!'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. It was serialized in ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1986 to 1993, with the chapters collected into 29 ''tankōbon'' volumes by p ...

'' * Reiji Yamada **''Coconuts Period -Chikyuu Ondannka wo Tomeru Usagi-'' * Naoki Yamamoto ** ''

Dance till Tomorrow is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Yamamoto. It is a romantic comedy which details the life of Suekichi Terayama, a student who will inherit a fortune when he graduates from college and gets married with unexpecte ...

'' **'' Arigatō'' ** '' Believers'' *

Hideo Yamamoto is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known as the creator of the manga series ''Ichi the Killer'', which was adapted into a live-action film by Takashi Miike in 2001, and ''Homunculus''. Recurring themes in his manga are crime, sexual dev ...

** ''

Homunculus A homunculus ( , , ; "little person") is a representation of a small human being, originally depicted as small statues made out of clay. Popularized in sixteenth-century alchemy and nineteenth-century fiction, it has historically referred to the ...

'' * Yasuhito Yamamoto **'' Sekido'' *

Kimio Yanagisawa is a Japanese manga artist. His real name is pronounced the same way, but is written with the kanji . He graduated from Niigata Prefectural Muramatsu High School two years prior to Yoshifumi Kondō. After graduation, he attended Wakō University ...

**''Ruri Iro Generation'' * Sensha Yoshida **'' Utsurun Desu.'' * Masami Yuki **''

Birdy the Mighty is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Yuki. His initial attempt with the story ran in Shogakukan's ''Shōnen Sunday Zōkan'' from 1985 to 1988, but it was eventually abandoned. Over a decade later, Yuki began a re ...

'' (moved from '' Young Sunday'') **'' Hakubo no Chronicle'' * Shouhei Manabe **''

Ushijima the Loan Shark is a Japanese manga series by Shohei Manabe. It won the 56th Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga. It was adapted into a live action television drama series in 2010 and into a live action film in 2012. A second live action film, ''Ush ...

'' * Uoto ** Chi: Chikyū no Undō ni Tsuite'' * Yukio Katayama **''Hanamote Katare'' (moved from ''

'') **'' Furo Girl!''

References

External links

* * {{Shogakukan manga magazines Weekly manga magazines published in Japan Magazines established in 1980 Shogakukan magazines Seinen manga magazines Magazines published in Tokyo