Since 1968 the Shonen Jump brand has been at the very vanguard of manga as both an artistic medium and a cultural phenomenon. Along the way, the magazine has sold an astounding 7.5 billion copies and brought genre-defining series like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen to fans across the world.
Late last year the official Shonen Jump Store launched a pair of capsule clothing collections inspired by two of its standout manga serials—one of which you’re surely familiar with and another that may be a bit off your radar.
Created by the famed Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball Z—along with some obvious help from the Toei Animation series broadcast on Cartoon Network’s afternoon Toonami block—helped spark a Western obsession with anime that persists to this day. The cartoon was so successful, in fact, that it became easy for American fans to almost ignore the decades Toriyama spent painstakingly writing, drawing, and plotting the original source manga.
Never known to let one of its most successful properties go underrepresented, Shonen Jump‘s Dragon Ball Z Collection combines iconic imagery from throughout the DBZ story cycle with a line of unique and attractive apparel and accessory items sure to please any fan. These include the requisite t-shirts (the Bulma tee in heather grey, the Dragon Ball: Freeza Arc Vol. 11 cover tee in ecru, and the Freeza Arc final form tee in white—each retailing for $40) and a beautiful long-sleeve model (Freeza Arc Clash of the Super Powers design in a striking olive, $50), as well as a $90 hoodie (Saiyan Arc Goku vs. Vegeta hoodie in navy) and a black woven cap (the $25 Shenron beanie). The line also extends into more exotic fare, including the $70 Freeza Arc anorak, a bold black-and-white ¾ zip poly ripstop pullover perfect for protecting you from those chilly seasonal downpours.
While comparatively lesser known than its esteemed counterpart, the second Shonen Jump clothing line was actually the one that caught my attention as it highlights Yuto Suzuki’s outstanding slice-of-life comedy/crime action series Sakamoto Days. For those not in the know, Sakamoto Days tells the story of Taro Sakamoto, a legendary hitman who falls in love and settles into domestic life alongside his wife and young daughter, eventually opening a quiet corner store.
However, unlike the similarly themed The Way of the Househusband, Sakamoto is still very much viewed as an active threat by his former allies, enemies, and employers in the criminal underworld. What follows is a cleverly chaotic tale of a man who’s sworn off killing doing what he can to protect his family and their mundane way of life, along the way picking up a few new friends (including a telepathic assassin and the daughter of a Triad boss) and having unlikely adventure after unlikely adventure.
Shonen Jump‘s Sakamoto Days Collection is, understandably, a smaller affair, but that simply serves to make these limited-edition items that much more desirable. Composed of six individual pieces, this capsule collection includes an understated pocket tee and packable Sakamoto’s tote (both in white, $40 and $20 respectively) as well as a premium heavy-weight hoodie (in a black “Don’t Come for Me” design, $90) and a real-world variation of Taro’s own ironic long-sleeve “Slim” tee ($50 in ecru). Cleverly enough, the Shonen Jump Store also leaned heavily into the subject matter with this one, offering both a Sakamoto’s screen-printed work apron (in utilitarian green and boasting a metal name badge for a very affordable $30) and a $120 Sakamoto Days “Tougher Than You Think” chore jacket, two classic pieces of workwear inspired by our beloved protagonist.
The latter is easily the jewel of the entire collection, an 8.8 oz washed cotton construction in olive drab that includes sustainable Corozo buttons and four easy-access patch pockets. It’s a perfect grab-and-go piece that works equally well around the house. I often use it for layering and, in fact, I’m wearing it as I type this.
While I haven’t had a chance to get hands-on with the entire line (aside from the aforementioned chore jacket), I do own a number of items from VIZ/Shonen Jump, and the quality is uniformly top-notch.
Given the limited quantities available for these manga-inspired collections, the high-level otaku among you are encouraged to check out the Shonen Jump Store immediately. Several items from both lines are already sold out, and SJ has made it abundantly clear that they will not be restocked. So pick up your faves now or regret it forever!
Review materials provided by VIZ Media. This post contains affiliate links. And, seriously, add Sakamoto Days to your New Year’s reading list. You’ll be glad you did.
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