The Manga Creator Who Defined The 2010s Is Officially No Longer Shonen Jump-Exclusive

Published Nov 2, 2026, 2:00 PM EST An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Helping define an entire decade in entertainment is a tricky matter, especially for such a monolithic magazine as Weekly Shonen Jump. But for Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma artist Shun Saeki, it wasn't done simply by mimicking the battle shonen greats. Rather, his work helped pioneer a new wave of modern risque ecchi artists to break out in the mainstream, much like Masamune Shirow and Go Nagai did before them. But now this era is coming firmly to a close, as according to Saeki's official X account, he and Shueisha, parent company of the Shonen Jump brand, have officially parted ways. Given the impressive sales of Food Wars of 20 million copies among 36 volumes compiling a nearly seven-year run, Saeki's work didn't stop there. Multiple noteworthy stories featured under the Shueisha umbrella around then and following its conclusion, such as Yugen's All-Ghouls Homeroom, Fukumen Tantei Mask de Holmes to Kiss Dorobou, his One Piece tribute with co-creator Yūto Tsukuda, Sokugeki no Sanji, or their ode to film creation with Tenmaku Cinema. Saeki's work as a recurring illustrated embodied excellence and bold visual style, but it's importantly not the end of his career, just the start of a new chapter. Shonen Jump Artist & Food Wars Co-Creator Finishes Work With Shueisha Concluding his long-standing contract with Shueisha, Saeki's time appears to have ended amicably, with the tweet shouting out his numerous coworkers with whom he scored more than a decade of stellar success. Given Saeki's work predates his time with Shueisha, with first major published projects surfacing as early as 2008, it'll be interesting to see the artist's new direction after succeeding under Shonen Jump's infamously demanding schedule. Saeki lays out his update, namely that he will no longer work exclusively with Shueisha, and that he's open to more projects, with contact details in the original tweet for those seeking to work with him next. Toshiyuki Saeki has fulfilled (terminated) his exclusive contract with Shueisha, which he had maintained for many years. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the individuals involved who have supported me thus far. Accordingly, I will now be accepting new work opportunities. Please note, however, that long-term projects will be put on hold for the time being. I sincerely hope for wonderful connections ahead. Thank you for your kind attention. Food Wars was a distinctive hit, combining classic battle shonen tropes but in the world of cuisine. Saeki's work excelled at creating over-the-top reactions lovingly recognized as "foodgasms" allowing Saeki to flex his knack for striking visual fidelity and to use his background in otherwise more adult manga. That same gimmick worked its way rather perfectly into the Sanji spinoff, while Tenmaku Cinema, short-lived as it was, stood as a good case study for a compelling story with a more tame approach. Saeki's Next Project Won't Be Another Food Wars, And That's Okay Notably, Saeki makes a point of confirming both that long-term projects will be put on hold for the foreseeable future, and among the replies, he clarifies that Shueisha stopped the exclusive contracts, and it only means Saeki is no longer exclusive. It doesn't mean Saeki will never create for Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, Jump GIGA, or other magazines, but it certainly confirms his days as an artist working exclusively with Shueisha are over. What this means remains to be seen in terms of what projects Saeki takes on. He additionally clarified in response to fan questions that art commissions for personal use might be difficult to accept at the moment, which is thoroughly unsurprising, but he remains open to formal inquiries regarding future projects. It may be an adjustment for fans to potentially see Saeki's illustrations once again under different publishers, but opening the doors to a change of scenery is always a great option, whether he pursues more shonen projects, or ventures into seinen territory to put his skill set to bold and innovative new uses in the future. Food Wars Release Date September 26, 2020 Episode Number 13 Season Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma - Season 5