Black Butler continues to command strong physical sales in Japan, with Volume 36 opening at No. 1 on the latest Oricon weekly manga ranking. The newest volume sold an estimated 46,274 physical copies during the September 21-27 tracking period, giving it a sizable lead over the competition.
The result comes shortly after Square Enix released Black Butler Volume 36 in Japan on September 26. The new installment is part of Yana Toboso’s long-running series and continues the story involving Ciel Phantomhive and his mysterious demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis.
Black Butler Volume 36 Opens With a Strong Lead
According to Oricon, Volume 36 accounted for approximately 22.6% of all sales recorded by the week’s Top 10 manga titles. Its 46,274-copy debut placed it 13,130 copies ahead of The JOJOLands Volume 9, which finished in second place with 33,144 copies.
The latest volume moves the story into a new setting as Ciel and Sebastian investigate a resort hotel. Their investigation quickly takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious man named Modori appears and identifies Sebastian as a demon. The character also appears to have an established connection to Sebastian, adding another mystery to the ongoing storyline.
Square Enix officially released the volume on September 26 at a retail price of 770 yen. The publisher also held a release campaign for the new volume at participating Japanese retailers, further supporting its launch.
While Black Butler took the top position, The JOJOLands Volume 9 dropped from first to second. The latest JoJo volume recorded 33,144 copies, representing a 39.3% decline from the previous week’s 54,642 copies.
Hoshi in the Girls’ Garden Volume 5 remained among the leading titles but slipped to third with 25,979 copies, down 33.6% week over week. In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Volume 11 also fell one position to fourth after selling 18,838 copies, a 48% decline from the previous week.
The broader ranking was considerably quieter than the previous week. The Top 10 collectively sold an estimated 205,165 copies, down 23.9% from 269,509 copies.
Despite the decline, several familiar titles remained in the Top 10. Chiikawa Volume 8 climbed two positions to sixth with 13,994 copies, while Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Volume 25 and Dandadan Volume 25 returned to the Top 10 after being absent from the previous week’s ranking.
The strong debut also arrives during an important period for the franchise. Square Enix recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of Black Butler with a dedicated anniversary project highlighting the manga’s history and its adaptations across anime, stage productions and film. Volume 36 also begins the next major phase of the Blue Revenge arc, giving longtime readers another reason to follow the series as it moves forward.
