The latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump has sold out across Japan after overwhelming demand for a promotional One Piece Card Game card sparked a wave of bulk purchases by resellers. While publisher Shueisha increased production to meet anticipated demand, many readers were still unable to buy the magazine—including fans hoping to own a physical copy of Blue Box’s final chapter after its five-year serialization.
According to Oricon News, Shueisha printed an additional 500,000 copies ahead of release due to the popularity of the bonus card. However, the extra supply was quickly exhausted as scalpers purchased multiple copies, with some promotional cards immediately appearing on resale platforms for prices higher than the magazine itself.
One Piece bonus card fuels nationwide sellout
The included One Piece Card Game promotional card became the primary reason behind the issue’s rapid sellout. Reports indicate that some card shops in Tokyo were buying the card for around 1,000 yen, creating an opportunity for resellers to profit by purchasing magazines in bulk.
In an interview with Oricon News, one university student admitted buying approximately 25 copies by visiting multiple stores within an hour. He said he resold about 20 promotional cards for between 800 and 1,000 yen each before eventually selling the remaining cards for an overall profit.
When asked whether he felt responsible for preventing readers from buying the magazine, he responded,
“You can read it digitally anyway. I understand why people want the physical copy, but I don’t feel like I’ve done anything wrong.”
Blue Box readers miss out on a collectible finale
The shortage proved especially disappointing for Blue Box fans, as the issue featured the manga’s concluding chapter. Although the chapter is available through the digital edition of Weekly Shonen Jump, many readers viewed the print release as an important keepsake marking the end of the beloved romance series.
Social media quickly filled with complaints from fans who blamed scalpers for clearing store shelves before ordinary readers had the chance to purchase a copy. Convenience store employees also described the release day rush as unusually intense, with one clerk telling Oricon News that customers grabbed copies
“the moment I put them on the shelf,”
adding that the atmosphere felt
“a little scary.”
The incident has once again highlighted the growing impact of collectible promotional items on manga releases, with bonus merchandise increasingly becoming the driving force behind resale activity instead of the publication itself.
| Started | October 22, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Shueisha |
| Author | Eiichiro Oda |
