General Information
Alpha Membership Information
Digital Magazine Subscription/Purchase
Transitioning your Print Subscription
Digital Magazine Delivery

General Information

What is Alpha or SJ Alpha mean?

‘Alpha’ and ‘SJ Alpha’ are nicknames for the ‘Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha’ membership program. This program includes a weekly digital magazine that launched on January 30, 2012. It also includes membership benefits that subscribers receive as part of the subscription fee.

What if this FAQ does not answer my question?

You can always email us at sjalpha@viz.com if you have any questions.

Alpha Membership Information

What does "membership" mean?

When you subscribe to Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha or purchase a single issue of Alpha, you become a Member of the SJ Alpha community.

What types of membership are there?

There are two types to SJ Alpha:

• 12-month membership (for purchasing a subscription)
• 4-week membership (for purchasing a single issue)

Will my membership also include additional content besides the digital magazine?

Yes. Beyond the magazine that will arrive every week, SJ Alpha members will also be able to read non-manga editorial content. These member-exclusive materials will be available in a variety of ways through sjalpha.com and vizmanga.com.

Where do I go to access member-exclusive content?

The website, sjalpha.com, is the hub of all Membership exclusive articles, videos, news, contests, and more.

Will Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha membership also include columns and additional content?

Beyond the digital magazine that will arrive every week, Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha members will also be able to read non-manga editorial content. These member-exclusive materials will be available in a variety of ways through sjalpha.com and vizmanga.com.

Will Weekly SJ Alpha members receive any physical extras like the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG cards?

Yes! If you purchase a Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha 12-month membership, you will get 4 Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG cards per year sent to your home! To guarantee shipment, current members can login to vizmanga.com and click on your username at the top of the page to visit your Profile page. From there, you must edit your Shipping address in the Change Account Settings and Privacy area.

Digital Magazine Subscription/Purchase

What is the digital magazine?

The digital magazine that members can access is called Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha. More information on the magazine is available at http://www.vizmanga.com/sj-weekly

What manga series are in the digital magazine, Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha?

Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha contains Bakuman, Bleach, Naruto, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, One Piece, and Toriko. The difference from the print magazine is that we are now publishing these series on a weekly basis; the series are now only 2 weeks behind the printed versions in Japan; and the content is now only available digitally through VIZ Manga’s website and apps.

How many pages is each issue of Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha?

A typical issue of Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha will be approximately 120 pages.

How frequently will Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha be released?

We will publish Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha almost every week. This comes to 48 issues per year because we will publish some double issues around the holidays.

How can I access Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha?

Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha is available online via vizmanga.com through any Flash-enabled browser (tablet, phone, or computer). In addition, for users that own an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, you can also read Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha through one of our VIZ Manga apps. To download the app, visit viz.com/apps.

Will Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha still have advertising?

Yes, that’s the intention. Obviously, advertising in a digital publication entails different approaches from print, which we’re looking into.

Why is Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha only available for rent?

Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha is our introduction to the manga universe. It brings together chapters from some of the most popular comics in the world and is an ideal way to sample what you may like. The $0.99 rental format provides a very low price to allow sampling of Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha.

In Japan, manga magazines are considered to be short-term offerings that can be discarded as the next issue arrives. If fans of the manga series want to maintain a permanent collection, both the digital and print options are available to them in the graphic novel format.

Where is Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha available?

Currently, Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha is only available in the U.S. and Canada.

Transitioning your Print Subscription

As a current print subscriber, if I sign up for Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha now, will I still receive the print version of SHONEN JUMP?

Yes, you will continue to receive the print version of SHONEN JUMP until the final issue, April 2012, or until your subscription would normally expire (whichever comes first).

Will current print subscribers automatically become Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha subscribers?

No, you will need to take action to switch your subscription to Alpha. To activate your Weekly SJ Alpha subscription:

1. Go to sjalpha.com/weeklysj.
2. Verify your SHONEN JUMP magazine subscriber status and set up a VIZ Manga account to activate your Alpha Membership.
3. An email is sent verifying your Alpha Member status.

What is the last issue of the print version of SHONEN JUMP?

The April 2012 issue (on sale in March 2012) will be the final print issue.

Will the content in the digital magazine start where the print version left off?

Unfortunately, the manga series will not start back up exactly where the print version ends. However, we have put together a synopsis of the missing storyline here, Warp Into SJ Alpha, so you can catch up. This may sound like a strange transition, but actually its good news for our readers because it means the new Alpha content is newer and more up-to-date with Japan.

How long will print subscribers get access to Alpha?

Once a print subscriber has completed the form at sjalpha.com/weeklysj, they will become an Alpha member and have access to Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha for the following subscription timeline:

• If you were an active print subscriber as of the April 2012 issue, you will have access to Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha through your print subscription.
• If your subscription ends with the August 2012 issue or before, you will get 6 months of Alpha. The term is from January 30th, 2012 to July 30th, 2012.
• If your subscription extends past the September 2012 issue, you will get 12 months of Alpha. The term is January 30, 2012 to January 28, 2013.

How do I find my print subscription account number?

When a current print subscriber switches to an Alpha membership, they will be asked for their Account Number. Your subscription account number can be found on the address label. This label is attached to the plastic bag your subscription issue comes in. (See image below.)

Additionally, you can call SHONEN JUMP Customer Service at 1-800-541-7919 to ask for your subscription account number. Note: this toll free number should only be used to information regarding a print subscriptions to SHONEN JUMP. Representatives will not be able to assist with information regarding the new SJ Alpha membership program.

How do people who don’t subscribe to the print magazine get access to Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha?

Go to vizmanga.com/sj-weekly and purchase either a four-week or a 12-month membership.

Digital Magazine Delivery

How can I access Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha?

Currently, Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha is only available for purchase online via vizmanga.com through any Flash-enabled browser (tablet, phone, or computer). Once purchase has been completed through vizmanga.com, users that own an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch can also read Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha through one of the VIZ Manga apps.

Will Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha be available on other devices (Android-based smartphones and tablets, Nook, Kindle Fire, etc.) in the future?

We are looking into building a native Android app in the near future. Until then, you can enjoy Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha through vizmanga.com on your computer or through any tablet/phone that supports Flash.

Is VIZ Media moving its entire publishing business to an all-digital format?

No, we are committed to delivering our content in as many formats and on as many devices as possible. Print manga continues to be central to our business. Expanding our digital distribution allows us to reach readers in new ways, providing them with more options to access these stories.