Kingdom Tops Oricon May 2026 Comics Chart

Oricon Inc. released its Monthly Comic Ranking for May 2026 on June 4, compiling estimated print sales from retail outlets across Japan for the period May 4–31. The list highlights strong new releases, continued dominance from long-running franchises, and notable shipments that shook the monthly standings. Below we break down the top performers, key trends, and what these rankings mean for manga readers and collectors heading into summer 2026.

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Image courtesy of Oricon Inc.

May 2026 Highlights: What Rose to the Top

The #1 spot in May went to Kingdom 79 with an impressive 356,559 copies sold during the month — a clear indicator of the series' continued popularity among seinen and historical-action readers. Not far behind, the third volume of Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo landed at #2 after shipping on May 1 and selling 204,299 copies in May (338,401 cumulative). Meanwhile, The Five Star Stories volume 19 debuted strongly at #3 after shipping on May 9, marking a big month for both new volumes and ongoing heavy-hitters.

Standout Releases and Ship Dates

  • Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo 3 — shipped May 1; monthly sales: 204,299 (cumulative 338,401).
  • The Five Star Stories 19 — shipped May 9; monthly sales: 173,809. (English release announced for later in 2026.)
  • Kingdom 79 — commanding the top rank with 356,559 copies sold in May.

Full Top 20 — Oricon Monthly Comic Ranking (May 2026)

Below is a condensed, publisher-agnostic listing of the top 20 print manga volumes in Japan for May 2026, with monthly and cumulative sales where reported.

Rank Title Author(s) Monthly Sales Cumulative Sales
1 Kingdom 79 Yasuhisa Hara 356,559 356,559
2 Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo 3 Art: Yuji Iwasaki / Original Story: Gege Akutami 204,299 338,401
3 The Five Star Stories 19 Mamoru Nagano 173,809 173,809
4 Kagurabachi 11 Takeru Hokazono 92,011 157,149
5 Blue Box 25 Kōji Miura 79,492 115,179
6 SAKAMOTO DAYS 27 Yūto Suzuki 76,203 113,865
7 ONE PIECE CHOPPER's 1 From "ONE PIECE" (Original Story: Eiichiro Oda) 64,457 385,099
8 Ichi the Witch 8 Art: Shiro Usazaki / Original Story: Osamu Nishi 63,092 100,291
9 A Sign of Affection 14 Suu Morishita 61,534 61,534
10 Blue Exorcist 34 Kazue Katō 58,991 82,444
11 Haimiya-senpai wa Kowakute Kawaii 2 Sumu Kamiyama 58,818 58,818
12 Honey Lemon Soda 31 Mayu Murata 56,442 56,442
13 By the Grace of the Gods 16 Original Story: Roy / Art: Ranran / Character Design: Ririnra 50,017 50,017
14 SPY×FAMILY 17 Tatsuya Endō 46,980 568,180
15 Blue Period 19 Tsubasa Yamaguchi 43,502 43,502
16 Blue Lock 38 Original Story: Muneyuki Kaneshiro / Art: Yūsuke Nomura 42,743 188,493
17 My Personal Weatherman 2 Nikke Taino 42,675 42,675
18 Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon 22 Art: Takafumi Oomae / Original Story: Shisui Meikyou 42,528 42,528
19 I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince... 23 Art: Yōsuke Kokuzawa / Original Story: Kenkyo na Circle 41,491 41,491
20 Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo 2 Art: Yuji Iwasaki / Original Story: Gege Akutami 39,574 407,769

Market Trends & What They Tell Us

1. Franchise Strength and New Volume Impact

Major franchises like Kingdom, SPY×FAMILY, and ONE PIECE-related spinoffs continue to push huge monthly numbers. New volumes — including side-series like Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo — can immediately climb near the top when release timing and fan anticipation align. Cumulative tallies (for example, SPY×FAMILY’s high cumulative figure) show how backlist demand plus new volumes sustain long-term sales velocity.

2. Diverse Genres Performing Well

The May chart mixes historical epics, dark fantasy, slice-of-life romance, sports manga, and isekai/light-novel adaptations. This indicates broad reader appetite across demographics: seinen historicals, shōnen action, josei/romance, and light-novel crossovers are all represented in the top 20.

3. Shipping Dates Matter

May releases with early-month ship dates (like Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo 3 on May 1) benefited from a full sales window within the Oricon reporting period. Titles shipping later in the month often see their main impact reported in the following month.

Where to Learn More

For the original Oricon announcement and full dataset, refer to the official Oricon release. View the Oricon report (nofollow).

Final thoughts

May 2026’s Oricon rankings reinforce that established franchises remain retail powerhouses while strategic new-volume releases from popular properties can quickly climb the charts. For collectors and casual readers alike, this month’s list is a reminder to watch release schedules closely — early-month shipments capture the largest share of reporting periods — and to keep an eye on both legacy series and fresh spin-offs. Whether you follow historical sagas, high-octane shōnen, or quiet romance, the diversity of May’s top 20 means there’s something new to discover this summer.

https://www.myanimeforlife.com/kingdom-tops-oricon-may-2026-comics-chart/?feed_id=227800&_unique_id=6a2e2fe979698

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