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What is a one-shot manga?

If you have been in the manga industry or have done a lot of searching for new manga, you have likely come across what is called a "one-shot manga". So, what is it? One-shots can loosely be defined as comics and magas that are published as a self-contained story. They generally are one chapter or otherwise very short.


But... What is the difference between a one shot (called Yomikiri in the Japanese manga industry) and normal manga series?


For starters, one-shots don't have a series. In its simplest definition, a one-shot (as its name implies) is a short story. They will often include only a single chapter, some will include more than one chapter, but the story does not continue beyond the one-shot. However, this is only true so long as there is not a story that derives from or is inspired by the one-shot. A lot of the time they will be used to gauge interest in a story or they will be used for manga contests. In these cases, the story may continue in it's own separate series. Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach all started as one-shots prior to their fame and success in the anime industry.




One-shots can also be used after the ending of a manga, as a sort of spinoff. Bleach had a one-shot titled No Breaths from Hell (pictured above) that took place after the end of the series with Ichigo's kid.


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