Manga’s a medium that has always been close to my heart. You can see so in my lists of the best horror manga, seinen manga, shonen manga and the best manga of all time.
It’s the mixture of great, sometimes weird and outlandish stories combined with fantastic visuals that makes the medium so enticing.
While there’s a plethora of different manga out there, I’ve always enjoyed works that are weirder, stranger, or downright surreal.
That’s why I put together a list of 20 weird manga that any manga fan should read.
Table of Contents
- 20. Fourteen
- 19. Devilman
- 18. Dead End
- 17. Gyo
- 16. Franken Fran
- 15. Lychee Light Club
- 14. Chainsaw Man
- 13. Keep on Vibrating
- 12. MPD Psycho
- 11. Soil
- 10. Hotel
- 9. Jagaaaaaan
- 8. Gantz
- 7. Dorohedoro
- 6. Homunculus
- 5. Freesia
- 4. Onani Master Kurosawa
- 3. Kamisama no Iutoori and Kamisama no Iutoori Ni
- 2. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean
- 1. Ultra Heaven
20. Fourteen
Kazuo Umezu is one of the biggest names in manga. He’s often called one, if not the most influential horror manga artist of all time.
His works, including God’s Left Hand, Devil’s Right Hand and The Drifting Classroom, are vastly popular. While many of them are weird, bizarre and outlandish, none of them are as weird as Fourteen. It’s a manga that’s defined by the word weird and is one of the most surreal and outlandish works I’ve ever come upon.
Fourteen is a manga set in a twisted and futuristic version of Earth. Our protagonist, at least for the first part, is Chicken George. He’s a hyper-intelligent chicken mutant who grew in a chicken production factory.
He declares he’s going to take revenge on humanity for their abuse of not only nature, but also animals.
As weird as this premise sounds, the manga itself is far, far weird and utterly ridiculous. Fourteen is one of the strangest, most surreal apocalypse stories I ever read. Sure, there’s Chicken George, but the manga’s full of so many strange things. He seems almost normal in contrast. The mange features green babies, a T-Rex-shaped space ship, all plant life dying and being replaced by props and even an alien invasion.
Kazuo Umezu presents all of this madness in his typical art style. It’s old-fashioned, simple and even ugly. Yet, it also shines, especially in the depiction of the strange futuristic earth or when disaster strikes.
Fourteen is an insanely bizarre and weird manga. It’s a surreal, almost nonsensical experience. And yet, I had a blast reading it, if only for how creative, surreal and stupid it was.
19. Devilman
Go Nagai’s Devilman was released in the early seventies and is the oldest manga on this list. It’s a strange dark tale and one of the weirdest manga I ever came upon.
The manga tells the story of Akira Fudou. After his friend Ryo Asuka learns of the existence of demons and the danger they present, he hatches a plan. He reasons that a human with a good heart might not only be able to control the demon possessing them, but might also use its power to fight them. The plan succeeds, Akira becomes possessed by the powerful demon Amon and can now transform into Devilman.
Given its premise, one might assume Devilman to be a simple, straightforward manga, but it’s much, much weirder. It centers on a variety of topics and soon shows that not only demons can commit evil.
The story of Devilman is weird. The tone and themes change markedly throughout the manga. While it starts off simple, the plot goes completely overboard in its later half. It’s a strange, beautiful mess that’s all over the place. It makes it almost apparent that even Go Nagai wasn’t sure what he wanted Devilman to be.
The weakest point of the manga is the art. It’s old-fashioned and cartoony. While this strange style can shine in certain regards, it’s never truly good.
In the end, Devilman is a weird manga, one of the weirdest I ever came upon. For all its faults, however, I still consider it a classic, one any manga fan should read.
18. Dead End
If you’ve looked at my list of the best manga of all time, you notice that I’m a big fan of the works of Manabe Shohei. Dead End is a surreal and weird manga, but it’s for those reasons I love it so much.
Shirou, our protagonist, is a construction worker leading a simple life. All this changes when he stumbles upon a mysterious, naked girl named Lucy. Tragedy strikes when he introduces her to his friends. After leaving the apartment for a few minutes, he finds Lucy missing, his friends dead and a mysterious man standing amongst the carnage.
Before Shirou can react, the man safes him from an explosion and urges him to flee into the sewers. Down there, Shirou meets another strange man. From here on out, the story starts, as Shirou gathers a rag-tag group of characters he supposedly knows from his past.
Dead End’s premise might sound strange, but the manga gets progressively weirder the longer it goes on. While it starts out as more of a thriller, it slowly introduces more fantastical elements before becoming downright surreal.
Manabe Shohei’s art style adds a lot to the strange feeling of this manga and can be best called unique. While backgrounds are gritty and detailed, his characters stand out for a different reason. They look much more realistic, but this design makes them also appear somewhat ugly. It takes a while to get used to this style, but it’s not bad.
Dead End is one of the most surreal and weird manga I ever read. If you’re a fan of raw, gritty and surreal works, this manga won’t disappoint.
17. Gyo
Junji Ito is one of my favorite manga artists of all time. If you’re interested in his works, I urge you to check out my article on his style and themes, or my list of the best Junji Ito stories.
While many of his works can be described as weird, Gyo is his weirdest.
Gyo is the Japanese word for fish. If you think you’re prepared for what’s coming, you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s one of the most absurd and weird manga I ever came upon.
Tadashi, our protagonist, goes on a vacation with his girlfriend, Kaori. She’s extremely sensitive to smells and one day complains about a disgusting, rotten smell. It isn’t long before the two of them find the source. It’s a fish, skittering through the apartment on robotic legs.
This fish is only the first of many other sea creatures, including sharks, to emerge from the depths.
When the two of them return to Tokyo, the manga’s story turns into a full-fledged apocalypse. Millions of sea creatures on robotic legs flood the city and spread the so-called death stench.
Gyo is a story like no other and one of the most creative works I’ve come upon. And yet, the manga has its flaws. The biggest is Junji Ito trying to explain the origin of the strange, robotic legs. While Gyo is an absurd story, Junji Ito’s explanation makes it downright ridiculous, almost silly.
The strongest points about Gyo are the fantastic art and the outlandish visuals. Especially the later parts of the manga are a horrific delight when bloated, disfigured humans shuffle through fog-covered streets.
While I have my problems with Gyo’s story, its sheer creativity and fantastic artwork make it worth reading for any fan of surreal and weird manga.
16. Franken Fran
Franken Fran is another fantastically weird manga. At times it can be disturbing, at others more satirical, but each chapter is weird.
The plot of the manga follows a girl named Fran. She was created by a brilliant surgeon and after he vanished, she’s taken over his work.
Franken Fran is an anthology of short, disturbing tales all involving Fran. Each chapter features another strange and unique incident she gets involved in.
Given that Fran’s a surgeon, most chapters depict medical and surgical procedures. These are presented to us in all their detail and are disturbing and unsettling to look at. What makes this even worse, however, are the results, which are often nothing short of horrific.
While Franken Fran is a horror manga, quite a few of its chapters are more satirical or humorous in tone. Yet, even those chapters are full of disturbing imagery.
Franken Fran is a weird manga, one that can be quite disturbing. Some of the manga’s chapters can be weaker, but when Franken Fran is at its best, it’s an outstanding work.
15. Lychee Light Club
Lychee Light Club is not only a disturbing but also an extremely weird manga. It’s reminiscent of the erotic gore work of Suehiro Maruo, and thus it’s full of explicit imagery and gore.
The plot of the manga tells the story of the members of the Lychee Light Club. Over two years, the club’s members created a robot called Lychee, which they programmed to bring them young girls.
The club, however, is anything but normal and its members have no problem committing many atrocities, including torture, mutilation, and even murder. Things get out of hand when their leader Zero becomes increasingly paranoid. This sets into motion a set of events that should lead to the club’s dire end.
Lychee Light Club is a manga that features a lot of disturbing imagery, copious amounts of gore, but it’s also an extremely weird manga.
The entire atmosphere of the manga’s surreal, the behavior of the characters almost comically psychopathic and there’s, of course, Lychee, the robot.
It’s a great read for those who are looking for a weird manga featuring lots of unsettling imagery and gore.
14. Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man is one of the most brutal and weird manga I ever read. It’s created by Fujimoto Tatsuki, who’s also known for his work, Fire Punch, an equally weird manga.
Chainsaw Man tells the story of Denji. He’s a simple young man who lives in a shack with his pet devil, Ponchita. He earns a living killing other devils for the yakuza. Devils are demons who escaped from hell and who wreak havoc on Earth.
When he’s killed by the yakuza, Ponchita fuses with his body to keep him from dying. This also allows him to transform into Chainsaw Man.
Before long, he catches the eye of the Public Safety Bureau and becomes an official devil hunter.
Chainsaw Man can be stupid, even ridiculous, but it’s also one of the most unique and creative manga I ever read. It’s full of strange imagery and brutal fights featuring violence galore and some of the best action I’ve ever seen.
What makes it such a weird manga is its characters and the various devils that appear throughout the story. They are as outlandish as they are scary to look at. Each one features a unique design and comes with powers that are as strange as they are terrifying.
Chainsaw Man is without a doubt one of the most creative manga I ever read. It features a unique, yet beautiful art style, fantastic action and a story that’s both weird and gripping. It’s a fantastical read and I recommend it to anyone.
13. Keep on Vibrating
I don’t know what it is I like so much about Keep on Vibrating by Jiro Matsumoto. It’s the only adult themed manga on this list and features sex, violence and a lot of surreal imagery.
Keep on Vibrating comprises only seven chapters, but they are all unique. The very first chapter of the manga is one of the weirdest and most surreal pieces of work I’ve ever witnessed. It’s the perfect introduction to the style and works of Jiro Matsumoto.
What makes Keep on Vibrating such a weird manga is the sheer surreality of the scenarios depicted in it. One chapter centers on a naked artist who might or might not hallucinate a man with a horse head. Others follow children wearing gas masks as they are playing in a shoddy, warn-torn world, a police officer trying to find a serial killer or a bizarre rendition of a Groundhog Day scenario.
All of this is presented in Jiro Matsumoto’s unique art style. It’s gritty, almost sketchy, but helps to bring forth the strange atmosphere of his world. There’s a strange contrast prevalent in Keep on Vibrating. While the imagery, the world and what’s happening are often disturbing, the dialogue is as mundane as it can be. It only serves to increase the surreal and unique feel of this work.
Keep on Vibrating is without a doubt an extremely weird manga. It’s different from anything else I’ve read, but there are glimpses of genius to be found here.
12. MPD Psycho
MPD Psycho by Eji Otsuka and Shouu Tajima is a complex psychological manga featuring copious amounts of shocking imagery.
It’s the story of a detective named Kazuhiko Amamiya who suffers from multiple personality disorder. Over the course of the first chapters, we witness as Amamiya investigates various sick murder cases.
In time, however, it turns into a truly weird manga when a complex, at times confusing, overarching plot is introduced. This plot is not only related to Amamiya, but various other characters and involves an ominous woman known as Lucy Monostone.
While the manga is full of shocking imagery, it’s also a highly psychological thriller.
What makes it such a weird manga is not only the plot but also Amamiya’s unique condition. While the manga’s always interesting and full of suspense, keeping up with his different personalities and their aims can be hard.
Even though I enjoyed this manga. It’s a sick, twisted and dark manga, but it features one of the most complex and interesting plots I’ve come upon. If you’re a fan of weird manga and dark thrillers, read MPD Psycho.
11. Soil
You sometimes come upon a piece of work that makes you wonder what you just experienced and why you enjoyed it so much. This statement fits Soil by Atushi Kankeo to the point. It’s an incredibly weird manga, most likely the weirdest on this entire list.
The story of the manga centers on Soil New Town. When a family vanishes without a trace, two detectives are called to investigate. They are quite the special characters to say the least. At first, the case appears a routine one, but as the manga continues, the story becomes nothing short of surreal.
Soil is a manga that’s as different as it is refreshing. The manga’s so full of weird ideas and surreal imagery, one can’t help but be impressed by it. Yet, this weirdness is also one of Soil’s biggest problems. The manga’s more an exercise of the surreal than a coherent story. This becomes especially prevalent in the latter half when the manga’s strangeness goes completely overboard.
Soils art is as unique as the manga itself. At first it might appear simplistic, even amateurish, but after a while one can see it as what it is, different and unique. This art especially shines in the depiction of the weird and surreal place Soil New Town becomes.
Soil is an incredibly weird manga, but it’s worth picking up for this exact reason. There are few manga as surreal. The only thing that comes close to the sheer random madness of Soil is Uzumaki by Junji Ito.
If you’re looking for a surreal and weird manga, you won’t be disappointed by Soil.
10. Hotel
Hotel by Boichi is one of the greatest collection of one-shots I ever read.
Each chapter of this weird collection features Boichi’s outstanding and beautifully drawn art. While the individual stories vary in quality, I enjoyed all of them.
While none of the stories in this manga are related per se, one can still find some thematically links about all of them.
The first chapter featuring the titular Hotel and the AI controlling it is already weird enough. Things get out of hand in chapter three and four. They feature some stellar visuals, but the stories depicted are as weird and surreal as they can get.
Yet, all those chapters are rendered in beautiful detail. Chapter five stands out especially. While it doesn’t feature much of a story, it’s drawn in stunning full color.
Apart from Keep on Vibrating, Hotel is the only other collection of one-shots on this list of weird manga.
It’s a fantastic experience. Some stories in Hotel are emotional while others are more surreal or even funny. They are, however, all interesting.
Hotel is a weird manga, a quick read, but well worth the time spent because of Boichi’s outstanding art.
9. Jagaaaaaan
Jagaaaaaan by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Kensuke Nishida is another strange and weird manga.
It tells the story of Shintaro Jagasaki. He leads a normal, boring life and works as a police officer. One day, when escorting home a drunk on a train, he bears witness to an office worker growing increasingly madder. Eventually, the man turns into a monster and beings mauling the train’s other passengers. Jagasaki’s able to take out the creature by shooting a beam from his hand. He soon learns that not only the office worker, but he too is a fractured human. From this point onward, Jagasaki uses his new powers to hunt down and take out other fractured humans.
Jagaaaaaan is a weird manga, one full of outlandish characters, disturbing scenarios and grotesque monsters.
What makes this manga stand out is the fantastic art by Kensuke Nishida. It’s most prevalent in the many fractured humans we see throughout the series. Their design is as outlandish as it is creative.
Yet, Jagaaaaaan is such a weird manga for a variety of reasons. First are its characters. Jagasaki is a weird, but so are many other members of the cast. They include a fun-loving, psychotic nihilist, a man obsessed with justice who wants to be a hero and a young man who transforms into and takes over the life of a young girl.
Jagaaaaaan is as strange and weird a manga as it sounds, but it’s also a lot of fun. It’s full of action, features lots of gore, but also many other unsettling events.
There’s an atmosphere to this manga, an air surrounding it that makes it so surreal and unique. Jagaaaaaan is a fantastic manga, one I truly enjoyed.
8. Gantz
Gantz is one of the most insane and weird manga of all time and I love it.
It’s the story of Kei Kurono. One day, he and his childhood friend Masaru Katou die in a tragic train accident. This, however, is only the start of the story because soon after the two of them awaken in what appears to be a Tokyo apartment. In there they find a group of other people, but also a black sphere called Gantz. It soon informs them that their lives are over and they are now tasked with hunting down aliens who live hidden amongst humans. Soon after, they are teleported outside and the first of many brutal missions begins.
Gantz is a gritty and brutal story full of glorified gore and fluid action. It depicts an extremely weird scenario, one underlined by the often outlandish aliens.
The greatest part about Gantz is the fantastic art. Each mission is action-packed and fights are rendered in stunning and beautiful detail. These missions are always brutal. Many of the participants don’t know what’s going on and become nothing more than cannon fodder. They are torn apart, shredded to pieces and even devoured by aliens.
Yet, it’s not only the premise that makes Gantz such a weird manga. Gantz’s entire world and the events depicted are nothing short of crazy. We bear witness to severe bullying, rape, a mass shooting, and even vampires. It’s nothing short of beautiful madness.
While the manga can be ridiculous at times, the plot nonsensical, it’s one of the greatest action manga of all time featuring a set of fantastic characters.
7. Dorohedoro
Anyone familiar with the works of Q Hayashide knows her manga are weird, extremely weird. Dorohedoro is no different. No, it’s without a doubt one of the weirdest manga I ever read.
While it’s set in a grim dark world full of gore and graphical violence, it’s also full of humor. There’s an air of lightheartedness about the carnage we witness that makes reading Dorohedoro an entirely surreal experience.
It’s the story of Kaiman, an amnesiac with the head of a reptilian. He lives in the derelict city of Hole which is connected to the Sorcerer’s World. The inhabitants of this world are magic users and often visit Hole to test their powers. As a result, many of Hole’s inhabitants are transformed, mutilated or even murdered.
Kaiman believes a magic user caused his condition and thus hunts them down relentlessly to figure out who he is.
As weird as this premise sounds, the manga itself proves to be even weirder. Describing the plot of Dorohedoro is a thing of impossibility because of the sheer creativity and originality that went into it. It’s a work of surreal madness.
The same is true for the characters. Be it the transformed inhabitants of Hole or the outlandish characters populating the Sorcerer’s World, they are all weirdos in their own right.
Yet, as weird as Dorohedoro is, it’s also beautiful. Both the surreal Sorcerer’s World and the run-down city of Hole are rendered in stunning detail.
Dorohedoro is a weird manga, one full of beautiful art and brutal, graphical violence. It’s a dark and twisted story, one full of increasingly disturbing events, yet presented in almost comedic lightheartedness.
Not much has to be said about Dorohedoro. It’s a surreal masterpiece.
6. Homunculus
Homunculus is an extremely weird manga by Hideo Yamamoto, the creator of Ichi the Killer. While Ichi the Killer is disturbing, Homunculus is nothing short of surreal.
Susumu Nakoshi is a young, homeless man living in his car. One day, he encounters a young medical student, Manabu Ito, who researches the process of trepanation. When asked, Nakoshi agrees to become his test subject and undergoes the procedure.
As if this premise wasn’t weird enough already, the result of the operation proves even weirder. When Nakoshi looks at people with only his left eye, he sees distorted versions of them. These versions soon become referred to as homunculi.
Over the course of the manga, the story becomes progressively weirder. There are, of course, the homunculi who’re weird in their own right. What makes the manga even weirder, however, is the story itself and the many psychological themes it features.
Homunculus’ plot can almost be called unpredictable. It’s more a character study than a story and slowly turns into a man’s descent into madness.
Hideo Yamamoto’s art is fantastic. It features many disturbing scenes, yet others which are surreal, almost abstract. The greatest part about this manga, however, is the grotesque homunculi.
Homunculus is one of the most surreal and weird manga I ever read. It features two extremely complex characters, an entirely unique scenario and an unrestrained narrative.
It’s a surreal, and creative masterpiece, one any fan of weird manga should read.
5. Freesia
Freesia is the second manga by Jiro Matsumoto and it’s an even weirder manga than Keep on Vibrating, yet for different reasons.
It’s set in a dark, dystopian version of Japan where a law is passed which legalizes retaliatory killings. Should a loved ones be murdered, you may take justice into your own hands, or hire someone who does it for you.
Kano, our protagonist, works for an agency which specializes in retaliatory killings. One might assume Freesia’s a bloody manga about retaliatory killings, but it focuses more on the personal stories of the targets than action. This makes us sympathize with them, and their end a tragedy in its own right.
Freesia’s Japan is a dark, gloomy place, one filled with a perpetual feeling of depression. It’s a story that’s populated by nothing but broken, damaged and mentally ill people.
This is more than true for Kano. He suffers from schizophrenia, hallucination and memory failure. What makes Freesia such a weird manga is how it presents this to us. We don’t merely see how Kano acts. Instead, the manga shows us the world he sees. It’s a surreal world, one that makes no sense and makes us wonder just what we’re seeing.
Yet, Kano isn’t the only member of our cast who suffers from mental problems. Many others seem to suffer from delusions of their own. Similar to Kano, these are presented to us as real and it can often cause confusion. It’s only when we understand what’s going on that things become clear to us.
Freesia is a brilliant work, one that showcases mental illness different from any other manga I’ve read. It makes it a surreal, irritating and weird manga, but also one I loved reading.
4. Onani Master Kurosawa
Onani Master Kurosawa by Katsura Ise and Takuma Yokota can be translated as Masturbation Master Kurosawa. As you can tell from the title, it’s a weird manga, one I loved reading.
When I first heard about it, I was intrigued by the title, but assumed it would be nothing but a big, perverted joke. Instead, it turned out to be one of the greatest, most heartfelt stories ever.
Kakeru Kurosawa, our main character, is an anti-social loner. What makes him special is a peculiar habit. Once classes are over, he retreats to a seldom-used bathroom at school and masturbates.
When he witnesses the bullying of his timid, mousy classmate Aya Kitahara by one of the popular girls, he takes revenge into his own hands, by doing what he does best.
It’s this scenario, this idea that makes Onani Master Kurosawa such a weird manga. Yet, while it starts out as a humorous, perverted tale centered on masturbation-based justice, it gradually evolves and becomes more serious.
It turns from a perverted tale into a sweet, inspiring coming-of-age story that tackles a variety of topics.
Another reason I love it so much was Kurosawa himself. While he starts off as a rather perverted individual, he turns into one of the most likeable and believable characters ever.
Onani Master Kurosawa is, without a doubt, a weird manga, but it turned out to be one of the biggest surprises ever. By now, I consider it one of the best manga I ever read.
3. Kamisama no Iutoori and Kamisama no Iutoori Ni
Kamisama no Iutoori and its sequel by Kaneshiro Muneyuki are two of the weirdest manga of all time, but some of my absolute favorites.
It’s a death game manga, and one of the best the genre offers.
The story begins with Takahata Shun. He’s a normal high school student and is incredibly bored with his life. This boredom ends when his teacher’s head explodes, a Daruma doll appears, and the very first death game in the series begins.
As the manga continues, we’re introduced to a set of fascinating characters and bear witness to a variety of incredible weird death games.
Yet, it’s not only the games who are weird, many of the characters featured in this manga are weird as well. The two most notable examples are Amamiya and Ushimitsu.
What I loved the most was how the manga handled its characters. It was never shy about killing them and does so at the most unexpected moments. It’s often the case that we’re introduced to a new character only to witness their demise soon after. There’s this unforgiving atmosphere to the manga, but also a strange sense of humor.
While the art in the first part isn’t the greatest, it improves vastly in the second part. Near the end, many of its panels and page spreads are absolutely gorgeous to look at.
Overall, I had an absolute blast reading this weird manga and enjoyed it immensely. It might not be for everyone, given how weird and surreal it can be, but if you like death games, this magna is as good as it gets.
2. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean
With a title like that, one can already expect that Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki is a weird manga.
While Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure was always a weird manga, featuring vampires, Aztec super humans and Nazi cyborgs, things became truly bizarre when stands were introduced.
They first appeared in its third part, the much-beloved Stardust Crusaders. It’s here, where stands first appear. They are a manifestation of a person’s life force, take on the form of an ethereal figure and possess superhuman powers.
One might assume that so-called stand-users are akin to superheroes, but one couldn’t be more wrong. The powers of stands are as weird as the manga itself. They can take on the form of game consoles, transform people into snails or even turn back time, amongst other things.
While all parts of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure are weird to a degree, Part 6: Stone Ocean has to be the weirdest.
The story follows Jolyne Cujoh, the daughter of Joutarou Kuujou, the protagonist of Stardust Crusaders. After she’s framed for murder, she’s sent to Dolphin Street Jail. It soon becomes obvious that a disciple of Dio Brando framed her, and her incarceration is only a small part of the man’s true plan.
Jojo’s Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean features an assortment of weird characters, enemies and stands, but its ending is by far the weirdest event in the entire manga.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is a fantastic series of weird manga. It’s one of the longest running manga of all time, but also one of the best. Any fan of weird manga and manga in general should check it out. It’s well worth reading.
1. Ultra Heaven
Reading Ultra Heaven was an experience like no other. It’s a psychedelic manga and one of the most stunning works in the entire medium.
The manga’s set in a dystopian future. In this world, feelings can be artificially created and be consumed as drugs.
Kabu, our protagonist, is addicted to these types of drugs. Before long, however, he learns of a new illegal substance, one called Ultra Heaven. When a man offers to sell it to him, Kabu accepts.
What follows is one of the craziest, most creative depictions of a trip I’ve ever seen. The visuals, the art and the presentation are unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed.
What makes Ultra Heaven such a great, but also weird manga, is the art. We’re presented with a gritty setting and detailed characters, but that’s not what makes it special. It’s the way it showcases drug usage and the hallucinations that come with it.
Most manga are presented by usage of organized, rectangular panels. Not so Ultra Heaven. No, it breaks this convention entirely. When Kabu suffers from an altered mind, be it by drugs or later meditation, the shapes of panels distort, similar to his mental state. Organized panels turn into twisting spirals, start running into each other or become nothing but pure chaos. It gives the entire manga a disorienting, surreal, and almost crazy feeling, but perfectly showcases what’s going on.
While the first and second chapter are weird enough, things go absolutely crazy in the third chapter. Before, the manga focused on drugs, drug usage and the resulting trips. In chapter three, the manga focuses on meditation and the mind altering effect it can have.
Ultra Heaven is a manga like no other. It’s without a doubt an incredibly weird manga, but also a visual masterpiece.