I read mana books, stories published online, but I also enjoy reading manga. It’s a medium I’ve loved for years. Amazing manga stand out not only for their story but also for breathtaking visuals.
The reason manga are so interesting is the combination of cultural differences, unique stories, and visuals.
I’ve read hundreds of manga, but I noticed their quality can vary. Because of this, I created a list of twenty-five amazing manga. While some of the manga on this list might be popular and well-known, I believe there’s also some hidden gems.
Ichi the Killer by Hideo Yamamoto is amongst the most depraved and sick manga out there. It’s also one of my favorites.
The manga concerns two characters. One is the twisted, insane yakuza Kakihara, the other Ichi, the titular killer. The story starts when Kakihara’s boss goes missing. This event sets into motion a brutal search, bringing Kakihara into conflict with other yakuza groups, but also leads to a confrontation with Ichi.
The most interesting part about Ichi and Kakihara, however, is how different they are. They are polar opposites and it’s this distinction that helps to bring forth tension, but also makes the manga much more interesting.
Ichi the Killer features copious amounts of violence, including torture, rape and murder, but it’s not a mere gore fest. It’s a deep, psychological masterpiece about the interplay between masochism and sadism, childhood abuse and identity disorder. All these themes are mixed into a manga as brutal as it is compelling.
What makes Ichi the Killer work so well is the raw violence it features. Its characters aren’t normal people, but the most depraved and twisted inhabitants of society’s underbelly. It shows us all those people, their depravity, how far they will go to reach their goals, and filters none of it. It’s a manga as sick as it’s satisfying.
Ichi the Killer’s not for the faint of heart. It’s fucked up, brutal, and often downright disgusting. Yet, it’s also one of the deepest, psychological and amazing manga of all time.
Kingdom by Yasuhiro Hara is an amazing manga and one of the best in the history and military genre.
It’s set during the Warring States era of China and aims to detail the unification of China under the state of Qin. Shin, our protagonist, is a young servant boy who becomes entangled in the matters of state. After helping the soon-to-be king of Qin, Ei Sei, he sets out to become a Great General under the Heavens.
Kingdom’s focus is on the many large-scale battles so common during the Warring States era, and presents them in intricate detail. What makes Kingdom such an amazing manga, however, is the showcasing of strategies and tactics. The manga details the various engagements, strategic finesse, tactics deployed, but also the brutality of these battles.
Kingdom also outlines important political events. The most notable of those being the power struggle between Ei Sei and Ryo Fui.
Kingdom’s art starts out average. During the first arc, it’s merely decent. This changes in later parts when we witness the many large-scale engagements and see the giant, walled cities of ancient China. They are a marvel to look at.
Kingdom’s biggest problem is its protagonist. Shin is rather clichéd and more a shonen protagonist. He’s a young hothead, not smart, and aims for the top because it’s the top.
Apart from him, however, the manga features many other fantastic characters, for example Kanki, Riboku, Ryo Fui and General Ou Ki.
Kingdom’s first arc, the Sei Kyo Rebellion arc, is easily its worst. While it was interesting, it felt more like a shonen manga. All that changed during the first large scale battle.
Kingdom’s an amazing historical manga, and one of the greatest military manga of all time.
Manabe Shouhei’s Yamikin Ushijima-kun’s a manga about illegal money lending. While it’s an amazing manga, it’s also a very dark one. People are being betrayed, tortured and even use their life.
Kaoru Ushijima is a money lender. He offers cash loans with an interest rate of fifty percent to be paid back within ten days. Who’d accept such an outrageous loan? Those who are drowning in debt, or who gave into their various vices.
As the manga continues, we follow Ushijima as he makes sure he’s paid back at all costs and takes from people everything they have. He’s not shy about using identity theft, extortion, and even prostitution. And every once in a while, he might even set an example for those who think they can get away.
Interestingly enough, it’s often hard to feel sympathy for any of these characters. While Ushijima’s not a good guy, one can’t help but root for him.
This changes in later arcs, when the manga focuses more on other characters, detailing their life, and the reasons that eventually drive them to visit Ushijima’s office. Many of these stories are tragedies, and we watch as misery and trouble are piling up on people until there’s no way out. Yet, there are the occasional glimmers of hope that can be found as well.
The art style in Yamikin Ushijima-kun is unique. It’s not as refined and as that of other manga, and can best be described as gritty and dirty. For a manga like this, however, that focuses on the dregs of society, it’s perfect and helps so much to set the tone.
Yamikin Ushijima-kun is a fascinating, dark and amazing manga, especially for those who are interested in crime and the dark underbelly of society.
Gantz is one of the most insane and amazing manga out there.
One day, Kei Korono and his childhood friend Masaru Katou die in a tragic train accident. Yet, mere moments later, they arrive in a Tokyo apartment. It’s populated by various other people, and in the room’s center is a black sphere. It’s called Gantz, and it informs them it’s now their mission to go out and hunt down aliens who live amongst humans. Before anyone can react, they are teleported outside. Thus, the first mission begins.
Gantz is a brutal manga about hunting aliens, and full of fluid action and glorified gore. While the very first mission only features two aliens, the stakes throughout the manga are constantly rising. Later missions feature huge amounts of creatures that are as dangerous as they are outlandish.
What makes Gantz so amazing is the action and the art. Gantz comes with some of the most dynamic action, and it’s all rendered in beautiful detail and stunning to look at. The same is true for the many aliens. Gantz’s monster design is amongst the greatest in all of manga.
Another reason Gantz stands out is because of its protagonist, Kurono. He starts out as an egoistic, unlikeable teenager, but develops tremendously throughout the manga. It’s a delight to witness him grow and eventually become the leader of the Gantz team.
The world of Gantz is dark, and this is not exclusive to the missions. We bear witness to severe bullying, rape and even a mass shooting.
And yet, Gantz is an action-packed masterpiece and one of the most amazing manga out there. It’s nothing short of weird, insane, and gory madness.
Shinobu Kaitani’s Liar Game is amongst the best mind game manga out there.
We meet Nao Kanzaki, an extremely honest girl who finds herself a contestant in the Liar Game, a game of deceit with stakes in the hundreds of millions.
It’s not long before Nao’s tricked, but finds help from the genius swindler Akiyama.
Liar Game’s such an amazing manga because of the games featured in it. While they might start out simple, they become more and more complex the longer the manga continues on.
Yet, it’s not so much the games themselves, but the many ploys, tricks and strategies employed by the characters that make them so great. It’s nothing short of amazing to watch them out-play each other repeatedly over the course of a single game.
This is most noticeable during the Contraband Game and the Musical Chair Game, which were absolutely amazing. Yet, this wasn’t solely because of how these two games were constructed, but also because of certain characters they featured.
Most characters in Liar Game represent a certain character type, and many of them are easily out-played by Akiyama. Yet, the Contraband Game introduces us to Yokoya and the Musical Chairs Game to Harimoto. Both of them were formidable adversaries and a match for Akiyama. This made these games much more interesting and suspenseful.
Liar Game’s a well-written and absolutely amazing manga. It features complex games, clever strategies, and great characters. If you’re a fan of mind game manga, read it. It’s the best mind game manga out there.
Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Hikaru Araki’s Bokutachi ga Yarimashita’s one of the darkest, most amazing manga of all time.
It centers on Tobio Masubuchi, and his three friends Isami, Maru, and Paisen. One day, Maru gets in trouble with delinquents from a neighboring school, and is beaten up. Promptly, the friends hatch a plan for revenge.
What they planned to be nothing but a prank, turns into deadly reality. In an instant, their normal, every day lives ended.
Bokutachi ga Yarimashita is extremely well-written. It’s a story that centers on a variety of psychological themes, the most important being guilt and redemption. It’s these themes that make Bokutachi ga Yarimashita such a dark, depressing, yet amazing magna.
Reading this manga was quite the unique experience. Bokutachi ga Yarimashita’s plot is ripe with tension, but most of all, it will make you uncomfortable on a deeply psychological level.
The writing, the storytelling and pacing are nothing short of brilliant, but more so are the characters. It’s a manga that’s almost entirely character driven. These characters, however, aren’t heroes, they are normal, every day people. They are immature, weak, and never thought about the consequences of their actions.
It’s interesting to see how these types of people handle the events happening in this manga, and the toll it takes on their emotions and psyche.
Bokutachi ga Yarimashita’s a realistic tale. It shows us there are no magical endings in real life. Instead, life goes on, and you’ll have to live and come to terms with the consequences of your actions.
Bokutachi ga Yarimashita is a fantastically dark, suspenseful and amazing manga. It gives readers one of the deepest looks into the human psyche.
Homunculus is another masterpiece by the creator of Ichi the Killer, Hideo Yamamoto. Where Ichi the Killer’s disturbing, Homunculus’s surreal.
The story centers on Susumu Nakoshi, a young homeless man who lives in his car. One day, Manabu Ito, a young medical student, approaches him. He researches the process of trepanation, and is looking for a test subject to undergo the process. Eventually, Nakoshi agrees.
While this premise is odd enough, the results of the operation are even stranger. From this point on, whenever Nakoshi covers his left eye, he sees distorted versions of people, which are referred to as homunculi.
As the manga continues, the story only gets weirder. While there are the homunculi, which are weird in their own right, the manga’s plot discusses a variety of deeper, psychological themes.
This plot, however, is almost unpredictable, and more a character study, one that slowly turns into a man’s descent into madness.
The art all throughout Homunculus is nothing short of fantastic. While it features its fair share of disturbing and explicit scenes, it’s also full of surreal and even abstract ones. Yet, the most outstanding thing in this manga is, without a doubt, the grotesque homunculi.
Homunculus is an amazing manga. It’s a work of surreal fiction, featuring two extremely complex characters, a unique scenario and an unrestrained, yet deeply interesting narrative.
Haro Aso’s Alice in Borderland is an amazing manga about death games and one of the best the genre offers.
Ryohei Arisu tries his best to avoid thinking about the future. One night, he and his friends Chota and Karube witness first fireworks and then a blinding explosion. Moments later, they find themselves in a different world. This world’s Borderland, where people are forced to take part in deadly games or die.
The greatest part about Alice in Borderland is that games differ not only by type but also by difficulty. Each game is tailored towards specific qualities; some require intellect, others might require physical fitness.
Yet it’s still a manga about death games, and these games are as brutal as they are unforgiving.
One of the best things about Alice in Borderland is the characters, especially Arisu. He’s not only a fantastic protagonist but also a realistic one. While he’s resourceful and smart, he’s not a genius. He’s also a rather somber character, one surrounded by a deep-set melancholy. He’s not the type to fight ruthlessly or until it kills him. All this, however, makes him so complex and interesting.
The same is true for many of the side characters. Yet, in later parts, the manga focuses on them a little too much. It gives Alice in Borderland an almost episodic, rather unrestrained feeling.
Another problem’s the ending. While it worked well and there wasn’t much of a different choice, it still felt rather anti-climactic.
Even though Alice in Borderland is one of the best death game and survival manga. If you like this genre, read this amazing manga.
Jiro Matsumoto’s Freesia’s an amazing manga set in a dystopian Japan in which retaliatory killings are legal. This means, when a loved one’s murdered, you can hire someone to take revenge, or even take justice into your own hands.
Kano, our protagonist, works for an agency which specializes in retaliatory killings.
Reading this, one might think Freesia to be a manga about bloody retaliatory killings, but it’s so much more. The manga’s focus is not so much on the killings, but on the target’s background and personal story. These individual stories are well written, make us sympathize with the characters, and their death into genuine tragedies.
The manga’s setting is gloomy, dark and depressing. Similarly, the cast is full of broken and mentally ill people.
Especially Kano stands out. He’s a character suffering from memory failure, schizophrenia, and hallucinations. Yet, Freesia goes further than just presenting these issues to us. Instead, we see the world through Kano’s eyes, making the entire manga a surreal experience. It also constantly makes us wonder what’s real and what isn’t.
Kano’s not the only one suffering from mental problems, however. Many other members of the cast are plagued by delusions and hallucinations. These, too, are presented to us at face value, and as with Kano, we only understand what’s truly going on when we get a rare glimpse at reality.
Freesia’s a brilliant masterpiece. It’s a dark, depressing work, but also an amazing manga. It presents mental illness in a light I’ve never encountered in another manga before.
Akeji Fujimura and Kaneshiro Muneyuki’s Kamisama no Iutoori and its sequel are two of the weirdest manga out there.
They center on death games, and are amongst the best the genre offers, yet they stand out for how weird, almost surreal they are.
Takahata Shun is a normal high school student, and incredibly bored with his life. One morning, his teacher’s head explodes, a Daruma doll appears, and the very first death game in the series begins.
Over the course of the manga, we’re introduced to a cast of fantastic characters, and witness death games that get progressively weirder and more complex.
It’s, however, not only the games that are weird. Kamisama no Iutoori’s cast of characters is populated by some of the most eccentric weirdos in all of manga, especially Amamiya and Ushimitsu.
The greatest thing about the series, however, is how it handles these characters. Apart from one notable example, it’s never shy about killing them off and does so at the most unexpected moments. More than once, we’re introduced to a new character, see their backstory before they are unceremoniously killed. This gives the manga an unforgiving, but also strangely humorous, atmosphere.
Kamisama no Iutoori’s art is mostly average, but it improves vastly in its second part. Especially near the end, the manga features some of the most stunning and gorgeous page spreads in all of manga.
Kamisama no Iutoori and its sequel are a strange series, yet they are also incredibly enjoyable. If you’re a fan of death games, especially the weirder kind, read this manga.
In horror manga, there’s no name as popular as Junji Ito. His horror collection is amongst the best works of Japanese horror of all times.
It comprises mostly terrifying one-shots, but also includes some of his longer works, notably Tomie and his adaption of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. If you’re interested in learning more about Junji Ito’s work, check out my article on my favorite Junji Ito stories.
This collection is full of outstanding works, for example Long Dream, Hanging Balloons, The Lovesick Dead or my Dear Ancestors, to name a few.
Ito’s work stands out so much because of his beautiful and unique art style. He’s a master of the craft and his works are full of gruesome imagery, violence and gore. One of the most prevalent themes in his works is that of body horror. We witness people being distorted, twisted, and changed into outlandish abominations. If you want to learn more about this, read my article on his style, his themes and how he scares us.
Ito’s characters, however, aren’t heroes. They are mundane nobodies who go about their normal lives until they stumble upon horrific and outlandish situations.
These horrific situations, however, are also special. Ito’s work is seldom about monsters or killers. Instead, his horror comes from things as mundane as his characters: dreams, love, hair, and even musical records.
Junji Ito’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Japanese horror mangaka and his horror collection is an amazing manga worth reading for any horror fan.
Sometimes, a short tale can be much more brilliant than longer works. Kenji Tsuruta’s Omoide Emanon is one such work and an amazing manga. This short, beautiful tale is based on the novel by Shinji Kajio.
When a young man returns home from his travels via ferry, he meets a beautiful young woman who introduces herself as Emanon. The two of them soon begin talking.
When he invites her to dinner, she tells him an unbelievable story about herself.
What makes Omoide Emanon so special is the warm, solemn atmosphere so prevalent throughout the entire work. It might be the way our characters meet, or the reason the young man returns home; it all fits perfectly.
Omoide Emanon’s art is nothing short of beautiful, but focuses on presenting us with realistic characters. Emanon stands out the most. She’s charismatic, rendered in beautiful detail, and there’s this ominous aura to her. Yet, she’s not unreasonably beautiful, but is painted entirely realistically.
What makes this such an amazing manga are the emotions conveyed in this one, single volume. Omoide Emanon had a much bigger impact on me than many other longer series.
We get nothing but a glimpse into the life of two characters, and witness nothing but a chance meeting.
Yet, it’s these small things, those little chance meetings that stay with us the longest, and Omoide Emanon might just be one of them.
Katsura Ise and Takuma Yokota’s Onani Master Kurosawa’s one of the biggest surprises in the entire manga industry. One would expect it to be nothing but a big, perverted joke, but that’s far from what this manga truly is.
We meet Kakeru Kurosawa, a fourteen-year-old student with a peculiar habit. When classes are over for the day, he retreats to a seldom-used school bathroom to masturbate.
When his mousy classmate Aya Kitahara is bullied by some of the popular girls, he takes revenge into his own hands.
Soon enough, Kitahara figures out he was behind the incident. Instead of thanking him, however, she blackmails him and forces him to do the same thing to other girls who bullied her.
In its earlier chapters, Onani Master Kurosawa’s rather humorous and considered a parody of Death Note. Before long, however, the story matures and becomes one of the most inspiring coming-of-age tales in the entire industry.
The reason this manga’s so good is mostly because of its characters. Especially Kurosawa stands out as one of the best, most believable and eventually likeable characters in all of manga. He might start out as an anti-social pervert, but develops tremendously.
For all his faults, he’s an extremely relatable character, and his development is incredibly well done. We’re not merely witnessing what happens, or how he feels, we learn to understand him. There’s a sort of intimacy between reader and Kurosawa that makes this such an amazing manga. This is also true for many of the side-characters, like Kitahara, Takigawa and even Sugawa.
Onani Master Kurosawa’s one of the most amazing manga I’ve ever come upon. What started out as a perverted joke manga about masturbation turned into a sweet and complex coming-of-age tale.
Tsutomu Nihei’s Biomega’s a mixture of science-fiction, cyberpunk and zombie apocalypse.
Zouichi Kano and his AI companion, Fuyu Kanoe, are sent out to retrieve a human immune from the N5S virus. This virus is rapidly spreading across the world and all infected by it become zombie-like beings known as drones.
As the story progresses, we’re introduced to various characters and factions. The most notable of them is the DRF, under the leadership of Niardi.
Biomega’s set in a futuristic world and full of cyberpunk madness. Tsutomu Nihei’s art is nothing short of gorgeous. It’s gritty, raw and features his typical, detailed, wide-reaching architecture. It’s a world populated by stunning cybernetic horrors and crazy futuristic technology.
Biomega stands out amongst other manga in terms of pacing and storytelling.
Biomega’s pacing’s insane. The first half of the manga consists almost entirely of action and is incredibly fast paced. While the action’s always fluid, the pacing can make it hard to keep up with what’s going on in the manga’s story.
Even more so than Blame! Biomega’s story’s almost entirely told via visuals. A division between art and story’s impossible.
Biomega’s most notable, but also problematic part, however, is a shift that happens in the middle of the manga. The setting, the atmosphere, and even the art style change vastly in its second half. What starts out as a fast-paced cyberpunk apocalypse becomes a somber, cyberpunk-fantasy story. Another problem’s the ending which brings the story to a close, but feels strangely out of place and somewhat rushed.
Still, while Biomega has its problems, and the story can be weird, it’s still an amazing manga. I highly recommend it to any fan of science-fiction and especially cyberpunk.
Smuggler’s a short, one-volume manga by Manabe Shohei, but also his best work to date.
Yosuke Kinuta’s a failed actor. After he landed himself in serious debt, he’s forced to work as a smuggler and become part of a corpse disposal crew. Trouble brews when the crew gets involved in a mob war and two deadly Chinese assassins join the fold.
Smuggler’s an amazing manga and one of the best in the thriller and crime story. It’s a story that can best be compared to the movies of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Richie.
It features a cast of over-the-top characters, and its fair share of fantastic action. Especially Spine and Guts, the assassins, and Joe, the leader of the corpse disposal crew, stand out by being absolute badasses.
Of all the characters, however, Kinuta stands out the most. He’s the most relatable of all the characters, not a madman, but a badass in his own right as we learn in later parts of the story.
The manga even features the occasional scene of subtle humor, but they never ruin the overall, serious feel of the story.
Manabe Shohei’s typical art style is noticeable at first glance. The manga’s setting is gritty and dirty. The characters are rendered uniquely but realistically. Yet, it gives them a somewhat ugly look compared to those in other manga.
Overall, Smuggler is a gem that few people might know about. It’s an amazing manga and a disturbing crime story full of memorable and badass characters.
There are few manga as beautiful and well-written as Shinichi Sakamoto’s The Climber.
Buntaro Mori’s a lonesome teenager, but when a classmate challenges him to climb the school building, he doesn’t hesitate. This moment awakens his passion for climbing.
The Climber’s a work focused heavily on perseverance and dedication. It’s almost as if this manga’s saying: if you work hard enough, you can do anything.
What makes this such an amazing manga, however, is the presentation and the main character. While The Climber’s a story about climbing, it uses the sport as a vessel for a largely character-driven narrative.
The manga focuses more on Mori’s development as a person than on anything else. He’s someone with problems, but as he climbs mountain after mountain, he also overcomes his personal problems. This dualism is masterfully done.
The Climber’s art is some of the best in the entire medium. It’s nothing short of breathtakingly beautiful and full of stunning page-spreads of mountain ranges.
YEt, there are also glimpses of poetic beauty to be found. Many pages are entirely without dialogue, showing us nothing more than Mori climbing. In these scenes, the visuals speak for themselves, and it’s a thing of beauty. Even move, these pages often contain metaphors, allusions, and literary passages. It makes The Climber a work of profound joy and character without ever feeling pretentious.
The Climber is a work of art, of beauty. It’s more than a manga about climbing, but a character-driven narrative and coming-of-age story. While it can be a heavier read and features its fair share of unpleasant experiences, it is always beautiful.
Me and the Devil Blues is a manga by Akira Hiramoto, retelling the life of Robert Johnson, set in the American South.
Robert’s a dabbling musician and wants nothing more than to learn how to play the blues. Yet, he’s no good at it. One day, he learns of a certain urban legend. If you play at a crossroad at night, the devil will visit you and, in exchange for your soul, he’ll make you a genius blues player.
Robert, desperate, does as the legend says and his life changes forever.
Me and the Devil Blues is an absolutely amazing manga, one of the best I’ve read in years. The art is gritty, but extremely detailed, making it a strangely beautiful manga.
The setting, the American South during the 1930s, is extremely well portrayed, giving the manga unique, western feeling. Even the racism, the division between white and black can be clearly seen.
Another fantastic element is the manga’s characters. While RJ’s a decent enough protagonist, he’s more thrown into events rather than choosing them. The best characters in this manga, however, are Clyde Brown, a complex and likeable character in his own right, and the evil, enigmatic Stanley McDonald.
What makes Me and the Devil Blues such an amazing manga, however, is the atmosphere. There’s no other work I encountered with so much tension and suspense. You can’t seem to catch your breath for an entire chapter, or even multiple chapters at a time.
Me and the Devil Blues is another gem of, and one of the most suspenseful and well-written manga out there.
Who hasn’t heard of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures? Hirohiko Araki’s masterpiece is one of the longest running and most amazing manga out there.
Its first part, telling the story of Jonathan Joestar, is rather reminiscent of Fist of the North Star. During its third part, however, Hirohiko Araki introduced Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s most unique element, Stands. They can be described as physical manifestations of a character’s life force, giving them various superhuman powers.
While all parts of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure are worth reading, Part 7: Steel Ball Run, is widely considered its best.
It depicts a cross-country horse race across the United States, the Steel Ball Run.
Johnny Joestar, a crippled former horse racer, merely comes to watch the start of the race, but encounters a man named Gyro Zeppeli.
The two clash and have a dual in which Gyro uses fantastic powers. These powers allow Johnny to stand up again, and he promptly decides to compete in the race.
Stell Ball Run feels like the culmination of anything Hirohiko Araki’s done before.
Where it stands out from other parts in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, is in the setting and story. While Johnny and Gyro are competing in the Steel Ball Run, they have to not only fight various adversaries but also uncover an overall plot. This dualism creates multiple layers of tension and makes the manga much more interesting.
Still, Ball Run’s art is nothing short of perfection. It’s much more detailed than earlier parts of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Battles look amazing and characters and Stands are rendered in Hirohiko Araki’s usual style.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Stell Ball Run is an amazing manga, a masterpiece and any manga fan should read it.
Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga tells the story of Thorfinn Karlsefni. He joined the mercenary group of a man named Askeladd. We soon learn that Askeladd’s responsible for his father Thor’s death, and Thorfinnn only joined his group to get revenge.
When Askeladd learns that the Danish prince Canute has been taken hostage, he hatches a devious plan that should change their lives forever.
Vinland Saga’s a masterpiece and an amazing magna.
It’s set in 11th century Europe and centers on Vikings and Viking culture. While Vinland Saga takes some liberties, it feels mostly realistic. It also doesn’t shy away from portraying the many atrocities committed by the Vikings.
As a manga about Vikings, it’s full of brutal battles, which are presented in all their gratuitous and gross glory. Yet, the manga isn’t so much about brutal battles, but more about Thorfinn and his personal journey. Long parts of the manga are calm and gloomy, focusing heavily on his feelings of guilt and regret.
The main reason Vinland Saga’s such an amazing manga, however, is the art and the characters.
The art is nothing short of beautiful and can rival the best manga out there. 11th century Europe looks stunning and all the towns, cities and farmsteads are beautifully illustrated.
Thorfinn starts as a quiet, efficient killer, but grows tremendously and becomes one of the most complex characters in the entire medium. The manga’s best character, however, is Askeladd.
The only character I’ve got a slight problem with is Thorkell. He’s enjoyable and based on a legendary Viking, but he feels a bit too over-the-top.
Overall, Vinland Saga’s an amazing manga that every few others can compare to. I recommend anyone to read it.
Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue is based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel Musashi and tells a romanticized version of the life of Musashi Miyamoto.
Shinmen Takezou joins the battle of Sekigahara. When he returns, however, he’s declared a wanted criminal and after a long hunt, he’s caught. Strung up at a tree and left to die, he’s eventually freed by the monk Takuan. He also gives him a new name, Musashi Miyamoto.
From this point onward, the manga focuses on Musashi’s travels, as he pursues the sword to become ‘Invincible under the Heavens.’
The manga’s absolutely gorgeous to look at and apart from a few exceptions, features the best art in the entire medium.
Vagabond’s a samurai manga, full of stunning battles. They are bloody, gory, and disturbing, but this violence is never glamorized.
The best thing about Vagabond, however, is the writing and the characters. While Musashi starts out as a demon child, he matures into a calm, philosophical man who questions what it truly means to be invincible.
Vagabond’s the story of Musashi Miyamoto, but also the story of Sasaki Koichiro. He was another brilliant swordsman of the time and long parts of the manga are dedicated to his life. Many of these parts are as well-written and interesting as those focusing on Musashi.
The way Vagabond’s story is told is another thing that’s extremely enjoyable. The manga often switches between Musashi and Koichiro, or even Matahachi, Musashi’s former best friend, showing each characters unique path.
Nothing much needs to be said about Vagabond. It’s one of manga’s greatest achievements and an absolutely amazing manga.
Ultra Heaven’s a psychedelic manga and one of the greatest achievements in the entire medium. Reading it is an experience unlike any other.
Ultra Heaven’s set in a dystopian future in which feelings can be artificially created and consumed like drugs.
Our protagonist Kabu’s a junkie and addicted to these types of drugs. He soon finds out about a new illegal substance called Ultra Heaven. When Kabu meets a man who sells it, he accepts.
When he takes the drug, we’re presented with one of the most creative depictions of a trip ever. The art, the presentation, and the visuals are unlike anything I’ve seen in the medium.
What makes Ultra Heaven such an amazing manga is the art. The world’s presented to us in a highly detailed, and gritty art style and all its characters look highly unique. What makes Ultra Heaven so special, however, is the way it showcases drug usage and the hallucinations that come with it.
Kabu’s altered state of mind, be it caused by drug usage or later meditation, is represented by similarly distorted panels. What were once organized, rectangular panels, begin running into one another before they turn into nothing but pure chaos. This gives the entire manga a surreal, almost crazy feeling, one of disorientation, but always perfectly portrays what’s going on.
Ultra Heaven’s first and second chapter are weird enough, but things get truly crazy in the third one. While the earlier two chapters focused on drugs, drug usage, and the resulting trips, the third and final chapter focuses on the mind-altering effects of meditation.
Ultra Heaven’s a visual masterpiece unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s an incredibly amazing manga, one I recommend to anyone.
Uzumaki’s Junji Ito’s magnum opus and one of the scariest, most amazing manga out there. If you want to learn more about his work, check out my list of the best Junji Ito stories, or my ranking of all Junji Ito books.
While there are many bizarre and disturbing manga out there, Junji Ito’s Uzumaki deserves a special place amongst them.
The manga’s set in the small coastal town of Kurouzu-cho, which has become infested by spirals.
Kirie Goshima and Shuuichi Saitou, two teenagers living in Kurouzu-cho, become involved in various disturbing, spiral-related incidents.
As so often, Junji Ito wastes no time. Uzumaki’s opening chapter is amongst the most disturbing in the entire manga and portrays Shuuichi’s father’s descent into madness. At first, his obsession only centers on collecting spiral-shaped items. Before long, however, it turns weirder, inward, and eventually culminates in one of Uzumaki’s most famous and disturbing pages.
Where Uzumaki stands out, however, is in its unique premise. Other horror manga feature twisted creatures, ghosts or serial killers. Uzumaki, however, has no feasible antagonist. There’s only a concept, the spiral, that hangs over the town as an omnipresent curse.
Uzumaki shines the most in his presentation. Junji Ito’s first of all, a visual artist, and Uzumak is where he’s at his best. The art is stunning and all of Junji Ito’s disturbing imagery is presented to us in glorious detail. We see people as they are being changed, twisted and warped into spiral-like horrors. While Uzumaki’s full of blood and copious gore, all of this horror is presented to us in a way that’s both unique and creative.
Uzumaki’s one of the most disturbing and amazing manga out there, one of horror’s greatest achievements and a manga anyone should read.
Blame! is a science-fiction, cyberpunk epic by Tsutomu Nihei.
It follows Killy, as he travels the City to find a human with Net Terminal Genes. A human such as this could access the so-called Netsphere, the City’s computerized control network. This would allow them to stop the Safeguard from exterminating what remains of humanity and stop the chaotic growth of the City.
Blame! stands out because of its art, world-building and storytelling. If you want to learn more about this, I urge you to read my detailed article on Blame!
Blame!’s set in a giant labyrinth of concrete and steel, a technological wasteland of mind-boggling mega-structures. It’s vast, seemingly endless, and Nihei showcases it by wide, distant shots illustrated as stunning panels or page spreads.
Yet, the City’s also home to various cybernetic horrors. There are cyborgs, the autonomous Builders who still continue construction of the City, and the Safeguard. All of them are unique, rendered in stunning detail and, at times, nothing short of grotesquely terrifying.
While Blame!’s an action manga, full of enormous explosions and battles, it also has its calmer moments. Sometimes, entire chapters are dedicated to nothing but Killy traveling through the City.
Blame!’s storytelling is mostly visual. Chapters rarely feature any dialogue and many important events are shown by nothing but Tsutomu Nihei’s art.
The biggest problem with Blame!’s the story. It can be rather confusing and might require multiple read-throughs. This, however, is caused by the reluctance of dialogue and Nihei’s style of world-building. It’s only in bits and pieces that more about Killy, his mission and the world’s revealed.
Still, Blame!’s a visual masterpiece, and one of the most unique manga on this list. I highly recommend it to any fan of science-fiction, technological horror and cyberpunk.
Rest in peace Kentaro Miura, thanks for sharing your gift with the world.
Berserk is a dark fantasy manga which tells the story of Guts, the Black Swordsman. He’s out on a quest for revenge against demonic beings known as apostles, and the man named Griffith.
At first glance, Berserk might appear a simple story. Nothing but the tale of a man fighting monsters with a sword as tall as himself. This, however, couldn’t be more wrong because Berserk’s one of the most complex and well-written manga of all time. This is first noticeable during the Golden Age arc. It’s here we learn more about Guts’ past, but also about Griffith.
The Golden Age arc shows us how complex these two characters are, but also how complex their relationship is. Kentaro Miura masterfully shows how their relationship comes to be, tests it and ultimately severs it.
It’s because of these two characters that Berserk’s such an amazing manga. We get not only to know our two characters but also their goals and wishes, and how these influence their actions.
Yet, Berserk’s most popular for its art. Kentaro Miura was one of the greatest masters of the craft. There are few other mangaka who could compare to Miura when he was at his best. A single page of Berserk often contains more details than entire chapters of other manga.
This art truly shines in Berserk’s monster design. All the apostles are both gorgeous and terrifying to look at. There’s a grotesque beauty to these twisted monstrosities.
Berserk’s without a doubt, one of the greatest, most amazing manga of all time. It’s at the peak of the medium for a reason and any manga fan should read it.
Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura’s my favorite manga of all time.
We get to know Manji, the infamous ‘Hundred Man Killer.’ To punish him for this deed, an eight-hundred-year-old nun placed bloodworms in his body. Thus, he’s rendered immortal. To atone for his crimes, and to free himself of the curse of immortality, Manji vows to kill one thousand evil man.
Soon after, we’re introduced to sixteen-year-old Rin Asano. Her parents were murdered by Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu. When she meets Manji, she begs him to help her get her revenge.
Manji agrees and begins his travels with Rin.
While the manga’s premise is simple, it becomes more complex when various other factions are introduced.
What makes Blade of the Immortal such an amazing manga are its characters. While Manji and Rin are great protagonists, and develop tremendously over the course of the manga, Blade of the Immortal features many other excellent characters. The greatest of them is Anotsu Kagehisa, who’s the most complex character in the entire manga. Others are Taito Magatsu, Makie Otono-Tachibana and Shira.
Another testament to the manga’s greatness is that there’s no clear distinction between good and evil. All the characters have their own circumstances, goals and reasons for what they are doing. Anotsu Kagehisa might be the story’s chief antagonist, but that’s only because Manji and Rin are our protagonists.
Blade of the Immortal’s high point, however, is the outstanding fights. They are full of suspense, rich in action and nothing short of brutal. They are amongst the best in the entire medium.
Blade of the Immortal’s an amazing manga, and one of the greatest samurai manga of all time. Any fan should read it.
Storytelling is something dear to me, be it books, stories published online or manga. Especially manga is a medium I’ve loved for years. Fantastic manga tell not only a story, but often combine it with great visuals.
What makes them so intriguing is the combination of cultural differences, unique stories and visuals.
Over the years, I’ve read hundreds of manga, but their quality can vary. That’s the reason I put together a list of twenty-five fantastic manga. Some titles might be more popular than others, but I believe there are also some hidden gems on this list.
Minetaro Mochizuki’s Dragon Head is a fantastic manga depicting the apocalypse.
After a violent train wreck, our protagonist Teru has to watch many of his classmates die in front of his eyes. With two other survivors, Ako and Nobu, he tries to leave the tunnels. The lack of light and food, however, soon impacts their fragile psyche.
Eventually, they make it out, but have to discover that the world’s changed and become much more dangerous than the tunnels.
The greatest part about Dragon Head is the atmosphere. There’s a constant sense of suspense, but also a feeling of all-encompassing hopelessness to the world.
Dragon Head’s characters are realistic, show genuine emotions and act the way you’d expect people to act during a disaster. They are afraid, panic, and even go crazy.
The art in Dragon Head is fantastic and makes it stand out amongst other similar manga. We witness a destroyed, hapless world in all its terrifying glory. We see firestorms, half-collapsed tunnels and even entire derelict cities.
Dragon Head’s biggest problems, however, are the pacing and the ending. In later parts, the manga’s pacing drags on because it focuses more on character introspection. As for the ending, Dragon Head simply ends. We don’t get any answer, no resolution, it’s just over.
And yet, Dragon Head is a fantastic manga, and brings forth one of the most realistic and intimate depictions of the world’s end in the entire medium. A must read for fans of survival and disaster manga.
It’s a fantastic manga set in a medieval fantasy world populated by Yoma, monstrous beings with an insatiable hunger for human flesh.
Claymores are female warriors tasked with killing these Yoma. Clare, our protagonist, is one such Claymore.
At first the magna follows an episodic structure, as Clare dispatches various Yoma. Eventually, a main plot is introduced and we learn more about Clare, her caretaker Teresa, and the ominous being known as Priscilla.
While Claymore’s main story is intriguing, the manga’s biggest selling point is the art. The world’s beautiful, comprising beautiful landscape and detailed cities. Where it clearly stands out, though, is in terms of creature design. It features some of the most stunning monsters in the entire medium.
Yet, there are some problems with Claymore. It features many battles, but sometimes, they are hard to follow and a bit uninspired. Claymore’s world is beautiful, but it seems hardly used.
Another is the principal antagonist. While we learn about her early on, she remains an ominous presence for most of the manga, and only comes into play near the end.
The biggest problem with Claymore, however, is the ending. It contains a rather questionable revelation that felt more like a cop-out than anything else.
Even though Claymore’s a fantastic manga, one of the best in the fantasy genre and features some of the best art in the entire medium.
Attack on Titan is one of the most popular manga on this list.
It’s another dark fantasy manga. All of humanity’s confined to a single city which is under the constant thread of being eradicated by the titans.
Eren Yeager is a young military recruit who gets the power to turn himself into a titan. He soon joins the survey corps and the fight to destroy the titans for good.
While the story’s premise is rather simple, it gets more interesting the longer the manga continues.
Attack on Titan’s art starts out as barely average, but Hajime Isayama improves vastly and from volume six onwards, it’s one of the better drawn manga series out there. Especially wider shots are often gorgeous to look at.
The art truly shines during the manga’s many battles. They are brutal, disturbing, but always fast-paced because of the unique weapons employed by the survey corps.
One element that’s especially disturbing is the design of the titans. Instead of being twisted monsters, they appear as dim-witted, almost simplistic human beings.
My biggest problem with Attack on Titan was certain directions taken in the latter half of the manga. Hajime Isayama made certain choices which expanded the manga’s world vastly, but also took away much of the mystery. From this point onward, the manga, unfortunately, went downhill.
Still, if you’re looking for a fantastic manga with a complex story and unique fight scenes, Attack on Titan’s what you’re looking for.
Han Il-Kwon’s Annarasumanara is one of the most beautiful and heartfelt stories I’ve ever come upon. While it’s a manhwa, I still want to shed light on it on this list of fantastic manga.
In this story, we’re introduced to a magician who lives in an abandoned theme park. Whenever people visit him, he shows them his magic, but only after asking if they believe magic to be real.
Our protagonist, Yoon Ah-ee, is a poor high school student whose life comprises studying, working and taking care of her younger sister. She’s long given up believing in magic.
When she herself stumbles into the abandoned amusement park, she sets out to meet the mysterious magician. This meeting should change her life forever.
Annarasumanara touches on a variety of complex themes. The most important being that of living up to your own expectations and those of others, but also the question of what life and happiness truly are about.
While magic is a central theme, we find out it’s not so much about magic tricks, but about the magic of life; the beauty we see as children and which we wish to get back as adults.
One thing that’s interesting about Annarasumanara is the art. It’s strange, almost abstract, but also unique. This uniqueness, however, also has meaning to the plot.
While some characters might be a bit out there at first, the more we learn, the more we realize they are actual people with genuine emotions.
Annarasumanara’s a fantastic manga, one I recommend to anyone, and if you read it, you might learn that maybe real magic actually exists.
Chi no Wadachi’s a fantastic manga. It centers on various psychological themes, such as drama, abuse, and manipulation.
Seichi Osaba is a typical young boy; he’s got friends, a crush and loving parents. His mother, however, is extremely overprotective, but it doesn’t seem too big a concern.
All that changes during a hike with his extended family. After a certain incident, his life changes forever, and from here on out things only spiral out of control more.
Chi no Wadachi’s a slow manga. Chapters seldom include more than a few events, sometimes nothing more than a single interaction between two characters. This stifling progress, however, adds so much more to the tension and suspense.
The manga’s full of slow shots, and focuses on even the smallest detail. While this style of storytelling can be oppressive at first, it also makes Chi no Wadachi such a fantastic manga.
Chi no Wadachi’s art is absolutely stunning. While it can be dense at times, and detailed at others, it always conveys the story’s mood. One detail it focuses on heavily is facial expressions, especially smiles.
The manga’s story isn’t too complex, but it’s told extremely intimately. Seichi’s insecurity and his dependency on his mother can unsettle, while her toxic manipulations are nothing short of disturbing.
Chi no Wadachi’s a fantastic manga, a deep psychological drama that’s presented to us in a way that’s both intimate and unique.
Yuuya Kanzaki’s Ouroboros is a crime manga that tells the story of two men, Ryuuzaki Ikuo and Tatsuya Danno. When they were children, they both lived in an orphanage under their caretaker, Yuiko. This happy life ended when she was murdered in front of them.
Now, years later, Ryuuzaki works as an investigator for the Shinjuku Police while Tatsuya’s a member of the yakuza.
At first, Ouroboros is told in a more episodic fashion and we witness how the two of them solve various crime cases together.
Eventually, though, we learn what the two of them are truly after. They are searching for the man who murdered Yuiko, and to find him, they each chose their individual path.
This overall plot is Ouroboros’ strongest point. It’s a mystery full of twists and turns that will throw you off constantly and keep you guessing.
Another thing I enjoyed were our two protagonists. They are both interesting and complex. Yet, there are also quite a few fantastic side-characters, for example Mizuki Hibino and Shinichi Chono.
The only problem with Ouroboros is the way the story unfolds. Near the end, the twists became a little too much, and some revelations were quite clichéd.
Overall, though, Ouroboros is an extremely engaging series. While the initial episodic nature can be daunting, the story’s great. If you’re interested in police, crime and conspiracies, read this fantastic manga.
Sanctuary by Buronson and Ryoichi Ikegami’s a fantastic manga about yakuza, and, oddly enough, politics.
It tells the story of two men, Akira Houjou and Chiaki Asami. In their opinion, Japan’s stagnant, corrupt and ruled by old men who’ve accepted the status quo. Thus, the two of them set out to change the course of the nation.
To this end, they decide to conquer Japan via a two different routes. While Asami aims to become prime minister, Houjou sets his sight on the underworld to seize control of the yakuza.
What I enjoyed the most about Sanctuary were the two alternative plots, one focusing on organized crime, the other on politics.
Over the course of the manga, both characters are opposed by a variety of adversaries, be they yakuza bosses, ambitious hot-heads or seasoned diet members. Isaoka, the general of the Liberal Democratic Party, stands out the most. He’s one of the most formidable adversaries in manga.
The biggest problem with Sanctuary is realism. The manga tries very hard to portray the story’s developments as realistic. Especially the countless political shenanigans, intrigues, plans and twists, however, were a bit too unrealistic. This was especially noticeable near the end.
Another problem is the manga’s depiction of women. Apart from one or two exceptions, they were prostitutes or sex objects.
Even though Sanctuary’s a fantastic manga. It might be over-the-top, it might not make all sense, but it’s always suspenseful, full of action and badass characters.
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida tells the story of college student Ken Kaneki. After he meets the beautiful Rize, his life changes forever. She’s a ghoul and because of her hunger for human flesh, she soon attacks Kaneki. Ghouls are creatures who look just like humans, feed on them to survive and have superhuman powers.
Kaneki’s life is saved by Dr. Kanou, but he learns he’s now part ghoul. He seeks refuge at a café called Anteiku, a safe house for ghouls.
As the story progresses, we learn more about ghouls, the members of Anteiku, but also other groups of interest, such as the CCG and Aogiri Tree.
Tokyo Ghoul’s biggest selling point is the art. The manga’s stunning to look at and comes with great monster design, fantastic backgrounds and an overall gloomy and dark atmosphere.
Another great part is the battles. They are brutal, gory, and fast-paced. Especially the design of the kagune, special weapons or techniques employed by the ghouls, were fantastic. Later parts of the manga, especially Tokyo Ghoul:re, often feature large-scale battles. Those battles, however, are often confusing, and become repetitive in the long run.
The biggest problem with Tokyo Ghoul is the over-usage of certain tropes, the most prevalent that of the tragic past. Almost every character’s backstory’s extremely tragic. This grew old quickly, the emotional impact was lessened, and it felt like more of the same.
Another problem’s the story, especially the ending. Earlier parts of the manga were very engaging, especially those showcasing the dualism between ghouls and the CCG. Later parts, however, dissolved into rather clichéd power struggles. The worst offender’s the ending which felt rushed.
Still, Tokyo Ghoul is a fantastic manga, one of the best in terms of horror, battles and creature design.
Comedy manga can be hit or miss. Yusuke Murata and One’s One Punch Man, however, stands apart from the rest and is a fantastic manga.
It centers on a single gag, a character so strong he defeats every enemy with a single punch. This character’s Saitama, who becomes a hero to put his strength to good use. Before long, however, he becomes bored and wants nothing more than a real challenge.
With a premise so simple, one would think that the manga would lose its charm quickly, but it never does.
One reason is the expansion of the story and the focus on various other characters and their individual struggles.
My favorite being King, the world’s strongest man. His scenes are always absolutely hilarious. Other great characters include Fubuki, Genos and especially Garou.
Another reason is the art. One Punch Man is absolutely gorgeous to look at and battles are rendered in stunning detail. While Saitama always ends battles in a single punch, later arcs focus more on the efforts of other characters. Their battles are nothing short of amazing, and come with some of the best art in the entire medium. Especially the most recent, Monster Association arc, focuses heavily on the efforts of other characters. It’s only near the end that Saitama actually takes action in one of the manga’s best fights to date.
Overall, One Punch Man is a fantastic manga, one of the best in the comedy and action genre. While the story might not be the deepest, it’s incredibly entertaining and comes with some of the best art the medium offers.
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys is a fantastic manga and one of the greatest mystery manga of all time.
The story begins shortly before the end of the 20th century and tells the story of Kenji Endo and his friends. Things are put into motion when Kenji learns that one of his childhood friends committed suicide.
At the same time, a new cult led by an ominous figure known as Friend becomes increasingly popular. Eventually Kenji realizes that this cult, as well as Friend, is related to his childhood. He sets out to reunite with his childhood friends, figure out the truth and stop what he thinks is the coming end of the world.
What makes 20th Century Boys such a fantastic manga’s the mystery, the characters, but most of all the story’s told. Naoki Urasawa’s a master storyteller.
The manga’s plot is divided into three distinct arcs. The first’s set during the end of the 20th century, the second in 2014, the last in the year 3FE, the third year of the friend era. Interestingly, the manga also features flashbacks to the late 60s and early 70s when Kenji and his friends were growing up. Naoki Urasawa masterfully uses those to shed light on certain developments and how they are all related to Kenji’s past.
20th Century Boys features one of manga’s greatest, most well told mystery. It’s a story full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing who Friend really is.
The biggest problem is that the manga peaks around the middle part and its last arc is easily its worst. This, however, doesn’t mean it’s bad.
If you’re looking for a great mystery manga with a complex and engaging plot, read 20th Century Boys.
Hunter x Hunter is a fantastic manga and one of the longest, most popular shonen manga out there.
It’s a manga about hunters, licensed treasure hunters with a lot of privileges. Our protagonist, Gon Freecss, a young boy, sets out to be a hunter so he can find his father.
The story starts when he signs up for the Hunter Exam, a series of increasingly hard challenges. During this exam, we’re introduced too much of Hunter x Hunter’s main cast.
While the Hunter Exam arc felt almost too typical for a shonen manga, things got much more interesting in later arcs, especially the York New arc and the Chimera Ant arc.
One of the best parts about Hunter x Hunter is the Nen system. It allows characters to manifest superpowers, but comes with a variety of rules and restrictions.
Another great thing is the characters. The protagonists are likeable throughout the board, especially Gon and Killua. The antagonists, on the other hand, are nothing short of fascinating. Hisoka is one of the most outlandish characters in all of manga, and the phantom troop and especially their leader Chrollo are absolute badasses.
Yet, Hunter x Hunter has its problems. The first is the art. At times, Yoshihiro Togashi’s art is absolutely stunning. At others, it’s almost reminiscent of scribbles.
The biggest problem, however, is exposition. Both dialogue and explanations can get a bit out of hand and often seem rather unfocused. This is especially prevalent in the newest arc, the Succession Contest. While it’s easily the most complex arc so far, the sheer amount of exposition can feel overwhelming.
Still, Hunter x Hunter is one of the most enjoyable shonen manga out there and comes with many brilliant moments that easily outshine its shortcomings.
Blue Lock is one of the best shonen manga of recent years, and probably the best sports manga I’ve ever read.
The manga’s story is relatively simple. The Japanese Nation Team lacks one thing, a great striker. Jinpachi Ego then puts together a program that’s held at Blue Lock, a prison like training facility.
Three hundred talented strikers from all over Japan are gathered and pitted against each other. Blue Lock’s sole survivor will then become the new striker of the Japanese National Team.
Yoichi Isagi, our protagonist, is one such striker. Interestingly enough, he’s not your typical overpowered shonen protagonist. Instead, he’s often worse than other characters and has to work hard to catch up. Blue Lock is essentially his quest for self-discovery as he grows as a character and discovers his inherent talents.
There’s Yuusuke Nomura’s sharp, vivid and highly engaging art style. It’s especially noticeable during key events in games. They are often presented by exceptionally well-drawn page spreads. He also does a fantastic job showcasing raw emotions and power. We often see characters with glowing eyes, auras or faces distorted by sheer physical strain.
Another thing is the characters. Almost all of them are extremely likeable, complex and unique. My favorite amongst them is Meguru Bachira. He’s an extremely quirky, but also amazing character.
The greatest thing, however, is the sheer amount of tension during games. They are never one-sided, and many times, characters grow or discover new techniques during games that change their course entirely. It makes them nothing short of gripping.
Blue Lock is one of the most fantastic manga of recent years, be it sports or not. For the art and tension alone, I highly recommend it.
Fung Ching Pang’s C.a.t. is a short action manhua, but I can’t help but include it on this list of fantastic manga.
It centers on a female assassin only known as C.a.t. When she was a child, she was taken by a group called the SFP Project, severely abused, but eventually escaped. Having been trained as an assassin, she’s now out to take revenge on her abusers.
Unfortunately, the manhua was never finished, so the story wasn’t fully fleshed out.
The reason it stands out so much is the breathtaking art. It’s very reminiscent of the gritty, sketchier style of Hiroaki Samura.
The style lends itself perfectly to C.a.t.’s many action scenes. They are fluid and dynamic and look nothing short of stunning. The same is true for the characters. The same is true for the characters. Every character’s full of details, well designed and unique.
While C.a.t. encounters quite a few adversaries, and they are all impressive on their own, they aren’t much more than typical fodder.
The only characters who stood out apart from C.a.t. were Alvas and Hao Long. Alvas was especially interesting. He’s a man who became the head of the CIA, but seems to play his very own game.
While C.a.t. is unfinished and thus its story is rather underdeveloped, it still stands out because of its fantastic art and fight scenes. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a fantastic manga with great fights.
Hotel’s the only collection of one-shots on the list. It’s still a fantastic manga, especially because of Boichi’s stunning art.
Each chapter’s beautiful to look at and full of intricate details. Their content, however, can vary a little. While I liked all the stories featured in Hotel, some were better than others.
The first two chapters both tell a rather straight-forward story and seem to be set in the same world. In chapters three and four, however, things get much stranger. They are both much more surreal and weirder than those that came before.
The last chapter, chapter five, stands out amongst the rest because it’s drawn in stunning full color and is breathtakingly beautiful. Yet, there’s not much of a story to be found here.
My favorite was the very first chapter, featuring the titular Hotel. It was a tale as futuristic as it was emotional.
While Hotel’s a collection, and one that can get rather weird, I still think it deserves its spot on this list. Boichi’s at the top of his game, and all the stories featured are interesting in their own right.
If you’re looking for a quick, creative read that comes with some of the best art in the medium, read Hotel.
With cyberpunk and science-fiction, there’s no way around Battle Angel Alita. It’s a fantastic manga.
One day, the scientist Ido discovers the remains of a cyborg girl. Ido takes it upon himself to restore her, names her Alita and gives her a new body.
From this point onward, we follow Alita as she finds her way in this new world. Over the course of the story, she battles various adversaries and develops from an innocent, childlike character into a battle-hardened badass.
The manga’s mostly set in the gritty, post-apocalyptic town of Scrapyard. Each part of the town’s fully realized, detailed and a delight to look at. It’s a mad cluster comprising machines, factories, and rubble.
Battle Angel Alita’s art is mostly serviceable, but shines during battle scenes. They are intense, fluid, but never confusing. This is especially noticeable during the fantastic motor ball arc.
What makes the manga so great is Alita herself. While the manga has an overarching plot, it mostly focuses on Alita and how she finds her place in the world. Many deeper themes, such as the meaning of life or finding out who you are, are discussed as well.
While the manga’s setting is well drawn, the character’s design is often unrefined. Many of the robots and cyborgs we encounter can look cartoonish.
Another problem’s the characterization. Alita can be immature and arrogant, while other characters can be one-note or overdrawn.
And yet, Battle Angel Alita’s an entertaining cyberpunk, science-fiction manga full of well-paced battle scenes. If you’re a fan of science-fiction or cyberpunk, I urge you to read this fantastic manga.
Some manga stand out because of characters or story, some because of the world they create. Made in Abyss is one of the latter.
The Abyss is one of the most captivating settings in manga.
It tells the story of Riko, a young girl living in the town of Orth. It’s built around the edges of a giant chasm that was never fully explored, the abyss.
Riko’s the daughter of one of the most famous cave raiders, a White Whistle, who appeared years ago. It’s her biggest dream to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a White Whistle herself.
One day, she meets a robot boy called Rengu. Together, the two of them decide to descend the abyss in search of her mother.
Made in Abyss is a mixture of fantasy and science-fiction which stands out for its amazing art. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and many of the abyss’ locations are incredibly detailed.
The most interesting part about this manga, however, is the abyss itself. It’s a strange world populated by alien creatures and strange characters alike.
Interestingly enough, the manga starts out rather lighthearted. The deeper our characters descend, however, and the more outlandish their surroundings become, the darker and more disturbing the story becomes.
The one problem I have with this manga is the age of the characters. One has to wonder why children were chosen. Was it as a contrast to the alien world and the disturbing plot, or was it to make the horrible events even more horrible because they happen to children?
Even though, I enjoyed Made in Abyss immensely. It’s a fantastic manga that comes with some of the medium’s best art and one of the most unique settings ever created.
Jagaaaaaan by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Kensuke Nishida is a fantastic manga, but also quite a weird one.
It introduces us to Shintarou Jagasaki. He’s a young police officer who isn’t too fond of his life. All that changes during a train ride when escorting home a drunk man.
An angry office worker transforms into a monster and tears apart the other passengers. Jagasaki defeats the monster by shooting a beam from his hand. The man was a fractured human and Jagasaki has become one, too.
Fractured humans came into being when so-called frenzied frogs rained down on Tokyo. These frogs infest humans with powerful desires and eventually transform into monsters.
Jagaaaaaan’s story starts out crazy and only gets crazier as it continues.
The art in Jagaaaaaan’s fantastic. It’s noticeable, especially in the monster design. All the fractured humans look incredible. The same is true for the manga’s many battles. They are a marvel to look at, are fast paced, and often quite brutal.
Anyone who’s read the works of Muneyuki Kaneshiro knows he’s got a hang for weird characters. While Jagasaki himself is a weirdo, many other characters in this manga are nothing short of deranged or psychotic.
Yet Jagaaaaaan has some problems. The pacing in the earlier chapters is a bit off and gives them a rushed feeling. Another is the depiction of explicit content, especially in terms of sexual abuse.
Still, Jagaaaaaan’s a fantastic manga full of weird, twisted and strange characters. If you enjoy the first few chapters, I’m sure you’ll love the rest.
Solo Leveling is a manhwa adaption of the web novel by the same title.
At first, Solo Leveling might not appear as much. The story and world-building are both rather simple. One day, so-called gates appear around the world, connecting it to a world of monsters. At the same time, many humans are bestowed with superhuman powers. These hunters are now tasked with fighting the various monsters pouring from these gates.
Jin-Woo Sung is one such hunter, but he’s pathetically weak compared to others.
After a disastrous mission, he awakes at a hospital and finds a quest log in front of him. He can now level up, do quests and become stronger, a feat exclusive to him.
Where Solo Leveling stands apart from other series is in terms of arts and fights. Solo Leveling is a beautiful series that comes in full color. While the story isn’t too deep, it serves as a vessel for the one thing the series is about: fights. They are fast-paced, fluid and incredibly well drawn.
The only problem I have with Solo Leveling is that Jin-Woo Sung became too strong, too quickly. It was very interesting to watch him grow and struggle, but before long, he could defeat most enemies with relative ease.
This, however, is the only problem I had with the series. Overall, Solo Leveling is a lot of fun, the art is fantastic, and the action is incredible. While the plot’s relatively basic, I still regard it as one of the best power fantasy series out there.
Fuan no Tane by Nakayama Masaaki is a horror anthology comprising very short horror stories, no longer than a few pages.
The most interesting part of Fuan no Tane is the absence of an overall plot. It focuses entirely on presenting creepy and strange incidents related to ghosts and other supernatural entities.
Each chapter comprises incidents related to a specific theme. Some are set at specific locations, such as schools or hospitals, while others deal with certain concepts such as uninvited guests.
While the absence of a plot might feel strange at first, it’s also what makes Fuan no Tane such a fantastic manga.
Instead of focusing on character introduction, setting or plot, the focus is entirely on the creepy incidents. This way, the horror, the scariness, never takes a step back throughout the entire manga.
Fuan no Tane’s art style is unique, and sketchier than that of other manga. Yet, this helps immensely to bring forth the overall creepy and uneasy atmosphere.
While I absolutely love Fuan no Tane, and think it’s a fantastic manga, it’s not for everyone. The absence of a general plot or developed characters might alienate and even frustrate some readers.
Yet, if you’re interested in nothing but brief glimpses at scary incidents and creepy scenes, Fuan no Tane is exactly what you’re looking for. As a horror fan, you won’t be disappointed.
Knights of Sidonia’s a mecha-space manga by Tsutomu Nihei, my favorite mangaka of all time.
It tells the story of the Sidonia, a spaceship, and a young man named Nagate Tanikaze.
After the Earth was destroyed by powerful aliens known as Gauna, the Sidonia fled into space. Yet, to this day, it’s relentlessly attacked by the Gauna.
Nagate Tanikaze spent most of his life in the ship’s depth with no contact with other human beings. Eventually, he finds his way to the populated areas. Since he’s born with an inherent talent for piloting, he soon comes to pilot one of the Gardes, giant mechas designed to fight the Gauna.
The first thing noticeable about Knights of Sidonia is that it’s much more mainstream-friendly than Nihei’s earlier series.
Biomega and especially Blame! were dark, gloomy and gritty and told most of their story via visuals.
In Knights of Sidonia, however, we got an almost conventional cast of characters. They hang out together, joke around, fall in love and much more.
However, the gritty, dark atmosphere is still present, especially in fights against the Gauna. Other typical elements, such as grand architecture, mega structures, Toha Heavy Industries, and biomechanical horrors, are all there. We even encounter entities reminiscent of Blame!’s cybernetic horrors.
While the series feels more lighthearted when compared to Nihei’s earlier works, it’s still a seinen series. Death and destruction are an everyday occurrence.
The biggest problem, apart from the more mainstream-friendly elements of the manga, is the ending. It felt a bit too happy, and even somewhat cheesy.
Still, Knights of Sidonia’s an absolutely fantastic manga, and one of the best space operas I’ve ever read. If you’re a fan of space manga, definitely check it out.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira’s not only a fantastic manga but also one of the most influential manga of all time. It spawned not only the Japanese cyberpunk subgenre but also one of the most influential anime of all time.
The manga’s set in Neo Tokyo which was erected after Tokyo was destroyed by a mysterious explosion in 1988. Neo Tokyo’s a dystopian hell that fuses future technology and giant skyscrapers with biker gangs and poverty.
Soutarou Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima are two bikers who are not only best friends but also bitter rivals. After Tetsuo pulls a desperate stunt to prove he’s equal to Kaneda, he sets in motion the awakening of Akira, a secret government project.
What makes Akira such a fantastic manga is Katsuhiro Otomo’s art. The character design is impressive, but it truly shines in the depiction of Neo Tokyo. Every part of the city’s gorgeously rendered, be it futuristic technology or dirty corners and rubble. Even the massive destruction taking place in later parts of the manga’s rendered in glorious detail.
Character and story, on the other hand, are rather mediocre. Kaneda and Tetsuo are more arch-types than fleshed out characters. Kaneda’s a badass biker boy, while Tetsuo’s an edgy youth with anger problems.
The story seems more vessel for style than anything. What starts out with a focus on biker gangs, drug orgies and government conspiracies, soon devolved into clashes between psychic super humans.
And yet, Akira’s still a fantastic manga. It’s a dystopian cyberpunk story, full of psychic powers, future tech and crazy megalomaniacs. Most important of all, however, it’s one of the most beautiful and important works in the entire medium.
Anyone who’s read Q Hayashide’s works knows they are weird. Dorohedoro’s no exception. It’s a fantastic manga, but also one of the weirdest I’ve ever read.
The story’s set in a grim, dark world, full of gore and violence, but it’s presented to us in an often strangely humorous way. This air of lightheartedness, in contrast to all the carnage we witness, makes reading Dorohedoro an entirely surreal experience.
Dorohedoro tells the story of Kaiman. He’s an amnesiac with the head of a reptilian. His home is the city of Hole, which is connected to the Sorcerer’s World, a place populated by magic users. These magic users often visit Hole to test out their powers and as a result, Hole’s inhabitants are transformed, mutilated and even murdered.
Kaiman hunts down these magic users because he thinks one of them is responsible for his strange condition.
While this premise sounds weird enough, the story proves to get only weirder. Describing Dorohedoro’s plot is almost impossible because of how creative and original it is. The best way to describe it is as a work of surreal madness.
The characters, too, are weird across the board. Be it the transformed inhabitants of Hole, or the outlandish magic users populating the Sorcerer’s World.
Dorohedoro’s a beautiful manga. The Sorcerer’s World, the run-down city of Hole and all the carnage and graphical violence we witness are rendered in stunning detail.
If you’re looking for a surreal and fantastic manga, read Dorohedoro.
Noria Nanjou and Takayuki Yamaguchi’s Shigurui’s not only a fantastic manga but also one of the best samurai manga of all time.
One day, the daimyo Tadanaga Tokugawa proclaims to hold a martial arts competition with real swords featuring fights to the death.
The first fight pits the one-armed Gennosuke Fujiki against the blind and lame Seigen Irako. Instead of showing us the result of the fight just yet, the manga reveals each characters’ backstory.
Two things make Shigurui stand out. One’s the art which is amongst the most beautiful seen in any manga. Characters, backgrounds and even nature are nothing short of stunning, and all the brutality and gore are rendered in beautiful detail.
The other is the depiction of samurai culture. Many other manga romanticize it and depict it as honorable. Shigurui, however, shows us how brutal, unforgiving and despicable samurai culture really was.
Because of this, the manga’s filled with an atmosphere of depression. It’s almost stating that nothing good’s to be found here. It shows us the life by the sword for what it really is: one of servitude and obedience shrouded in the guise of honor.
Yet, Shigurui has its faults. The manga’s largely character driven, and in later parts, this causes the story to drag on a bit, making it almost tedious.
Another’s the inclusion of an arc unrelated to our protagonists. The original novel, however, depicts the backstory of all the competition’s participants, which might have been the manga’s original plan, but was eventually dropped.
While the ending’s rather satisfactory in conveying the manga’s overall themes, it still feels rushed.
Still, Shigurui’s one of the best samurai manga of all time. It’s, however, not for the faint of heart and tells a story that’s as depressing as it is tragic.
Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima’s Lone Wolf and Cub, is amongst the most influential samurai manga ever created.
It tells the story of Ittou Ogami. He was the Shogunate’s chief executioner until he was framed for treason by the Yagyuu Clan. He was forced to flee with his young son, and now travels the land as an assassin for hire.
At first, the manga’s told in episodic fashion, detailing the various assassinations Itto Ogami carries out. As we learn more about our protagonist, however, we also learn that his travels serve one purpose alone: to get revenge against the Yagyuu Clan.
Yet, it’s not this overall plant that makes Lone Wolf and Cub such a fantastic manga. It’s the individual, episodic stories. They often convey more depth and emotional weight than other, much longer works.
While the art is old-fashioned, it’s fantastic. It’s simple and gritty, yet realistic, giving Lone Wolf and Cub an entirely unique style fitting for a traditional samurai story.
Where this art shines the most, however, is in the action sequences. They are incredibly well done, hold up even today, and are easily amongst the best sword fights in the entire medium.
Another great thing about this manga is Ittou Ogami himself. On one hand, he’s portrayed as a brutal assassin, on the other he’s a deeply caring father. This dualism, and the many other nuances we learn about him, make him one of manga’s most complex characters.
Lone Wolf and Cub might not be for everyone. It’s old-fashioned, realistic and less flashy than other samurai manga. Yet, it’s also one of the genre’s greatest accomplishment. If you’re a fan of more traditional stories, read it.
Comedy manga are often hit or miss, but Gokushufudou by Kousuke Oono is pure gold.
The story concerns Tatsu, who was once a legendary yakuza, but retired and became a househusband.
While mundane household tasks have their own challenges, this is not where Gokushufudou’s humor comes from. It’s the manga’s presentation. All these normal, mundane tasks are presented with the intensity of a crime or battle manga.
Going shopping on bargain day is presented with the same tension and suspense as a life and death situation. A meet-up with an old rival is shown as a dramatic clash that might lead to violence. A second later, however, Tatsu and his rival engage in a cooking challenge to see whose food is more popular.
It’s this art style, this presentation that makes Gokushufudou such a fantastic manga. The showcasing of a normal, mundane life in such suspenseful, and over-the-top way is nothing short of genius.
Characters, too, are presented in the same ridiculous and over-the-top way. Be it simple shopkeepers or the friendly women of the neighborhood association, they are all presented to us as cut-throat gangsters or even yakuza bosses.
Gokushufudou is, without a doubt, one of the funniest, most ridiculous manga I’ve ever read and comes with a beautiful, well drawn and over-the-top art style.
If you’re looking for a manga full of ridiculous situations and that will make you laugh out loud, read Gokushufudou. It’s one of the best comedy manga of all time.
I’ve always loved storytelling, no matter the medium. I read books, stories published online, but also manga. It’s a medium I came to love a lot over the years. Great manga aren’t simply telling a story, though, but combine it with often fantastic visuals.
I guess what makes them so interesting is a combination of cultural differences, unique stories and their visuals.
While I’ve read hundreds of manga, their quality can vary. For this reason, I put together a list of twenty-five great manga. While some titles might be more popular, I believe there are some hidden gems few people have heard about.
Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki is not only a samurai manga but also a great manga. It tells the story of Hitokiri Battosai, an infamous killer during the Bakumatsu War.
Now known as Kenshin Himura, he travels the land as a wandering samurai. Yet, he isn’t a bloodthirsty killer. Instead, he’s a man haunted by his past. He wishes to atone for his crimes and to never kill again, thus fighting with a reverse blade katana.
However, Kenshin has to learn that the road to redemption is not an easy one. Time and again, he runs into people who hold a grudge against him for what he did in the past.
The manga features multiple arcs. The first being set in Edo serves more as an introduction to Kenshin and the other members of the cast.
Where the series truly shines is during the Kyoto arc, which introduces Shishio Makoto, Rurouni Kenshin’s most notable antagonist.
What makes Rurouni Kenshin stand out so much are its deeper themes. It tells the story of a man who seeks redemption, but can’t seem to escape his past. As the story goes on, we wonder if he can ever bury the name Hitokiri Battosai, and fear he never can.
The manga’s biggest downside is the art style. It can appear old-fashioned and simplistic, especially when compared to other, more popular samurai manga such as Vagabond or Blade of the Immortal.
Still Rurouni Kenshin is a great manga, one that stands out for its fantastic action sequences, interesting characters and complex themes.
Tsutomu Takahashi’s Blue Heaven might be short, but it’s still a great manga. At only two volumes, this thriller manga succeeds fantastically at what it sets out to do.
During a cruise, the titular luxury-liner Blue Heaven discovers a wrecked ship. What they discover are signs of terrible bloodshed, but also two survivors. While one is in horrible condition, Ri Seiryuu, the other, seems fine.
Before long, Ri Seiryuu escapes confinement, mingles amongst the passengers and begins an indiscriminate killing spree. This, however, brings him to the attention of an ominous rich family also aboard the ship. From here on out, things spiral out of control.
What makes Blue Heaven such a great manga are not only the unique setting, the pacing but also the characters.
While some characters are normal people, others are crazy psychopaths who love nothing more than to further escalate the events on board. Blue Heaven’s pacing is nothing short of fantastic. Tensions are high, the action is intense and not a dull moment is to be found.
The only downside is how short the manga is. The story and setting had a lot of potential and I wish it would’ve been explored more thoroughly.
Overall, Blue Heaven is a manga I recommend to anyone who likes thriller manga or who loves fast-paced, action-oriented stories.
7 Seeds is a post-apocalyptic survival manga created by Yumi Tamura. When a giant meteorite is about to collide with earth, the 7SEEDS project was created. Five sets of seven young men and women were chosen and put into cryogenic sleep. Once the catastrophe was over, they are awoken.
The manga’s story follows each of the five teams as they try their best to survive in this dangerous new world.
After initial doubts, I soon came to love 7 Seeds. It’s a great manga and one of the best in the survival genre.
The survival aspect in 7 Seeds is well-done and handled realistically. Our characters have to find shelter, search for water and work hard to eat. It’s the basics of survival, but other survival manga often overlook those details.
Another thing I loved were the characters. The cast’s as divisive as it’s realistic, and many of them develop as the story progresses.
Yet, the cast of character is also a major problem for 7 Seeds. There are simply too many of them, and we get to know all of them, witness their struggles, survival, and even death. While it serves to tell unique stories, it can also be quite overwhelming.
My biggest issue with 7 Seeds, however, is the art style. It’s reminiscent of older manga and quite simplistic. It takes a while to get used to, and unfortunately, never improves throughout the manga’s long run.
Even though, 7 Seeds is not only a fantastic and complex survival manga but also a truly great manga. I highly recommend checking it out, and if you enjoy the first chapters, you’ll love the rest.
Shamo by Akio Tanaka is a martial arts manga, but one quite different from others. In this story, we don’t follow the good guy, but an antagonist.
When high school student Ryo Narushima is sixteen years old, he murders both of his parents and is sent to a reformatory.
During his sentence, he meets a man named Kenji Kurokawa, a karateka who recognizes Ryo’s talents and teaches him self-defense.
Ryo’s released after two years because he was a minor at the time of his crime. After his experiences in prison, he vows to gain strength, to survive, and to never be a victim again.
Yet, Ryo’s changed. His time in prison has made him a deprived and despicable character. He does what he needs to get money, and when he fights, he fights dirty. This life, however, is never glorified. Ryo has few friends and acquaintances, and most of them try to take advantage of him. Yet, there’s nothing he can do because of his past. Criminals are seldom given a second chance, especially murderers.
Shamo’s art is raw, gritty and realistic, but while it’s good, it’s not outstanding. Still, this specific style lends itself perfectly to as dark a story as Shamo is.
This dark story, however, takes a step back in the latter half and Shamo suffers for it. Instead of showcasing Ryo’s character, we’re introduced to concepts such as Ki and even witness sword fights. It makes for a rather disjointed experience.
Shamo’s great during its first half, and its unique perspective makes it such a great manga.
City of Darkness is a manhua, but I still think it deserves a mention on a list of great manga.
Chen Luo Jun’s a member of the triads, but one day he’s betrayed by his boss and loses everything. So, he sets out for Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, the titular City of Darkness. Over the course of the story, he meets new allies, fights stronger enemies, and makes a name for himself in the underworld.
City of Darkness stands out for its fantastic, detailed and colorful art. Few other works can compare when City of Darkness is at the top of its game. Being an action manhua, it features quite a few battles and they are not only suspenseful but also rendered in gorgeous detail.
As great as City of Darkness’ presentation is, it suffers from a few glaring issues.
The story’s rather simplistic, but that’s to be expected of an action manhua. The problem starts with a trope as old and tried as fiction. Namely, enemies becoming friends. Each arc introduces a new antagonist. After their defeat, however, we learn their sympathetic backstory before they join the main cast. It feels cheap and makes the emotional impact of earlier arcs meaningless.
Another problem is the way the story’s told. Large chunks of it are told by a narrative voice instead of being shown via the visuals.
The most glaring issue, however, is the pacing. At times, it’s slow at others, it goes into overdrive. Sometimes, we’re thrown right into the action without even understanding what’s going on.
Even though I had still had a blast reading City of Darkness. It’s fore and foremost an action manhua, and with action, it delivers and delivers incredibly well.
Dead End by Shohei Manabe is one of the weirder titles on this list, but still a great manga.
We get to know Shirou, a construction worker, living a mundane life. One day, a naked girl, Lucy, falls into his life and things change forever. After introducing Lucy to his buddies, he has to leave for a few minutes, only to come back to find her gone and his friends slaughtered.
A moment later, a strange man saves Shirou from an explosion and urges him to escape via the sewers. Down there he meets another stranger, the first of a rag-tag band of characters he supposedly knows from his past.
While this premise is strange enough, things only get weirder. What starts out as a thriller slowly introduces more and more surrealistic elements.
Where Dead End stands out, the most is in terms of characters. They are all absolute badasses who can do insane feats. It’s nothing short of exciting.
Shohei Manabe’s art is rather unique and takes some time getting used to. Backgrounds and surroundings are gritty, almost dirty. Yet, it’s most notable in terms of characters. Shohei Manabe’s style makes them entirely unique, but also uglier than other manga characters. This, however, only adds to the strange nature and atmosphere of the manga.
Overall, Dead End is a surreal read, a great manga, and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a raw, gritty story.
Toshio Sako’s Usogui is a great manga that focuses on gambling and mind games.
The story focuses on Baku Madarame, the Usogui, and the many deadly gambles he takes part in. Related to these games is the powerful organization Kagerou. It presides over these games and its referees make sure that the games are carried out satisfactorily and all bets are paid up.
Things get crazy right from the start. After a brief introduction of Baku, we’re thrown right into the first true death game. From here on out, things only get crazier.
What makes Usogui such a great manga are the games. They are complex, but not impossible to understand. Yet, they always serve more as a backdrop. The real focus is on the mind games and the psychological tricks the characters employ to win.
The characters, too, are fantastic. Baku’s an all-around badass who’s not afraid of death games or confronting overwhelming odds. Kaji, on the other hand, is a normal guy. At first, he’s more of a stand-in for the reader, but throughout the series he becomes a proficient gambler in his own right.
The only issue I had with Usogui was the art style, which started out rather simplistic. Over the course of the manga, however, it improves tremendously.
Usogui’s a great read for anyone interested in mind games and gambling, even if some scenarios depicted can be unconventional. It’s, however, quite a commitment at over 500 chapters.
Who doesn’t know of shonen manga’s new golden child with a head and arms resembling chainsaws? His name is Denji, and he’s the main character in Fujimoto Tatsuki’s great manga Chainsaw Man.
Chainsaw man is stylish and brutal, full of blood and violence, and one of the most surreal manga of recent years.
At the story’s outset, Denji’s living in a small shack, killing devils for the yakuza to pay off his debt. These devils are demons who escaped from hell. He fights them by using his pet devil Ponchita as a weapon.
When he’s killed, Ponchita fuses with his body, saving his life and allowing him to transform into Chainsaw Man. Soon enough, he catches the eye of the official devil hunters and is forced to work for the Public Safety Bureau.
The manga’s plot starts of relatively simple, but soon becomes more complex as more and more hidden details are revealed.
While Chainsaw Man can be ridiculous, even stupid and comical, it’s still a dark and unforgiving story. Anyone who’s read Fujimoto Tatsuki’s previous works, especially Fire Punch, knows that it’s a staple of his works.
The greatest part about Chainsaw Man is the art. It’s unique, raw and gritty. Fujimoto Tatsuki renders his world, characters and the various devils in beautiful detail. Especially the devils stand out. Their design and power are often outlandishly horrific and stunningly creative.
Chainsaw Man can be best described as a work of beautiful madness. At times it’s funny, at others ridiculous, but it’s always a crazy, surreal and brutal ride. Reading it was quite an experience. If you haven’t read it, I urge you to check it out.
Blood and Steel by Jingfu Qiao and Meng Ma Gong Zuo Shi is a martial arts manhua I enjoyed immensely.
Yan Heng is a martial artist and member of the Quincheng group. One day, they are being attacked and annihilated by the Wudong group. Yan Heng is saved by Jing Lie, the Wudong Hunter.
Together, the two of them set out for revenge against the Wudong.
The story’s relatively simple and typical for a manhua of the Wuxia genre. Where Blood and Steel stands out, however, is in terms of art.
It’s one of the most beautiful works on this entire list of great manga. The world’s drawn beautifully, characters are gorgeous to look at and fights are rendered in stunning detail.
Another great thing about these fights is how they are presented. In many other martial arts manga, fights are often over-the-top, drawn out and last forever. Not so in Blood and Steel. Almost all the fights in this manhua are brisk and quick, making them much more realistic, but also more interesting.
The only problem I had with blood and Steel was the story progression. While it’s a story of revenge, proper conduct and morals were often more important. This led to our protagonists letting enemies escape because fights didn’t start on even footing.
Still, this didn’t deter my enjoyment of the manhua much. While the story might not be its strongest point, the art and fights are top notch.
If you’re looking for a beautiful work about martial arts, read Blood and Steel.
Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi’s Dr. Stone tells a story that’s rather simple: rebuilding human civilization from the Stone Age with all the knowledge of modern day.
This unique premise makes Dr. Stone such a great manga.
The story starts when a mysterious light shines on Earth and every single person is petrified. Thousands of years later, Taiju Ooki and his friend Senku are the first to reawaken.
Senku, being a young man with vast knowledge of science, sets out to restore the world to what it used to be.
It’s this plan that triumphs over everything else in Dr. Stone. Technological development and progression outshine every other part of this manga. It’s extremely enjoyable to watch Senku create pretty much anything from scratch. Senku starts out by building primitive tools and weapons, but soon experiments with chemistry, electricity before setting up things such as factories.
While there are many other survival manga out there, Dr. Stone’s the first to truly focus on establishing a society and technological development.
Another selling point of the manga’s the art. Boichi’s a master of the craft and everything in Dr. Stone looks nothing short of gorgeous.
The only major problem I have, and which also deterred my enjoyment of Boichi’s earlier work, Sun Ken Rock, is the humor. It’s simple, childish and over-the-top, heavily relying on one thing alone: facial expressions. It got old relatively quickly, and after a while, grew to annoy me.
Overall, though, Dr. Stone is clearly a great manga, and one of the best in recent years. I absolutely loved reading it.
Jiro Matsumoto’s known for his weird and surreal works, but Keep on Vibrating might be the weirdest of them all. It’s the only adult themed manga on this list, and it’s quite a piece of work.
It’s a collection of one-shots. Some are interconnected, others are standalone. They depict explicit sex, violence and various other insane events. I’d like to give a warning here. This manga’s not for the faint of heart.
The very first story’s a great introduction to what you’re in for. It’s full of sex, violence and the plot is utterly abstruse and surreal.
Yet, Keep on Vibrating’s also incredibly creative in its surreal insanity, making it an enticing read and great manga.
Jiro Matsumoto’s art is gritty and dark, but entirely unique. Backdrops are often disturbing, depicting a grim, derelict world.
The plot of each story’s weird, but some are downright surreal. Yet, one can see rare glimpses of genius, certain bits of imagery that make it such an outlandish and fascinating work. This is especially noticeable in the often mundane dialogue, which stands in stark contrast to anything else that’s going on.
Keep on Vibrating is a graphical manga, a weird manga, but also a great manga. It’s different from almost every other work I’ve read. It’s an experience to be had, but only for those who can stomach the explicit content.
Imagine you’re getting a note which informs you that twenty-four hours from how you’re going to die, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Motoro Mase’s Ikigami deals with this scenario. In a dystopian Japan, certain citizens between the age of eighteen and twenty are selected to die for their country.
They are informed about this by the titular Ikigami, which are delivered to them by government messengers. Kengo Fujimoto, our protagonist, is one such messenger.
Ikigami’s mostly told in episodic fashion, detailing how people react to the terrible news. While some accept it, others rebel against it, fall in despair, and desperately try to escape their fate.
This premise makes Ikigami such a great manga. It’s one of the most thought-provoking reads I’d had in a long time. While all the scenarios and people shown are interesting, some are nothing short of outstandingly beautiful or poetically tragic.
At the same time, however, this episodic fashion is one of Ikigami’s biggest problems. We always know that most of the characters in this manga will only be around for a few chapters. While some are extremely well done, and we feel for them, the time we spend with them is ultimately cut short.
Ikigami’s art is realistic, but quite average. It does what it needs to, and that’s mostly it. While there are some beautiful scenes, they are rare and in-between. Yet, they create a beautiful contrast, really showcasing the emotional importance of these scenes.
Overall, Ikigami’s a great manga, one that makes you ponder quite a lot and wonder how you’d spend your last day.
Ji-Hoon Jeong’s The Horizon is one of the most depressing manhwa I ever read. At the same time, it’s a beautiful story.
It’s set in a world ravaged by war, and after a young boy witnesses his mother’s death, he walks on the road towards the horizon. At an abandoned bus, he meets a lost little girl and from this point onward, the two of them travel together.
The Horizon’s a work that showcases the gritty unforgiving nature of war and its aftermath. As dark as the story is, however, the manga itself ends on a positive note, showing that there’s always hope as long as there’s love.
The greatest thing about The Horizon is the art. It’s raw, gritty, but also beautiful. Sometimes it’s simplistic, at others detailed, always depending on the importance of the scene. The Horizon features a lot of brutal content, but it never glamorizes it, and only uses it to show how bad the world has become.
The thing I love the most about the art though, is how it’s used to convey emotions. When bad things happen, or emotions spiral out of control, the art becomes grittier, rougher, or distorts completely.
While the Horizon’s a quick read, it’s the perfect length for a story like this. If it would’ve been any longer, the gloomy atmosphere would’ve been dragged out and the story’s emotional impact would’ve been weakened.
The Horizon’s a hidden little gem, one I can’t help but include in this list of great manga. It shows us a world of war, but from the perspective of those who least understand it and are least involved.
MPD Psycho by Eiji Otsuka and Shouu Tajima’s a great manga, but it’s not for everyone. It features a lot of gracious and shocking violence.
It’s the story of Kazuhiko Amamiya who suffers from multiple personality disorder. At the outset of the story, he works as a detective and solves violent crimes and sick murder cases.
Many of these are odd, twisted and the crime scenes are rendered in intricate detail. While these scenes can be stomach turning, MPD Psycho’s much more than a mindless gorefest.
It’s a psychological thriller and one of the greatest manga in the genre. What starts out episodic soon turns into a bigger plot, related to Amamiya’s past. Yet, the more complex the plot becomes and the more mysteries are revealed to us, the more confusing things become. This, however, is also attributed to our protagonist’s different personalities. It can be hard to keep up with them and who’s actually in charge.
The sick violence might be off-putting to some readers. If you can stand it, however, you’re treated to a dark thriller with a lot of deeper, psychological themes. It’s without a doubt a great manga.
Sometimes you read manga that are so weird, you don’t know what you’ve just read. Soil by Atushi Kaneko is exactly that. Yet it’s a great manga and I enjoyed it immensely.
One day, a family living in Soil New Town vanishes without a trace. Two detectives, Yokoi and Onoda, are sent to investigate what appears to be a routine case. Before long, however, stranger and stranger details about the town and the events at play are revealed.
Soil’s art is as strange as the manga itself and might appear simplistic or amateurish at first. After a while, however, one notices just how unique and detailed Atushi Kaneko’s art truly is.
One of the major problems in Soil is the characters. While they are rather complex and realistic, they are also eccentric and heavily flawed to the point of being unlikeable.
While Soil is so different and refreshing, it can get a bit too weird. Especially in its latter half, so many weird elements are added, one tends to just give up to understand what’s going on. This also includes the ending, which doesn’t give answers, but makes you wonder even more what you’ve just read.
Soil’s still a great manga, one that’s rather refreshing for how outlandish it is. I believe it’s a great manga, one anyone should read. It’s an experience unlike anything else. If you like surreal manga, try Soil.
Oyasumi Punpun is a great manga and one of the most dramatic and depressing coming-of-age stories of all time.
It tells the story of Punpun Onodera, a normal eleven-year-old boy. Soon enough, however, Punpun has to learn just how fickle relationships can be. As we learn more about Punpun himself, his friends, and his family, we witness how a shy little boy becomes reclusive and turns down a dark path.
Punpun’s a depressing story, and a seriously tough read. It’s full of raw, gritty details that show us how even the smallest event can lastingly influence us. Yet, it’s also a realistic and relatable story.
Oyasumi Punpun’s art is unique and beautiful, but also gritty and gloomy. The most interesting part, however, is the design of Punpun and his family. They are drawn as comical, bird-like beings. This helps to make Punpun stand apart, to better convey his emotions and reactions, but it also shows that he’s a person who just doesn’t fit in.
Yet, I have my problems with Punpun. The first is the last arc of the manga. While I felt I could always relate to Punpun and the events at play, things got a little too crazy near the end. Another one’s that the manga can feel self-indulgent and pretentious. A lot of psychological, deeper and complex themes are presented and discussed, but sometimes, it feels they are just there for the sake of being there. Lastly, a lot of time is spent on Punpun’s friends. They are all likeable and interesting, but Punpun’s narrative is always the more interesting one.
Overall, Oyasumi Punpun is an uncomfortable and depressing manga, but also a thought-provoking read. While I think it’s a great manga, it’s not a joyful experience.
Tomodachi Game by Mikoto Yamaguchi and Yuuki Satou is a great manga about mind games.
It tells the story of Yuuichi Katagiri. He values his friends over everything and works hard every day to save money for a school trip. When the class money’s stolen, suspicion falls on two of his friends.
The following night, he and his four best friends are forced to take part in the titular game. It’s revealed that one of their friends has a massive debt and stole the class money to enter the Tomodachi Game.
For the first few chapters Tomodachi Game might appear rather simplistic and generic. The first game and even the second don’t stand out much. During the aftermath of the second game, things get much more interesting as the first hints of a much bigger plot are revealed.
The most interesting part of this manga, however, is Yuuichi, the protagonist. We soon learn that he’s not your typical good guy, but a rather twisted and ruthless person. He’ll do anything to win against his enemies. Tomodachi Game’s such a great manga and such an interesting read almost entirely because of Yuuichi’s character.
Tomodachi Game’s definitely worth a read, especially for its unique protagonist. It might, however, not seem like a great manga early on. Getting through those initial chapters is very well worth it.
Few dark fantasy manga can compare to In-Wan Yoon and Kyung-il Yang’s Shin Angyo Onshi.
The story centers on Munsu, an Angyo Onshi or government agent tasked with bringing corrupted government officials to justice. After the destruction of his home country, Jushin, he travels the land and continues to fulfill his work.
Shin Angyo Onshi starts off in a rather episodic fashion. The more we learn about Munsu, the Angyo Onshi, and what caused Jushin’s destruction, the more complex the plot becomes.
What makes Shin Angyo Onshi such a great manga, however, is the outstanding art and the fantastic characters.
The art rivals that of the best manga out there and is breathtakingly beautiful.
The most interesting aspect of this manga are the characters. While there’s a clear distinction between protagonists and antagonists, neither is painted as truly good or bad. Instead, we learn more about all of them and about their motifs.
The best character, however, is Musun. He’s portrayed as an anti-hero, someone who doesn’t shy away from questionable methods. While he might seem ruthless at first, we soon learn just how complex a character he truly is.
Shin Angyo Onshi is a great manga and a delight for anyone who likes gritty, dark fantasy.
Ken Wakui’s Tokyo Manji Revengers is one thing above all else, fun. It’s one of the most enjoyable reads I had in a long while.
It tells the story of Takemichi Hanagaki. He’s hit rock bottom, but things get worse when he learns his ex-girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, was murdered.
While he wonders where things went all wrong, he suddenly finds himself twelve years in the past. Back then he was still in a relationship with Hinata, and realizes he’s now got the chance to change the future.
While the time-travel premise of the manga’s interesting enough, it’s the characters that make this such a great manga. They are all likeable, and badass in their own right.
The only exception is Takemichi. He’s weak and cries a lot. While other shonen protagonists grow and become stronger, Takemichi doesn’t, but it makes him a much more realistic and grounded character.
The plot of Tokyo Manji Revengers is full of twists, time travel shenanigans, and, of course, lots of cool fights.
One problem, however, is the age of the characters. We’ve kids no older than fourteen who form violent street gangs, fight each other and even kill each other. It’s taking things a bit too far. Another problem was the ending, which felt rushed and rather unrewarding.
Overall, it’s a great manga, featuring a unique time-travel plot, fantastic characters and is an extremely fun read.
Battle Royal is a manga adaption of Koushun Takami’s novel by the same name. It’s a brutal, disturbing, but also great manga.
While it retells the novel’s story, it often takes liberties to make things more dramatic. It also explores each student’s backstory and shares more details about them and their life before the game.
Battle Royal’s story is rather simple. Each year, a class is selected to take part in the Battle Royal program and taken to a remote area. There, they are forced to kill each other until only one survivor remains.
Our protagonist, Shuuya Nanahara, decides against killing any of his classmates and instead makes it his goal to get off the island.
Battle Royal’s setting is disturbing as it is, but the manga showcases it in all its insane and over-the-top goriness. We see students stabbing and mutilating each other, disembowelments, and a lot of other disturbing events.
One of the biggest flaws in Battle Royal that can deter from people’s enjoyment is the depiction of characters. They are all in the same class, and about the same age, yet some look no older than ten, while others look like adults in their thirties. Another problem is the approach to story-telling. It’s rather formulaic. We get to know a student, witness their backstory before they are ultimately killed.
Yet, I still think Battle Royal is a great manga. It’s a brutal, but also deeply psychological read. If you enjoy manga featuring death games, I highly recommend it.
While SIU’s Tower of God is manhwa, I still want to include it on this list of great manga.
Our protagonist, Twenty-Fifth Bam, was all alone until he met Rachel. Yet she’s obsessed with the Tower and climbing it. After she vanishes, Bam sets out to meet her again, and enters the tower himself. Yet he’s deemed an Irregular, and soon various people take notice of his entry.
Climbing the tower is no easy feat, and on each floor, Bam has to pass a test to continue his climb.
The story starts out simple, but soon expands. We’re introduced to various groups of interest and learn more about the Tower itself.
While the art starts out as barely serviceable, it improves vastly, giving Tower of God a sort of unique beauty.
Yet Tower of God has its flaws. The first is the cast of characters. With each new arc, we’re introduced to new characters, and things soon become overwhelming. Another is the story-telling. Each arc introduces us to a new setting, new rules or new games before surprising events happen and everything’s thrown overboard. By now, the unexpected has become the expected and often the time spent on setting things up feels wasted.
The biggest problem, however, is Bam himself. At the outset of the story he’s a likeable underdog, but before long, he turns into a typical, overpowered shonen-archetype.
And yet, I still consider Tower of God a good read and a great manga or manhwa. While I’m sure it’s not for everyone, I still urge you to read a few chapters.
Astro Boy’s one of the most popular classical manga of all time. Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto is a retelling of Astro Boy’s story, but from an entirely different perspective.
Our protagonist is Gesicht, one of the seven most advanced robots in the world, who works as a robot detective for Europol. When another world-famous robot gets murdered, he’s sent to investigate. He soon discovers that the murder couldn’t have been committed by a human and learns of a mysterious entity known only as Pluto.
At the center of Pluto, is the relationship between robots and humans and Naoki Urasawa spends a lot of time developing it. He shows that not all is well, anti-robot hate exists and robots are mistreated and even destroyed. However, the boundaries between humans and robots become more and more blurred.
What makes Pluto such a great manga is the story and characters. Pluto’s plot is a gripping mystery with many interesting twists and turns that will keep you guessing. The greatest part is the storytelling. Pluto’s a solemn and intimate story, one that’s moved forward via dialogue and character interactions.
Pluto’s biggest problem is one I encountered in others of Naoki Urasawa’s works. The story peaks around the middle, leaving the later volumes a bit lacking.
This doesn’t mean Pluto’s bad. It’s a great manga, and one of the best in the science-fiction and mystery department.
Ginko and Yuki Takahata’s Darwin’s Game is another great manga featuring death games.
Kaname Sudo’s a normal high school student. All that changes when he signs up for a mobile game called Darwin’s Game. Before long, he gets followed and is attacked by a weird person dressed up as a mascot.
Yet, Kaname’s not your typical protagonist. At first, he flees, rather than fights, but soon he accepts the game, becomes quite good at it and also quite ruthless. It’s enjoyable to see a character go all in.
While the games in Darwin’s Game start out as typical as death matches, they soon become more interesting and grander in scale, as does the story. More and more mysteries are added, and especially the newest arc makes you wonder what direction the manga will take.
Darwin’s Game is a battle manga, and it’s here where it truly shines. Fights in this manga are intense, suspenseful, and ripe with action. The best part about them, however, are sigils, special powers characters receive upon entering the game.
While Darwin’s Game doesn’t redefine the genre, it adds enough elements to keep things fun, fresh, and engaging. Especially Kaname and some of the other characters are all quite interesting and likeable.
If you’re looking for a great manga featuring death games, Darwin’s Game is worth a look.
Kouji Mori’s Holyland is one of the greatest manga in the martial arts genre.
Yuu Kamishiro’s a boy who’s bullied by his peers and doesn’t seem to have a place in society. He stops attending school and starts training a single boxing punch.
Before long, he takes to wandering the streets, fighting thugs and building a reputation for himself, all in search of his Holyland.
Yet the more he fights, the more his name spreads and the more people know of the ‘Thug Hunter.’
What makes Holyland so great are the characters, especially Yuu. We can relate to him, feel how lost he is, and sympathize with his wish to find a place to belong. Holyland is a coming-of-age story, one conveyed via martial arts and street fights.
Yuu, however, isn’t the only fantastic character in this manga. Almost everyone’s carefully developed and they all have their own reasons for being out in the streets. Especially Masaki Izawa and Shougo Midorikawa are to name here.
Yet, this character-driven approach leads to other problems. Holyland focuses heavily on character development, investing almost no time in the development of an overall plot. It’s rather repetitive, and after each fight, a new enemy appears.
Yet those are only minor problems. Holyland is foremost a manga about its characters. It centers on their drive, development and it’s here where it exceeds many other manga. If you enjoy martial arts manga, Holyland’s a must-read.
Hiroshi Takahashi’s Crows is another great manga in the martial arts genre, or rather, a delinquent manga.
Harumichi Boya transfers to Suzuran, a high school full of delinquents, and soon sets his sights on conquering the school and becoming its number one fighter.
Things seldom go as planned, and soon warfare between all the gangs in the area breaks out.
What makes Crows such a great manga is how simple it is. It doesn’t want to be more than a delinquent manga about fights and that’s exactly what you get. While it has its deeper or tragic moments, it’s a rather lighthearted series.
What it does, however, it does fantastically well. It’s a lot of fun, the characters likeable and unique, and the fights are fantastic.
One thing that might be a bit off-putting is the series’ art style. Because Crows is an older series, it has a distinct 90s look to it. That doesn’t mean the art style’s bad, just different and takes a bit of time getting used to.
Another problem is the complete absence of teachers, parents and law enforcement. Juvenile delinquents start a fight in the middle of the city, beat each other senseless, and no one intervenes or cares.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Crows immensely. It’s a great manga about martial arts and delinquents, and it delivers fantastically well for what it sets out to do.
I’ve always been a fan of manga, especially long manga. It’s a medium that’s always been close to my heart. You can see so in my lists of the best horror manga and the best manga of all time.
What makes it so interesting to me is the combination of fantastic visuals with long, complex storylines.
While I enjoy almost all manga out there, I have a weak spot for series that are truly long. Some of them tell complex stories, while others repeat a tested formula of storytelling. Either way, I can’t help but get lost in these long manga series.
For this article, I put together my list of truly long manga, all of which exceed a total number of at least two-hundred chapters.
Kazuo Umezu is often called one of the most influential names in horror manga.
Many of his works are vastly popular. He’s the creator of such classics as God’s Left Hand, Devil’s Right and The Drifting Classroom.
His longest, and most outlandish work, however, has to be Fourteen. It’s without a doubt one of the most surreal and outlandish manga I’ve ever come upon.
This long manga’s set in a dystopian, futuristic version of Earth. Our protagonist is Chicken George, a hyper-intelligent chicken mutant who grew in a chicken production facility.
Once he’s escaped, he promptly declares war on humanity for their abuse of nature and animals.
As weird as a premise featuring a chicken man sounds, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Fourteen is far, far weirder than even this premise does it justice. It’s an utterly ridiculous story and one of the strangest and most surreal apocalypses I’ve ever read. The manga features a ploy to replace all dying plant life by props, an alien invasion and a T-Rex shaped space ship, among other things.
All of this madness is presented to us in Kazuo Umezu’s typical art style. It’s old-fashioned, at times simple and even ugly, but at others it’s nothing short of fantastic. This is especially prevalent when disaster strikes and during depictions of his strange futuristic vision of Earth.
Fourteen is a long manga, but I think it’s very well worth reading. It’s a work that’s so utterly bizarre, weird and surreal, one has to experience it. I had a blast reading it, if only for how surreal, creative and utterly stupid it was.
Zombie apocalypses are amongst the most common tropes in the horror genre. Kengo Hanazawa’s I Am a Hero, however, is a long manga that’s quite different from other zombie stories.
Foremost because of its protagonist. Hideo Suzuki is a manga assistant and a strange young man suffering from a multitude of mental problems. What makes I Am a Hero so interesting and unique is to see how someone like him handles such a scenario.
Yet, it’s not only our protagonist who’s different. The Zombies in this long manga differ markedly from those in other media. They aren’t simply walking corpses, but twisted and contorted beings that seem to change markedly as the story continues. We witness horrible versions of what was once human and eventually encounter giant, fleshy abominations.
I Am a Hero is a long manga that takes its time to get going. The first chapters are slow, and focus more on Hideo than anything else. Once the zombies appear, however, things get quite scary.
The only problem I have with the manga is the ending. It’s rather abrupt and ambiguous, almost giving us the feeling that it was rushed. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that, overall, I Am a Hero is a fantastic long manga that’s well worth reading, not only for fans of zombies.
Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki is another long manga. It’s a samurai manga that tells the story of Hitokiri Battosai. He was infamous for being a killer during the Bakumatsu War.
Yet, the manga doesn’t tell the story of the Bakumatsu War itself. It starts years afterward. By then, Hitokiri Battosai is known as Himura Kenshin, a wandering samurai. He’s far from the bloodthirsty killer his reputation makes him out to be. Instead, he turns out to be a kindhearted soul who’s haunted by what he’s done. He wields a reverse blade katana and has sworn to never kill again.
The route to redemption is never an easy one. Over the course of this long manga, Kenshin runs into various people who all hold a grudge against his alter ego, Hitokiri Battosai.
This long manga comprises multiple arcs. The first set in Edo is more episodic and focuses more on introducing Kenshin and the rest of the main cast. It’s during the second arc, the Kyoto arc, where the manga truly shines. It’s here that we are introduced to one of the most notorious antagonists in Rurouni Kenshin, Shishio Makoto.
What makes this long manga so interesting are its deeper themes. It focuses on redemption and on someone who wants to bury their past. Yet, Kenshin seems unable to do so.
It’s a fantastic long manga, one that features some fantastic action and a memorable cast. If you’re looking for a great samurai manga with some complex characters, I highly recommend Rurouni Kenshin.
Usogui by Toshio Sako is one of the longest manga on this list. It’s a manga that focuses on mind games and gambling.
It tells the story of Baku Madarama, who’s known as Usogui, the Lie Eater. Over the course of this long manga, he takes part in many deadly gambles.
Usogui’s a manga that gets crazy right from the start. After a brief introduction, no longer than a handful of chapters, we enter the very first game with deadly stakes. From here on out, things only get crazier.
What makes Usogui such a great manga are, without a doubt, the various games. While they can be complex, they are never impossible to understand. What makes them so interesting, however, are the many psychological tricks and mind games the characters employ to win.
I also quite liked the characters in this long manga. Baku is an absolute badass who never shies away from a death game or overwhelming odds. Kaji starts out as more of stand-in for the reader, but over the course of the manga he develops into a talented gambler of his own right.
I had a blast reading Usogui. I think it’s one of the best gambling and mind game manga out there. One thing to be said about Usogui, however, is that many of the scenarios and games depicted are quite unconventional and extreme. Yet, they never fail to be suspenseful and full of tension.
If you’re a fan of gambling and mind games, I highly recommend Usogui. It’s one of the best the genre offers.
What needs there to be said about Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece? Dragonball is one of the longest and most popular shonen manga of all time.
The story follows Son Goku from childhood all the way through adulthood. Over the course of this long manga, he searches for the seven Dragon Balls and battles stronger and stronger adversaries.
Dragonball is as typical as a battle shonen manga can be.
Yet, when most people hear the name Dragonball, they think of Dragonball Z, giant energy blasts and impossibly powerful adversaries. In its earlier parts, however, the manga was quite different, and a more intimate affair. It was all about Son Goku and Bulma going on wacky adventures in a world full of references to popular mythology and martial arts.
During these earlier parts, Dragonball was much more about humor and silly gags. It was only during later arcs that the manga became more serious.
The high point of Dragonball is without a doubt the art. It’s nothing short of beautiful. All the characters have a great and unique design and the world’s brought to life by the personal style of Akira Toriyama.
As a pioneer of the shonen manga, many parts of Dragonball might feel date or typical. It’s art, however, still holds up today as some of the best in the entire medium.
Dragonball is a long manga, but I enjoyed it in its entirety. While it has its faults, it’s still one of the best shonen manga of all time.
Grappler Baki by Keisuke Itagaki and all its prequels are amongst the craziest martial arts manga out there.
It tells the story of Baki Hanma, a young martial artist who partakes in violent fights in Tokyo’s underground fighting arena, the Kourakuen.
Baki’s also the only son of Yuujirou Hanma, the so-called ‘Ogre’ and ‘the Strongest Creature on Earth.’
Over the course of the installments of this long manga series, Baki fights against a variety of other fighters. His reason is simple: One day, he wants to be strong enough to stand up and defeat his hated father.
Baki can be quite crazy and over-the-top. Yet, its depiction of martial arts is more realistic than in many other shonen manga. There are no power levels or ki. Instead, it’s all about pure martial arts taken to the next level.
Since it’s a long manga series about martial arts, it’s all about fights. Each fight is well-written and detailed, making them very exciting and enjoyable. The level of dedication that went into them is quite impressive. They are also rather brutal. We can see blood spraying, bones breaking, and even flesh being torn.
What I really came to enjoy about Baki was its cast of characters. They each have their own backstory, fighting style, and reasons for fighting. My favorite amongst all of them has to be Shibukawa. He’s a tiny old man, but a master of Aiki and often takes down fighters much bigger and stronger than himself.
The biggest downside to Baki, especially in its earlier installments, is the art. It’s not only old-fashioned, but at times even ugly to look at. Yet, as time goes on, the art improves quite a bit.
Do you like blood, gore and martial arts in a post-apocalyptic setting?
In that case, Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara might be exactly what you’re looking for.
After nuclear war has devastated the world, the remains of civilization are ruled by the strong.
In this world, a mysterious wanderer called Kenshiro travels the land. Wherever he goes, he fights evil by using his deadly martial art, Hokuto Shinken.
What starts out as a rather simple, almost episodic manga soon becomes deeper and more ambiguous, as we learn more about Kenshirou.
Fist of the North Star was one of the most influential and popular manga of the eighties.
It’s a long manga that’s all about action and brutal fights. This violence can be rather gratuitous, but it’s what makes Kenshirou’s battles such a delight.
Fist of the North Star’s art is rather typical for its time period and rather manly. All the male characters are testosterone fueled masses of muscle who do manly things and shed manly tears. It’s nothing short of glorious.
While the high point of the art are the many battles, I truly came to enjoy the rendering of the desolate, post-apocalyptic setting.
Character wise, Kenshirou was a bit of an odd one. He was more vessel for the story and less character in its own right. The consequences of his actions were never shown to affect him, but the people around him. He’s almost a savior figure who simply wanders through the wastelands to fight evil.
There are, however, some characters who stand out. Namely Rei, Mamiya and also the antagonist Raoh.
Overall, Fist of the North Star comes with a great post-apocalyptic setting and some of the best action in all of manga.
Kengan Ashura by Yabako Sandrovich and Daromeon is a martial arts manga I discovered about a year ago.
If you like martial-arts tournaments in manga, you will love Kengan Ashura because it’s essentially that, a giant, long-lasting martial arts tournament.
In the world of Kengan Ashura, every major business deal in Japan is decided by martial arts matches. Watching over and responsible for these matches is the Kengan Association, whose members are the most influential figures in the Japanese business world.
Our protagonist, Ouma Tokita, wants to be the strongest martial artist. For that reason, he becomes a fighter for the Nogi Group.
After a brief introduction and a few matches against other companies, the Kengan Annihilation Tournament is announced to decide the next chairman of the Kengan Association.
The most important thing to know about Kegan Ashura and its prequel is that you get exactly what you’re looking for: brutal and over the top martial arts matches in a tournament. While the story has a few twists and turns, it never strays far from these routes.
What makes Kengan Ashura so great, however, are its characters and the fantastic art.
Each individual character has a unique design, fighting style and backstory.
The high point is clearly the art. It’s amongst the best in the entire martial arts manga genre.
This art also serves to present the brutal fights in this manga in all their glory. The fights in Kengan Ashura and Kengan Omega are all absolutely fantastic. They are often brutal, completely over the top, and feature a variety of insane techniques.
Overall, if you like crazy characters and over-the-top martial arts fights, be sure to check out Kengan Ashura.
Tokyo Manji Revengers by Ken Wakui is one of the newest manga on this list of long manga. It’s one of the most enjoyable manga I’ve read.
Takemichi Hangaki, our protagonist, has hit rock bottom. Yet, things get worse when he learns that his childhood girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, was murdered by the Tokyo Manji Gang.
While he wonders when things went downhill, he travels back in time. Finding himself twelve years ago and still in a relationship with Hinata, he decides to not only save her life but to change the future.
The manga’s premise is interesting enough: traveling back in time to redo life and fix your mistakes.
Yet, it’s not so much the plot, but the characters that make this long manga so great. Every character’s not only unique, but likeable in their own way. Except for the obvious antagonists.
Tokyo Manji Revengers is a long manga that’s all about gang fights and almost every character is a badass fighter. Yet, Ken Wakui mixed things up. Takemichi isn’t a fight, and he doesn’t become one. No, he’s weak and cries a lot. This, however, makes him a much more grounded and realistic character. He’s rather the heart of the group.
While the characters make this manga so great, the plot is by no means bad. Especially the many time travel shenanigans and the many twists and turns make it quite engaging.
The art, while not outstanding, is good overall. It truly shines in the many fights and the character design. Every character has their own unique design and style.
Overall, I had a blast reading this long manga and absolutely loved the characters. I highly recommend anyone to check this manga out.
Tokyo Ghoul and its prequel Tokyo Ghoul:re is another vastly popular and long manga.
The world of Tokyo Ghoul is populated not only by humans but also by ghouls. Ghouls are creatures who look just like humans, mingle with them, but have to feed on them to survive.
Our protagonist is the college student Ken Kaniki. He gets to know a beautiful young woman named Rize. The two of them bond over their love for books. Unbeknownst to Kaniki, Rize turns out to be a ghoul and, driven by her hunger for human flesh, attacks him.
Kaneki survives and is saved by the mysterious Dr. Kanou. Yet, not all is well, for Kaneki learns that he’s now part ghoul and can’t stomach normal food. Eventually, he finds refuge at a café and a safe house for ghouls called Anteiku.
The earlier parts of Tokyo Ghoul focuses mostly on Kaneki, how he handles his new life and the many other characters he encounters. Before long, however, the story becomes more complex as various other factions and more dangerous entities are introduced. This is especially prevalent in the sequel Tokyo Ghoul: re which markedly expands the manga’s plot and world.
The manga’s biggest selling point is its art. Both creature and character design are fantastic. Backgrounds look great and Ishida Sui’s inky style fills the entire manga with a gloomy and dark atmosphere.
What I truly enjoyed were the manga’s many battles. They were often brutal, violent, and full of carnage. Especially the ghouls showed some fantastic powers in the forms of their kagune which were always fantastically designed.
Tokyo Ghoul is a dark and long manga, one full of brutal violence and twisted creatures, yet it’s a fantastic read.
If anyone’s famous for mystery manga, it’s Naoki Urasawa. 20th Century Boys is my favorite amongst his many works.
With about two-hundred-and-fifty chapters, it’s a long manga, but it’s also an extremely well-written one.
The manga’s story centers on Kenji Endo and his friends.
Kenji’s normal life changes when he learns of the suicide of his former friend Donkey. At the same time, a mysterious cult lead by a figure only known as Friend becomes popular in Japan. Before long, Kenji realizes that the cult and its leader are related not only to his friend’s suicide but also to his childhood.
From this point onwards, Kenji takes things into his own hands. He sets out to reunite his childhood friends and to figure out the truth.
While conspiracies plots centering on saving the world are nothing new, 20th Century Boys stands out by one thing alone: the storytelling.
With each chapter, the foreboding atmosphere and the sense of mystery never let up. Each new development brings forth more questions.
What I really enjoyed was the inclusion of different time periods. We’re often taken back to the times of Kenji’s childhood to reveal certain events and give us new pieces of the puzzle.
While I enjoyed the manga overall, and think most of the story’s masterfully told, its third and last arc is ultimately its weakest.
Overall, 20th Century Boys is fantastically well-written and amongst the best long manga out there.
Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter is one of the most popular long manga out there.
The titular hunters are essentially treasure hunters with various privileges. To become a hunter, you have to pass the so-called Hunter Exam.
Gon Freecss, a young boy, and our protagonist takes part in the Hunter Exam. Thus begins the manga’s first arc, which also introduces us to our main cast.
From here on out, the manga features a variety of arcs featuring different antagonists or challenges for our main character. While some of these arcs can be weaker, others like the York New arc or the Chimera Ant arc stood out to me.
I especially want to call attention to the Chimera Ant arc, which was great overall and featured a fantastic major antagonist. What truly made this arc great, however, was the presentation of its last part, the Palace Invasion. It’s here that Hunter x Hunter broke many of its usual conventions and became something entirely unique.
Another reason I enjoyed this manga so much was the characters. All our protagonists are likeable, but the ones I truly came to enjoy were the antagonists. Hisoka is fantastically twisted and amongst the most bizarre characters I’ve ever encountered. Chrollo and the Phantom Troop are another group of characters who are exceedingly unique and interesting.
The last point I want to mention is Nen, Hunter x Hunter’s equivalent of super powers. While many manga feature super powers, the Nen System stood out to me. It’s a carefully created system with a variety of rules and restrictions.
Overall, Hunter x Hunter is one not only one of the best shonen manga out there but also one of the best long manga.
There are few manga as ambitions as Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom.
This long manga’s set during China’s Warring States era and depicts its unification under the state of Qin. It’s a work of tremendous scopes and at seven-hundred chapters it’s still far from done.
At the story’s outset, our protagonist Shin is a young servant boy. During a rebellion against the soon to be King of Qin, Ei Sei, he becomes involved in the matters of state.
It’s from here on that we follow Shin on his path to become a Great General under the Heavens and Ei Sei on his path to unify China.
The greatest part of Kingdom are the many large-scale battles common during the Warring States era. Every single one of them is presented in stunning details. Yet, as bloody and brutal as they are, the manga focuses more on the deployment of armies and the strategies and tactics employed.
While those battles make up most of the manga, other parts are dedicated to the power struggles at court and even the politics between the Warring States.
Since Kingdom is an incredibly long manga, it features a huge cast of characters. While Shin is a rather clichéd protagonist, many other characters are more complex and interesting. Examples include General Ou Ki, Ei Sei, Ryu Fui, Kanki, and of course, Riboku.
A word of warning, however. Kingdom might be a historical manga, but it often takes liberties to dramatize events.
The manga’s first arc is also its weakest, but the moment it’s time for the first large scale battle, it truly shines.
Overall, Kingdom is an extremely long manga, but it’s among the best in the history and military genre.
At almost four-hundred chapters, Gantz by Oku Hiroya is another extremely long manga. It’s also amongst the most insane manga I ever read.
Kei Kurono, our protagonist and his childhood friend Masaru Katou, die during a train accident. Following it, the two awaken in a Tokyo apartment, surrounded by a group of people. In the room with them is a large black sphere, called Gantz, which tells them they now have to hunt down aliens living amongst humans. Soon after, they are teleported outside and Gantz’s very first mission begins.
Gantz is a gritty and brutal manga full of gloried gore and stunning action. Over the course of the manga, our characters have to partake in various missions with constantly rising stakes. At first, they are merely about taking down a few aliens, but as the manga continues, they have to fight larger and larger groups of aliens.
Gantz’s high points are the art and the action. The action is always fluid and fights are rendered in stunning detail. The same can be said for the aliens who are often outlandish and feature fantastic creature design.
Gantz is also absolutely unforgiving. Many times, the people who are sent on missions don’t know what’s going on and serve as nothing more than cannon fodder. We witness as many of them are brutally mutilated, shredded to pieces or even devoured.
Yet, my favorite part about Gantz is its protagonist. Kurono starts out as an unlikeable and egoistic teenager, but develops tremendously and matures into the leader of the Gantz team.
Gantz is an amazing, action-packed and long manga like no other. It’s weird. It’s gory. At times it’s even nonsensical, but it’s always a fantastically wild ride.
Shinobu Kaitani’s Liar game is amongst the best mind game manga out there.
The story of this long manga centers on Kanzaki Nao. She’s an incredibly honest girl who finds herself a sudden contestant in the so-called Liar Game. It’s a game of deceit and the stakes are in the hundreds of millions.
It isn’t long before Nao is tricked, but finds help from the genius swindler Akiyama.
What makes Liar Game so great are the many games our characters have to partake in. While they start out simple, they become more and more complex as the manga goes on. Yet, it’s not merely the games that are interesting to follow. It’s the many tricks, ploys and strategies used by the characters. It’s fantastic to witness them trying to fool and out-play each other.
My two favorites were the Contraband Game and the Musical Chairs Game. Both of them were absolutely fantastic, but in huge parts because of the characters featured in them.
Most of the characters in Liar Game are simple-minded and are merely there to portray a certain stereotype or to be out-played by our protagonists. During the two aforementioned games, however, we’re introduced to Yokoya and Harimoto, respectively. They both were worthy foils for Akiyama and made the games much, much more interesting and suspenseful.
Liar Game is brilliant and amongst the most well-written long manga I’ve come upon. It features not only complex games but also clever strategies and complex characters. If you’re a fan of mind game manga, I highly recommend reading it.
I love death game manga and Kamisama no Iutoori and its sequel by Kaneshiro Muneyuki is probably the best the genre offers.
Takahata Shun, our protagonist, is a high school student who’s incredibly bored with his life. All that changes when his teacher’s head explodes and a Daruma doll appears. It’s the start of the very first death game in the series.
Over the course of this long manga, we’re introduced to a cast of fascinating characters and games that are as deadly as they are weird.
While the death games featured in this manga are weird, the same is true for its characters. Especially Amaya and Ushimitsu appear to be utter nutcases. This is slightly reverted in the case of Ushimitsu, who develops markedly over the course of the manga and eventually became my favorite.
One thing I truly enjoyed about this long manga was how it handled its characters. Since it’s a death game manga, you can expect people to die, but in Kamisama no Iutoori no one seems safe. Even members of the main cast will die and at the most unexpected moments. It gives the manga an unforgiving atmosphere.
The art is another high point of the series. While it was decent enough in the first part, it improved markedly in the second. Near the end, the art is nothing short of fantastic and many of its page spreads are stunningly gorgeous.
I had an absolute blast reading this series. If you’re a fan of weird and surreal death games, read this manga.
With eight different parts and over nine-hundred chapters, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki is the longest manga on this list and one of the longest manga in general.
In its earlier parts it was more reminiscent of other manga from the eighties, especially Fist of the North Star. Our protagonists, who are always named Jojo, have to fight vampires or Aztec super humans.
All that changed with Part 3: Stardust Crusaders. It’s here Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure introduced the so-called Stands, an element that should change Jojo forever. Stands are a manifestation of a person’s life force in the form of an ethereal figure and give its user superhuman powers.
Hirohiko Araki proved to be extremely creative when he created Stands. There are, of course, pure combat Stands, but they are far from the norm. Instead, Stands take on a variety of forms, some extremely weird. They can be game consoles, toy fighter jets, can transform people into snails and even turn back time.
The story of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure centers on the various members of the Joestar family who battle various antagonists.
While the plot of the earlier installments of the series is rather typical and centers on saving the world, later parts can be vastly different. Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable, for example, centers on the events in the small town of Morioh and Part 7: Steel Ball Run on a cross-country horse race.
As mentioned before, Jojo’s Bizarre adventure is an extremely long manga series, but I think anyone interested in manga should check it out. While the first two parts are weaker, things get much more interesting in Part 3: Stardust Crusaders. My favorite, however, has to be Part 7: Steel Ball Run.
Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue is based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel Musashi, a romanticized version of the life of Musashi Miyamoto.
After the battle of Sekigahara, our protagonist, Shinmen Takezo, is declared a wanted criminal. A manhunt is started. He’s eventually caught and strung up at a tree. He’s left there to die, but gets freed by a monk named Takuan. As he sends him off into the world, he gives him with a new name, Musashi Miyamoto.
From this point onward, the plot focuses on Musashi’s travels, his pursuit of the sword and to become ‘Invincible under the Heavens.’
The first thing one will notice about Vagabond is the art. This long manga is absolutely gorgeous to look at and features some of the best art I’ve seen in the entire medium.
Vagabond is a samurai manga and thus it’s full of stunning battles. They are blood, violent and rendered in stunning detail, yet, the violence is never glamorized.
What makes Vagabond so great are its characters. There’s Musashi, who starts out as a demon child and eventually matures into a calm and philosophical man who questions what it truly means to be invincible.
As much as this manga’s the story of Musashi Miyamoto, however, it’s also the story of Sasaki Koichiro. Long parts of Vagabond are dedicated to a retelling of Koichiro’s life. As much as I enjoyed Musashi’s character, in time, I grew to like Koichiro even more.
This focus on two characters also makes the manga much more interesting. We often switch between the two of them, showcasing each character’s unique path.
There’s no need to say much more about Vagabond. It’s one of the greatest long manga of all time.
Rest in peace Kentaro Miura, thanks for sharing your gift with the world.
Berserk is one of the greatest and most influential manga of all time.
It’s a dark fantasy manga centering on the character of Guts, the Black Swordsman. He’s out on a quest for revenge and hunts down demonic beings known as apostles.
At first glance, Berserk might appear a simple, almost generic story. The more we learn about Guts, his past and his connection to the man known as Griffith, the more we realize just how complex this manga truly is.
Kentaro Miura did an amazing job showcasing their relationship, testing it and ultimately severing it at the end of the Golden Age arc.
While Berserk features amazing characters, its most known for its art and its violence.
Kentaro Miura was one of the most talented manga artist of all time. I’ve read a lot of manga, but scarcely few can compare to Berserk when Kentaro Miura was at the top of his game. The manga’s nothing short of breathtakingly beautiful.
Berserk is never shy about showcasing violence and the many atrocities committed in its world. We witness war and battles, but also rape, torture, religious fanaticism, and even ritualistic sacrifices.
Yet, the violence is always greatest when Guts is around. He fights using a sword as big as himself and cleaves his way through humans and apostles alike, leaving behind nothing but carnage.
Berserk’s apostles are, of course, the highlight of the series. They are towering, grotesque monstrosities. They are both gorgeous and terrifying.
Overall, Berserk is one of the greatest long manga of all time. I highly recommend it to anyone.
I’m a big fan of samurai manga and Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura’s not only my favorite samurai manga, but my favorite manga of all time.
Manji’s a man known as the ‘Hundred Men Killer.’ To punish him for his deeds, an eight-hundred-year-old nun has placed bloodworms inside his body, rendering him immortal. To atone for his crimes and to free himself from the curse of immortality, Manji vows to kill one thousand evil man.
After a brief introduction, Manji meets Rin Asano. She’s out on a quest for revenge against Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu, who murdered her parents.
This premise might appear simple, but the manga becomes increasingly complex when more factions and characters are introduced.
What I enjoyed the most about Blade of the Immortal were the characters. While Rin and Manji are both excellent characters, it was other characters I truly came to enjoy. Almost every single one of them is incredibly complex and well developed. My favorite amongst them was Anotsu Kagehisa who was the most complex character in the entire manga. Others I truly came to love were Makie Otono-Tachibana, Taito Magatsu and, of course, Shira.
While we follow Manji and Rin on their quest for revenge, the manga makes no distinction between good and evil. Every character has their own goals and reasons for what they are doing. Anotsu Kagehisa is the story’s antagonist for one reason alone and that’s because Manji and Rin are our protagonist.
As you can expect, this long manga’s full of fights. They are all absolutely outstanding and amongst the best in the entire samurai manga genre.
Blade of the Immortal is an absolutely brilliant long manga, one I recommend to anybody.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki has become one of the most popular and well-received manga and anime of all time. There’s a reason I included it in my list of the best manga of all time.
With almost a thousand chapters, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is also one of the longest-running manga of all time. It comprises eight different parts, all of which feature their own protagonist, cast of characters, setting and plot.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
It’s one of the most unique and creative series I’ve come upon and I couldn’t help but fall in love with it.
While I enjoyed all Jojo parts, some are better than others.
In this article I present to you my ranking of all the Jojo parts and which I think is the best one.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood
Phantom Blood is the very first Jojo part. While it can be considered a classic, it’s also the weakest part.
The first thing one notices is how similar it is to other manga of its time. The general style and art is very reminiscent of that of Fist of the North Star by Buronson.
This Jojo part is set in the late 19th century and follows Jonathan Joestar and his adoptive brother Dio Brando. It’s soon revealed that Dio’s after the family’s fortune and doesn’t shy away from terrible deeds to reach his goal.
When his plan fails, he uses a mysterious stone mask to turn himself into a vampire. From here on out, Jonathan sets out for revenge against Dio.
It’s a story of drama, betrayal and, of course, vampires.
The biggest problem with the first Jojo part is that it’s rather bland and formulaic. It doesn’t stand out amongst other manga of its time and especially not when compared to other Jojo parts.
Jonathan himself has much the same faults. He, too, is a rather bland character, and can be best described as a hero archetype.
The high point of this Jojo part was without a doubt Dio, who served as a pure evil, Machiavellian and entertaining villain.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency
Battle Tendency is the second Jojo part and features Joseph Joestar, Jonathan’s grandson.
This time, the story centers on The Pillar Men, a race of ancient super humans and the original creators of the stone mask.
Battle Tendency does everything that the Phantom Blood does, but it does it better and much more interesting.
The first difference is the protagonist. Joseph is much more interesting than his grandfather. He’s more of a trickster who uses ploys and psychology to defeat his enemies. This makes fights much more interesting because Joseph doesn’t beat his enemies by sheer force, but by outwitting them.
The problems of this Jojo part start with the supporting cast, who’s overall rather weak and uninteresting.
While the art style is better than in Phantom Pain and shows hints of the strangeness to come, it’s still rather uninspiring.
The antagonists, The Pillar Men, felt rather bland. They had their own motifs and ideals, but they were essentially nothing but super powerful human beings that needed to be stopped.
While Joseph was an improvement over Jonathan, he was also extremely cocky, to the point of being arrogant and even unlikeable. I also disliked his many tricks and ploys which were at best unrealistic cop-outs and at worst Deus ex machines.
While this Jojo part isn’t bad by any means, and it proves popular among many fans, but it just didn’t work for me.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusader
Stardust Crusaders was the first big Jojo part and the one that put it on the map. Even today, it’s probably still the most well-known Jojo part out of all of them.
The main character, Jotaro Kujo, has likewise become the most popular Jojos of all time and has frequently appeared in other parts. He’s a mixture of Jonathan and Joseph, making him well-rounded and less bland.
The secondary cast, including Battle Tendency’s Joseph himself, are all likeable and feel much more important to the story than those in the earlier two Jojo parts.
The story takes us on a wild hunt from Japan all the way to Egypt for one reason alone: Dio is back.
Learning this, Joseph is hell-bent on avenging his grandfather and thus enlists the help of Jotaro, who’s recently developed a Stand.
Here we have the one element that changed Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures forever: Stands. Their importance to the series can’t be overstated, and they have been a vital part ever since.
As popular as Stardust Crusaders is, I feel it’s a bit overrated. The pacing’s a bit off, especially during the first half. Frankly said, this Jojo part takes a bit to get going. There are also a few plot points that could very well be cut since they added nothing to the story.
The art is again rather old-fashioned. It’s, however, an improvement when compared to Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency.
The last problem is the Stands themselves. As fantastic an addition to they were, one could tell that Araki was still testing the waters. Overall, they can be hit or miss in this Jojo part, especially in the earlier half.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean
Stone Ocean is the first Jojo part to feature a female Jojo. Her name’s Jolyne Cujoh, the daughter of Jotaro Kujo.
She’s sent to Green Dolphin Street Prison for a murder she didn’t commit. It’s soon revealed that this is only part of a bigger plan by a disciple of Dio Brando.
The prison setting was an interesting choice and makes for a fascinating setting.
The mystery about Jolyne’s framing, the prison and Father Pucci Enrico was well-done and really kept you engaged.
Stone Ocean is, at least in my opinion, the weirdest of all Jojo parts, and it also features some of the strangest stands. The weirdest one amongst them is probably Weather Report.
The overall strangeness of the Stands, however, made for some great, dynamic and interesting fights.
Even the cast of characters is as weird as the Stands and very weird when compared to other Jojo parts. I thought they were a mixed bag. While I enjoyed some of them, like Weather Report, I also really disliked others like Anasui and Emporio.
While I enjoyed this Jojo part, I also had my problems with it.
The first was the prison setting. While I enjoyed it at first, I soon felt the story stagnated because it was always restricted to the same location. After a while, I even found it uninspiring, especially when compared to the settings of part four and five.
The last thing was the overall weirdness of the part. I’m usually a big fan of weird and bizarre ideas, but Stone Ocean often felt a bit too strange for even my liking.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 8: JoJolion
JoJolion is the most recent Jojo part. While it has recently finished, I haven’t kept up with it. That’s the reason its position in this ranking might change.
This Jojo part is once more set in the town of Morioh, but one that’s set in the alternative universe that Steel Ball Run was set in.
The story follows a different version of Josuke Higashikata, but only in name because he’s entirely shrouded in mystery. The story follows him as he tries to regain his memories. This makes him quite the unique protagonist, for he’s literally a blank slate with no background.
JoJolion was actually my very first venture into the world of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures and one I did by complete accident. What I discovered was weird as hell. I knew nothing about Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, or Stands so it was a wild ride, reminiscent of a fever dream. I soon discovered that it was the eights part of an ongoing manga series and went back to read the entire manga from the beginning.
The art in this Jojo part is absolutely fantastic and as bizarre as we’re used from Jojo, maybe even more so as in other Jojo parts that came beforehand.
The story’s mystery’s engaging and it keeps you wondering just what the hell’s going on. As we read on, things only server to get stranger.
The Stand fights in this Jojo part were all extremely interesting and well-done.
Overall, I had a blast with this Jojo part so far, but I unfortunately haven’t finished it yet. What I read so far, however, didn’t really feel on par with the best Jojo parts out there.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable
Diamond is Unbreakable changed Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure forever and marked a departure from every established convention.
It’s not only the setting but also the art, the story, and the Stands that were different. This time, the story’s not about saving the world from megalomaniac villains. Instead, we’re confined to the small town of Morioh in Japan. Our main character Josuke Higashikata is a normal high schooler.
This Jojo part is a more intimate affair, centering on the events in a small town.
The side characters are also different from those in other Jojo parts. They are, mostly, normal people or other high schoolers.
The story starts out when Jotaro Kujo arrives in Morioh. He’s on the search for the Bow and Arrow, an artifact which can awaken people’s latent Stand abilities. Where this Jojo part really shines, however, is in its second half.
It’s here we get to know Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures’ most iconic antagonist, the serial killer Yoshikage Kira. He’s a fascinating and extremely well written character. He doesn’t want to conquer the world. Instead, he just wants to continue his quiet, normal life.
The biggest change, however, is in the art. Throughout this Jojo part, the art evolves and changes from the muscular frames that came before to bendy, effeminate fashion divas. It was a style that should come to dominate the series ever since.
Apart from the art, Stands also evolved vastly and became much more defined. Pure combat stands took a step back and were replaced by a large variety of Stands with weird powers.
The high point of this part, however, was, without a doubt, Yoshikage Kira.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind
It was a tough choice to decide between Diamond is Unbreakable and Golden Wind. Eventually, though, I put Golden Wind higher, simply for how amazing a Jojo part it is.
The first thing that’s interesting about this Jojo part is that it’s almost entirely removed from the rest of the series and only vaguely related to it.
Giorno Giovanna is a great protagonist. He’s the illegitimate son of Dio who wants to take over the Neapolitan mafia and become a ‘Gang-Star.’
Yet, it wasn’t him who I liked the most, it was the side characters who truly stole the show in this Jojo part, most of all, Bruno Bucciarati.
These characters are a ragtag group, all with their own quirks, motivations, goals and, of course, Stands.
The art in this Jojo part is fantastic throughout the board and while Araki stayed true to the style he developed in Diamond is Unbreakable, he perfected it. Many locations are all beautiful and one can truly see the Greco-Roman influences.
The high point of this Jojo part, however, are the fights. The Stand abilities are amongst the most creative, complex and interesting in the entire series. These make the fights extremely dynamic and interesting and some of them are amongst the best in the entire series.
There are only two points of criticism I have for this part. The first is the main villain Diavolo, who I think is introduced much too late and only appears near the end.
Another is that some Stands are a bit hard to understand. There’s of course Gold Experience, but most of all King Crimson which is a topic of much confusion amongst fans of the series.
Hirohiko Araki – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run
Steel Ball Run is a favorite amongst fans and my favorite part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. It’s the culmination of everything Araki’s created.
This Jojo part can be seen as a reboot of the series. It takes place in an alternate universe and features many alternate versions of well-known characters.
The story follows Johnny Joestar, an alternative version of Jonathan Joestar. He’s a paraplegic jockey who wants to partake in a transcontinental horse race through the United States. This horse race is called the Steel Ball Run race.
Before the race he meets Gyro Zepelli, another participant. After a duel in which Gyro showcases his weird powers, the Spin, Johnny regains the use of his legs. From then on, the two of them team up to win the race.
The stakes, however, soon rise when the real antagonist of this Jojo part is introduced. It’s Funny Valentine, the president of the United States.
Johnny and Gyro are fantastic characters, but many of the participants are great in their own right. The most interesting among them are Sandman and Diego Brando.
The art is outstanding and amongst the best in the entire series and manga in general.
What made this part so interesting, however, was the horse race. We weren’t just following the general plot, but also the race itself.
The Stands in this Jojo part are also amongst the best in the series and make for some fantastic, high-stake battles. Gyro’s Spin is also a great addition and serves as an homage to Hamon, a technique featured in the first two parts of the series.
Overall, Steel Ball Run is a fantastic Jojo part, and in my opinion the very best one.
I’m a huge manga fan. Over the years, I’ve read countless manga, as you can see on my list of the best manga of all time, the best horror manga or the most disturbing manga. In this article, however, I want to talk specifically about The Horizon manga.
The Horizon is a short manga I discovered about a year ago, but it has become one of my absolute favorites.
It’s a sad, depressing, sometimes utterly heartbreaking manga. Yet, it’s not a horror manga. No, it’s one of the most emotional and deep works I’ve ever read.
In this article, I want to discuss the various elements of this manga and shed light on why I think it’s such a great work.
The Horizon starts with a little boy and his mother. There’s chaos, panic and war, as we soon learn. Within moments, the fleeing people we see in the first panels are reduced to nothing but lifeless bodies.
Before long, the boy stumbles upon his mother’s body. Shell-shocked and stunted, he begins to walk. First through the ruined, derelict remains of the city and then down the road, simply walking.
After he spends the night on a school bus at the side of the road, he meets a little girl. From then on, the two of them travel together, always onwards towards the horizon. Over the course of the manga, they encounter various other people.
The Horizon manga is set in a torn, derelict world. We don’t know what exactly happened, but it’s clear that it’s war, a war that still seems to go on.
It’s a dark and unforgiving world that showcases war and its aftermath. We see empty roads, ruined cities and encounter traumatized people, people who are lost and broken because of what they saw.
The world’s a brutal place and we learn that right from the start, but also during our characters’ many encounters with other people.
Over the course of the manga, we witness the brutality of the world in a multitude of ways. We witness explosions, fighting, dead bodies and even infectious diseases.
And yet, the death and gore are never glamorized. It’s always shocking, always there to make us feel and to showcase in how terrible a state the world is in.
Even until the end, we never learn how the world became this way, but we don’t need to. This story is about a boy and a girl who are trying to survive. All we need to know is that the world’s ended to understand their suffering.
The Horizon manga tells the story of two characters, a little boy and a little girl.
As they continue on their way, they meet multiple characters. Some are traumatized victims of war, others are soldiers or people who’ve found their own meaning in this terrible world, like the man in the suit.
Many other manga feature young characters or children to get an emotional reaction from their readers, even though the story could very well be about adults.
The Horizon manga, however, feels genuine in what it does. It’s a story specifically about children and about how they experience the horrors of war. It tells the story from their perspective, shows us their understanding of it and what their thoughts are. The Horizon manga never feels cheap or like cheating because we all know that scenarios like that are a sad reality in our world. It showcases how terrible things such as war can affect those who are most vulnerable.
The art in The Horizon manga fits the story extremely well. It’s dark and gritty, at times sketchy and simplistic, at others detailed.
What’s interesting is the omission of dialogues in earlier parts. In the first chapters, the manga relies almost entirely on narration, exposition and the art to tell its story. It succeeds fantastically even without the use of words.
The manga’s atmosphere is extremely strong, and it’s in huge parts because of the art. There are many panels that show nothing but our two characters on long empty roads or in giant empty meadows. This reliance on empty spaces, on scarce colors, and our characters only appearing as tiny dots in a corner really helps to showcase how lost and alone they are.
There’s an underlying feeling of sadness to this manga, to the world it’s set in, one that’s almost nihilistic. This is especially noticeable in the other people our characters encounter and their design. Many of them are traumatized and truly look like it. They have wild eyes, empty faces or appear endlessly tired.
Another interesting aspect is that The Horizon manga is almost entirely held in black-and-white. Yet, there are a select few pages that are in full color. This element is only used when our characters are happy, when the world seems nice for just a moment. It’s nothing short of beautiful.
While The Horizon manga is a work about traumatized, shell-shocked and broken people, it’s still full of heavy emotions.
Many times, these emotions are showcased by the art alone. This is most prevalent when a character spirals out of control. We see their eyes growing wide and see them scream in terror. As they do, the art becomes sketchier, simpler, but also more jagged and wild. The more a character’s mental state deteriorates, the more the art does. It fully serves to show the emotions characters feel. This combination of emotions and art makes The Horizon such a fantastic work.
It’s not merely that, however, as with a story such as this, there’s bound to be powerful emotions. It’s not just bystanders, but also our main characters who often show powerful emotions, especially when they are trying to understand war and the state the world is in.
The most emotionally heave segment apart from the ending, however, has to be the backstory of the little girl. It’s as sad as it is fantastic.
The Horizon manga is a tragedy. It’s a depressing, almost bleak work full of sadness. Still, it also showcases some deeper themes. It’s heavy with topics such as fear, being lost, hopelessness and futility. It shows the darkest of human existence. And yet, there are a few select moments that also show happiness and hope.
When we encounter the man in the suit, we wonder what it means to be good and what it means to be bad. Who even is good and who’s bad in a world such as this? Can a distinction such as this even be made?
The man in the suit talks about killing all the men with guns to make the world a better place. Similarly to the little girl, we too, beg the question if can ever make the world a better place by killing. It’s a moral dilemma.
The chapters with the man in the suit are a discussion of the human condition. We always believe to be in the right, we rationalize our deeds, especially in times of war or those that follow it.
The backstory of the little girl we witness in the second half of The Horizon manga is another sad and depressing part. Here, too, we witness how people handle the situation they are in.
The world’s ended and has become a hopeless place. Is it futile to even try to go on? Does it matter at all if you survive if there’s nothing out there? It shows in perfect detail how different people handle this knowledge and what they’ll do.
Many sad and depressing manga fail for a one simple reason. They descend into misery porn, throwing their characters into a worse and worse events. The Horizon manga is sad and depressing, but it never fully descends into misery porn territory. The sadness, the emotions and the events depicted never feel gratuitous, glamorized or exploitive. No, they simply showcase what’s happening.
One reason The Horizon manga succeeds so well at what it does is because of its length. At only twenty-one chapters, it’s a rather short work, but I feel it’s the perfect length. If it would’ve been any longer, the gloomy atmosphere would’ve been dragged out. We would’ve gotten used to it. And thus, the emotional impact of the story would’ve been weakened.
What I came to like truly about The Horizon manga was the ending. As sad and depressing a work as it is, it ends on a positive note. It shows that as long as there’s love, there’s always hope, even in a world such as this.
Overall, The Horizon manga is a hidden little gem. It’s a fantastically dark, depressing and sad tale, but one that’s truly beautiful.
Read it, it’s a masterpiece.
You can now also by the print-version on Amazon. You can find it right here:
I’ve always been a big fan of manga and have been reading a variety of different manga and manga series. While I’m usually torn more towards horror manga, I also love well-written manga.
I’m not merely talking about the plot or the story of a manga here, but also about themes, characters, twists or the general presentation of the story.
For this list, I gathered together 24 well-written manga anyone needs to read. I’d also like to give a spoiler warning since I want to discuss why I added these titles to the list.
Ikigami by Motoro Mase is set in a dystopian future. A strange law is in effect, the National Welfare Act, under which certain citizens between the age of eighteen and twenty-four are selected to die for their country.
Twenty-four hours before they die, they get sent an Ikigami, a notification informing them about their impending death.
Kengo Fujimoto, our protagonist, is a government messenger responsible for the delivery of Ikigamis.
The manga’s mostly told in episodic fashion, and centers on the people who receive an Ikigami. We’re shown how they react to the terrible news and how they spend their last day. While some of them accept, others wallow in despair and a few even rebel against it and try to change their destiny.
Ikigami presents a scenario that’s nothing short of terrifying. And yet, it also makes the manga quite thought provoking. It’s interesting to see how all sorts of different people react to the terrible news.
It’s the stories of those people that makes Ikigami such a well-written manga. They are unique and realistic, at times heartfelt and beautiful at others poetically beautiful.
While the art might not be the best, and the time we spent with most of the character is limited, it doesn’t mean Ikigami isn’t a well-written manga. Some of the short, often only a few chapters-long stories, are better than other, much longer tales.
Overall, Ikigami is a manga very worth reading. It’s interesting and not a bit thought-provoking and it makes you wonder how you’d spend your last day on Earth.
Ji-Hoon Jeong’s The Horizon is amongst the most depressing, yet beautiful manhwa I’ve read. While it’s not a manga, I still included it in this list of the most well-written manga because I think it deserves more attention.
In a world ravaged by war, a young boy witnesses the death of his mother. Before long, confused and stunted, he decides to walk the road towards the horizon.
It isn’t long before he meets a little girl and from then on, the two of them travel together.
The Horizon is the depressing, showcasing the brutality of war and the world in its aftermath. It’s a dark story, and, at times, one that gets almost a bit too dark.
The manhwa features some fantastic art. It’s often raw and gritty, sometimes simplistic at others, detailed, but always beautiful.
The Horizon comprises only twenty-one chapters, but it’s the perfect length. There’s a limit on how long you can keep up the gloomy atmosphere before it dissipates.
One of the greatest feats The Horizon accomplishes is the showcasing of raw emotions via the art. The entire style becomes grittier, rougher, and distorts completely when emotions spiral out of control. It’s a feat I’ve seldom seen in a manga, and The Horizon does so masterfully.
The Horizon is a hidden gem. It’s an unforgiving and depressing tale, one that showcases the brutality of war, and especially its aftermath. It’s a fantastically well-written manhwa one I urge anyone to read.
Anyonefamiliar with the works of Inio Asano knows they are famous for being depressing. Oyasumi Punpun is no different, but it’s an extremely well-written manga.
It’s the story of Punpun Onodera, an eleven-year-old boy. His life is fine, but changes when a new girl, Aiko, joins his class. Soon, Punpun has to learn how fickle relationships can be. We also learn more about Punpun, his family, his friends and watch how a shy little boy is consumed by darkness.
Punpun’s life is filled with problems. While it’s one of the best and most well-written manga I’ve read, it’s not an easy read. We experience Punpun’s romantic troubles, alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety. Yet, it’s the raw, gritty details in this manga that showcase how even the smallest things can influence us. It’s a relatable story. We’ve all experienced our share of misery and we all can relate to Punpun on some level.
The manga gives us multiple glimpses of Punpun’s life. In the earlier chapters, he’s a little boy, then a high schooler and ultimately a young adult.
Punpun is a mature manga, featuring its share of nudity and adult themes, but they are merely there to make us uncomfortable.
The same is true for Oyasumi Punpun’s cast of characters. They all suffer from problems and are all damaged to a degree. This is not a story of perfect people. No, it’s a story of real people. And similarly to the characters in Oyasumi Punpun, we all have our share of problems.
And yet, Oyasumi Punpun is an extremely well-written manga. It’s a depressing, deep story, yet it never becomes misery porn. No, it’s a thought-provoking tale, one that showcases how easy it is to fall into darkness.
Holyland by Kouji Mori is not only one of the best martial arts manga out there but also a well-written manga.
It’s the story of Yuu Kamishiro. After being bullied and abused, he turns to boxing and trains a single punch. He does so for an extended period, and finally takes to the streets to find his Holyland. After fighting street thugs, he soon builds up a reputation and becomes known as the ‘thug hunter.’
The reason I consider Holyland such a well-written manga is not for its plot, however, but for its characters. In essence, Holyland is a coming of age story, one driven by its characters. Instead of revolving around a general plot, the manga focuses more on character development.
Yet, the manga isn’t solely about Yuu. During his time out in the streets, he makes friends, but also enemies. Each one of them is as carefully developed as Yuu himself, especially Masaki Izawa and Shougo Midorikawa.
The biggest problem about Holyland, however, comes with its form of story-telling. It focuses almost entirely on character-development and uses street fights as a vessel. For this reason, the plot itself becomes rather repetitive.
Even though it didn’t deter my enjoyment of the series. It’s a fantastically well-written manga in terms of character-development. If you’re looking for a well-written manga about martial arts, read Holyland.
Annarasumanara by Ha Il-Kwon is yet another manga, but I still included it on this list. It’s extremely well-written and one of the most heartfelt and beautiful stories I’ve ever read.
The story centers on Yoon Ah-ee, a high school girl and a magician living in an abandoned theme park. Yoon is living in poverty. Her life comprises studying, working and taking care of her sister.
Eventually, after rumors of the mysterious magician spread, she stumbles into the theme park and visits him. It’s this visit that changes her life forever.
The manhwa centers on a variety of themes. The central one of those is growing up and living up to your own expectations and that of others. This theme is brought into conflict with the question of what happiness and life are about.
And yet, those are only two of a multitude of themes. Others include parental pressure, understanding yourself, and social expectations.
Magic is another important theme, but while it often showcases magic tricks, it’s more about the magic of life itself.
Annarasumanara is a story of real, genuine people, all with their own problems and genuine emotions. It’s a story that looks at life, at growing up and the questions we all encounter. And it might also be a story of magic and the question if magic can be real.
It’s a quick read, comprising only three volumes, but it’s very well worth reading. It’s a fantastic story and one of the most well-written manhwa I ever read.
Shuuzou Oshimi’s Chi no Wadachi is one of the most well-written manga I read in recent times. It’s a psychological masterpiece centering on abuse, trauma and manipulation.
Seiichi Osaba is a normal young boy. Yet, there’s one thing in his life that’s a bit strange, his mother. She’s overprotective of her son.
While it’s strange, it’s nothing too out of the ordinary. That is until Seiichi and his family go on a hiking trip. It’s there that a certain incident should change his life and that of his mother forever.
The manga might start out simple, even ordinary, but as it continues, we watch as things spiral out of control and become crazier and crazier.
What makes Chi no Wadachi such a well-written manga is the attention to detail and the way the story is told. It’s an extremely slow paced manga, but this slow pace adds a lot of tension and suspense. There are a lot of still shots, focusing on facial expression and emotions. Sometimes entire chapters are dedicated to nothing but a single interaction between two characters.
The manga’s art plays a huge part in it. Chi no Wadachi looks stunning and unique. At times, pages are sparse, others they are dense, almost oppressively detailed. Yet, it always helps to set the mood.
At first glance, the story might not appear too deep. It’s, however, the way it’s told, the way we experience it, that makes it special. Chi no Wadachi is an extremely well-written manga, one you can’t help be unsettled about.
If you’re looking for a psychological manga, one told uniquely and coming with stunning art, I urge you to read Chi no Wadachi.
Naoki Urasawa’s famous for his mystery manga. My favorite amongst his works is 20th Century Boys, which I consider one of the most well-written manga of all time.
The manga’s plot centers on Kenji endo and his friends.
Kenji’s a normal guy, working at a convenience store, but his life changes when he learns of the suicide of his former friend, Donkey. Incidentally, a cult lead by a mysterious figure, known as Friend, becomes popular in Japan. It isn’t long before Kenji realizes this cult is not only related to Donkey’s suicide, but also to him and his childhood.
From this point onward Kenji sets out to reunite his childhood friends and to learn the truth.
While conspiracy plots are nothing new, and neither are those about saving the world, 20th Century Boy’s stands out by how the story is told.
The sense of mystery and the foreboding atmosphere never let up. With each new development, new questions appear. What I especially enjoyed was the inclusion of different time periods. Many times, the manga takes us back to Kenji’s childhood to showcase certain events and reveal new pieces of the puzzle.
The manga comprises three arcs. The first is set at the end of the 20th century, the second in the year 2014 and the last during the Friend Era.
Amongst those arcs, the first two are masterfully told and amongst the best of the entire mystery manga genre. It’s during the third arc where things become a bit too strange and quality dips a little. It’s not bad, but it feels a bit detached from the rest.
Overall, 20th Century Boys tells a fantastic story and is amongst the most well-written manga of all time.
Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi is one of the longest-running most popular manga of all time.
It’s manga about hunter, who are essentially treasure hunters with various privileges. If you want to become a hunter, you have to pass the Hunter Exam.
Our protagonist, Gon Freecss, is a young boy who wants to be a hunter and takes part in the Hunter Exam. This exam makes up the first arc of the manga and introduces us to a majority of Hunter x Hunter’s main cast.
I consider Hunter x Hunter a well-written manga for various reasons. The first is the introduction of Nen, Hunter x Hunter’s equivalent of super powers. Yet, Togashi wasn’t satisfied by merely creating super powers. Instead, he created an elaborate system with rules and restrictions.
Another are the characters. The protagonists are all likeable, but it’s the antagonists I came to enjoy. Hisoka is one of the most bizarre characters I ever came upon and Chrollo, and the Phantom Troop, are extremely interesting.
While some of Hunter x Hunter’s arcs can be weaker, it’s the Chimera Ant arc that stood out to me.
There was, of course, Meruem, who served as a fantastic and well-written antagonist. The second was the presentation of the last part of the arc, the Palace Invasion. It was fantastically done and in many ways broke conventions in the way it was told.
Yet, it’s not only the Chimera Ant arc that stood out to me. The York New arc, as well as the newest the Succession Contest arc are both well written in their own right.
Overall, Hunter x Hunter is one of the best shonen manga out there, and one of the most well-written manga.
Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo might be the most influential manga of all time. It spawned one of the most influential anime of all time, and also the Japanese cyberpunk subgenre.
Akira’s set in the dystopian, futuristic city of Neo Tokyo. It’s a cyberpunk hell hole in which technology and skyscrapers go hand in hand with poverty and biker gangs.
Shoutarou Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima are two such bikers. They are best friends, but also bitter rivals. When Tetsuo tries to prove himself by pulling a desperate stunt, he sets into motion a chain of events leading to the awakening of Akira.
Akira is a story of government conspiracies, secret experiments, but most of all, one of megalomania.
It starts out as a story set in Neo Tokyo, featuring drug orgies and gang fights, but it soon shifts to government conspiracies. Among all this, however, Tetsuo stands out, an edgy teenage boy, a chilling and tragic character, who finds himself in possession of immense powers.
The story of Akira evolves, however. While the earlier volumes center on government conspiracies, the latter volumes are more post-apocalyptic, set in a derelict world.
The story-telling itself, however, is always brilliant and is always engaging. It’s for this reason I consider Akira such a well-written manga.
All of this is presented to us in Katsuhiro Otomo’s stunning art. Be it the dystopian cyberpunk hell that’s Neo Tokyo or its derelict ruins, it’s always shown in fantastic detail.
While Akira might have its share of problems, it’s still one of the greatest and most-well written manga of all time. It’s a stunningly beautiful cyberpunk masterpiece I recommend to any fan of manga.
Shigurui by Norio Nanjou and Takayuki Yamaguchi is one of the best and most well-written manga I ever read.
The story centers on a proclamation by the daimyo Tadanaga Tokugawa. He wants to hold a martial arts tournament with real swords and fights to the death.
The very first fight of the tournament is between the one-armed Gennosuke Fujiki and the lame and blind Seigen Irako. And yet, Shigurui doesn’t show us the result of their fight. Instead, the rest of the manga focuses on the backstory of those two characters and what led to their fight.
Shigurui’s a beautiful manga to look at and features some of the medium’s finest art. Characters, backgrounds and nature are rendered in beautiful detail while fights are ripe with gore and brutality, rendered in stunning detail.
What makes Shigurui such a well-written manga, however, is its depiction of samurai culture. Many manga often romanticize it, showing samurai as ideal and honorable fighters. Shigurui, however, sheds light on its unforgiving nature and the many lives lost because of it.
Shigurui’s a character driven manga, focusing on the paths of the two protagonists. It’s interesting, however, that there’s no distinction between good and bad. Instead, there are merely shades of grey. Both characters have their flaws and by following them along, we come to witness the true evil of the story, samurai culture itself.
The entire manga gives of a feeling of depression. It’s a story about the sword and how it forces people into a life of servitude and obedience under the guise of honor.
Shigurui is one of the best and most well-written manga in the samurai genre and in general.
Hideo Yamamoto’s Ichi the Killer is one of the most depraved manga I ever read. And yet, for all its sickness, for all its brutality, it’s also one of the most well-written manga out there.
Ichi the Killer centers on two characters. One is Ichi, the titular killer, the other is Kakihara, a twisted and insane yakuza. After Kakihara’s boss vanishes, he sets out on a brutal search to find him. This search brings him into bloody conflict with other yakuza groups, but also leads to a confrontation with Ichi.
Ichi the Killer is a depraved, sick story, featuring copious amounts of violence and a variety of disturbing incidents. And yet, the manga isn’t merely a gore fest. No, it’s a carefully developed, deeply psychological story that centers on a variety of themes. The most prominent is that of the interplay between sadism and masochism, but others included are childhood abuse, manipulation and identity disorder. The manga mixes all those together into one of the most brutal, but also most compelling and well-written manga of all time.
It’s a fascinating work, one that succeeds so well not despite, but because of its showcasing of raw violence. The characters in Ichi the Killer aren’t real people. Instead, they are the most depraved members of society, those who mingle in its dark underbelly. It shows them to us, shows us what they will do, how far they go and filters none of it. And all this violence is used to not only tell but also underline the story that’s told.
Ichi the Killer is a brutal, fucked up and often downright disgusting manga. At the same time, however, it’s one of the most well-written manga of all time.
Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom is my favorite historical and military manga and I regard it as one of the best and most well-written manga of all time.
Kingdom is set during the Warring States era of China and depicts its unification under the state of Qin. This makes it a work of tremendous scope and even with almost 700 chapters, the story is nowhere near done.
The story begins with a rebellion against the soon to be king of Qin, Ei Sei. During these events, our protagonist Shin, a young servant boy, becomes involved in the matters of state.
From this point onward, we follow Ei Sei on his path to unify China and Shin on his path to become a Great General under the Heaven.
Kingdom is a well-written manga for a variety of reasons. There are the large-scale battles that were common during the Warring States era. Those battles are presented in stunning detail. While they are bloody and full of action, the manga puts a lot of emphasis on outlying the strategies and tactics employed.
While Shin is out fighting large parts of the story, focus on Ei Sei, the power struggles at court and the politics between the Warring States.
A manga as long as Kingdom also features a vast cast of characters. While Shin, our protagonist, is rather clichéd, many others are complex and interesting. There’s Ei Sei, Ryu Fui, General Ou Ki and of course, Riboku.
While Kingdom’s a historical manga, it often takes liberties to dramatize events. The first arc of the manga is by far the weakest. Once we reach the first large-scale battle, however, the manga truly shines.
Overall, Kingdom is the best and most well-written historical and military manga I’ve read.
Manabe Shouhei’s Yamikin Ushijima is a dark manga, one that presents us with the world of illegal money lending. It’s among the best, most well-written crime manga there are.
Our protagonist, Kaoru Ushijima, is a yamikin, an illegal moneylender. He offers loans with an interest rate of fifty percent, which is to be paid back within ten days. One has to wonder who’d accept such outrageous conditions, but if you believe this manga, there are many people who do. It’s those who gave into their vices, are drowning in debt, or who are amongst the dregs of society.
In earlier parts, the manga centers on Ushijima as he makes sure people pay him back and often takes from them all they have, using any means possible.
Where the manga truly shines, however, is in its later parts. When the manga focuses less on Ushijima, but more on the people who come to his office. These stories are as well-written as they are depressing. There’s a sad sort of interest in seeing what ultimately drives people to his office.
Many of the characters in this manga aren’t sympathetic, and one’s hard pressed to feel sorry for them. Some tales, however, are heartbreaking, showing just how quickly can end up in a downward spiral.
Yamkin Ushijima-kun is great because it’s so realistic. Everyone makes mistakes, sometimes we have bad luck, and there are always people out there who are preying on the weak.
It’s a dark, fascinating manga that sheds light on the dark underbelly of society.
While there are a lot of manga centered on crime, few portray the dark side of society and Yamikin Ushijima-kun. It’s a dark, depressing but extremely well-written manga.
I enjoy mind game manga and Shinobu Kaitani’s Liar Game is amongst the best the medium offers.
The story centers on Kanzaki Nao. She’s an incredibly honest girl. One day, she finds herself a contestant in the Liar, a game of deceit with stakes in the hundreds of millions.
Before long, Nao is tricked, but soon finds help from the genius swindler Akiyama.
The reason I think Liar Game is such a well-written manga is because of the games. They start out simple, but as the manga progresses, they get more and more complex.
While the games themselves are interesting, it’s the many tricks, ploys and strategies characters use that make them so great. It’s a delight to watch them out-play each other repeatedly over their course.
This was most prevalent during the Contraband Game and the Musical Chairs game. These two were absolutely outstanding. This, of course, wasn’t merely because of the games, but also because of the characters.
Most characters in Liar Game are there to represent a certain character type and to be out-played by Akiyama. During the Contraband Game, however, we’re introduced to Yokoya and during Musical Chairs, Harimoto. Both of them were a match for Akiyama, and the games featuring them were interesting and reached new levels of suspense.
Overall, Liar Game is an absolutely brilliant and well-written manga. It features a variety of complex games, strategies and characters. It’s well worth reading and probably the best mind game manga out there.
Bokutachi ga Yarimashita is one of the darkest and most well-written manga I ever read.
It tells the story of Tobio Masubuchi and his three friends, Isami, Maru and Paisen. When Maru gets beaten up by the delinquents of a neighboring school, the friends hatch a plan for revenge.
What was planned to be nothing but a prank turns into deadly reality and their normal, average lives end.
It’s fantastically well-written manga that centers on a variety of psychological themes, but the most prevalent is that of guilt and redemption. The reliance on these themes makes Bokutachi ga Yamashita one of the darkest and most depressing manga I ever read.
It’s an entirely unique manga, unlike anything I ever read before. The plot is ripe with tension, but more than that, it makes you uncomfortable on a deeply psychological level.
The story-telling and plot are great, the pace is fantastic, but what makes this manga so good are the characters. Bokutachi ga Yamshita is a work that’s entirely character driven. And yet, the characters in Bokutachi ga Yamshita aren’t heroes. Instead, they are normal, everyday people. They are immature, weak, and never thought about the consequences of their actions.
It’s extremely interesting to witness how they handle the events taking place in that manga, but more so to see the psychological and emotional toll it takes on them.
It’s a realistic tale that shows that in real life there are no magical endings. No, life goes on and you’ll have to live with the consequences of your actions.
Bokutachi ga Yamashita is a fantastically dark, suspenseful and well-written manga. It presents us with a deep look into the human psyche.
Freesia by Jiro Matsumoto is a manga set in a dystopian Japan. In this society, a law has been passed which legalizes retaliatory killings. Should a loved one be murdered, you may take justice into your own hands or hire someone to do it for you.
Our protagonist, Kano, works at an agency that specializes in carrying out retaliatory killings.
Reading this, one might think Freesia a manga bout bloody retaliatory killings. Instead, however, the manga focuses much more on the targets of these retaliatory killings and their personal stories. These stories are often very well-written, make us sympathize with them and their end often tragic.
Freesia’s setting is dark, gloomy and depressing and the manga is populated by a cast of the broken, damaged and mentally ill.
Kano himself suffers from hallucination, memory failure and schizophrenia. What makes Freesia such a well-written manga is the way his mental illness is presented to us. We aren’t merely witnessing how Kano acts. No, we see the world through his eyes. It makes the entire manga incredibly surreal and weird. Often, you might wonder just what’s going on and what’s real and what isn’t.
And yet, Kano isn’t the only character who suffers from mental problems. Many others suffer from delusions or hallucinations in their own right. As with Kano, many of these distorted views of reality are presented to us at face value. It’s only when reality’s revealed to us we truly understand what’s going on.
Freesia is nothing short of brilliant. It’s a dark, depressing work, but also an extremely well-written manga. It showcases mental illness in a way I’ve not seen before.
You sometimes come upon certain works that contain glimpses of absolute brilliance. One such tale is Kenji Tsuruta’s adaptation of Shinji Kajio’s story, Omoide Emanon.
The story centers on a young man who’s returning home from his travels and a beautiful young woman he meets on a ferry. She introduces herself as Emanon and the two of them hit it off.
During dinner, she tells him her story, a story that’s unbelievable.
I don’t know what it is about this manga that makes it so great. There’s this warm, solemn atmosphere about it, the way our characters meet and how they talk that’s just so natural.
I don’t know what makes this manga so great. It might be the warm, solemn atmosphere, the way the characters meet, or the reason the young man returns home. It’s a mixture that’s strangely fitting and relatable.
And yet, Emanon stands out. She’s a realistic, yet beautiful character. She’s charismatic, yet ominous. Her portrayal is simply perfect.
The reason I consider Omoide Emanon such a well-written manga is the emotional impact it conveys in its few chapters. I’ve read many other manga, much longer than Omoide Emanon, but few impacted me similarly.
Omoide Emanon doesn’t tell much of a story. Instead, it merely gives us a glimpse into the life of two characters who met by chance.
And yet, at times, it’s the small things in life that stay with us the longest. Read Omoide Emanon, and it might just become one of them.
Onani Master Kurosawa by Katsura Ise and Takuma Yokota proved to be one of the biggest surprises in the entire manga medium.
Kakeru Kurosawa, our protagonist, is a fourteen-year-old student. Each day, once classes are over, however, he heads to a seldom-used school bathroom and masturbates.
When he notices how his mousy classmate Aya Kitahara is bullied by one of the popular girls, he takes revenge into his own hands by doing what he does best.
It isn’t long before Kitahara figures out he’s behind the incident and blackmails him to do the same to other girls who bullied her.
The earlier parts of Onani Master Kurosawa are more humorous and are often considered a parody of Death Note. In time, however, the manga changes, matures and becomes an inspiring coming-of-age tale.
What makes it such a well-written manga is not only the way the story’s told but also its characters. Kurosawa is one of the best-rounded, believable and eventually likeable characters I’ve ever come upon. While he starts out as an anti-social pervert, he develops tremendously over the course of the manga.
It’s this development that’s incredibly well done. He’s also an extremely relatable character, one we come to get to know intimately. We not only see what’s happening or how he feels, no, we come to understand him. It’s this intimacy and his character development that makes this such a well-written manga. The same is true for many of the side-characters who are as complex and realistic as Kurosawa.
Onani Master Kurosawa is without a doubt one of the best, most well-written manga out there, telling a sweet and complex coming-of-age story.
Shinichi Sakamoto’s The Climber is one of the most beautiful and well-written manga I ever read.
Buntarou Mori, our protagonist, is a lonesome and solitary teenager. When a classmate challenges him to climb the school building, Mori accepts without hesitation. It’s at this moment that his passion for climbing is awoken.
From here on out, Mori climbs more and more mountains.
The Climber is a work heavily focused on dedication and perseverance, showcasing that if you work hard enough, you can do anything.
It’s the story, the presentation that makes The Climber such a well-written manga. One might think it’s a manga about climbing, but it’s one about character. The Climber is hugely character-driven and focuses more on Mori’s development than anything else.
Mori has problems and can’t relate to other people. As he continues to climb and overcome mountains, however, he also overcomes his problems. This dualism is fantastically well done.
The art in The Climber is among the best in the medium. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, presenting us with stunning page-spreads of mountain ranges.
It’s full of glimpses of poetic beauty. Many panels are dedicated to nothing but Mori climbing. There’s no need for dialogue. No, the visuals speak for themselves. It’s a thing of beauty, one that makes The Climber such a fantastic and well-written manga.
And yet, it goes even further. Many pages contain metaphors, allusions and literary passages. It gives the entire work a feeling of profound joy and character. And yet, it never feels pretentious.
The Climber is an outstanding work of beauty. It’s not merely a manga about climbing, it’s a character-driven coming-of-age story. While the manga can be a heavier read, it’s never an unpleasant experience. No, it’s always beautiful.
Akira Hiramoto’s Me and the Devil Blues is a manga that retells the life of Robert Johnson and the American South.
Our protagonist, Robert, is a dabbling musician who wants to learn how to play the blues. He’s not good at it, but one day he hears an urban legend. Should you play at a crossroads at night, the devil will visit you. In exchange for your soul, he’ll make you genius blues player.
When Robert does what the legend says, his life changes forever.
Me and the Devil Blues is an outstanding a well-written manga. It comes with an art style that’s gritty, but very detailed, making it one of the most beautiful manga out there.
The setting of the manga, the American South, during the 1930s is extremely well done. One can see the deep division between white and black, giving the manga a unique, western feeling.
Another fantastic element of the manga is its characters. RJ’s a great protagonist, but he’s a character more thrown into events than choosing them. Clyde Brown is, in my opinion, the best character in the manga. Many of the side-characters are well developed in their own right, but the best among them is without a doubt Stanley McDonald.
The best part about Me and the Devil Blues, however, is the atmosphere. I’ve never read another manga so loaded with tension and as suspenseful as Me and the Devil Blues. There are entire chapters that don’t let you catch your breath. It’s this atmosphere, this tension that makes it such an incredibly well-written manga.
Me and the Devil Blues is a hidden gem and one of the most suspenseful, well written-manga of all time.
Vineland Saga by Makoto Yukimura tells the story of Thorfinn Karlsefni, son of Thors. He’s part of a mercenary group led by a man named Askeladd. It’s revealed that Askeladd is responsible for Thor’s death and Thorfinn only joined his group to get revenge.
After this introduction, we learn that the Danish prince Canute has been taken hostage. It’s here that the shrewd Askeladd hatches a plan, one that should change their lives forever.
Vinland Saga is without a doubt one of the best and most well-written manga of all time.
The manga’s set in the 11th century and focuses on Vikings. While the manga takes some liberties, it feels incredibly realistic and doesn’t shy away from portraying the atrocities of the times.
Vinland Saga is full of brutal battles, featuring gross and gratuitous violence. And yet, the manga isn’t merely a story of brutal wars and battle. It’s the story of Thorfinn. For long parts, the manga tells a calm and gloomy story as it focuses on Thorfinn feelings of guilt and his regrets. It’s these parts I came to enjoy the most.
The reason I consider Vinland Saga such a well-written manga, however, is because of its characters. Thorfinn starts out as a quiet and efficient killer who lives only for revenge. Over the course of the story, however, he grows tremendously and becomes one of the most complex manga characters of all time.
The greatest character in Vinland Saga is Askeladd. He’s amongst the greatest manga characters of all time and if you read Vinland Saga, you will find out why.
At times Vinland Saga is brutal and violent, at others calm and quiet, but it’s always a well-written manga and a fantastic read.
Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond is based on the novel Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. It tells a romanticized version of the life of Musashi Miyamoto.
The manga centers on Shinmen Takezou. After joining the battle of Sekigahara, Takezo is declared a wanted criminal. After a long hunt, he’s caught, strung up at a tree and left to die. Before long, he’s freed by the monk Takuan, who gives him a new name, that of Musashi Miyamoto.
From here on the manga focuses on his travels and his pursuit of the sword to become ‘Invincible under the Heavens.’
Vagabond is absolutely gorgeous to look at and features some of the best art in the entire medium.
Since Vagabond’s a samurai manga, it features a lot of stunning battles. While they are gory, blood and disturbing, the violence is never glamorized and rendered in stunning detail.
The reason I consider Vagabond such a well-written manga is because of its characters. Musashi starts out as a demon child, but develops tremendously over the course of the manga. He matures into a calm, philosophical man, one who questions what it truly means to be invincible.
As much as the manga’s the story of Musashi Miyamoto, it’s also the story of Sasaki Koichiro, another brilliant swordsman of the time. Long parts of the manga are dedicated to Koichiro and his life. These parts are as interesting and well-written as those featuring Musashi.
The story-telling in Vagabond is another thing I enjoyed. Over the course of the manga, we often switch from Musashi to Koichiro, or even Matahachi, showing us each character’s unique path.
Overall, nothing much needs to be said about Vagabond. It’s one of the greatest, most well-written manga of all time.
Rest in peace Kentaro Miura, thanks for sharing your gift with the world.
Berserk is one of the greatest, most well-written manga of all time.
It’s a dark fantasy manga telling the story of a man with a sword as tall as himself out on a quest for revenge. That man’s Guts, the Black Swordsman, who s hunting for demonic beings known as apostles.
Berserk might appear a simple story, nothing but the tale of a man fighting monsters. And yet, one couldn’t be more wrong. Berserk is an incredibly complex and well-written manga. This is especially prevalent during its second arc, the Golden Age, in which we learn much more about Guts’ past, but also get to know Griffith.
It’s during this arc, we learn just how complex these two characters and their relationship is. Kentaro Miura did an amazing job at showcasing it, testing and ultimately severing it.
It’s because of these two characters, their interactions, their goals and wishes that I consider Berserk such a well-written manga.
While Berserk is known for its amazing characters, it’s most popular for its art. Kentaro Miura was one of the greatest manga artists of all time. There are scarcely few manga who can compare to Berserk when Kentaro Miura was at its best. There are often more details on a single page of Berserk than in entire chapters of other manga.
What I came to enjoy the most was Berserk’s monster design. The apostles are absolutely gorgeous and terrifying to look at. They are nothing short of beautifully grotesque monstrosities.
Berserk is one of the greatest, most well-written manga of all time. It’s at the peak of the medium and anyone interested in manga should read it.
Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal is my favorite manga of all time.
The story centers on Manji, the infamous ‘Hundred Men Killer.’ As punishment for his deeds, an eight-hundred-year-old nun placed bloodworms in his body, rendering him immortal. As atonement for his crimes and to free himself from the curse of immortality, Manji resolves to kill one thousand evil man.
The manga’s story truly starts, however, when Manji meets Rin Asano, a sixteen-year-old girl. She begs him to help her in a quest for revenge against the man who murdered her parents. This man’s Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu.
From this point onwards, Manji travels with Rin to help her.
The manga’s premise is simple, but becomes more complex over time as various factions are introduced.
The reason I consider Blade of the Immortal such a well-written manga is because of its characters. Both Rin and Manji develop tremendously over the course of the manga, but many other characters are as excellent. Anotsu Kagehisa is one of the greatest, most complex characters in the entire manga, but so are Taito Magatsu, Makie Otono-Tachibana and, of course, Shira.
The biggest testament to the manga’s writing is that there’s no real distinction between good and evil. Every character has their own circumstances, goals and reasons. While Anotsu Kagehisa is the story’s chief antagonist, it’s only because Manji and Rin are our protagonists.
The high point of the manga is the outstanding fights. They are brutal, tense, full of suspense and amongst the best of the entire medium.
Overall, Blade of the Immortal is an amazing samurai manga and one of the most well-written manga of all time.
Tsutomu Nihei’s one of my favorite manga of all time and Biomega is one of my favorite works of his.
Unfortunately, Biomega is often overshadowed by its predecessor Blame! and its successor Knights of Sidonia who are both very popular. Yet, I think Biomega is a manga deserving of a lot more attention.
Following his cyberpunk masterpiece Blame!, Biomega is like it in many ways and features many similar elements.
One mega-corporations featured in the story is named Toha Heavy Industries, the manga features a dark-haired, superhuman protagonist, it features lots of high-tech and cybernetic horrors, and it comes with all of Nihei’s grand architectural world-building.
But Biomega isn’t just a carbon copy of Blame!, it’s also vastly different in many other ways.
It’s a fantastic and creative manga that pushes Nihei’s visual story-telling even further than Blame! It features Nihei’s usual dark and gritty style and the insane action so common in Blame! However, Biomega drives those things even further.
Biomega is an insanely fast-paced cyberpunk, zombie apocalypse manga full. It’s as weird and insane as it sounds, but the second half of the manga gets even weirder.
Biomega’s plot is hard to describe. The manga’s plot is as weird as it is surreal. At the outset of the story, most of the world population has turned into drones, who are basically zombies, because of the spreading N5S virus.
It’s soon revealed that the Data Recovery Foundation (DRF), a mega corporation, and its subsidiary, the Public Health Service (PHS), are trying to continue the spread of the virus to transform humanity.
Opposing them is Toha Heavy Industries, another mega-corporation who sends out synthetic human agents, one of them Zouichi Kanoe. He’s tasked with finding Ion Green, a young woman who’s adapted to the N5S virus.
Toha Heavy Industries searches for her and other people who have adapted to the N5S virus hoping to find a cure and to save the world.
And thus Zouichi, and Toha Heavy Industries find themselves in conflict with the DRF, the PHS and their many forces.
Similarly to Blame!, Biomega features an apocalyptic setting. Again, we don’t witness the world before the apocalypse. Instead, we’re thrown right into it and witness a derelict world devoid of normal humans and populated by twisted and disturbing drones.
Over the course of the manga, however, the setting changes radically.
While the first half of the manga is set on a dark, gritty and futuristic version of Earth, the second half of the manga is set on an entirely different world.
It’s a shift that makes sense in the story, but it’s strange, nonetheless. It’s such a radical shift that not only the setting, but even the nature of the plot changes. The entire manga becomes less dark, grim and gritty and much less fast-paced.
Like many of Nihei’s earlier works, Biomega is a highly unique manga that’s not for everyone. It’s a story told more via visuals than via dialogue, extremely fast paced and full of action.
An old saying goes, a picture says more than a thousand words, and it’s no more true than in the works of Tsutomu Nihei and especially Biomega.
Biomega is another example of a story being told via the setting and visuals. There’s no exposition, no explanations and instead we’re thrown right into a zombie-apocalypse.
Similarly to Blame! there are entire chapters with almost no dialogue. Yet, Biomega differs from Blame! in one major aspect, the pacing.
Biomega’s pacing is insanely fast, almost too fast and most of it is presented to us via visuals.
There’s always something happening, the story is always moving forward. There are no slow, somber chapters like in Blame!, at least in the first half of the manga, and this can make it hard to understand what’s going on.
Even dialogue is faced-paced, lines are omitted and only people’s reaction are shown to us. It’s an interesting choice, but it never confuses since we can always tell what was said before or what question was asked.
An example is when a certain character gets infected. We don’t see Fuyu telling her she’s infected or what happened to her, instead we only see her reaction and understanding of it.
This makes Biomega such a fast-moving manga. It feels almost like Nihei was reluctant to use dialogue, and wanted his visuals and his setting to speak for himself. While it might sound strange, it works in case of Biomega and makes it such a unique experience to read.
As in other works of Nihei’s, the world-building is done mostly via visuals.
What makes Biomega’s world-building so special is that the manga’s set in two vastly different worlds.
The first part of the manga is set in a futuristic version of the world. Yet, with the apocalypse setting in, it’s a derelict, bleak and ruined place.
It’s a world full of claustrophobic cities and complex urban sprawls.
The apocalypse is almost feasible, since the world is an empty place. As Zouichi and other characters travel through cities, they are almost completely empty, only populated by drones.
It’s a vast technological wasteland, devoid of anything in it but giant structures and military installations. This bleak atmosphere is even more feasible than in Blame!
After the first half, the manga’s setting changes radically and the second half of the manga stands in stark contrast to it.
What used to be the dark, futuristic cityscapes of a future earth are replaced by unique bio-mechanical environments that look more grown than built. It’s a world reminiscent of such works as Nausicaä teeming with strange bio-mechanical horrors.
It’s a world that appears almost like a fusion of nature and the artificial, one that looks more plantlike, almost organic. We see giant structures reminding us of bones, holes akin to pores and the many life forms Zouichi encounters appear like parasites.
This strange mixture of the biological and the technological also shows in the many inhabitants of the world, be it humans or other organisms.
And yet, this second half is more reminiscent of Blame!. The manga now takes place in a strange new world of immeasurable proportions, where humans have to survive against terrible odds.
Yet, what both worlds have in common is Nihei’s attention and focus on grand design. In the first part of the magna, it’s visible in the many gigantic cities, high-tech complexes and military structures.
This goes more out of hand in the second half. The new world has a width of only 100 kilometers, but a length of 4.8 billion kilometers, essentially stretching out from Earth to Neptun.
It’s this dual-setting that makes Biomega such a unique, but also strange manga. Both worlds, however, are rendered in beautiful detail and are given a lot of attention.
Biomega is weird, way weirder than Blame! and it shows in its assortment of characters. These include our main characters, Toha Heavy Industries synthetic humans, but also immortals, a woman who’s able to use ESP to understand and learn anything in an instant and a talking bear.
The synthetic humans, Zouichi and Nishu, are very similar to the cast of Blame!. Zouichi is pretty much a replica of Killy. He’s neigh immortal, has superhuman strength and abilities, can heal himself after receiving severe damage, and can go long periods without the need to drink or eat. The major difference, however, is Zouichi’s showcase of emotions. As opposed to Killy, Zouichi, at least in certain scenes, shows strong emotional responses and seems to care about other people.
Yet it’s not only the synthetic humans who are badass. Each one of them has an AI companion who is integrated into the motorcycles they drive. This allows them to use their own assortment of weapons, including a railgun and tentacle like chais that can help them attack, move and even shield them from serious impact.
Kozlov the talking bear while a weird character is a great addition to the cast. Against early assumptions, however, he’s not merely there for contrast and comical relief, no he’s much more important to the story than anyone would expect.
The antagonists, including the aforementioned woman with ESP, are also great, are interesting as well, but aren’t featured heavily. Yet, their clear, sociopathic ambition and grand plan makes them more interesting than those of Blame!
Nihei’s manga, especially his earlier works, don’t follow conventional story-telling tropes. His stories are often confusing and sometimes ambitious.
While Biomega starts of simple and straightforward, it soon becomes confusing and hard to follow. This can in part be attributed to the incredibly fast pacing in which large parts of the manga are told.
Similarly to Blame! much of the story and its backgrounds are only revealed as we read on. Important details are given to us sparely and we have to put them together on our own.
Yet, if you read carefully, and follow what little dialogue there is, you will understand the story almost completely. The motifs of the DRF, Niardi’s plan, her conflict with Narain and even what lead to it are all revealed.
However, Biomega might be a manga that needs to be read twice. It’s a weird piece of work and especially the second half can be very confusing.
While Biomega is a cyberpunk manga, it could very well be categorized as a horror manga as well.
There’s, of course, the plot. The N5S virus outbreak is akin to a zombie-apocalypse, and the many twisted and distorted drones are horrible to look at. This is also true for the many antagonists. The DRFs Patrol officers look as if they are straight out of a horror movie. The PHS task force is reminiscent of execution squads, and the many transformations are as horrible as they are fascinating.
Yet, that’s not all.
Nihei’s horror also manifests in its setting. While Zouichi and others visit vast cities, they are almost completely abandoned and empty. It gives the entire manga a moody feeling, one of isolation and claustrophobia.
In the second half, the world is a dangerous and alien place, and once more, a world in which normal humans are almost meaningless and unimportant. This world is so big that distances become meaningless and time is measured not in months or years, but in centuries. It’s a horrible wonderland of immeasurable proportions.
I want to take some time to talk about the many themes in Biomega. The first theme, of course, is a cornerstone of cyberpunk. We don’t have countries anymore, we merely have giant cityscapes and the world is controlled by giant megacorporations, fighting each other.
While Toha Heavy Industries is benevolent and wants to save humanity, the DRF is the polar opposite. At the outset of the story, they declare themselves the world government and plan on infecting all of humanity with the N5S virus.
The evolution and the ascension of humanity are another theme. Over the course of the story, we learn why Niardi, the DRF’s overlord, wants to infect humanity. She essentially wants to wipe out normal humans and build a new world with only those who are immune and have adapted to the virus.
Another important theme in Biomega is that of immortality. One of the major conflicts in the manga is one of pro-immortality against pro-mortality.
The Big Switch is how I’d like to refer to the change that occurs between the first and the second half of the manga.
While the first half of the story represents us with cyberpunk in all its glory, what comes after chapter 27 is entirely different.
It’s not only the setting that changes radically but also many other elements of the story. The general pacing slows down, the plot changes, but with it also the elements that are used to tell it.
The second half of Biomega almost feels like a different manga. As outlined before, it can almost be called a genre shift. What started out as an apocalyptic cyberpunk manga is now more akin to a fantastic travel set in a setting that’s a mixture of cyberpunk and biopunk.
This Big Switch is one of the weirdest occurrences of its kind I’ve ever witnessed in a manga. While many manga comprise different art styles and their settings evolve, I’ve never seen one as rapid and radical as the one in Biomega.
It doesn’t ruin the manga, and it even makes sense in terms of plot, but it’s still extremely weird and can be very frustrating to some readers.
Similarly to his masterpiece Blame!, Biomega’s art is full of vast expanses and gigantic structures. Yet, even though his style depicts this unfathomable scale, it’s always incredibly detailed. This makes Biomega a delight to experience.
As opposed to Blame!, however, Biomega is much darker in its depiction and feels dirtier and sketchier, especially in its first half. This adds a lot to the atmosphere and the apocalyptic setting of the manga.
Gigantic Proportions are a staple of Tsutomu Nihei’s work and Biomega doesn’t disappoint.
The Earth depicted in the first half of Biomega is a dark and surreal place. It seems to comprise nothing but towering cities connected by impossibly long highways.
What’s interesting about Biomega is that while it’s said in the future, many of the cities showcased have a distinct gothic look to them. They don’t look like the gigantic, pristine megastructures made of steel we’re used to from Blame! Instead, they look unorganized and wild.
Buildings are crowding together, almost pushing against one another. Every space between them is taken up by streets, pipes and cables. These pipes and cables are going everywhere and sneak around buildings in an almost chaotic fashion.
This strange futuristic, yet gothic architecture gives the cities of Biomega an almost organic style and makes them appear something that was grown rather than built.
And yet, these densely constructed cities are bleak and empty. Everything’s deserted, almost derelict, and we rarely see any people.
All of this gives Biomega a strangely eerie and claustrophobic feeling.
Biomega is a dark manga, one that seems much darker than Blame! It gives the entire work an almost oppressive, gloomy atmosphere. Yet, it’s more than fitting for a story such as Biomega.
Cities are broken down, dark and their specific gothic design and color choice make them reminiscent of giant haunted houses. What adds to this feeling is Tsutomu Nihei’s personal style. While his art is sharp, many of Biomega’s cities feel as if they have no hard outlines, adding to the general feeling of isolation and desolation.
Biomega is a dark manga. Tsutomu Nihei uses lots of heavy blacks to depict the desolate, apocalyptic Earth. In many of these pages, black is not only the dominant color but also the dominant feeling. There’s a murky darkness that lays over the entire manga and adds so much to the atmosphere and general feeling.
Similarly to Blame!, Tsutomu Nihei once more relies on strong contrasts between white and black. This is most prevalent in his use of negative spaces to convey light and huge explosions.
What’s most interesting about Biomega, however, is the switch that happens in the second half of the manga. While black is the most dominant color, the second half is dominated by white. This visual changes and change in color usages adds to the general change the manga goes through in its second half.
The character design in Biomega is reminiscent of that in Blame! What’s interesting about Biomega is that while the art, and especially the setting, is sketchy and dirty, character are often refined and detailed.
It’s most prevalent in the character of Zouichi. He might drive a futuristic motorcycle, but apart from that, he appears very similar to Killy, the main character of Blame! It’s not only his appearance but also his demeanor and weapons.
The DRF and especially their various cybernetic horrors are similar to the silicon life. However, their design and especially their transformations look more biological and organic than anything else.
The same can be said about the drones. While they are basically zombies, Tsutomu Nihei makes them truly disturbing and nightmarish to look at. They came with strange growths, elongated limbs, and are twisted and deformed. It gives them less the appearance of general zombies, but more of that of weird mutants. They are horrible delight to look at.
While Tsutomu Nihei’s earlier work Blame! had its fair share of horror, Biomega features much more.
The world of Biomega is ripe with body horror. We’ve got the horribly distorted drones, the cybernetically enhanced humans and even twisted and mutated biological monstrosities.
A great design choice is that of the DRF’s patrol officers. Their masks and aprons give them a distinct design, one reminiscent of butchers or even serial killers in slasher movies. And, of course, they are as deadly as they look creepy.
Biomega features a lot more horror though. Gore and violence are much more prevalent here than in Blame! People are being shot and torn apart, their heads are exploding, and we witness copious amounts of blood. It gives the manga a brutal feeling, one more reminiscent of a horror manga than a science-fiction or cyberpunk one.
Biomega is a manga that’s insanely fast paced and full of action. Its pace is much, much faster than almost any other manga I’ve ever read.
This pace adds a lot to the action. It’s often ramped up, fast, depicting only the most important details and over before you know it.
Instead of detailing fights or action-sequences, they are often shown in short, high-paced panels. At times, Biomega skips entire fights. We’re only shown the outset, and skip right to the end a few panels later.
However, this can be a tad bit confusing. There’s almost too much going on in some chapters. This is especially prevalent when Zouichi makes his way back to the Toha Heavy Industry’s headquarters. It is here that he takes on an entire battalion of fighter planes and even a carrier, and takes them down in only a handful of pages.
Yet, this doesn’t mean that the action in Biomega is bad. By now means, it’s kinetic, gory, and insanely fast paced. What we see, however, is absolutely fantastic.
I mentioned the Big Switch before in terms of story and setting, but it’s also prevalent in the art and visual style of the manga.
The first half of Biomega follows a more realistic style. It’s set on Earth, even if it’s a derelict and desolation version of Earth. Most of the human characters look like actual humans or humans who have been modified.
In the second half of the manga, all that changes. As the setting becomes more fantastic, so does the style. The world is now populated by strange mechanised humans and biotechnological creatures that look almost entirely organic.
This, however, is most prevalent in the visual style of the manga changing. While black dominates the first half of the manga, the second half is dominated by white spaces. It also feels less sketchy, dirty and claustrophobic. Instead, it feels almost clean, fantastical and similar to Blame! impossibly large.
What’s also interesting to see is that this change in style is not only one in terms of colors but also in character design and general style. Tsutomu Nihei’s style changes vastly between the beginning and end of Biomega.
It’s near the end of Biomega when certain areas and characters are depicted one can see the first outliers of his style in Knights of Sidonia. It’s an interesting transformation to behold, one that also adds to the change in setting and story. Yet, I have to admit that I’m more a fan of Tsutomu Nihei’s grim dark worlds and setting and less a fan of his more recent, lighter style.
While I consider Biomega a visual and action-packed masterpiece, there are still some problems with it I want to discuss.
The first is, of course, what I call The Big Switch. It’s such a strange choice, almost a complete switch in terms of setting, story and visual style. While it makes sense in terms of the story, it’s still something that while make you wonder what exactly is going on.
The biggest problem I have with it, however, is that many important characters from the first half of the manga aren’t coming up anymore. There’s Nishu, but also Kahdal Spindal, who unfortunately never appear again.
Another problem with Biomega is that, it just moves too fast at certain times. In some chapters, the manga throws so much at you it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on.
The last problem is once more Tsutomu Nihei’s way of story-telling. We’re thrown into an apocalyptic world, ravaged by a deadly virus without knowing what’s going on. There’s no backstory, no exposition, and no explanation. Once more, Tsutomu Nihei only reveals what’s going on by bits and pieces and the occasional, very short flashback. This can make Biomega hard to read and harder to understand. Similarly to Blame! I only could grasp the entire story on my second reread.
While Biomega has some problems as outlined here, it’s still one of my favorite manga of all time. It’s an insanely high-paced, action-packed cyberpunk-horror masterpiece that I’d recommend to anyone who likes the work of Tsutomu Nihei, visual story-telling or weird science-fiction manga.
If you want to read Biomega, I recommend ordering it on Amazon:
Blame! is the debut series of Tsutomu Nihei, a science-fiction cyberpunk manga artist. He’s among the best and most talented manga artists out there and his art can compare to the best in the entire medium.
Blame! is one of my favorite manga of all time. It’s unique, beautiful, awe-inspiring and at times brutal. The manga stands out for its amazing setting, the stunning action scenes, but also the many gorgeous and disturbing cybernetic horrors that populate it.
It tells a dark, futuristic story that depicts a world in which technology is running amok and has created one of the most unique settings ever created.
The world of Blame! is a typical cyberpunk setting, depicting a world of fascinating high-tech but at the same low-life for all its inhabitants. Many other cyberpunk tropes fit Blame! as well, but the manga also features many instances of biomechanics and bio-punk.
Tsutomu Nihei was an architecture student before he became a manga artist. This knowledge of architecture is one reason Blame! is so unique and impressive. We constantly see grand, awe-inspiring buildings and massive architectural wonders. Blame!’s world isn’t just huge, it’s immeasurable and mind-boggling gigantic.
The plot of Blame! is relatively simple. Killy, our main character, wanders the world of Blame! only known as the City in search of a human with Net Terminal Genes. A person like this could access the Netsphere, stop the chaotic growth of the City and stop the Safeguard from destroying what remains of humanity.
Over the course of the manga, we follow Killy on his journey through the world of Blame! and witness his interaction with the many other inhabitants of the City.
Blame’s world is dark and beautiful, chaotic and depressing and dangerous and brutal. It’s a wondrous, technological wasteland.
Blame! is a cyberpunk manga set in the far-future, but it’s also set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia.
The apocalyptic event was the loss of control over the City and thus over the builders and the Safeguard. There’s also the infection and devolution of humans and at the time of the story, no one with Net Terminal Genes remains.
The dystopian elements are clear at first sight. The surviving humans don’t amount to much when compared to the other cybernetic horrors inhabiting the City. They huddle together in small pockets of society and constantly have to fend for survival. Another aspect is the Netsphere, an advanced virtual reality which allows people to upload their consciousness. People with the Net Terminal Gene already did so, leaving the real world or base reality, as it’s called in Blame! behind.
Blame!’s setting is entirely unique. It’s a world devoid of any natural elements. There are no forests, no normal ground and no mountains within the megastructures. Instead, everything we see in Blame! are buildings and constructions, many of which are of mind-boggling size. The City is a chaotic amalgamation of titanic architecture whose dimensions are entirely unknown to any of its dwellers. It’s essentially labyrinthine, futuristic dungeon.
Over the course of the manga, we learn more about the insane size of the City. At one point, Killy stumbles upon a single room the size of Jupiter inside the City. In the prequel NOiSE, we learn the Moon was the first celestial body incorporated into the City. It’s stated by the writer Tsutomu Nihei that the City is the size of a Dyson Sphere, meaning it stretches as far as the orbit of Jupiter.
Even now, however, the City continues to grow and is endlessly constructed by so called builders, autonomous robots. Since no human is possible to access the Netsphere, no one can communicate with the builders and so they just keep on increasing the size of the City.
There are, however, some interesting details and concerns about the City. It’s so massive that its sheer size defies the law of physics. A construction the size of a Dyson Sphere would inevitably collapse into itself. Yet, this seems to be solved by certain gravitational controllers inside the megastructure which manipulate gravity itself and keep the City from destruction.
Another interesting tidbit is the sheer amount of materials. We learn, over the course of the story, that many celestial bodies have been harvested as raw materials. Even then, there wouldn’t be enough raw materials for a construction the size of the City. It’s implied, however, that builders can convert energy into matter, are using some sort of antimatter or can simply conjure matter into existence.
The City is one of the most unique and interesting settings I’ve ever come upon in manga.
As mentioned before, humans don’t have it easy in the City. Many of them have to fight for survival and do so in various outposts and pockets of civilization. Some are smaller, others, however, like the Capitol, are bigger.
Many of the humans our main characters encounter look different from one another. Some are taller, others are smaller. The reason for this is most likely because of the often mentioned infection, devolution, and mutation. What they all have in common, however, is that they look pale, emaciated, even sick. These changes are also the reason that people aren’t carrying the Net Terminal Genes anymore.
The Safeguard was originally a security system to protect the Netsphere from unauthorized access and protect humans with the Net Terminal Gene. The Safeguard still follows these instructions, but by now hunts down and kills anyone without Net Terminal Genes.
Other dwellers of the City are the Silicon Life, cyborgs who have their own goals, are independent from the Netsphere and want to keep the chaotic growth of the City going. If humanity would regain control over the City, and thus the Safeguard, they’d most likely use them to destroy the Silicon Life. And thus they want to keep the current status quo intact.
The last important fiction is the Governing Agency, which is basically the AI administration in charge of protecting the Netsphere. They are the ones who task Killy with finding a human with Terminal Net Genes to stop the chaotic growth of the City.
Blame! is a highly stylistic and unique manga, but that also means it’s not for everyone. The manga is mostly told via visuals and has very little dialogue.
With Blame! Nihei pushes the entire manga towards the visual side and his story is told not by dialogues or conventional narration, but almost entirely by visuals.
Blame! is a grand example of virtual story-telling and of a work in which a setting drives the narrative. In Blame!, the narration is told via the setting and not the other way around.
It’s this reason that makes Blame! so special and unique because it succeeds at telling a story primarily through the art.
Many parts of Blame! comprise nothing but silence. We watch as Killy travels on through futuristic wastelands, desolation and massive derelict buildings.
There’s scarcely any dialogue in Blame! but often it’s unnecessary. A great example is Killy’s gun, the Gravitational Beam Emitter. Instead of telling us how it works and how powerful it is, Nihei shows us multiple panels of how destructive a single shot is. Another one is the City itself. We know it’s chaotically and continuously growing, but we’re never told how huge it is. Instead, Nihei conveys this entirely through the visuals. There are countless panels in which we’re shown a bird’s-eye view of Killy as he wanders through buildings and past constructions of mind-boggling proportions.
Another great way about Blame!’s specific way of story-telling is that the manga’s never bogged down by needless explanations. We don’t get long-winded explanations about how the world of Blame! works. Instead, we merely witness the stunning, bizarre and nightmarish effects of the technological wonders Nihei conjures. Blame! is all visual.
This visual story-telling also influences the pacing of the manga, which lends itself especially well to the many action-sequences of the manga.
Nihei’s fantastic at world-building and Blame!’s a masterclass in world-building.
We know right from the very first chapter that Blame!’s a world that’s unfamiliar, dangerous and even alien when compared to our own. As we watch Killy’s travels, we soon realize that the City is entirely different from our world and it gives us a feeling of alienation.
All this is only possible by the insane, futuristic technology that exists within the City. This technology, however, is never explained, we just see it. Blame! happens so far in the future and everything can be explained by technology, but technology that not even the cast of characters truly understands anymore.
A lot of the technology we witness is the stuff of dreams or nightmares. This is most prevalent in the arc about Toha Heavy Industries. It’s here we learn that teleportation, time travel and even traveling to parallel realities is possible. All that, however, is hinted at to be caused by yet another of Nihei’s strange, futuristic technologies going haywire.
What’s true about technology is also true about the many factions and the mythology of the world. We only learn more about the City and its inhabitants in bits and pieces and have to put together the entire story on our own. All of it is vague, however, at times confusing, but it adds so much more to the mystery of the story and the atmosphere.
The main characters in Blame! are stoic, quiet badasses that almost never twitch when they get hurt.
This is truer for Killy than for everyone else. As he wanders the City he barely ever utters a word. That changes when he meets up and continues to travel with Cibo, but there’s still very little dialogue compared to other works.
When reading Blame! one soon learns that Killy isn’t a normal human being, and it’s later revealed or at least hinted at that Killy, similar to Dhomochevsky and Iko, is a provisional Safeguard. Even then, his past is hazy and we never learn much about him apart from what we witness of his mission.
Many of the human characters we encounter are badasses in their own right, and one can clearly see the toll survival has taken on them. We never encounter someone who’s truly happy or truly beautiful. No, this is a dark, depressing and dangerous world and it shows as much in its setting as in its characters.
While the manga comprises various arcs within their own specific parts of the megastructure, Killy’s overall quest ties it all together.
Because of the special way Blame! is told, the manga can be confusing. There’s little dialogue and no exposition.
This is especially the case at the beginning of the manga when we don’t know what’s going on. We merely follow Killy as he wanders the City through several almost unconnected chapters.
The story only gets more engaging when Killy reaches the Capitol and meets up with Cibo.
Even then, the reader has to always put things together on their own as information is revealed slowly and only bit by bit over the course of the manga. Once one gets used to Nihei’s style of story-telling, however, the story is almost straight-forward.
And yet, Blame! might still be a manga you have to read twice. When I read Blame! for the first time years ago, I was entirely lost when I reached the ending. On my second reread, however, all was much clearer and the plot now made sense.
The passage of time is something that matters little in the world of Blame! We don’t know how much time passes as Killy travels from location to location.
It’s only occasionally that we get a measure of time for an elevator ride or the time it takes for Killy to fully repair and those numbers, similar to the size of the City, are mind boggling.
An elevator ride through a megastructure takes about a month, his reconstruction after being heavily damaged takes years. The same is true for other characters and other parts of the story. Dhomochevsky, for example, has been fighting the Silicon Life under Davinelulinvega for approximately three-hundred years before Killy and Cibo arrive at the unofficial megastructure.
This treatment of time only helps to add to the mystery of the world and makes the City seem even more unfathomable and immeasurable.
The sheer size of the City makes the passing of time almost irrelevant, especially since Killy’s is almost always seen to be traveling on foot. We don’t know how long he’s been wandering the City, but estimations point not just at centuries or millennia, but at dozens of millennia.
What’s interesting about Blame! is also the question of who the antagonists are. The more we learn about the world of Blame!, however, the more we discover that there are merely different factions opposing one another.
At first the Safeguard is the primary antagonist. We discover, however, that the Safeguard is merely a security network out of control which was originally responsible for protecting the Netsphere from unauthorized access.
The Silicon Life fits the term antagonists the closest, but even they are merely fending for survival in the City. It’s their goal to keep the current status quo, afraid that should humanity regain control over the City and the Safeguard, they’d be wiped out.
It’s even revealed in Blame² a sequel that the Silicon Life as Killy as ‘the calamity,’ the one responsible for their race almost going extinct.
The Governing Agency wants to find a Net Terminal Gen simply to stop the growth of the City and to regain control of it.
While we watch the story from the eyes of Killy, it appears, of course, that the Safeguard and the Silicon Life are the prime antagonists of the story. If we take a step back, however, we learn that all that’s happening is caused by mismanagement and the chaotic stage of the ever-expanding City.
Blame! is one of the greatest manga’s I’ve ever read in terms of visuals. As mentioned before, I believe that Tsutomu Nihei is an artist who can rival the best in the genre. Be it his world or his various cybernetic horrors, Blame! is a marvel to look at.
The moment you start reading Blame! you realize that this manga’s different from others. Even in chapter 1, we already get to see the grand architecture of mind-boggling proportions so common to Blame!
You can clearly see that Tsutomu Nihei studied architecture and that he knows about the construction of buildings. It’s this knowledge that sets Blame! aside from other works.
There’s a sense of scale in many of Tsutomu Nihei’s panels that really showcases the insane proportions of the immeasurable City. Yet, all those constructions are as bleak as they are vast. Many times we can’t even make out the end of these constructions, as they seem to go on forever.
Many times, we see Killy in front of a backdrop of immeasurable proportions or we see him only as a small unimpressive dot as he walks vast metal plans, climbs giant buildings, or wanders a bridge that continues further than the eye can see.
And yet, as gigantic as Tsutomu Nihei’s creations are, they are still insanely detailed. This attention to detail is especially prevalent when we get a closer look at the locations Killy travels. Technological gadgets, machines and many other elements of the City are rendered in stunningly beautiful detail.
It’s this mixture of mind-boggling proportions and attention to detail that truly brings forth Nihei’s world and truly immerses you in the story.
An interesting detail to note is that Blame!’s world isn’t a unified one. In one chapter, we see Killy traversing an amalgamation of high-tech constructions or a futuristic cityscape. In others, he’s ascending winding corridors, unending staircases or what looks like gothic castles. At times, these constructions look almost organic, almost like something that grew instead of being built.
Tsutomu Nihei’s style is rough, almost dirty, especially in earlier chapters. His imagery comprises a lot of line work which lends itself fantastically to the more derelict and ruined areas of the City.
The many different details of the City are brought forth by a heavy reliance on shadows and shading.
Blame!’s entire visual style is one of the stark contrast between light and dark. Empty spaces are generally held in lighter colors while interiors, especially tunnels, caves and staircases, are conveyed via deep blacks.
What’s special about Tsutomu Nihei’s style is his usage of negative spaces to convey light or huge explosions during action sequences. This makes them a marvel to look at and helps to bring forth what’s happening.
Killy’s design is an interesting choice. He’s wearing all back, no special armor and seems to be almost understated in a world as strange as Blame!’s. The same can be said about the rest of the cast, however. Cibo, Sanakan and also Dhomochevsky are all dressed similarly.
This is a stark contrast from the other inhabitants of the City who all have a distinctly different look from one another. The Electrofisher’s armor, the Silicon Life in general, but also the exterminators of the Safeguard.
Blame’s world is a harsh and dangerous one and as mentioned before, you can truly see it in the design of the many humans. Almost all of them look pale, sick, malnourished and depressed. They look hardened, emotionless and you can see just how much they went through.
What’s interesting to note is the aforementioned contrast of light and dark also applies to many of the character designs. The interior structure of the exterminators seems to be black, while their faces and outer parts are white. The same is true for the many Silicon Life, who generally have white, human faces, but distorted, black, metallic bodies.
One could even say that the color palette of a character shows their alignment. The most dangerous beings, like Schiff, or the armored Silicon Knights, are held entirely in black. Mensab and Sue, two arguably lawful individuals are held in almost pure white.
Our main characters, especially Killy, are almost all morally gray and thus are a mixture of black and white.
While Blame!’s world is one of futuristic high-tech, many of its elements look strangely biological.
This is especially true for the many cybernetic monstrosities Killy encounters, the exterminators of the Safeguard and the Silicon Life. They clearly look mechanical or robotic, but at the same time, they all have a distinctly organic look to them. This is especially true when new Safeguard units are synthesized. The entire process has a sort of biological look and feel to it.
The many cybernetic horrors that populate the City are all fantastic, disturbing and outlandish to look at.
While the normal, level 1 exterminators look terrifying, they all look identical to one another and appear more like drones than anything else. Higher-level exterminators, however, look amazing. There’s the ‘siren’ Safeguard Killy encounters when climbing the tower, the high-level exterminator at the end of the story, but also Cibo after fusing with the level 9 Safeguard. They all have a distinct, almost angelic look to them with rings, haloes, and even wings. It’s an interesting design choice that only serves to make them creepier.
The Silicon Life has some of the most fantastic design I’ve ever seen in a science-fiction magna. They come in a variety of forms and design, employ a variety of weapons and wear a variety of armor. Some are even heavily distorted, sprouting additional limbs or parts.
Their design is throughout the book terrifying and disturbing, but they are a marvel to look at and are rendered in beautiful detail. Their design is reminiscent of the strange organic-inorganic art of H. R. Giger.
Blame! is full of frantic action which is always shown in stunning detail. Each of panel of it is fantastic to look at.
Many of the action sequences in Blame! are devastating, insane in scale and bright forth mass destruction. At other moments, however, they are more intimate and showcase fantastic close-range encounters.
There are also action scenes in Blame! that are clearly created for style alone. This is most prevalent in the Toha Heavy Industry arc, which features Seu, the protector of Mensab who appears as a knight in shining white armor wielding a sword. When he fights Ivy and when he fights the guards of the Central AI, it gives the action the air of a fantasy manga and not that of a science-fiction one. One thing has to be said, however, those fights look absolutely amazing!
I always loved science-fiction, but especially the more futuristic and outlandish scenarios. Blame! was everything I was looking for.
It combines fantastic and unique world building with breathtakingly beautiful visuals. The art is incredible and shines because of its technical drawings and Tsutomu Nihei’s knowledge of architecture.
While Blame!’s setting is a post-apocalyptic dystopia, it’s one so strange and fresh it’s unique. It’s a tale of technology run amok which manifests in the ever-growing, chaotic City and the out-of-control Safeguard. Things go even so far as to include time travel, mass-scale teleportation and even parallel realities.
What I came to love the most, however, were the many creatures, especially the higher-level exterminators and the Silicon Life, who spice the manga up with a fair bit of horror because of their design and simply look gorgeous.
An interesting little detail is that Blame! never becomes preachy, never a discussion of the topics it showcases. Instead, it simply conjures up a nightmarish vision of our future, one unlike any ever seen before.
While most of Blame! is full of weird imagery, crazy action, and Killy’s stoic demeanor, there are some human and tender scenes. At one point, Killy and Cibo discover a cloning machine which is forever creating clones and which Killy promptly destroys. At another point, Killy saves a Dry Man child and later destroys the cooperation’s docks after he realizes that the transporter he was on was transporting Dry Man ready for organ harvesting.
Those minor events never detract from the atmosphere, but are instead merely there, but they help to flesh out Killy a bit and give him at least some semblance of emotion.
There are, however some problems with Blame! While I love the action scenes in the manga, some of them can be hard to follow because of the abundance of gigantic explosions caused by Killy’s Gravitational Beam Emitter.
Another problem can be the style of story-telling and the story overall. It makes for a somewhat different, confusing reading and can be hard on first-time readers of the manga, making it almost necessary to read the manga more than once.
While I enjoyed the weird and outlandish technologies at play, I think Tsutomu Nihei went a bit too far during the Toha Heavy Industry arc and makes it one of the most confusing ones to follow and understand.
And yet, even with this criticism, I still think Blame! is an absolute visual masterpiece. It’s not something to be simply read, but it’s something to marvel at and to be immersed in.
Blame! is a manga with an intensely dark and brooding atmosphere, a unique setting which is portrayed by vast, colossal structures and frantic action sequences.
I’d recommend Blame! to anyone interested in visual story-telling, people who are fans of science-fiction and anyone who loves cyberpunk.
If you want to read Blame!, I recommend buying the complete set of the Master Edition released by Vertical Comics:
As a writer, I’ve always been a big fan of storytelling. While I love to read books and stories published online, I’m also a big fan of manga. It’s a medium I’ve always held dear. There’s something special about it. I guess it’s because the best manga aren’t simply telling a story, but it’s also providing you with stunning visuals.
I can’t say what makes manga stand out so much to me. While I’ve read hundreds of manga, I’ve never gotten much into the medium of comic books. It might be the cultural difference, or the stunning variety of different stories told. Whatever it is, I feel that the best manga out there are stunning works who can tell unique stories and bring them to live with fantastic art.
That’s the reason I created a list of the best manga of all time that I uncovered throughout the years. While there are some vastly popular titles on this list, I’m sure there are some hidden gems that few people might have heard about.
However, this is a list of manga I’ve read and enjoyed, so some of the most popular or most acclaimed manga might not be part of this list because I haven’t read them yet or I didn’t enjoy them as much as other people.
I’d also like to give a spoiler warning. I’ll try to not go too much into detail about the plot points, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.
So, here’s my list of the 75 best manga of all time anyone should read.
Let’s start this list with a samurai manga. Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki is one of the best samurai manga and one of the best manga of all time.
Rurouni Kenshin chronicles the story of Hitokiri Battosai, a man who’s infamous for his deeds as a killer during the Bakumatsu war.
He’s now known as Kenshin Himura, a wandering samurai. As opposed to the rumors, Himura is not a bloodthirsty killer, but a man who did what he did because of his own convictions. Now that the war is over, he’s haunted by guilt and has sworn never to kill again. Kenshin wishes to atone for the lives he took. If he’s forced to fight, he does so with a reverse blade Katana in order to not kill his enemies.
The route to redemption, though, is not an easy one and, Kenshin often runs into people who are interested in his past or who hold a grudge against him.
Rurouni Kenshin is a manga with multiple arcs, starting out in Edo where it follows a more episodic nature, introduce a wide cast of characters.
The series truly shined in its second arc, the Kyoto arc which introduces Rurouni Kenshin’s most notable antagonist, Shishio Makoto.
What makes Rurouni Kenshin one of the best manga and makes it standout between other, similar manga are the deeper themes it features. It’s Kenshin’s drive for redemption and his wish to escape the past he can’t seem to.
The manga centers on whether Kenshin will be able to keep his vow. Can he bury his past as Hitokiri Battosai? And as more and more adversaries are introduced, we come to worry that it might never be possible.
One of the biggest downsides for me was the art which, at least in my opinion, looks a bit old-fashioned and simplistic, at least when compared to other manga on this list.
Overall, Rurouni Kenshin is a great samurai manga with some fantastic action and interesting characters. That’s where Rurouni Kenshin truly shines and is elevated to one of the best manga of all time.
Rurouni Kenshin is a great read for anyone who’s looking for a good samurai manga featuring complex characters and some deeper themes.
Blue Heaven by Tsutomu Takahashi is a short, two-volume thriller manga set on the titular luxury liner Blue Heaven. I’ve really enjoyed this manga and I think it’s one of the best manga at what it does.
The manga starts with the departure of the Blue Haven, but the story begins when a wrecked ship is discovered in the middle of the ocean. On board are signs of horrible bloodshed and only two survivors are discovered. One of them is in terrible condition, the other, Ri Seiryuu, seems fine, considering the circumstances.
Soon enough, the latter of the two escapes his confinement, mingles among the passengers, and starts killing them indiscriminately. Before long, things spiral out of control when another set of ominous characters learns about the murderer on board. From here on out, things get brutal and Blue Heaven turns into a violent hell.
I already mentioned that I enjoyed the setting, but I also like the crazy characters in this manga. Especially a certain rich family of psychopaths make the playing field onboard quite a bit more interesting.
Blue Heaven is rather simple in terms of story. There’s a murderer aboard a cruise ship and things get out of hand. This might be the reason the manga’s so short. It’s regrettable because I enjoyed everything about it. There was such great potential to the setting. I feel this manga could’ve been much longer and the escalating nature of the plot was a bit too rushed.
The thing that makes Blue Heaven one of the best manga in my book is the pacing, the simple, yet twisted story line and the many intense moments it has. There’s never a dull moment in this manga.
Blue Heaven is a manga I’d recommend to fans of thriller stories and those who are looking for a fast-paced, action-oriented story that still offers some depth.
7 Seeds by Yumi Tamura is a post-apocalyptic manga set in the distant future after humanity was wiped out when a giant meteorite collided with earth.
To make sure humanity would overcome this calamity, the 7SEEDS project was created by the government. Five sets of seven young man and woman were selected, put into cryogenic sleep and awoken long after the catastrophe was over.
7 Seeds’ story follows the members of each of the five teams, showcasing their experiences and how they manga to survive in this new, dangerous world.
I read 7 Seeds many years ago. While I had some initial doubts, I came to love it and regard it as one of the best manga I ever read. What I enjoyed the most was the setting and the premise of having to survive in a world that’s completely different from your own.
What makes 7 Seeds one of the best manga is the survival aspect. It’s well done and handled realistically. Characters have to search for water, work to get food, and find shelter. It’s the simplest, yet most important things that are always overlooked in other, similar manga.
Another great thing are the characters. They are very divisive and realistic. Over the course of the story, many of them show significant character development and it’s enjoyable to watch them grow under the circumstances.
However, those divisive characters are the first problem I had with 7 Seeds. This program was designed to make sure humanity would survive, but this bids the question why our characters were chosen. Why did the government chose random teenagers suffering from depression and anxiety issues over hardened survivors or scientists? Well, for the sake of the plot of course. It’s a big plot hole, but one I was willing to overlook as the story continued.
The huge cast of character in 7 Seeds is a double-edged sword. As outlined in the premise, there are five sets of seven people. We get to know all of them, witness their struggles, survival and even death. This means there are a lot of different characters and a lot of different plotlines. While it serves to tell unique and interesting storylines, it also can get a bit overwhelming. Later on, the manga also focuses more on the interaction between these characters and less on the initial problem of survival. However, things never reached the point of setting up a new society. I’d have loved to see that.
The biggest issue I had with 7 Seeds was the art style. It’s rather simple and in my opinion, a bit old-fashioned and reminiscent of older manga. It takes some time getting used to and to some it might be a deal breaker, since the art doesn’t improve throughout the course of the manga.
Overall, 7 Seeds is a great complex survival and one of the best manga in this genre, but it can be a bit overwhelming. I’d recommend anyone to check out the first few chapters or the first volume. If you enjoy those, you’re sure to enjoy the rest.
Most of the time we see manga from the point of view of the good guy, or at least someone who’s morally gray. That’s not the case in Shamo by Akio Tanaka, and this serves to make it one of the best manga at what it does.
At age sixteen our protagonist Ryo Narushima snaps and brutally murders both of his parents. After this event, he’s convicted and set to a reformatory.
There Ryo learns karate from a jailed man sent to the reformatory. This man, Kenji Kurokawa, recognizes Ryo’s talent and starts teaching him the specifics of self-defense.
Since Ryo was a minor at the time of his crime, he’s released after only two years. After his experiences in prison, he swears to survive, gain more strength and never be a victim again.
At the core Shame is a martial arts manga and one of the best manga of the genre. However, it differs from others regarding its protagonist. Ryo is a deprived and despicable character, essentially the villain of the story. If he needs money, he takes it. If he fights, he fights dirty. That’s what makes Shamo so interesting. The best way to describe Ryo would be as a gangster or street thug.
Yet, Shamo doesn’t glorify the life of an outcast. No, it shows that Ryo’s life isn’t a good one. He doesn’t have many friends or acquaintances, and the few people that surround him are shady and gladly take advantage of him.
At the end of the day, he can’t do much about it because of his past and because society seldom gives criminals a second chance. That’s why Ryo has to do what he has to do, and he isn’t shy about doing it.
The art in Shame is pretty good. It’s gritty, it’s raw, and it’s often realistic. However, while it’s good, it’s not outstanding, at least compared to some of the best manga in that department.
My biggest problem with Shame is the later part of the story. The first half of the manga is fantastic and showcases Ryo’s despicable character and the things he does. However, it loses steam in the second half. The introduction of concepts such as Ki and sword fighting makes it a very disjointed experience.
Shamo is at its best during the first half. It’s here that it shines as one of the best manga in the martial arts genre, especially because of its unique protagonist. After that, though, it’s unfortunately a steady downwards path.
It’s still worth a for its unique perspective, but don’t be afraid to put Shamo aside once you don’t enjoy it anymore.
Rating and describing City of Darkness was tough. While I enjoyed it immensely, it has some glaring issues I can’t ignore.
It’s one of the few manhua on this list, but I still think it serves to be mentioned in a list of the best manga of all time.
The title of the manhua comes from Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, which was also known as the City of Darkness.
City of Darkness is the story of a young man, Chen Luo Jun, who’s a member of the triads. One night, he’s betrayed by his boss and loses everything. From here on out, he makes his way to the City of Darkness.
Over the course of the story, Chen makes new allies, fights new enemies, and we’re introduced to a large cast of characters populating the underground world.
The biggest selling point of City of Darkness and the reason I’m including it in this list of the best manga, is the fantastic, detailed and colorful art. There’s few manga or manhua that can compare to it. It’s this art that makes the battles in this series so enjoyable, and since this is an action manhua, there’s a lot of them.
Those battles are the second reason I recommend people to give this series a look. They are suspenseful, stunning and extremely well drawn.
As good as the presentation is, however, there are quite a few flaws as I’ve mentioned above.
The story is, overall, very simplistic and typical for a manhua like this. It doesn’t deter my enjoyment though since City of Darkness is foremost a pure action manhua.
My biggest problem with the story is that it follows one of the most annoying concepts in fiction. Enemies of former arcs often become allies in the succeeding one. This always feels like a sort of cheat, almost as if all the emotions, the tension and the battles of prior arcs were meaningless. It gets especially bad when we learn about the sympathetic backstory of a character we thought of as nothing but a crazy psychopath before he joins the main cast.
While most of the characters in this manga look cool and are badass, there’s not much in terms of character development. What little there is, barely scratches the surface.
Another personal issue I had with City of Darkness was the pacing and the way the story is told.
The pacing in this manga is all over the place. At times the story is rather slow before it goes into overdrive, jumping right back into the action and introducing new developments before you know what’s going on.
The story in City of Darkness is often told via a narrative voice that explains what’s happening in the story. This makes reading it a strange experience. It feels almost like reading a novel. Often it’s even the case of telling us what characters are feeling or thinking instead of showing it via the visuals.
Now, all of this might paint City of Darkness in a poor light, but it’s far from it. It’s inclusion in this list of the best manga is well deserved.
Overall, I had a blast and enjoyed City of Darkness tremendously. It’s an action manhua that pitches cool and badass characters against each other, presented in outstanding art. If it comes to action and art, City of Darkness delivers and it delivers well.
Dead End is the first manga by Shohei Manabe on this list and a manga I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s also one of the weirder titles on this, but still one of the best manga I ever read.
Dead End introduces us to Shirou, an ordinary construction worker living a mundane life. All that changes when a naked girl, Lucy, falls into his life. He decides to introduce this mysterious woman to his buddies, but has to leave the apartment for a few minutes. When he returns Lucy is gone, his friends are slaughtered and a strange man is waiting for him in the middle of the carnage.
The stranger saves Shirou from an explosion and urges him to flee into the sewage system. Down there, Shirou meets yet another mysterious stranger.
From here on out, the story centers on Shirou’s attempts of figuring out what’s going on, as he gathers a rag-tag group of characters he supposedly knows from his past.
As if this premise is not already strange enough, things only get stranger over the course of the manga. Dead End starts out like a thriller story, but soon introduces more fantastical elements. That’s what makes reading Dead End such a weird and surreal experience, but that also makes it so interesting.
What makes Dead End one of the best manga are the characters. They are across the board portrayed as over-the-top badasses that can do insane feats.
The art, as so often in the works of Shohei Manabe, is unique and takes time getting used to. The backgrounds and surroundings are gritty, but where it truly stands out is for the characters. They are drawn strangely and uniquely. While it makes them more realistic, it also makes them uglier than usual manga characters. Yet, this only serves to make Shohei Manabe’s art stand out so much.
Overall, Dead End is a weird and surreal read, but at least to me, it clearly deserves a place on this list of the best manga. If you want a raw, gritty and surreal thriller manga, give this one a try.
Usogui by Toshio Sako is one of the best manga that focuses on mind games and gambling. However, not the type we usually see in manga like this.
Our protagonist is Baku Madarame who’s know as the Usogui, the Lie Eater. The story centers on the many deadly gambles that Baku takes part in.
Related to those games is the powerful organization known as Kagerou, whose referees make sure that the games are carried out satisfactorily and that all bets paid once the game is over.
The one thing to know about Usogui is that it gets crazy right from the start. We’re treated to a brief introduction of our protagonist, cementing him as a genius gambler and a man who knows what he’s doing. Right after those initial chapters the very first true death game begins and from here on out things only prove to get crazier.
What makes Usogui one of the best manga in this genre is the games themselves. While they can be quite complex, they are not impossible to wrap your head around. No, most of the time you understand what’s happening well enough and the manga centers more on psychological tricks and mind games related to the games.
Another thing I enjoyed was the characters. Baku is a fantastic protagonist, one who doesn’t shy away from death games and who doesn’t seem to get scared when confronted with overwhelming odds. Yet, there’s also Kaji, a normal guy who runs into Baku at the outset of the series. He starts out as more of a stand-in for the reader, but throughout the series he develops quite a bit and becomes a talented gambler in his own right.
One point that might be a bit of a let-down is the art. The art in Usogui starts out as rather simplistic and doesn’t stand out much. However, it improves a lot over the course of the story and truly shines in later parts.
A word of warning though, Usogui is one of the longest manga on this list with more than over 500 chapters in total.
In the end, I had a great time reading Usogui and I think it’s one of the best manga about gambling and mind games out there, even if some games and scenarios depicted can be a bit unconventional.
Chainsaw Man by Fujimoto Tatsuki is weird, seriously weird. It’s probably one of the strangest manga on this list, yet it’s still one of the best manga I’ve ever read.
Just imagine, if you will, a man who can transform into a creature whose head and arms resemble chainsaws. That’s Chainsaw Man.
His name is Denji. He’s a simple man, living in a small shack, killing devils for the yakuza to pay off his debt. Devils are, for simplicity’s sake, demons who escaped from hell. He’s fighting them by using his pet devil Ponchita as a weapon.
When he outlives his usefulness, the yakuza decide to get rid of him. Unexpectedly, Ponchita fuses with Denji’s body, keeping him from dying and giving him the powers of the chainsaw devil and allowing him to transform into Chainsaw Man.
He soon catches the eye of official devil hunters and is forced to work for the Public Safety Bureau killing devils.
Chainsaw Man is ridiculous, at times even stupid. Especially Denji, our protagonist, appears to be nothing but an idiot. Yet, there’s something about this manga that makes it interesting. It’s the sheer uniqueness and creativity that makes it one of the best manga of all time in my book.
There’s of course the devils, creatures who escaped from hell and who wreak havoc on Earth or grant humans their powers. Some of their designs and powers, especially in later parts of the manga, are stunningly creative and horrific.
The plot of this manga is simple at first, but the longer you read on, the more complex and interesting it becomes. There’s an overall dark and unforgiving atmosphere about this manga which seems to be an overarching theme of Fujimoto Tatsuki’s work.
Yet, as surreal and dark as Chainsaw Man is, it’s a strangely enticing read. As you continue reading, you’re drawn in by the overall plot and you want to witness more of the madness that is Chainsaw Man.
The characters in Chainsaw man are all quite interesting and unique. While Denji seems to be simple and dumb, he grows on you, especially in later parts of the manga. His companions Power and Higashiyama are both interesting in their own right.
The most interesting character, however, is Makima, the mysterious, intelligent and beautiful leader of their team.
The fights in Chainsaw Man are stylish and brutal. There’s a lot of blood and violence, as one can guess from the unique nature of our protagonist. What makes the fight in this manga so interesting and great are the various different devil powers.
Where Chainsaw Man’s elevated to be part of this list of the best manga is because of its unique art. The world, the characters and devils are rendered in beautiful, yet gritty detail. It’s a style that’s unique to Fujimoto Tatsuki and oddly fitting for the abstruse story you’re about to witness. However, it’s a very sketchy style and needs some getting used to, as is often the case with manga who are rather unique.
Overall, Chainsaw Man can be best described as beautiful madness. At times it can be funny, at others emotional, but overall it’s a crazy, surreal and brutal ride. While Chainsaw Man is crazy, though, it’s also damn good. It’s gory, painful, and it will leave you with a burning feeling of despair.
Reading this manga was an entirely unique experience. It’s something that I haven’t read before and that I have to include in a list of the best manga. I urge anyone to try it, but it’s the type of manga that’s definitely not for everyone.
Blood and Steel by Jingfu Qiao and Meng Ma Gong Zuo Shi is a manhua about martial arts, one that I enjoyed immensely and just have to include in this list of best manga.
Our protagonistis a young martial artist called Yan Heng who’s a member of the Qincheng group of martial arts. One day, the Qincheng are attacked and destroyed by a member of the Wudong group. Yan Heng is saved by a man named Jing Lie, known as the Wudong Hunter.
Bound by a similar motif, the two men set out on a road of revenge against the Wudong.
Blood and Steel is a typical martial arts manga of the Wuxia genre. What made it stand out to me wasn’t so much the characters, but the amazing art.
Blood and Steel is beautiful, the characters are gorgeous and fight scenes are rendered in extreme detail. I was honestly surprised by how well the series looked and it’s easily among the most beautiful works on this entire list.
What made me add Blood and Steel to this list of best manga were the fight scenes and the way they are done. In many martial arts, manga fights are presented in an over-the-top way and drawn out to last forever, but not in Blood and Steel. Fights are brisk and quick. It makes them much more realistic and at the same time more interesting.
However, there are also problems with Blood and Steel, namely with the characters and in terms of story progression. This is a story of revenge. However, many times, it seems morals and proper conduct of fights is held as the highest motif. It gets to the point of letting enemies escape instead of getting revenge because fights didn’t start on fair footing. It can get a bit frustrating after a while.
To me personally, though, it didn’t deter my enjoyment of Blood and Steel much. While the story might not be the greatest and most unique, it’s the art and the fights that made me read on.
If you’re looking for one of the best manga or manhua in the martial arts genre, you could do much worse than pick up Blood and Steel.
The core premise of Dr. Stone by Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi is simple, rebuilding humanity from the Stone Age with all the knowledge of the modern age. That alone is what makes Dr. Stone so different from anything I’ve read before, and a great addition to this list of the best manga.
The manga starts off when a mysterious light shines on Earth and petrifies every single person. After thousands of years, Taiju Ooki and his friend Senkuu are among the first to reawaken from this state.
Senkuu is a young man with a vast knowledge of pretty much everything related to science, and he soon sets out to restore the world to what it used to be.
The art in this manga is top-notch and it can be ranked among the best manga in terms of art alone. Characters, animals and the entire world are all rendered and drawn in beautiful detail.
The character’s in Dr. Stone, however, isn’t its selling point. Especially Senkuu and Tsukasa, who serves as the antagonist throughout the first part of the manga seem almost too defined in their stance. However, they are both likeable and interesting enough.
Where Dr. Stone truly shines is in the development of various tools and the technological progression. While I’m sure things are simplified and results happen too quickly, it’s still a lot of fun and very interesting to see Senkuu create pretty much anything from scratch. It’s satisfying and enjoyable.
What sets this up as the best manga in my book is the premise and the way it was realized. There’s a lot of survival manga out there, but none focus on the establishing of society and technological advancement. In Dr. Stone, however, it’s the major theme of the manga. Technological development outshines everything else. The characters, the world, and even the plot all seem secondary and merely a means for us to witness Senkuu’s steady progress.
In the course of the manga Senkuu starts out building small tools and weapons, but soon he experiments with chemistry, sets up electricity and even a factory.
The only major problem I have with Dr. Stone is one I also found in Boichi’s other works, for example, Sun Ken Rock. It’s his type of humor. His humor is simple, over the top and childish, most reliant on facial expressions and comical renderings of characters. It gets old quickly and after a while; I didn’t find it funny anymore. Instead, it grew to annoy me.
Overall though, Dr. Stone is clearly one of the best manga in recent years. It’s a lot of fun, and the focus of scientific and technological progress makes it stand out a lot.
Keep on Vibrating by Jiro Matsumoto is the only truly adult themed manga on this list of best manga, and boy is it a piece of work.
It’s a collection of one-shots, some interconnected, others standalone depicting explicit sex, violence and all sorts of sheer and utter insanity. So a word of warning, this is not for the faint of heart and those easily disturbed.
The very first story should show you what you’re in for. It’s all about explicit sex and a fair share of violence. Needless to say, the plot of the individual stories is abstruse and makes almost no sense.
Yet, there’s something about Keep on Vibrating, about the sheer surreal insanity of it that makes it so enticing and one of the best manga I’ve read.
The art is shoddy and unique, gritty and dark. The backdrops are often disturbing, depicting a grim world, while the dialogue in this harsh world is often as mundane as can be. It creates a rather unique experience.
The plot, at least what little there is, is downright weird. Yet, there are some rare glimpses of genius here and there. It’s the sheer creativity and imagery the author brings forth in this work that makes it so outstanding.
Keep on Vibrating is one of the weirdest and most graphical, but also one of the best manga I’ve read. It’s also vastly different from anything else. It’s an experience for those who are looking for something more explicit and surreal.
Ikigami by Motoro Mase is a manga set in a dystopian future in which a strange law, the National Welfare Act, is in effect. Under this law, certain citizens between the age of eighteen and twenty-four are selected to die for their country.
Twenty-four hours before they die, they are informed via a notification, called an Ikigami, from government messengers.
Our protagonist Kengo Fujimoto is one such government messenger.
The story of Ikigami is mostly episodic, but it has an overhanging plot about Kengo’s own doubts of the law.
Most of the screen time, however, is spent with the people who receive an Ikigami, showing us how they react to this terrible news and how they spent their last day. Some accept, others rebel, and yet others throw themselves into despair and try to change their destiny desperately.
It’s an interesting and, frankly, terrifying concept, but it also made Ikigami one of the most thought-proving and one of the best manga I’ve ever read. Yet it’s so interesting to see the different scenarios and types of people Ikigami presents to its readers. There are some truly great storylines in this manga, some heartfelt and beautiful, others poetically tragic.
To me it was those different episodes that made Ikigami so good and made me add it to this list of the best manga.
One problem, though, is the characters. It’s obvious that most of the characters in this manga will only be around for a few chapters at most. While some are extremely well done, and we can feel for them, the time we spend with them is, ultimately, cut short.
The art is average, but realistic. It’s serviceable and does what it needs to do, but for the most part that’s it. There are some beautiful scenes during pivotal moments, but those are rare and in-between. However, they create a pleasant contrast, showcasing the emotional weight and importance of these scenes.
Overall, Ikigami is one of best manga out there, one that I enjoyed a lot and that’s worth reading for pretty much anyone. It’s interesting to read those little scenarios, and it makes you wonder how you would spend your last day.
The Horizon by Ji-Hoon Jeong is one of the most depressing and sad manhwa I’ve ever read, yet it’s also beautiful. Even though it’s a manhwa, it makes a great addition to this list of the best manga.
The Horizon is set in a world ravaged by war. A young boy witnesses his mother’s death. Lost and confused, he walks the road towards the horizon.
When he enters an abandoned bus, he meets a little girl and from then on then two of them travel together, always towards the horizon.
The Horizon is honestly one of the most depressing works I’ve ever read. It shows the gritty and unforgiving darkness of war and its aftermath.
The story is dark and I feel at times it gets a bit too dark for the sake of being dark, but that’s my opinion.
As dark and unforgiving as most parts of the story are, it ends on a positive note, showing us that there’s always hope as long as there’s love.
What made The Horizon stand out to me though, and why I added it to my list of best manga, was the art. It’s raw, it’s gritty, yet beautiful. At times it’s simplistic, at others detailed. There’s a lot of brutal content here, but it’s never glamorized, never there for any other reason than that to showcase how bad the world of this manhwa has become.
What I love the most was how the artist can convey emotions via the art. The art becomes grittier, rougher, and distorts all together when a character’s emotion spiral out of control.
At only 21 chapters, the Horizon is a quick read. However, I think it’s the perfect length for this story. If it would’ve been any longer, it would’ve most likely dragged out the gloomy atmosphere and weakened the story’s emotional impact. As it is, it’s the perfect length for the story, it wants to tell.
Overall, The Horizon is a hidden gem, that’s very fitting for a list of the best manga. It shows us a world at war from the perspective of those least involved. It’s dark, brutal, unforgiving and most of all, sad. I’d urge anyone to read it, but if you don’t like sad or depressing content, you better skip this one.
I started reading MPD Psycho by Eiji Otsuka and Shouu Tajima a long time ago. Back then I only read part of it, but the manga stayed on my mind because of its graphical imagery.
It was only a year ago that I continued reading it, and I loved it as much as I did when I first discovered it. That day, it had solidified itself as one of the best manga of all time. Yet, this manga’s not for everyone. It’s complex, confusing, and it features many scenes of shocking violence.
MPD Psycho is the story of Kazuhiko Amamiya who’s suffering from multiple personality disorder.
The manga starts out as a more episodic detective story in which Amamiya or one of his many personalities solve violent crimes and sick murder cases.
That’s where a lot of the graphical and shocking imagery comes in. Many of the cases are odd, twisted, and their results are quite sick to look at.
The art in this manga is clean and detailed. Much of the violence and many of the crime scenes are rendered in intricate detail. It can make it a stomach turning pleasure to look at them.
Another great thing is the realistic character design. Japanese people truly look like they are Japanese.
Yet, MPD Psycho is not a slaughter fest and not a collection of mindless gore. Instead, it’s a highly psychological series and one of the best manga in the genre. As the story progresses, things slowly come together. The story develops from episodic cases to and an overarching, complex plot related to Amamiya’s past is slowly revealed.
The more complex the plot becomes, the more confusing it gets as well. There’s of course the overarching mystery of the plot, but also the nature of our protagonist. At times it can be tough to keep up with his different personalities and what they are aiming for.
This is the biggest problem with MPD Psycho. The shifting personalities can make you unsure what is going on and who’s in charge at a time.
Another thing that can be off-putting to some readers might be the sick, gracious violence depicted. People are dismembered, cut apart, twisted or tortured, and the results are presented to us.
Overall, MPD Psycho is a twisted, dark manga with a complex plot and deep psychological themes. If you’re interested in dark, complex thrillers, MPD Psycho is clearly among the best manga the genre offers.
You sometimes read something and once you’ve finished it, you have no idea what you just read, but you enjoyed it immensely. This is exactly the case with Soil by Atushi Kaneko, and that’s why I think it’s one of the best manga of all time.
There are many weird manga out there, and then there’s Soil. This manga differed from anything I’d read before.
Soil is set in the town called Soil New Town. One day a normal family vanishes without a trace. Two detectives, Yokoi and Onoda, are sent to investigate what happened. While the case looks like a routine one, things soon get stranger and weirder as more details about the town and events taking place there are revealed.
The art in Soil is quite unusual and takes some time getting used to. It might appear simplistic or even amateurish at first. If one’s willing to invest the time, though, one realizes that the art is unique. The characters are rendered in detail and all stand out from one another. Yet, where the art in Soil shines is when things get stranger. As the entirety of Soil New Town becomes more and more surreal, so does the art.
Soil’s characters are realistic and complex. There are no clichéd characters to be found. Instead, most of the characters we encounter act like actual people. Yet, while the characters are realistic, they are also heavily flawed. This is especially the case with Yokoi, who comes up as an extremely unlikeable human being.
One has to wonder what Atsushi Kaneko’s choice was to present us with such characters. Maybe he wanted to add some more eccentric characters to his cast, or they were created to add to the overall atmosphere and oddness so prevalent in this manga.
As I mentioned before, Soil is different and quite refreshing. There are so many weird things in this manga one has to be impressed by the mangaka’s creativity. Soil is such a surreal and unique experience, it’s one of the weirdest, yet best manga I ever read.
This weirdness though leads us to the biggest problem with Soil. It’s more an experience in sheer and utter weirdness than a coherent story. Especially the latter half of the manga just keeps getting weird and weirder. There’s still a story left, but Atushi Kaneko keeps adding so many new, weird elements that you’ll give up on trying to understand what’s going on.
This also shows in the ending which doesn’t seem to be much of an ending or at least, it’s too confusing to make sense off. One can find some explanations on the internet, but they are merely guesses and interpretations.
Overall though, Soil is worth picking up and a great addition to a list of the best manga of all time. It’s such a weird and surreal manga that can’t be compared to anything. The only other manga I can think of that comes close to it might be Uzumaki by Junji Ito.
So, if you’re looking for something surreal and different, give Soil a try.
At first I wasn’t sure if I would include Oyasumi Punpun by Inio Asano in this list. Yet, when I thought about it, I had to admit that Oyasumi Punpun is one of the best manga and one of the greatest, dramatic coming-of-age story of all time.
It’s written by Inio Asano, and if you’re familiar with his work, you should know what you’re in for. His work is dark, depressing and raw, and Oyasumi Punpun is no exception.
Oyasumi Punpun tells the story of Punpun Onodera, who’s a normal eleven-year-old boy at the outset of the story.
All seems well with Punpun, but we soon learn how much is wrong with his life. At the outset of the story, Punpun meets Aiko, the new girl in class. It’s here that he has to learn just how fickle relationships can be. However, we learn more about Punpun, his parents and family and have to witness how a shy little boy becomes reclusive and turns down a dark path.
In the course of the story Punpun’s life is filled with family issues, romantic problems, sex and alcohol and of course depression and anxiety.
To state that Punpun is depressing is an understatement. While Punpun was one of the best manga I read, it was also one of my toughest reads. There were so many parts, so many raw, gritty details that showed just how much someone can be influenced by even the smallest of things. All this makes Oyasumi Punpun so realistic and relatable. We all have experienced dark things and we all can relate to Punpun on a personal level.
The story of Oyasumi Punpun is told via different arcs, giving us glimpses into his life as a boy, during high school and finally a young adult.
The art in Punpun is beautiful, especially because of Inio Asano’s unique style. It’s drawn more realistic, but also grittier and gloomier than other manga. It’s this art that adds so much to the overall atmosphere and solidifies Punpun as one of the best manga ever.
What’s interesting is that Punpun and his family are not drawn as people, but as comical, bird-like beings. Yet, it’s only us, the reader who sees them as such. It was an obvious choice, most likely to have a better way to convey Punpun’s emotions and reactions and to make him and his family stand out from others.
Oyasumi Punpun is also a very mature manga, containing nudity, but never as fan service. It’s only there to make you uncomfortable and to increase the overall dark and gloomy atmosphere.
Many of the characters in Punpun are, for lack of a better word, damaged in their own ways. They aren’t presented to us likeable, but to be real. We aren’t perfect and none of us would be an ideal protagonist, and neither are the characters in Punpun.
Of the different parts, I enjoyed the earlier parts of Punpun the most. There was a certain innocence to it, and the feeling that things would only go downhill from here. Yet, it wasn’t as overdrawn as in the last arc. It was this arc that was a bit too dramatic. The story always felt part real and part relatable, but everything got too out of hand and became too crazy to identify with anymore. So, I felt that the final arc of the manga was the weakest.
Another thing I didn’t enjoy was the time spent with other characters. While I thought Punpun’s friends were all interesting, it felt almost like filler content that moved us away from the more interesting narrative related to Punpun.
For all its psychological, deeper and more complex themes, Punpun can feel a bit self-indulgent and pretentious. I guess it comes with the topic matter and the mangaka’s wish to discuss, give insight and convey his own reasoning. At times, though, it fell flat and seemed to be there just for the sake of being there.
Still, Oyasumi Punpun is one of the best manga and worth reading for anyone who’s looking for a deeper, more depressing and realistic story.
Oyasumi Punpun is among the best manga out there at what it does, at making you feel uncomfortable and depressed. Yet, it’s still a great read, thought-provoking read, just don’t expect it to be joyful experience.
Tomodachi Game by Mikoto Yamaguchi and Yuuki Satou is one of the manga mind game manga on this list, a genre I absolutely enjoy.
The story starts off with Yuuichi Katagiri, a young man who values friends over everything. He works hard to save money for a high school trip, but soon after the class money is stolen and suspicion falls on two of his friends.
That same night, Yuuichi and his four best friends are kidnapped and forced to play the titular game. It’s revealed that one of his friends has a massive debt and stole the class money. The reason was to get into the Tomodachi Game and to win money.
Tomodachi game starts out very simple, and especially during the first few chapters it might appear as rather generic. The first game, and even the second game, doesn’t stand out too much. It’s during the aftermath of the second game, though, that the manga takes up steam and reveals a much bigger plot.
That’s where things become interesting, and the manga becomes one of the best in its respective genre. It’s not only the plot, though, that gets more interesting, it’s also the games.
The art in this manga is pretty well done and enjoyable. Where it stands out is the rendering of Yuuichi’s facial expression at various moments.
And here we’re at the core of this manga, its protagonist Yuuichi. He isn’t your typical goody-two-shoes protagonist, but a much darker person than originally thought. He doesn’t shy away from twisted or ruthless methods to win, making him stand out against other protagonists. I think it’s much thanks to Yuuichi’s personality that this manga is among the best.
Overall, Tomodachi game is an interesting and unique manga with some great games and a unique protagonist. It might not appear all too interesting early on, but if you give it some time, it gets better, a lot better.
Shin Angyo Onshi by In-Wan Yoon and Kyung-il Yang is a dark fantasy manga and of the best manga the genre offers.
Angyo Onshi are government agents charged with killing corrupted government officials and bringing justice to the people of Jushin.
The story revolves around Munsu, one such agent who still keeps up his work even after the destruction of Jushin.
Similar to other manga, Shin Angyo Onshi starts off more episodic, as Munsu travels the land, continuing his duty. After a while we learn more about Munsu, the Angyo Onshi, and what caused the destruction of Jushin. An overall plot is revealed and we learn that there’s more to Munsun’s travels.
The biggest selling point of the series is the outstanding art, the fantastic characters and the great story.
The art throughout the entire series is nothing short of amazing and rivals the best manga out there. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful work.
Almost all the characters, protagonists and antagonists are interesting and their motifs are understandable. The manga even takes a step back from painting any of the characters as either good or bad. Instead, it makes us understand both sides.
Standing out the most is Munsun. He’s more of an anti-hero who doesn’t shy away from using questionable methods to fulfill his goals. He’s a complicated character and might seem cruel and ruthless, but overall it’s enjoyable to follow his journey.
Shin Angyo Onshi is among the best manga the fantasy genre offers, and it’s a delight for anyone who enjoys gritty, dark fantasy.
Tokyo Maji Revengers by Ken Wakui is one thing above all else, a lot of fun. It’s one of the most enjoyable and best manga I read in recent years, featuring some cool characters and an interesting premise.
It’s the story of Takemichi Hanagaki, a young man who’s at an all-time low. When he thought it couldn’t get much worse, he learns that his ex-girlfriend from his youth, Hinata Tachibana, was murdered by the Tokyo Manji Gang.
While he wonders where his life went all wrong, he suddenly travels through time and ending up twelve years in the past. During that time he was still in a relationship with Hinata and he realizes that he’s now got the chance to change the future and save her.
The premise of the manga is already interesting, if a bit odd. It’s an idea, however, that many people can relate to in theory. It would be fun, or at least interesting, to go back in time with the knowledge of how the future would turn out.
What made this one of the best manga to me wasn’t the plot, but the characters. They are across the board likeable, except for the obvious antagonists.
Pretty much everyone, except for our protagonist, is an absolute badass and a great fighter. Takemichi, on the other hand, is almost their polar opposite. He’s weak, and he cries a lot. Yet, this creates a bit of diversity between him and the other members of the cast. It makes him more realistic and more grounded.
However, this might not be for everyone. A lot of criticism of the series stems from Ken Wakui’s characterization of Takemichi. Now, weak characters are a popular trope in shonen manga. Yet, those characters often grow throughout the series and, ultimately, become the strongest. Takemichi, though, doesn’t get stronger in a typical sense. He never becomes a good fighter, but he’s an extremely sympathetic and likeable character. His position in the group is not that of another fighter, but its heart and voice of reason.
The overall plot of Tokyo Manji Revengers is interesting and enticing. The adventures of our band of character and Takemichi’s time travel shenanigans are a lot of fun.
There’ are a lot of twists in this manga, but it was never something that deterred my enjoyment. I stand by my opinion that this is one of the best manga, featuring cool characters with a lot of fantastic action and fight scenes.
The art of Tokyo Maji Revengers is also fantastic. Every single character has his or her own design, making them stand out among others. Ken Wakui’s made it a specific choice to give each character a different hairstyle, clothing and accessories to make them all individual.
Backgrounds and general world design are also well done, and the world looks alive and realistic.
The only problem I have with Tokyo Manji Revengers is the age of the characters. Most of the story is spent when Takemichi is a young teenager, no older than fourteen. Yet, our characters form violent street gangs, fight each other and even end up killing each other. It’s not believable at all. We even get flashbacks of them forming the Tokyo Manji Gang when they had just entered middle school.
I get that shonen characters are often pretty young, but Tokyo Manji Revengers is taking it a bit too far.
However, that’s my only real problem with the story. As I said though, it’s a common trope in shonen manga and it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.
Tokyo Manji Revengers is one of the best manga out there because of its unique time-travel plot and its fantastic characters.
Just be warned, the protagonist Takemichi is more of an emotional, grounded character and not a badass.
The movie Battle Royal is one of my favorite movies of all time. I’ve also devoured the novel and when I found out there’s a manga, I had to read it too. While there’re some flaws with it, it still holds up as one of the most disturbing and best manga.
The manga by Masayuki Taguchi and Koushun Takami is a retelling of the novel, but it goes even deeper, exploring the back story of each student and adding additional details here and there. It also takes some liberties and alters the source material to make certain events more dramatic or add additional developments.
Battle Royal is the story of the titular program. Each year a class is randomly selected, placed in a remote area, and the students are forced to kill each other until only one remains. It’s, in essence, a survival of the fittest.
Our protagonist Shuuya Nanhara and his class are forced to take part in this very program. Instead of fighting, he makes it his goal to get off the island without playing the game.
Battle Royal is a great retelling of one of the most disturbing settings ever. Being forced to kill your classmates and friends to survive is nothing short of sick. The manga doesn’t sugarcoat things. Instead, it gives you a glimpse into the insane situation and shows us how different people react to it. Some throw themselves into despair, others choose to give up right away, and then there’s those who will play to win.
I enjoyed this retelling of the story and the many additional details we learn about the characters. While the movie and the novel conveyed events realistically, the manga is often overdramatized.
Many of the fights are shown in an over-the-top fashion and last entire chapters. Yet, I didn’t mind it in the least because they were well done.
The art in Battle Royal does well to show us the gruesome reality of the situation, showcasing emotions, breakdowns and of course gore in glorious detail. At times it feels almost a bit too copious. The same can be said about the sexually charged imagery. Overall, the art of this manga is great and is one of the reason I think this is one of the best manga of all time.
While I enjoyed the manga immensely, I also have to admit that it has its flaws.
The first and most notable problem is the inconsistency in character representation. All the students are supposed to be in the same class and about fifteen years of age. Yet, some of them are drawn as if they are no older than ten, while others, most notable Kawada, appear to be in their thirties.
Another thing is the rather formulaic approach of storytelling. Battle Royal follows a simple concept. We’re introduced to a new character, we witness their backstory and their demise. While it’s nothing too frustrating, it gets old.
As I mentioned before, things are a bit overdramatized. In the novel and movie, most confrontations lasted mere moments. After all, those were kids going against one another and not battle-hardened veterans. Yet, somehow, these kids can survive being shot, disemboweled or terribly hurt and can fight on.
However, it doesn’t mean that Battle Royal is a bad manga. On the contrary, I still consider it one of the best manga I read.
I’d recommend Battle Royal to anyone who’s fan of the movie and who wants to dive a big deeper. However, the manga is also a great read for any fan of death games, survival manga and kill or be killed situations.
I started to read Tower of God by SIU years ago, but I come back to it again and again to see more of the characters, learn more about the world and find out how the story continues. While it’s a manhwa, I still added it to this list of the best manga.
Tower of God starts out simple. We get to know our protagonist Twenty-Fifth Bam who was all alone until he met Rachel, a girl set on climbing The Tower.
After Rachel vanishes, Bam enters The Tower on his own to meet her again. He learns that his entry in The Tower is not normal and that he’s deemed an Irregular. Thus starts the story of Tower of God.
Climbing The Tower is no simple feat. Each floor has tests that Bam has to pass if he wants to continue his climb. However, this is not only the story of Bam, but a vast cast of characters.
In later arcs, the story is expanded, as we learn more about the different factions populating the tower, the people at its top, and of course The Tower itself.
At the start the art of Tower of God is decent enough, but as time goes on, it gets much better. By now, the art is still simple, yet beautiful and somehow different from what one’s used to and gives the manhwa a unique beauty.
What I enjoyed about Tower of God were the characters, at least initially. They were all unique and likeable. However, later on there are a few too many characters and it’s easy to get lost among the gigantic cast. It seems the author isn’t so much interested in character development, but increasing the cast and throwing in new characters.
It didn’t detract from my enjoyment, but it can get a bit overwhelming and, ultimately, leaves you unattached to most of them.
The biggest issue I have with Bam. He starts out as a likeable underdog, but soon becomes your typical, overpowered shonen-archetype. It was a bit of a shame.
Another glaring issue I have with Tower of God is the plot. While it seems contained and simple early on, it keeps growing and growing and getting more and more complex. This wouldn’t be a problem, but in Tower of God, it seems almost a bit too unrestrained. With each new floor and each new arc, we get to know new characters, fresh developments happen and new mysteries come up.
Sure, the series is still very entertaining and I still consider it among the best manga or manhwa I read, but a lot of times, you feel almost a bit lost what’s going on and where the story is going.
Still, Tower of God is a great read. I enjoyed the earlier parts, called Season 1 the most because here things were simpler and our protagonist appeared to differ from other shonen protagonists. All this changed in season 2.
I guess to me, the most interesting part in Tower of God is The Tower itself, the different floors, the tests and not the overarching plot. I’m a big fan of detailed settings and to me, many of the best manga have great world-building.
Overall, Tower of God is fun, interesting and unique, but not for everyone. Still, I urge you to give it a try and see if you’re enjoying it.
Pluto by Naoki Urasawa is a retelling of Osamu Tezuka’s manga Astro Boy. Astro Boy itself is one of the most popular classical manga of all time, and its influence on the entire medium cannot be overstated.
When I first read Pluto, I had no idea that it was inspired by Astro Boy. This made it an different experience for me.
The story begins with the murder of the popular and world-famous Swiss robot called Montblanc, one of the seven most advanced robots in the world.
The robotic Europol detective Gesicht, another one of the seven most advanced robots, is sent to investigate. He soon uncovers evidence of a mysterious entity only known as Pluto and a plot to destroy all the world’s most powerful robots.
Things get much more interesting when Gesicht realizes that the murder couldn’t have been committed by a human.
Before I read Pluto I knew Naoki Urasawa from his famous work 20th Century Boys, another one of the best manga of all time, and he has lost none of his talent since. Pluto is a great mystery, seinen manga, one of the best manga in the genre, that follows our protagonist Gesicht, as he tries to uncover a world-wide plot.
At the center of Pluto is the relationship between AI and humans. Yet, in Pluto, a world in which humans and robots co-exist is already a reality, making those questions much more pressing. Especially since our protagonist Gesicht is a robot himself.
Not all is well in Pluto’s futuristic world. We see many examples of anti-robot hate; we see robots being mistreated or even destroyed. At the same time, however, the boundaries between humans and robots, between living, feeling being and inanimate object, aren’t set in stone anymore.
What makes Pluto one of the best manga I’ve read are the story and the characters. I was stunned by how well the plot was developed. It’s a gripping mystery that keeps you guessing and wondering what’s going on.
Naoki Urasawa is a master in terms of plot development and storytelling. In other manga, the plot is moved by introducing new characters and by new events happening. Pluto, however, is a more solemn, more intimate story. Here it’s the dialogue, the interaction between characters, that drives the plot forward.
As typical in the works of Naoki Urasawa, our protagonist Gesicht is complex, not just because he’s a robot, but because he’s got his own problems and is haunted by his very own demons.
The only problem, as is often the case with Naoki Urasawa’s work in my opinion, is that the story peaks around the middle point.
The series in its entirety is a great read, but I feel the last volumes can be a bit lacking compared to the earlier half of the manga.
At only eight volumes, Pluto is much shorter than Naoki Urasawa’s other works, but it s a great read.
Pluto is an amazing manga, one of the best manga in the science-fiction and mystery genre. It presents us with a dark, futuristic world, great characters and an intriguing mystery plot. If you’re a fan of Naoki Urasawa, Astro Boy or science-fiction mystery, I urge you to read Pluto.
Darwin’s Game by Ginko and Yuki Takahata is another one of the best manga featuring death games that stood out to me among a plethora of similar titles.
It starts out when Kaname Sudou signs up for a mobile game called Drawin’s Game, unbeknownst to what he’s getting into. Soon enough, he’s followed and attacked by a weird person dressed as a mascot. From here on out things only get more interesting as Kaname meets new characters, learns more about Darwin’s Game itself and decides to fight, rather than hide.
What made this manga so enjoyable was Kaname himself. He started out rather typically, and during his first encounter with another player he flees rather than fights. Soon enough Kaname accepts the game and becomes quite good at it and also quite ruthless. It’s enjoyable to see someone going all in like that.
The rest of the cast is also quite likeable. There was almost no character that I didn’t like, however, some characters are quite underdeveloped. All of them have their own unique design, though.
The games in Darwin’s Game start out as death matches, but soon they become more interesting and grander in scale. The same is true for the story.
And here we have another good point about the series, the story. While it might not be innovative, it’s still an enjoyable read and leaves enough mystery to keep you guessing what’s going on.
The art in Darwin’s Game is detailed and well done, but truly shines during battle scenes. The battles in Drawin’s Game are ripe with action, intense and suspenseful. I think it’s because of the addition of Sigil’s, special powers that characters receive that made this one of the best manga I read.
Overall, Darwin’s game doesn’t redefine the genre, but it adds enough interesting elements for it to be fresh, fun and engaging. The story itself is also interesting. Especially the newest arcs add a lot of new developments and make you wonder what direction the manga is going to.
If you’re looking for a great death game manga than Darwin’s Game is exactly what you’re looking for.
Holyland by Kouji Mori was a manga I found by accident some years ago, but I was thrilled I found it. It’s one of the best manga in the martial arts genre out there.
It’s the story of Yuu Kamishiro, a boy who’s abused and bullied by his peers and doesn’t seem to fit in with society. Out of desperation, Yuu stops going to school and starts training a single boxing punch all on his own.
Once he’s ready, he goes out into the streets in search for his very own Holyland. Out there, he’s fighting street thugs and builds a reputation for himself as the ‘Thug Hunter.’
However, he soon learns that this new name has stirred quite a bit of attention and soon many people seek him out.
What makes Holyland so great, is that it’s entirely realistic. There are no superpowers or unrealistic attacks. There’re only fists, kicks, and blood.
Where Holyland truly shines and what I think makes it one of the best manga are the characters and how the story is conveyed by them. You can feel how lost Yuu is, how desperately he wants to carve out his own little place in the world.
In its essence, Holyland is a coming of age story. Yuu makes new friends, but also new enemies as the story continues. Yet, Holyland isn’t a one man story. There are a lot of characters all as carefully developed as Yuu and all equally interesting, notably Masaki Izawa and Shougo Midorikawa. Every single character in Holyland has their own reasons for being out in the streets, to linger at night and all have been shunned by normal society.
Holyland isn’t perfect, however. At times the author goes a bit too in-depth with explanations of techniques during fight scenes. It can stop the flow and keep you from being truly invested in the fight scenes.
Another problem is the story’s premise. Holyland focuses on character development, so the overall plot is rather thin. It’s a story about street fights and action scenes. After each fight, a new enemy awaits and more fights are to be had.
It didn’t deter from my enjoyment and I still consider Holyland one of the best manga of all time, but it can get a bit repetitive after a while.
Another thing is the art. While it’s unique, it’s also a bit old-fashioned, which you’ll notice right away. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once one does, it develops its very own charm. Where the art stands out is during the fight scenes. They are all fluid and well done and a joy to read.
Overall, Holyland is a great, character driven martial arts manga. The story might not be too deep, but it makes up for it because of it’s amazing characters and a deep-routed familiarity and relatability. We can all understand the dilemma of trying to find a place to fit in.
Holyland is one of the best manga on this list in terms of character development, and I urge anyone interested in martial arts to check it out.
Crows by Hiroshi Takahashi is yet another one of the best manga in the martial arts genre. While Holyland was realistic and character-driven, Crows is one thing and one thing foremost: fun.
I first got interested in Crows after watching Takeshi Miike’s movies Crows Zero and Crows Zero 2. It was years later that I uncovered that the movies were based on a manga, albeit featuring a different set of characters.
Crows is the story of Harumichi Boya, who transfers to Suzuran. Suzuran is a high school filled with delinquents and known as Crows High.
From here on out, Bouya wants to conquer the school and become its number one fighter. Of course, things don’t go as planned and soon enough warfare between all the gangs in the area breaks out.
The best thing about Crows are the fights and the characters. All the characters are unique and stand out in their own way and are a lot of fun.
What I appreciate most about Crows is that it does what it promises. It delivers a fun delinquent manga, but doesn’t try to be more. It’s refreshing to find a series that’s simply fun.
One of the lower points of the series is the art. Begin an older series it has a typical 90s look and feel to it. It’s not bad by any means, but it has a style that takes some getting used to.
Another thing I always found weird about Crows is the complete absence of teachers or any sort of law enforcement. Delinquents simply clash in the middle of the city, beat each other senseless and no one intervenes, no police is called, nothing.
Overall, Crows isn’t too deep a series. It has its tragic and dramatic moments, but most of all it’s a series about delinquents, brawls and street fighting.
On that note Crows delivers and delivers well, making it one of the best manga to read if one’s looking for a more lighthearted manga about delinquents.
Dragon Head by Minetaro Mochizuki is an apocalypse manga, and it’s a crazy ride from beginning to end.
It all begins with a violent train wreck. Teru, our protagonist, has to watch many of his classmates die right in front of his eyes before he discovers two other survivors, Ako and Nobu.
They try their best to escape the tunnels, but the lack of light and food starts to impact their fragile psyche.
When they make it out, they realize that the outside world has changed and might hold even more dangers than the tunnels.
Dragon Head stood out to me because of its realistic characters. They seem like living, breathing humans with genuine emotions and act how normal people would act during a disaster. They panic, they are afraid, might lash out or go crazy. That’s simply realistic given the situation they are in.
Another great point is the story, the dire hopelessness that hangs over it all as our characters strive on and on. The longer you read on, however, you wonder if there’s even anything left to strive for.
Dragon Head is a thrilling experience, and probably the best manga in depicting a real apocalypse. There’s no moment in which the manga takes a break. Instead, there’s constant suspense hanging over our characters as the world seems to go crazier and crazier.
It’s without a doubt the art in Dragon Head that makes it one of the best manga, though. While one can see that the manga’s from the 90s, the art style is great. The most amazing accomplishment, however, is the world, the backgrounds and the general destruction. It renders a destroyed, hapless world in all its terrifying, depressing glory. It’s a detailed, beautiful rendering of a destroyed world that stands out amongst many other similar manga.
The only problem I have with Dragon Head is that things drag a little the longer it goes on. There wasn’t much focus on an overall plot anymore, instead we got more and more introspection about the characters. Maybe all of this was done on purpose, though. After all, if the world’s ending, where do you go? What do you do? Maybe this hopelessness, this aimlessness, was at the core?
Claymore by Norihiro Yagi is a dark fantasy manga and the story of Clare, one of the titular Claymores.
The manga is set in a medieval world in which Yoma exist, monstrous beings with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. It’s Claymores like Clare who are tasked with killing them.
Clare, however, is a low-ranking Claymore out on a quest of personal revenge.
The story starts off in episodic fashion with Clare dispatching Yoma before we’re slowly introduced to the main plot. We learn about Clare’s past, her caretaker Teresa, and the ominous being known as Priscilla.
This story, while intriguing, isn’t the manga’s biggest selling point. It’s the world and its monsters that make Claymore one of the best manga of all time.
The landscape is rendered in beautiful detail, cities look amazing and the monster design is among the best and most creative I’ve ever seen. Claymore clearly stands among the best manga in terms of art.
As an action-based manga Claymore features a lot of battles, however, they can be a bit hard to follow, and the locations in which the battles take place are a bit uninspired. The world of Claymore is breathtakingly beautiful, but all these locations are hardly used.
Another thing I didn’t enjoy too much was the principal antagonist. She’s made out as an impossibly strong being, yet we don’t see too much of her. She’s almost nothing but an ominous presence that looms out there and only becomes important near the ending.
And here we have one of the biggest problems with Claymore, the ending. Some revelations at the end of the manga were a questionable choice. They explain the state of the world, but to me they were nothing but a cop-out.
Nonetheless, Claymore stands among the best manga in the dark fantasy genre and features some of the best art out there. It’s well worth the read.
Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama is one of the most popular and one of the best manga of all time.
The story’s set in a dark, fantastical world. All of humanity is crowding together in a single city protected by massive walls. This city is the last bastion of humanity who’s been eradicated by the titular titans. These titans feed on human beings and kill them indiscriminately.
Our protagonist Eren Yeager is a young military recruit who gets the powers of turning into a titan himself. From then on, Eran and his fellow recruits and members of the survey corps fight the titans and try to defeat them for good.
What I enjoyed most about this manga was the setting. I love stories that are set in confined spaces. I really like the idea of humanity restricted to a single city constantly under the threat of being destroyed.
The premise of Attack on Titan is simple, but the story gets more interesting as time goes on. We learn more about the titans, their history, and how they are connected to the city.
The art in Attack on Titan is one of the most divisive topics.
During the very first chapters, the art isn’t pretty. It’s in all honesty, barely average if that. Yet, Hajime Isayama improved a lot and in volume three the art improved and from volume six onward it became one of the better drawn series out there.
The scenery, especially the wide shots of the city, are gorgeous. Where it really shines, similar to other action-oriented manga, is during the battle scenes. They are beautiful to look at, intense and unique because of the unique weapons employed by the survey corps. The action is brutal and fast-paced, yet drawn fluidly with a great attention to detail. This makes Attack on Titan one of the most unique and one of the best manga in terms of battles.
What I enjoyed the most was the appearance of the titans. They aren’t ghastly, twisted human beings, but look more like dim-witted, almost simplistic humans. It’s their lack of emotions, their empty, smiling faces that make them so outlandish and creepy.
Still, the art in the early volumes of Attack on Titan is definitely a weak point.
Attack on Titan is also another, longer manga, but it’s well worth the read. It’s an engaging and interesting story that features its share of memorable characters. These elements made Attack on Titan one of the best manga out there and one I’d recommend to everyone.
If you’re looking for a unique and complex action-oriented manga with a fantastic setting, Attack on Titan might be what you’re looking for.
Annarasumanara by Ha Il-Kwon is another manhwa, and one of the most beautiful and heartfelt stories I’ve ever read. Even though it’s a manhwa, I wanted to include it in this list of best manga to shed some light on it.
The story centers on a magician living in an abandoned theme park. His magic’s supposed to be real, and whenever people visit him, he shows it to them. Yet, he’s always asking if they believe magic is real beforehand.
Our protagonist is Yoon Ah-ee, a high school student who doesn’t believe in magic anymore. She’s living in poverty and her life comprises nothing but studying, working and taking care of her younger sister.
One day, he stumbles into the abandoned theme park and eventually visits the mysterious magician. From here on out, her life changes forever and one of the best manga or better manhwa begins.
Annarasumanara is a great, heartfelt story that ponders on quite a few different topics.
A central theme is that of growing up and living up to your own expectations and those of the people around you. Another theme is the question of what life and happiness are truly about.
There are other themes the manhwa touches on as well. It’s those of social expectations, parental pressure, understanding yourself and what you want in life or what you’re willing to give up to be happy.
While magic is a central theme in this story, we soon learn it’s not so much about magic tricks, but more about the magic of life itself. It’s the beauty we see as children, the magic that seems to get lost when we grow up and wish to get back.
The art in Annarasumanara is strange, almost abstract, yet unique. However, it’s not just there for the sake of being different. It has also meaning to the overall plot.
The characters in Annarasumanara are all very believable, even if they might not appear so at first. It’s a story of actual people and genuine emotions, and maybe just real magic as well.
With only three volumes, Annarasumanara is one of the shorter reads on this list of best manga, but one I’d recommend to anyone.
Another interesting point is that this manhwa inspired me to write one of my most popular and well received stories to date I Catfish a Different Girl Each Night. It wasn’t so much the plot, or the central themes that inspired me, but part of the initial premise.
Chi no Wadachi by Shuuzou Oshimi is one of the best manga I read in recent times. It’s a psychological manga about drama, abuse and manipulation.
The manga is the story of Seiichi Osaba. He’s a typical young boy. He’s got friends, a crush, and he’s got loving parents. His mother, however, is extremely overprotective, and he’s often made fun of for their close relationship. While strange, and a bit extreme, it doesn’t seem too big a concern.
This all changes during a certain incident that puts in motion a series of events that will change Seiichi’s life and the view he has of his mother forever.
The series starts out simple, but quickly spirals out of control and just keeps getting crazier and crazier.
However, the pacing of this manga is slow and slow for a reason. Chapters seldom include many events. At times they show us nothing more than the interaction between two characters. Yet, it’s this slow progression, this stifling movement that adds so much to the tension and suspense.
At first the suspense might seem a bit oppressive. There were many slow shots, many glimpses at something, but the more I read the more interesting I got. Eventually I got used to this specific style of storytelling. It’s this focus on even the smallest details that makes Chi no Wadachi one of the best manga I’ve read.
The art in Chi no Wadachi is another reason I consider this among the best manga out there. It’s absolutely stunning, focusing on intricate facial details, a lot of them being smiles. The art can be sparse at times, dense at others, but it always conveys the mood of the story. What’s truly beautiful though are the many big page spreads.
While the story doesn’t seem too deep, it’s the way it’s told, the way we experience it that makes you feel what’s going on. A lot of times I was disturbed by the portrayal of an insecure young boy trying to please his mother. At other times I was stunned at her toxic manipulation and just how far she took things.
The biggest problem with the manga might be the slow, gloomy and solemn atmosphere. The overhanging suspense and tension so prevalent in this manga can be a bit oppressive, especially in the earlier chapters.
However, if one reads on, and gets used to the unique slow style of storytelling, one is in for one of the best manga in recent years.
I discovered Ouroboros by Yuuya Kanzaki only recently, but the moment I started reading it I was drawn in by its great storyline. Once I was done, I couldn’t deny that I’d just read one of the best manga of all time.
Ouroboros is the story of Ryuuzaki Ikuo and Tatsuaya Danno. While Ryuzaki is an investigator for the Shinjuku Police, Tatsuya is a member of the yakuza.
Long before the start of the story, the two of them lived happily in an orphanage under their caretaker, Yuiko. All this ended when the two boys witnessed her tragic murder.
The manga starts of simple and more episodic with the two of them are working together to solve various crime cases.
This episodic nature continues for most of the manga’s story, but the overall plot tightens and becomes more prevalent as the two of them learn more about the man who they are after.
I really enjoyed Ouroboros. It’s one of the best manga about crime and conspiracies. While it develops slowly, it never gets boring.
The overall plot is interesting and engaging and it’s also the strongest point of Ouroboros. Yukio’s murder is a mystery, one with many twists and turns that will throw you off again and again.
The art in Ouroboros was very enjoyable. It’s good enough to be interesting, but never truly outstanding. What I enjoyed the most was that many of the characters were drawn more humanlike. It’s something I enjoyed, and that helped a more grounded story like this.
I also came to like our two protagonists. Both of them are very interesting and complex. I wished, however, there would’ve been more of a focus on Tatsuya Danno since he’s, at least in my opinion, the more interesting of the two.
There’s also a fair share of side-characters who are all interesting and either likeable or detestable.
The only real quarrel I have with the story is that the twists became a bit too much near the end and some revelations were rather clichéd. It didn’t deter my enjoyment of the series, though.
Overall, Ouroboros was a manga I found really engaging and had a lot of fun with, but that’s also because I enjoy settings about crime and the underworld.
The episodic nature of Ouroboros might be daunting to some, and the beginning of the manga is a bit shy to give us more about the overall story. If you enjoy those parts, though, I’m sure you’ll love the rest.
Ouroboros is clearly one of the best manga about the police, crime and deep-routed conspiracies.
Sanctuary by Buronson and Ryoichi Ikegami was one of the best manga I ever read and exactly to my liking. It’s a fantastically dark thriller and yakuza manga.
Sanctuary is the story of two men, Akira Houjou and Chiaki Asami, who want to change the course of the nation of Japan. In their opinion Japan is stagnant, corrupt and ruled by old men who’ve accepted the status quo. The two of them set out to push Japan into a new age and to create their very own sanctuary.
To accomplish this, the two of them aim to conquer Japan through two different routs. Houjou ventures into the underworld to seize control of the yakuza while Asami aims to become Prime Minister.
What makes this manga such a great read is the alternation between the two major plots, one centered on organized crime, the other on politics.
There’s of course an extensive list of adversaries both Asami and Houjou encounter. These reach from ambitious hot-shots and fellow yakuza bosses to diet members and champions of the establishment.
This dualism makes the manga so much more enjoyable. Whenever one story loses a bit of steam, the writers switched to the other one and throw in a fresh development, new ploy or twist.
To me Sanctuary was a suspenseful, but fun ride. I really enjoy stories about power fantasies, and Sanctuary is among the best manga featuring those. What makes it even better, is that it’s grounded in reality. I was very intrigued to follow our protagonists’ climb to the top.
There were enough conflicts to keep me reading and to keep the plot interesting. Overall though, what Sanctuary is most of the time is really cool. We have a ton of characters who are just absolutely amazing.
The art in this manga is on point as well. While it has a typical 90s feel to it, characters look both extremely professional and badass at the same time. Wide shots, backgrounds and even rooms are often rendered in beautiful detail.
My biggest issue with Sanctuary, however, is realism. While the yakuza plotline is a rather typical climb to power that is farfetched, but albeit realistic, Asami’s political rise wasn’t. Yet, while the political shenanigans, the intrigues, plans and twists, were unrealistic, I still had a great time reading them. Especially Isaoka was one of the best character in the entire manga and an outstanding adversary.
However, things spiraled out of control the closer the manga got to the end. I was still enjoying things for what they were, wanting to see how Sanctuary would play out. By then, however, I’d long abandoned the idea of realism.
Another fact that some readers might not enjoy is the depiction of women in this manga. There’s really only one important female character, and she serves as Houjou’s love interest. Almost all other women depicted are prostitutes or sex objects.
Overall, Sanctuary was still a lot of fun in the way certain over-the-top polit-thrillers or gangster movies are. It might not be too realistic and it might not make sense all the time, but man is it a great read. There’s a lot of suspense, a lot of action and a lot of badass characters, making Sanctuary one of the best manga I’ve read. If you’re into crime stories or political intrigues, give this one a read.
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida is another long running and vastly popular series and by many considered one of the best manga of all time.
It’s the story of Ken Kaneki, a reserved young college student who loves to read. At a café he encounters Rize, a beautiful young woman who seems to share his love for books.
Rize, however, is a ghoul and driven by her hunger for human flesh, she soon attacks Kaneki. Ghouls are creatures who look just like humans and mingle between them. However, they have almost superhuman powers and need to feed on humans to survive.
After his encounter with Rize, Kaneki is rescued by Dr. Kanou but soon learns that he’s now part ghoul and can’t stomach normal food anymore. He seeks refuge at a café called Anteiku, which is a safe house for ghouls.
As the story progresses, we learn more about ghouls, different members of Anteiku, and other groups of ghouls.
The story starts out slow, focusing on Kaneki and his new life, but we’re slowly introduced to more characters and their relationship to one another. Eventually, the story gets more interesting as new threats are introduced. Especially, the sequel Tokyo Ghoul:re ends up expanding the plot and the world of Tokyo Ghoul vastly.
The art in Tokyo Ghoul was the biggest selling point for me and made me appreciate it as one of the best manga of all time. Tokyo Ghoul is beautiful and comes with both great character and monster design, fantastic backgrounds and an overall gloomy and dark atmosphere. I can understand that this art style is not for everyone, though. It’s especially the inky panels that help in setting the mood and make for some beautiful scenes.
I also loved the battles in Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul:re. I loved the attacks, the brutality, and especially the design of the kagune. However, I have to say that battles can be a bit confusing. This is most prevalent in later parts, especially in Tokyo Ghoul:re. Battles are on a larger scale, with large numbers of people being devoured, beheaded or disemboweled before the bigger players step in. These battles tended to not only be confusing, but became a bit repetitive in the long run.
The characters are interesting enough, with quite a few bing likeable, while others are not. One of the prime offenders to me was Kaneki. He starts off as a shy, reserved boy, but after a certain significant event he gets a huge power-boost and is suddenly a force to be reckoned with. Now Kaneki had his share of horrible things happening, and it’s clear that he went through some serious trauma. However, this feels like a mixed bag between honest characterization and edginess for edginess’ sake. I felt strongest for some of the supporting characters. Arima was great, and so were Urie and Amon.
One of the most prevailing themes in Tokyo Ghoul is that of a tragic past. Almost everyone of the main cast suffers from this trope. The world of ghouls and the CCP is a dark and brutal one. Yet, it ultimately grew old and lessened the impact. I felt myself invested in the characters in the first part, but later, instead of making you feel for characters, you sort of shrugged their tragic backstory off as more of the same.
There are, however, a lot of fantastic themes in Tokyo Ghoul. I enjoyed the dualism of the two sides. Neither ghouls nor the CCP are innocent, but they are also not truly bad.
The story of Tokyo Ghoul was overall enjoyable, but I still found it to be at its best in the early parts. It was here where the difference between the world of ghouls and humans was still an important plot point. While Tokyo Ghoul:re started out similar, it later dissolved into a different story before it came to a rushed ending.
Now, all of those flaws don’t make Tokyo Ghoul a bad series. No, I had a great time reading it, and think it’s one of the best manga. But for that reason, I also felt it necessary to discuss some of its flaws.
To me Tokyo Ghoul stood out for its fantastic art, the battles and the creative design of the members of the CCP and the ghouls. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a darker, more brutal and complex horror manga.
I’m usually not a fan of gag or comedy manga. Most of the time they don’t click with me. One Punch Man by Yusuke Murata and ONE, however, is different. Based on the web comic by the same name, it’s one of the best manga at what it does.
One Punch man is foremost a manga centered on a single gag. What if a character was so strong, he could defeat every enemy with a single punch?
This character’s name is Saitama. He joins the Hero Organization to put his strength to good use. Before long, however, he becomes bored with it all and throughout the manga hopes to find a real challenge.
That’s mostly it for the story, at least early on. However, as silly and simple as it sounds, as much fun it is.
Later on, the story focuses more on the various side-characters and their individual struggles, which adds a nice contrast to Saitama’s power.
What makes this series shine is the art, especially during battles. It’s easily one of the best manga on this list in terms of art alone. The various monsters are rendered in gorgeous detail and look impressive.
Battles might not sound like much, but they are often extremely interesting because they focus more on the effort of other characters before Saitama takes action and ends things in a single blow.
The characters are another thing that adds so much to this manga, mostly comedy. A favorite of mine is King, the world’s strongest man. Every scene involving him is outstandingly funny and often makes me laugh out loud.
Yet, there’re more characters, some serious, others comical as King, but throughout the board they are all enjoyable, fun and unique. Garou is another example of a fantastic character.
The biggest selling point in One Punch Man, however, is the humor. With so simple a premise, one would think it loses its charm quickly, but it never does. The art also adds a great deal to it, often depicting Saitama as a small, unimportant bystander. That is until he takes action. Then he’s rendered as an absolute badass and depicted in glorious detail.
One Punch Man is one of the greatest action and comedy manga out there and to me one of the best manga of all time. While the story’s not the deepest, it’s insanely entertaining, a lot of fun, and comes with some of the best art the medium offers.
20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa is one of the greatest mystery manga of all time and has become vastly popular.
I read this manga years ago, but it was one of the first manga that came to mind when I thought of creating a list of the best manga of all time. It’s easily at the genre’s pinnacle in terms of storytelling.
20th Century Boys is the story of Kenji Endo and his friends. The story begins shortly before the end of the 20th century. Our protagonist Kenji Endo works at the family’s convenience store and is getting by. Things change when he learns about the suicide of one of his childhood friends, Donkey.
Things turn stranger when a new cult led by a figure only known as Friend becomes increasingly popular. It’s not long before Kenji realizes that there’s much more to this cult and that it’s somehow related to his childhood. Kenji reunites with his childhood friends and together they try to figure out the truth about the cult, the figure known as Friend. and to stop the end of the world.
The art in 20th Century Boys might appear simple at first glance, but it’s because of Naoki Urasawa’s unique style. His mastery of the craft becomes especially prevalent when one looks at the characters. Every single one of them has a distinct personality, making them recognize even when the manga switches to different points in time. Backgrounds are very detailed and pleasurable to look at.
What makes this one of the best manga I ever read are the big mystery, the characters, their relationship, but most of all the way the story is told.
While a conspiracy plot and having to save the world is nothing new, the story is told so well that one can’t help wanting to know more. What stood out to me the most was the switching between different timelines. It’s done extremely well, reveals a lot more about our various characters, but never confuses you.
Overall, the story is told in three major timelines, first during the closing of the 20th century, then 2014 and during the 3FE, the third year of the Friend Era. However, there are also various flashbacks to the time when Kenji and his friends were children during the late 60s and early 70s. The third timeline, the Friend Era, was my least favorite part of the manga.
During the first two timelines, 20th Century Boys was easily my favorite mystery manga and one of the absolute best manga of all time. It was masterfully told and had enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what was going to happen. Yet, the story of the Friend Era felt a bit detached from it all. It felt strange and much too different from what was going on before.
Another minor problem is how many people seem to be in on the conspiracy. The story pits our characters against new troubles and fresh developments. It almost gives the story a feeling of our main cast fighting against the rest of the world.
It didn’t deter my enjoyment much when reading, but it makes you wonder a little. How is one mastermind able to conspire with and control so many people?
Yet, it doesn’t change my opinion of the manga. As a whole it was a fantastic work and while I didn’t enjoy the last part as much as those before, it wasn’t bad by any means.
20th Century Boys is a great mystery, seinen manga that stands out because of its complex plot and the fantastic way the story is told and presented. It truly deserves to be called one of the best manga of all time.
Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi is one of the longest, most popular shonen manga out there and also one of the best manga I ever read.
To be honest, Hunter x Hunter had to grow on me a bit. While I enjoyed the first arcs, it was much later in the story that I truly enjoyed it.
Hunter x Hunter is a manga about hunters who are, for simplicity’s sake, licensed treasure hunters with a lot of privileges. To become a hunter, you have to pass the so called Hunter Exam, several hard challenges that only one in a hundred thousand can pass.
Our protagonist Gon Freecss is a young boy who wants to become a hunter so he can find his father and signs up for the Hunter Exam. During the exam Gon gets to know many of the fellow participants who soon become the main cast of Hunter x Hunter.
As I mentioned before, the series took a while to grow on me. The Hunter Exam arc felt like a typical shonen arc. Things got much more interesting when Yoshihiro Togashi introduced the Nen system that allowed users to manifest superpowers. This Nen system is one of the most interesting parts in Hunter x Hunter since it serves as a foundation and a restriction for a character’s powers.
The protagonists in Hunter x Hunter are likeable throughout the board. What I enjoyed was the dynamic between Gon and Killua in the arcs they spent together. It was incredibly enjoyable to see those two friends go on adventures together, and it solidified Hunter x Hunter as one of the best manga.
I also greatly enjoyed the antagonists of the story. Hisoka is such a strange and weird villain. The phantom troop and notable their leader Chrollo are also an extremely interesting group of characters. And later on, during one of Hunter x Hunter’s most celebrated arcs, we are introduced to one of the greatest antagonists in manga history.
However, while I think Hunter x Hunter is one of the best manga out there, it isn’t without its flaws.
There’s first the art. I’m surprised how Yoshihiro Togashi can be so good at times and so bad at others. There are panels that are incredibly stunning, especially during certain fights. I couldn’t help but be awed by how detailed the art was. Yet, there are other panels or entire chapters that are almost nothing but scribbles. Overall though, the art is serviceable and decent, but apart from a few instances, it doesn’t stand out.
Another problem is the quality of the arcs. While some arcs are outstanding, like the York New and Chimera Ant arc, others feel rather boring and dragged on for so long I couldn’t wait until they were over. It almost feels like Hunter x Hunter is a strange mixture between brilliant and unique storytelling and boredom.
And now we come to the most daring problem I had with Hunter x Hunter, the exposition.
Hunter x Hunter often goes out of hand with explanations and dialogue. While I have no problem with dialogue-heavy manga, Hunter x Hunter’s plethora of words can feel a bit unfocused and almost unnecessary.
This is most prevailing in the newest arc, the Succession Contest arc. I was both stunned by the complexity, but also a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of explanations and expositions. I didn’t struggle to make sense of it, but I feel there would’ve been better and more concise ways of explaining things.
Overall, Hunter x Hunter is one of the most enjoyable shonen manga with some brilliant moments that more than make up for certain weaker parts of the series. If you want to read a good fun shonen and one of the best manga of all time, give Hunter x Hunter a try.
I’m usually not a fan of sports manga and not too big a fan of shonen manga.
I stumbled upon Blue Lock when I was looking for other manga writen by Muneyuki Kaneshiro since I enjoyed their other works. At first I was skeptical, but after I read the first couple chapters I was drawn in by this manga. After reading it for a while I came to absolutely love it and consider Blue Lock one of the best manga I read in the last year.
The story of Blue Lock is relatively simple. After an analysis, it’s found out that the Japanese National Team misses one thing, a great striker. The Japanese Football Association hires an eccentric coach named Jinpachi Ego. He puts together a program held at Blue Lock, a prison-like training facility. There three hundred talented strikers from all over Japan will be pitted against one another. The sole survivor of Blue Lock will become the new Striker of the national team, while anyone else will be banned from joining the team forever.
Our protagonist Yoichi Isagi is one such striker who enters Blue Lock.
As I said, I’m not a big fan of sports manga and I’m also not the biggest fan of soccer. So why did I continue reading Blue Lock? Because of the art, the characters and the sheer amount of tension during many of the different games and tests.
The art by Yuusuke Nomura is outstanding and can rival the best manga in the arts department. It’s sharp, vivid and highly engaging. Some panels and pages or exceptionally well drawn, especially during key events in games. The artist can render raw emotions and power in fantastic detail. The overall style of this magna is amazing. Characters are often shown with glowing eyes, auras and faces distorted by sheer physical strain. It’s the type of art you’d usually see during over the top battle manga featuring fights to the death. It’s simply amazing and makes the entire manga so much more enjoyable.
Another thing I loved were the characters. They are all extremely well done, have their own unique character, but are throughout the board likeable. My favorite might just be Meguru Bachira, who’s such a quirky, yet amazing character.
What I enjoyed the most, however, was Yoichi and his quest of self-discovery at Blue Rock. Yoichi isn’t an overpowered shonen protagonist, instead, he’s often worse than other characters and it’s up to him to catch up to them. It’s a constant theme throughout the manga, and Yoichi slowly grows as he discovers more about his own play style and inherent talent. It not only keeps things interesting, it also keeps you on the toes during many of the games.
Now, in a manga such as this, there’s bound to be some unrealistic things. In Blue Lock, it’s mostly the level of play the characters showcase. All the characters in Blue Lock are high schoolers, yet they showcase world class plays.
While it’s a bit unrealistic, it didn’t deter my enjoyment at all.
Overall, I think Blue Lock is one of the best manga that came out in recent years, sports or not. It’s because of its great cast of characters and especially because of the fantastic art. Even if you’re not a fan of sports manga like me, check out Blue Lock.
C.A.T. by Fung Chin Pang is a short manhua I found by accident a long time ago. It was, as far as I know, unfortunately never finished. Still, what’s there is just too good to ignore. I truly think C.A.T. is one of the best Manhua or manga out there.
The story centers on a young woman known only as CAT. She was taken in by a group called the SFP Project. While there, she was severely abused before she could escape. Trained by a group of assassins, she’s now out to take revenge on the men who abused her.
Another part of the story centers on a man known as Alvas, who’s become the head of the CIA and plays his very own game with the rest of the world.
The story isn’t fully fleshed out unfortunately because the manhua was never finished.
What makes C.A.T. so amazing is the absolutely breathtaking art which can rival the best in the entire medium. It’s reminiscent of Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura, another one of the best manga of all time.
Each panel is beautiful, and the author’s style lends itself perfectly to the many action scenes in C.A.T. They are rendered in fluid and dynamic motion and look simply stunning.
This art also shows in the characters. Every character is well designed and drawn with full attention to detail. Cat starts out as a typical killing machine out for revenge. However, as short as the manhua is, the author can still make her a rather complex character.
The adversaries she meets throughout the manhua have some impressive design of their own, but aren’t much more than typical adversaries.
The only other characters who stand out are Hao Long and Alvas, but unfortunately we don’t spend enough time with them.
Still, C.A.T is a refreshing little Manhua that I enjoyed immensely and that stood out to me because of the great art and the fantastic fights. With only two available volumes it’s relatively short, but I still consider it among the best manga I’ve read and think it’s well worth the read.
Hotel is a fantastic collection of one-shots all drawn by the artist Boichi, who’s one of the best manga artist out there.
Each of the chapters is beautifully drawn and features Boichi’s outstanding art, but the content of the stories varies a little. There were none I disliked, but some are better than others.
While the stories are standalone, there are some thematically links between them. The first two stories for example seem to be set in the same world.
Things get really strange in chapters three and four who are a lot more surreal and weird than what came before.
Chapter five was drawn in full color and is breathtakingly beautiful, however, there isn’t much of a story to be found there. Still, it stands out among the rest because of the stunning full color art.
My favorite chapter was the first one though, featuring the titular Hotel, and it made me tear up a bit near the end.
Hotel is one of the few collections of one-shots on this list, but I really think it deserves its spot as one of the best manga. Some of the stories featured in Hotel are emotion while others are surreal and funny, yet all of them are interesting.
Hotel is a great, quick read that stands out from other, similar collections because of Boichi’s outstanding art.
Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro is one of the best manga in the cyberpunk and science-fiction genre out there.
The story starts off with the scientist Ido, who discovers the remains of a cyborg girl. She’s lost all her memories, but he takes it upon himself to restore her. He names her Alita and gives her a new cybernetic body.
From here on out we follow Alita as she finds her way in this new world and develops from an innocent, childlike character into a battle-hardened badass.
At the start of the series, the art is merely serviceable, but it improves in later parts. The art shines especially during the many fight scenes. There are quite intense, but motions are always fluid and you know what’s happening at all times. This was most notable during the motor ball arc, which was fantastically done and one of the best manga arcs I’ve read.
The setting of Battle Angel Alita is also well done. I really came to love the gritty post-apocalyptic world and especially the city of Scrapyard who’s a gloriously mad cluster of machines, factories and rubble.
Scrapyard can be best described as a cesspool swarming with the worst criminals and cybernetic freaks imaginable.
As for characters, I have to say that Alita was a well-done protagonist, at least for the most part. I enjoyed her character arc and her development a lot.
What makes her so interesting is that she’s not your standard hero protagonist. The entire story is about her finding her way and her place in the world. While there’s of course a plot, Battle Angel Alita is more character driven than anything else, more about Alita herself.
Yet, other character are also well done. Ido for example is a complex character. His relationship to Alita can be best described as a sort of father-daughter relationship, but it’s not free of its flaws.
The villains in this manga are a lot of fun. The one who stood out to me the most was Zapan, a bounty hunter who later turns into a full blown psychopath.
There are also some deeper themes in this manga. What’s great is that they aren’t shoved into your face. There are clear themes like the meaning of life, finding your way and uncovering who you really are.
Battle Angel Alita is not free of flaws, though. The most blatant one is the art, which is decent at first. While the setting is grim and the city of scrapyard is well designed, the character design can be a bit unrefined. This causes many of the robots and cyborgs to look a bit cartoonish.
Another problem is that some characters can be a bit overdrawn, which is especially apparent with a character who appears later in the story.
The same is true for Alita. While his is a manga bout her growth and her changing throughout the story, she can be a bit immature and arrogant.
Overall though, Battle Angel Alita is a well-paced, entertaining cyberpunk, science-fiction story and one of the best manga I ever read. I recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of science-fiction, post-apocalyptic settings and, of course, cyberpunk.
There are some manga out there who stand out because of their intricate and interesting characters or the story they tell. Others stand out because of the world they created. Made in Abyss by Akihito Tsukushi is a stark representative of the latter.
The Abyss is one of the most captivating and beautiful places ever created in manga. I only found out about this manga recently, but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the abyss.
Made in Abyss tells the story of a young girl, Riko, who lives in the town of Orth. Orth was built around the edges of a giant chasm, called the abyss, which has never been fully explored.
Riko herself is the daughter of one of the most famous cave raiders, or White Whistles as they are called, who disappeared years ago. Riko herself dreams of becoming a White Whistle.
Her life changes when she meets a robot boy called Rengu. Believing this encounter to be caused by her mother, the two of them decide to descend the abyss.
Made in Abyss is a dark mixture of fantasy and science-fiction that features a fascinating setting populated with various strange and bizarre creatures.
What makes Made in Abyss one of the best manga of all time is clearly the art. It’s absolutely beautiful and insanely detailed. It’s no understatement to say that Made in Abyss is more beautiful than almost all other manga out there.
While the story of Made in Abyss appears lighthearted at first, especially because of its characters, it grows darker and more disturbing the further our protagonists descend.
There’s a feeling of dread related to the Abyss that can’t be understated. It’s an alien world, not only populated by alien creatures but also strange characters. And let’s not forget the ‘curse of the abyss’ which makes descent easy, but an ascent painful and almost impossible once a certain depth is crossed.
The biggest problem I have with Made in Abyss are the characters. Our protagonists are two kids who descend into an alien and dangerous world. I really can’t say I’m fond of the trend in manga to employ very young characters as protagonists. One has to wonder about this choice. Was it to rekindle the adventurous feelings we all had as children? Or was it done as a contrast to the alien world and to make the horror so much more horrible because it happened to children?
All in all though, while this choice was a bit strange to me, I still enjoyed the series immensely. Especially since the world and the world building were so interesting.
Overall Made in Abyss is easily one of the most beautiful and one of the best manga I’ve read. It presents us with one of the most unique and amazing settings ever. I urge anyone out there to read this manga, it’s truly worth it.
Jagaaaaaan is another manga written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro.
It’s the story of a young police officer known as Shintarou Jagasaki. He isn’t too fond of his life and is quite frustrated with how boring it is. This changes during a train ride when he’s escorting home a drunk man.
An office worker grows increasingly madder before he transforms into a twisted monster and starts tearing apart the other passengers. Jagasaki defeats the being by shooting a beam from his very own hand. He soon learns that the man was a fractured human being and that he himself is one as well. It’s now Jagasaki’s task to hunt down other fractured humans.
Fractured humans came into being when a rain of frogs descended upon Tokyo. These frogs infested humans with strong desires. While some of them give into their desires and are thus transformed into monsters, others, like Jagasaki, can resist temptation.
The story of Jagaaaaaan is crazy and continues to get crazier as it goes on, yet, as crazy as Jagaaaaaan is, it’s also one of the best manga I’ve ever read.
What I enjoyed was that people’s desires caused them to become monsters. It adds a bit of a deeper theme and shows that one shouldn’t blindly give into desire.
The first thing that stands out about Jagaaaaaan is the art by Kensuke Nishida. It’s fantastic throughout the board, and enough to warrant Jagaaaaaan’s addition to this list of the best manga. The faces of characters and their emotions conveyed via distorting them are amazingly done.
What’s also great is the character design and especially their transformation into twisted monsters.
The fights in Jagaaaaan are something to marvel at. Jagasaki’s own transformation becomes increasingly more powerful and impressive to look at as the manga goes on. It starts with a simple finger canon, but soon his entire arm turns into a weapon and later on things only turn to get more insane.
With characters, Jagasaki is really interesting. Anyone who read Kamisama no Iutoori and its sequel knows that Muneyuki Kaneshiro has a hang for weird characters. Jagasaki’s a weird as shown in the very first chapter. However, that also makes him much more realistic and unique. Who of us isn’t frustrated with their life at times? Over the course of the manga Jagasaki develops, going from a sort of loner with a rather twisted goal to someone who can appreciate and value the people by his side.
As for side-characters, there are some truly great ones, many of those being fractured humans like Jagasaki. While some are more normal, it’s the ones who are a deranged and crazy who are more interesting.
The first thing one should know about Jagaaaaaan is that it features its fair share of explicit content. There’s violence, there’s gore, and there’s nudity. While sex isn’t common, it’s still shown, and the manga isn’t shy to show sexual abuse committed by a certain, despicable character.
One little criticism I have is the pacing. Things take up more steam early on, almost as if the writer wanted to get as much of the crazy premise out of the way in the very first chapters of the manga. It works well and introduces us right away to the crazy world of Jagaaaaaan. However, it still feels a bit rushed.
Overall, Jagaaaaaan is a weird, twisted, but great manga if one’s willing to give it a chance. There are some depraved acts and some quite heavy gore during battles, but it never is there just for the sake of it. And, after all, Jagaaaaaan is horror manga and one of the best manga the genre offers released in recent years.
For all the disturbing and depraved things portrayed, it’s so much fun at others one can’t stop reading.
Try Jagaaaaaa, if you’re looking for something a bit weird. If you enjoy the first couple of chapters, stick to it, it will only get better.
Solo Leveling is a manhwa by Sung-rak Jang based on the web novel of the same title by Chugong. It’s recommended everywhere these days, and many people include it as one of the best manga or manhwa out there.
When I first started reading Solo Leveling, I was skeptical and couldn’t help but roll my eyes at it. The world-building seems almost too simple, and the story didn’t appear that great to me.
Yet, as I read on, there was one thing above all else that stood out to me and made me enjoy it: the art. Solo Leveling looks stunning.
The reason I love reading Solo Leveling so much is for the fights and the action, and there’s plenty of it.
The story is relatively simple. So-called gates appear around the world, connecting it to a world of monsters. At the same time, ordinary people were given superhuman powers and became known as hunters. From then on these hunters fought the monsters who appeared from these so-called gates.
Our protagonist, Jin-Woo Sung, is one such hunter, however he’s know as the ‘World’s Weakest Hunter,’ since he’s pathetically weak compared to others.
After a certain mission goes terribly wrong, he awakes in the hospital with a quest log in front of him. From here on Jin-Woo Sung can do quests, level up and become stronger, a feat only he’s able to do.
Solo Leveling is basically a typical zero to hero power fantasy. Yet, it handles this well enough, as we witness Jin-Woo changing from a weak underdog to a force to be reckoned with. Overall though, the story isn’t outstanding.
It was interesting to see Jin-Woo himself changing and becoming a bit of a darker character himself.
There are some fresh revelations and hints at a bigger, overarching plot in recent chapters. Still, the story feels more like a vessel to show us a cool protagonist and some outstanding fights.
And thus we come to the main part of Solo Leveling, the fights. Fights are the gist of Solo Leveling, and they are rendered in beautifully outstanding detail. As often in manhwa, Solo Leveling is fully colored. Yet, it goes beyond many others in terms of sheer detail. It’s no understatement to say that Solo Leveling can stand up to the best manga out there in terms of art.
As for characters, Jin-Woo Sung is likeable enough, but I felt his growth was a bit too fast. I’d have liked to watch him struggle and overcome challenges for a bit longer. However, he’s relatively powerful, relatively early on and from then on defeats almost all enemies with ease.
In later parts Solo Leveling also focuses more on other characters who are all interesting and a lot of fun in their own right. It also helps to expand the story and the world. Still, most of the time those characters are there to struggle against monsters before Jin-Woo comes in to save the day.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with this. Solo Leveling is fun, the art is fantastic, and the action is incredible. The plot, however, as of now at least, is pretty standard. If Solo Leveling is one thing, it’s fun and definitely among the best, if not the best power-fantasy series out there.
Fuan no Tane is an anthology of very short horror stories, never more than a few pages long.
It stands out among other horror manga by focusing entirely on being scary and creepy.
There’s no plot in Fuan no Tane. It’s a collection of creepy incidents involving ghosts or supernatural entities. Each chapter of the manga contains a few of these incidents, all centered on a specific theme. It might be a location, such as a school or a hospital, or a concept such as uninvited guests.
At first, it might appear strange that there’s no plot, but that’s also what makes Fuan no Tane work so great and one of the best manga at what it does.
It doesn’t waste any time on introducing characters, setting the scene or giving us a plot. Instead, we go right to the creepiness. That’s how it keeps up the scariness and creepiness factor all throughout without taking a step back.
The art in this manga is good and the unique, more sketchy style helps to underline the creepy moments, but it’s not outstanding as the art in some of the best manga in terms of art on this list.
Overall, Fuan no Tane is a special type of horror manga one that not everyone will like or enjoy. It’s the fact that the writer didn’t bother with a plot that might alienate some readers or make them downright frustrated.
If you’re, however, looking only for glimpses, only brief incidents or scenes of scares and creepiness, then this one’s for you.
Tsutomu Nihei is one of my favorite mangaka of all time.
Knights of Sidonia is his longest series to date and can be best described as a mecha-space manga. While it diverts from his usual style of storytelling, it still features his outstanding art and complex world-design. However, Knights of Sidonia feels more mainstream-friendly than his older series.
However, I still think Knights of Sidonia is one of the best manga in the science-fiction and space genre.
It’s the story of the titular spaceship Sidonia and a young man named Nagate Tanikaze.
The Sidonia fled into space after earth was destroyed by powerful aliens known as Gauna who are still in pursuit of the Sidonia, relentlessly attacking it.
Nagate Tanikaze has been living most of his life in the depths of the ship without contact to any other human beings. One day, however, he finds his way to the populated portions of the ship.
Because of his natural talent as a fighter pilot, he quickly becomes the pilot of one of the Gardes, giant mechs designed to fight the Gauna.
The first thing one notices about Knights of Sidonia is, like I mentioned before, that it’s more mainstream than his other series.
Blame!, Biomega, and many of his other works had been dark, gloomy, gritty and quiet.
Not so Knights of Sidonia, at least not overall. We still got the gritty, dark atmosphere when the stories about fighting the Gauna. However, there’re chapters in-between featuring more conventional storytelling. We’ve got normal conversations, people hanging out, joking around, falling in love and much more.
However, Knights of Sidonia still feels like a Nihei manga. We’re still presented with his grand architecture, the mega structures, the fascinating alien Gauna, and later on entities that remind us of the cyborgs in Blame! It’s because of these elements I consider Knights of Sidonia one of the best manga, especially in terms of art.
Of course, Knights of Sidonia is still a seinen series. While it has lighter elements, death is still an everyday occurrence and so are destruction and danger.
The biggest problem I have with Knights of Sidonia is the ending. Without spoiling too much, I felt Nihei wrapped things up in a too-happy and even somewhat cheesy way.
However, while I was a bit disappointed by the ending, the rest of the manga is still one of the best manga and space operas out there, especially in more recent years.
If you’re a fan of space manga, definitely check out Knights of Sidonia.
Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo is one of the most popular and influential manga of all time, spawning not only the Japanese cyberpunk subgenre but also one of the most influential anime of all time.
Many people hold the manga in very high regard and think of it as one of the best manga of all time.
Akira is set in the city of Neo Tokyo which was erected on the ruins of Tokyo after it was destroyed in 1988 by a mysterious explosion. Neo Tokyo is your typical dystopian cyberpunk hell that fuses future technology and giant skyscrapers with biker gangs, poverty and revolutionaries.
Our protagonists are Tetsuo Shima and Soutarou Kaneda, two bikers who are best friends and bitter rivals. When Tetsuo tries to pull a desperate stunt to prove he’s Kaneda’s equal, he sets in motion the awakening of Akira, a secret government project.
At the core Akira is a story about government conspiracies, secret experiments and megalomania.
The greatest point about Akira and what makes it one of the best manga is undoubtedly the art. While the character design is great, but where it truly shines is in the depiction of the shady dystopia that is Neo Tokyo. The dirty corners, the cracks in buildings and streets and even the rubble are all rendered in Katsuhiro Otomo’s unique and insanely detailed art-style. It’s a marvel to look at.
Especially in later parts, when the story turns into a full-blown apocalypse, the destruction is presented to us in glorious detail.
While the character design in Akira is great, the characters leave things to be desired and appear almost as arch-types than actual characters.
Kaneda is a badass biker boy and our protagonist, while Tetsuo is an edgy youth with anger problems who desperately wants to be at the top.
Of the two, Tetsuo is clearly the more interesting though. Especially in earlier chapters, he comes up as a scary, almost chilling character, while he remains somewhat tragic and even sympathetic.
Another problem is the story. It’s more style than anything. Don’t get me wrong, I love the clashes of psychic powers, the destruction of the city and everything that’s happening. Yet, powers are never clearly established. This is especially prevalent in later chapters when Akira dissolves into a power struggle between psychic superhumans.
I enjoyed the earlier volumes of Akira the most. It’s here that the story focuses more on biker gangs, drug orgies, and government conspiracies. This is also where the dystopian setting with all its cyberpunk elements truly shines.
Did the aforementioned flaws ruin Akira for me? Not in the slightest. Having read Katsuhiro Otomo’s other work Domu – A Child’s Drea and having watched the movie version of Akira, I didn’t expect it to be a piece of hard science-fiction. I knew powers would most likely be unexplained and not be set in stone. What I came for was the outstanding art, the setting, and a storyline about a crazy megalomaniac. And that’s exactly what I got.
Does Akira live up to the hype it so often gets and the high ratings it receives? Yes and no. Akira had a massive influence on the manga and anime genre. Yet, as with other works pivotal to subgenres or movements, they rarely live up to their reputation.
However, at least in terms of arts and setting, Akira holds up. It’s still beautiful and one of the best and most detailed manga of all time. If you can ignore the lackluster plot and the almost one-dimensional characters, you fill find some of the greatest art and one of the best cyberpunk dystopias in the entire medium.
Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida might be one of the weirdest manga I’ve ever read. It’s set in such a dark, grim and brutal world, yet it’s full of humor.
It’s a surreal tale set in the city of Hole, which is connected to the Sorcerer’s World, a world populated by magic users. Because of this connection, the city of Hole has become a testing ground for magic users who visit it and test their powers on the city’s denizens.
Murders, mutilations, transformations and other atrocities are a daily reality for the people of Hole.
But there’s Kaiman, an amnesiac with the head of a reptilian who’s immune to magic. Believing himself to be another victim of magic users, he goes after them relentlessly to figure out who he really is and what happened to him. In his quest, he’s helped by his female friend Nikaidou.
The premise of the story is already weird enough, but it only serves to get weirder and more surreal as the story goes on.
However, as grim and dark as the story appears, it mixes death and carnage with comedy and lightheartedness into a whole that just works. It’s this odd dualism that made Dorohedoro unlike anything I’ve read and elevates it to one of the best manga.
Yet, there’re more reasons to praise Dorohedoro. One of them is the art. It’s both outlandish and absolutely gorgeous. Both the run-down, decrepit city of Hole as well as the weird surrealism of the Sorcerer’s World are rendered in gorgeous detail.
The same is true for our cast of characters. On one side we have the transformed and disfigured inhabitants of Hole and on the other side the outlandish characters who populate the Sorcerer’s World.
What’s interesting is that no side is painted as good or evil. Both are simply there, in a morally gray mush, and all the characters are equally likeable and unique.
In the beginning the story centers on Kaiman and his quest, but the more we learn, the more we learn about an overall plot that connects Kaiman, the city of Hole and the Sorcerer’s World. Describing this plot and the world of Dorohedoro is a thing that’s almost impossible because of the sheer creativity and originality that went into it.
While Dorohedoro has a lighthearted, surreal and at times humorous atmosphere to it, it still doesn’t shy away from gore and blood. The further the story continues and the more outlandish it becomes, the more brutal and horrific the events featured are.
Overall, Dorohedoro is one of the most unique, original and best manga I’ve read. However, one gets the feeling that it’s often weird for weirdness’ sake and that the story is complicated for complication’s sake.
Dorohedoro is a manga that anyone should check out. Be warned though, it can be quite heavy on gore and even though its goriness is hidden behind a curtain of humor, it’s not for the faint of heart.
Still, it’s one of the best manga of all time and a series that anyone interested in horror, weird and surreal manga should check out.
Shigurui by Noria Nanjou and Takayuki Yamaguchi is one of the most brutal and best manga in the samurai genre.
It starts with the proclamation of the twisted daimyo Tadanaga Tokugawa to hold a martial arts competition with real swords featuring fights to the death.
The manga starts with the first fight which pits a one-armed man, Gennosuke Fujiki, against the blind and lame Seigen Irako. However, we don’t see the result of their fight just yet, instead, the entire manga features on the backstory of our two contestants.
The high point of the manga is the art. Shigurui looks fantastic and renders its gore and brutality in beautiful detail. Throughout the entire run of the manga, the art is outstanding. Characters, backgrounds and even nature are a joy to look at.
What makes Shigurui stand out as one of the best manga is not only the art, but the very real depiction of how brutal and unforgiving samurai culture really was. In other media, it’s often romanticized and depicted as honorable. Shigurui, though, doesn’t shy away from showing that it was in essence despicable and the cause of many lost lives.
What’s interesting to see is that Shigurui makes no clear distinction between protagonist and antagonist. Instead, the author focuses on the flaws of both characters and on the unforgiving nature of samurai culture.
The women in this manga are treated terribly. They are almost always abused and become nothing more than simple attachments to samurai to be exploited as seen fit. This is most evident in the characters of Lady Iku and Mie Iwamoto.
The entire story of this manga is overshadowed by a general atmosphere of depression. There’s nothing good here, there’s only the sword and the life it forces people into. It’s one of servitude and obedience shrouded in the guise of honor.
Shigurui is a manga that’s less plot driven and more character driven. It showcases our protagonists’ lives and their quest for revenge.
However, here the problems start. Things become a bit tedious later on, and the manga dragged on a bit too much.
There’s also an entire arc about two characters that have no relation to our protagonists that’ brought to no resolution. This, however, is because the manga’s based on a novel about the tournament held by Tadanaga Tokugawa. The novel itself features all the fights and backstories of the contestants. One has to wonder if the manga was cut short and was originally going to feature the entire tournament.
This might also explain the ending. While I thought the manga ended perfectly and conveyed its overall themes satisfactorily, one can’t help but feel that it was a bit rushed.
Overall, Shigurui is a fantastic, brutal story, featuring two great characters and giving us a realistic and unforgiving look at samurai culture without glamorizing it.
To me, Shigurui is one of the best manga of all time and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in samurai manga and brutal fights. A word of warning though, this manga is not for the faint of heart and its story is as tragic as it is depressing.
Lone Wolf and Cub by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima is one of the oldest manga on this list, but also one of the best and most influential manga ever created. This samurai manga is rightfully considered a classic of the medium.
Lone Wolf and Cub details the life of Ittou Ogami, who was once the Shogunate’s chief executioner. His life was ruined when he was framed for treason by the Yagyuu Clan to steal his position. Being forced to flee with his young son, he travels as an assassin for hire and thus they become known as Lone Wolf and Cub.
In the beginning the manga is told in episodic fashion featuring the different assassinations Ittou Ogami carries out. As the manga continues, we soon learn more about our protagonist, about his back story and that his travels serve one purpose and one purpose alone, to get revenge against the Yagyuu Clan.
What makes Lone Wolf and Cub one of the best manga is not only the overall plot, but that each of the individual, episodic stories stand their ground. They are conveying depth and emotion rarely found in other, much longer works.
Being from the 70s, the art of the manga might appear old-fashioned, but it’s still excellent done. It’s simple, yet gritty and realistic, giving it a unique style that’s very fitting for a traditional samurai story.
What stands out the most, however, are the action sequences. They are incredibly well done and look fantastic even today, making this one of the best manga in terms of sword fights.
What I also really enjoyed was the character of Ittou Ogami. While he might appear as a hardened assassin, almost like a demon, he’s shown as a father who cares deeply for his son. It was this dualism and the many other nuances we witnessed about him that showed me just how complex and multi-layered a character he was.
Overall, Lone Wolf and Cub might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The style is old-fashioned and the overall story and presentation are done realistically. It isn’t as flash as other samurai manga, and the art, while well done, is also simpler than that in modern manga.
Still, it’s without a doubt one of the best manga of all time and worth checking out for any fans of traditional Japanese stories and samurai manga.
I mentioned before that I’m usually not a big fan of comedy manga, but Gokushufudou by Kousuke Oono is pure gold.
It’s the story of Tatsu who was formerly known as Immortal Tatsu, a legendary yakuza who retired from his position and become a househusband.
Now, of course, mundane household tasks have their very own challenge, but that’s not all there is to Gokushufudou.
The entire manga is drawn and presented to us with the intensity of a usual crime or battle manga. Buying vegetables for dinner at a bargain is drawn with a suspense and tension usually reserved for life and death situations. Meeting old rivals is shown as a dramatic clash that might explode into violence only for them to engage in a cooking challenge and see who can garner more likes on Instagram.
I think the art is absolutely perfect and makes this one of the best manga coming out in recent years. Showing normal, mundane tasks and a daily household routine in such a suspenseful and over-the-top way is absolute genius. More so than that, the art is clean, well drawn and often beautiful.
There characters are fun and of course as ridiculously overdrawn as you’d expect them to be in a comedy manga. We run into various characters from Tatsu’s past, who are all similar to him and are trying to make an honest living. But whenever Tatsu meets any of them, it’s always depicted as if they were still out in the streets.
Gokushufudou is without a doubt one of the funniest manga I’ve ever read, and the fantastic art style helps so much to make this manga utterly ridiculous.
I highly recommend Gokushufudou to anyone who wants to have some good laughs and witness some incredibly stupid situations. It’s truly one of the best manga in the comedy genre of all time.
Ah yes, Ichi the Killer by Hideo Yamamoto, one of the most graphicl and most disturbing manga of all time. However, it’s also one of the best manga I’ve ever read.
Hideo Yamamoto has outdone himself. While he did some strange work before, Ichi the Killer is a story in which almost every single character is batshit insane.
Ichi the Killer is the story of the titular killer named Ichi, an ominous figure who always kills his victims brutally. His adversary is Kakihara, a deranged yakuza. After Kakihara’s boss vanishes, all hell breaks loose as he tries to find his boss. Once he figured out what happened to him, he searches for Ichi himself. This eventually leads to a confrontation between the two.
As I mentioned, Ichi the Killer is a mature and graphical manga. It features violence, torture, sexual abuse, rape and murder. To say this is not for the faint of heart might be an understatement.
But Ich the Killer is no mere gore feast, it’s a psychological story that explores various themes, making it one of the best manga of all time.
The most predominate one is that of sadism and masochism. Other themes include identity disorder, childhood abuse, manipulation and much, much more. All of those are mixed into one of the most deranged manga of all time.
But that’s what makes Ichi the Killer work. Ichi doesn’t filter. It shows us the deepest depth of human depravity and the darkest underbelly of society.
I really enjoyed Ichi the Killer. For both, it’s raw depiction of violence, for the over-the-top and insane characters, but also for its story and the many deeper themes. There are quite a few twists and turns as we continue to explore our two protagonists deeper. Especially Ichi is a vastly more complex character than we’d have ever thought.
The art in Ichi the Killer is somewhat simplistic, but unique. It often comes with overdrawn facial expressions that show the mental state of characters. It also features its violence in glorious detail.
The protagonists, Ichi and Kakihara, who are the driving force behind the manga couldn’t be more different. The two of them are almost polar opposites. Which helps to make the manga even more interesting than it already is.
We already talked about the violence which can be a bit much and even if there’s a reason for it, certain scenes can be rough. Another flaw is that a few details about the plot are left unexplained or are a bit unrealistic. It didn’t deter from the manga’s enjoyment, though.
Overall, Ichi the Killer is a mature manga that features quite a few disturbing scenes, but it’s also one of the best manga out there. If one’s up for a more disturbing and depraved story ripe with graphical content, Ichi is at its core an amazing, psychological, thriller manga.
Kingdom by Yasuhisa Hara is one of the most popular and highest rated historical and military manga out there.
Having heard about it for so long, I finally read it last year and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. By now, I consider it one of the best manga of all time.
Kingdom is set in the Warring States era of China and aims to detail the unification of China under the state of Qin.
Our protagonist is Shin, a young servant boy who becomes entangled in the matters of state during a rebellion against the soon-to-be king of Qin, Ei Sei.
From here on out, Shin sets out to become a Great General under the Heavens and help Ei Sei to fulfill his dream of unifying China.
Kingdom is a manga that aims to encompass a scope that’s almost unfathomable, and it shows in its sheer length. At over 600 chapters, the manga is still far from being done.
The focus of Kingdom is on the large-scale battles that took time during the Warring States era and it shows them in incredible detail.
We are treated to large-scale battles between armies numbering in the tenth or even hundreds of thousands. What makes Kingdom so great, though, is its showcasing of tactics and strategies. The manga does extremely well detailing the various engagements, tactics deployed, strategic finesse used and isn’t shy to show to overall brutality of the battles.
However, there’s another important plot happening, one that details the events at the court of Qin. It’s a power struggle between Ei Sei and Ryo Fui, the Chancellor of State who aims for the throne himself. While I enjoyed the immense battles in Kingdom, I grew to absolutely love the matters of state with its intrigues.
Kingdom also showcases, especially in later parts, the pivotal events happening in different states.
Overall, the scope of this manga is as grand as it gets, and the story and plot are told fantastically. For this alone, it’s well fitting for this list of the best manga of all time.
The art in Kingdom starts out merely average. Especially during the first arc, I thought it was decent enough, but not outstanding. However, this changes in later parts. The large scale engagements are rendered in stunning detail. Another thing is the giant, walled cities of ancient China who are absolutely impressive and a marvel to look at.
For characters, the manga features a large cast of diverse characters and some who are outstanding like Ei Sei, Ryo Fui, General Ou Ki and Riboku.
But that’s also where the bad parts of Kingdom start, with our protagonist Shin. He used to be a servant boy, raised together with another boy named Ri Hyou. The two of them had the dream of becoming the greatest generals in China and had countless sparring matches together.
This, and his natural talent, somehow made a young servant boy a force to be reckoned with. During the first arc, Shin can not only defeat hardened swordsman but also trained assassins.
This theme continues throughout the entire manga and Shin shows a level of martial prowess that’s, frankly said, unrealistic. He’s always at the center of the battle, always throwing himself into the fray, cutting through tens if not hundreds of enemies.
Another thing I didn’t enjoy about Shin was his clichéd characterization. He’s a young hothead who’s not smart and aims for the top because it’s the top. However, during the entire course of the manga, he’s always recognized by those amazing characters we encounter. It all feels a bit forced.
However, while Shin is the protagonist, the focus of Kingdom is clearly on the overall plot, the large-scale battles and the politics. Of course, we witness many of the battles from Shin’s point of view, or at least in large parts. The focus, however, is always on the overall battle.
Another thing I have to criticize are the first few arcs. They are, at least in my opinion, the worst part of the manga. It’s during the very first arc, the Sei Kyo Rebellion arc, in which Shin’s faults are most glaring. It’s also here that the story, while interesting, feels more like a shonen manga.
All this changes when we enter the very first, large scale battle and when Chancellor Ryo Fui appears at court.
Kingdom, while a historical manga, takes some liberties, however, this shouldn’t surprise anyone.
However, the problems outlined are mostly minor, and I enjoyed the bigger, overarching plot tremendously. If you decide to pick up Kingdom, you want to read on until the very first large scale battle. Those are what truly make Kingdom interesting and make it one of the best manga of all time.
The world of illegal money lending is a dark, dark place. In the world of Yamikin Ushijima-kun by Manabe Shouhei people get used, betrayed, tortured and even lose their life. This manga is dark, and it’s twisted. However, at times I enjoy stories that are darker and I think Yamikin Ushijima is as good as it gets. That’s why I believe it’s one of the best manga of all time.
Our protagonist Kaoru Ushijima is a money lender offering cash loans with an interest rate of fifty percent to be paid back within ten days. Who would take such an outrageous loan? As it turns out, there are quite a few people. It’s the dregs of society, those who are drowning in debt, or who gave into their various vices.
The story follows the antics of Ushijima as he makes sure people pay him back and take from them all they have. Ushijima isn’t shy to use prostitution, identity theft or extortion and even sets the occasional example for those who think they can get away without paying.
Yamikin Ushijima-kun is, mostly, a realistic, grounded story that shows us the worst of the worst. It’s showing just how deep you can fall and in how much trouble you can get. The dangers in this manga aren’t coming from monsters or killers, but from your own mistakes and your own desperation.
You seldom find hope in this manga. Most of the episodic stories end with characters in the worst place possible after having all their money taken from them. Still, there are a few glimmers of hope that might feel out of place in this manga, but that makes the experience even better.
Still, most of the stories can be described as tragedies, as misery and trouble pilling up on people until there’s no way out.
However, Ushijima isn’t the only scum out there, and in the manga’s course we get to know people who are far worse.
Yet, what makes it so much worse, is the realism of the tale. Making mistakes in life, accumulating debt or having terrible luck are a reality in our world and so are people who prey on the weak.
Yamikin Ushijima-kun is a manga that’s meant to be unpleasant. It showcases the dark underbelly of society and does so in a fascinating way. It’s this focus on the dark sides of society that make this one of the best manga out there.
Manabe Shouhei’s art is different and unique. It’s not as refined as other manga and can be best described as gritty and almost dirty. But for this type of manga, it’s more than fitting. It helps to set the tone. This is not a pleasant world, not a clean world, no, this is a dark, gritty and dirty world.
As in Manabe Shouhei’s other manga, the characters are unique, but aren’t necessarily the nicest to look at. But once more this helps to set the tone. Overall, the art serves to keep the manga grounded in reality.
As for characters, there’s seldom anyone who’s likeable. Ushijima isn’t a good guy, he’s all business, taking as much money as he can. Still, often, you come to root more for him than anyone else.
Things get a bit different in later, longer arcs when the focus shifts from Ushijima to other characters and outlines their journeys in this dark world. I felt the manga got even better in those longer stories. While I enjoyed the earlier chapters immensely, it’s these longer stories that truly made Yamakin Ushijima-kun one of the best manga of all time to me.
It’s a fantastic read to tag along and see the lives of different people and uncover the reasons that will eventually bring them to Ushijima’s office.
While one’s hard pressed to feel sympathetic to most of them, there are some fates that are truly heartbreaking. But as I said before, there are also some stories that end in happier ways.
Overall, this is a fascinating and dark manga that will keep you reading and wanting to see more of the underbelly of society.
There are many crime manga out there, but I feel none portray it just like Yamakin Ushijima-kun. While it can occasionally be more sensational than realistic, it’s still one of the best manga out there.
Gantz by Hiroya Oku is insane, but that’s also the reason I love it so much.
The manga tells the story of Kei Kurono. One day he and his childhood friend Kato die in a tragic train accident when trying to save a homeless man. Following this accident, the two of them awake in a Tokyo apartment in which a group of other people, as clueless as them, have gathered. The center of the room is taken up by a black sphere called Gantz. It explains to them it’s their job to hunt down aliens living among humans. Soon after, they get teleported to a different location and the first of many brutal alien hunts begins.
Gantz is another longer manga with almost 400 chapters, but it’s well worth the investment. It’s also a story high on action and, at least most of the time, low on dialogue. This makes Gantz, for its length, a relatively short read.
At its core, Gantz is a brutal, gritty series about people hunting aliens, presented to us in fluid action and glorified gore. And Gantz that’s what makes Gantz one of the best manga of all time. The alien hunts and the action, especially in later parts when the scale and the danger keep increasing.
One of the major reasons Gantz stands out among many other, similar action-oriented manga is not only the weirdness of the premise but also the amazing art. Characters are drawn detailed and all have their own style. The aliens, too, are unique and their design is fantastic.
Gantz is full of action and battles, and each one of those is drawn and illustrated amazingly. The action is fluid; the violence is brutal, and the enemies aren’t just cannon fodder. No, it’s almost always the opposite. It’s the people who are sent to hunt them down who are the cannon fodder. Death is normal in Gantz, and not just for the peculiar rival in Gantz room.
Another thing I really loved about Gantz were the characters. First and foremost, I like to mention Kurono. He starts out as an unlikeable, egoistic teenager that almost anyone will hate. Over the course of the story, though, he shows tremendous character development and changes into an entirely different reason. It’s a delight to see Kurono grow gradually and eventually become the leader of the Gantz team. Whenever I think about Gantz as one of the best manga of all time, Kurono’s character is one of the first things that comes to my mind.
Many of the other supporting characters are cool and unique and quite a few of them have their own special traits, way of fighting and powers.
However, Gantz isn’t free from problems. As much as I consider Gantz as one of the best manga of all time, I have to admit that it also has some serious flaws.
Gantz is a long manga, and I felt that Hiroya Oku loves to experiment with things and loves to add new things to his manga. The problem is that some of these things are left hanging. There’s an entire subplot about vampires who conflict with the Gantz team. For a while they are quite significant to the story, that’s until they aren’t and the entire plot point is dropped.
Another reason is the portrayal of the world in Gantz. While one expects the missions to be brutal, dark and unforgiving, the normal world in Gantz isn’t much better. We’re experiencing severe bullying, rape, brutal violence and in later parts even a mass shooting.
The most problematic thing to me, however, was the last mission and specifically the ending. I felt like things weren’t really planned out anymore and the author just came up with the story on the fly. Things turned very weird near the end, even for Gantz, with no proper explanation to what was going on. After that, the manga was brought to a close with a rushed final. I kind of understand what the writer wanted to go for, but it was all a bit too strange and happened too fast.
Overall though, Gantz is an amazing manga. It’s a weird, insane, brutal and gory mess that has some of the most exceptional action scenes I’ve ever seen in manga. It also features some of the coolest, most interesting monster design. Even though the plot can get a bit out of hand and sometimes makes no actual sense, I still consider Gantz one of the best manga of all time. At its core, Gantz is a series about people hunting down aliens, and that’s where the series is at its absolute best.
Liar Game by Shinobu Kaitani is my favorite mind game and psychological manga of all time, and I also consider it one of the best manga ever written.
It’s the story of an honest girl named Kanzaki Nao who becomes a contestant in the Liar Game, a game with stakes in the hundreds of million of yen. The goal of the game is to deceive or trick your opponent and steal their money.
Kanzaki gets promptly tricked and loses all her money. Upon hearing that a genius swindler, Shinichi Akiyama, is being released from prison, she sets out to enlist his help. After initially rejecting her request, he helps her. As it turns out, though, this was only the very first round of the Liar Game.
Liar game is so good because of the various different games. While they are simple in the beginning, things soon get much more interesting. Liar Game truly comes to shine in its later, longer arcs.
This is probably the best manga for anyone who’s looking for intelligent and clever mind games and psychological tricks.
What’s even more interesting than the games themselves is how well they are constructed. Even better than those are the various tricks and strategies employed by our protagonists. It’s a delight to watch them out-play and trick each other with nothing but the force of their mind.
The art in Liar Game is serviceable, but not outstanding. The locations and games, however, are nicely designed and the character all look unique.
One thing to notice though is the over-exaggerated reactions and emotions of characters. It feels unnatural and over the top.
Characters, apart from the protagonists, are often uninspiring and almost caricatures of themselves, only there to represent a certain character type. Most of the time they are rather simple and no match for Akiyama. That’s until we get to know some more clever adversaries like Yokoya or Harimoto. When they show up, Liar Game becomes so much more interesting and the games reach a new level of suspense and tension. The games featuring those characters are absolutely outstanding and solidified Liar Game as one of the best manga I ever read.
At times, though, Liar Game has some troubles, most of all with its many side characters. They aren’t just simple, but often act like utter idiots. Their reactions are often overdrawn to the extreme and panels with all of them gawking at Akiyama with wide mouths almost become the norm.
Another thing that might alienate some readers are the explanations of the games which can become a bit drawn out and overly complex.
There’s also the ending, which I thought was a bit simple and anti-climatic. It almost felt like the manga was cut short.
Overall, I had an absolute blast with Liar Game. While some earlier games are easy to grasp, things turned truly good when it was time for the Contraband Game. It was here that so many twists, turns and new strategies were introduced, my mind was blown.
Liar Game is truly one of the most thrilling and best manga out there.
Bokutachi ga Yarmashita was a manga I found when I had a look at the other works of Kaneshiro Muneyuki. At first I didn’t know what to think about it, but as I read on it turned out to be one of the darkest and best manga, I’ve ever read.
The manga is the story of Tobio Masubuchi and his three best friends Isami, Maru and Paisen. They spend most of their days leading an average, undisturbed life. One day, they get into trouble with some delinquents from a neighboring school. After Maru is beaten up, they decide to take revenge.
Once they’ve decided what to do, they put their plan into motion. What was meant to be a prank, however, turns into deadly reality. As a result, their normal, mundane lives end.
Bokutachi ga Yarimashita is a fantastic psychological manga bout guilt and redemption. It’s also one of the darkest, yet most realistic manga I ever read. There’s just this dark, gloomy and depressing atmosphere hanging over the entire work.
It was one of the most unique experiences I had in manga. There was an underlying tension throughout the whole manga that makes you uncomfortable on a deeply personal level.
The storytelling in this manga succeeds on every level. The pacing is fantastic, the plot is great and keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
In terms of art, this manga is pretty good, but I feel it’s fantastic and unique with facial expressions and using them to showcase the emotional state of characters.
However, it’s not the art that makes this one of the best manga of all time. The best part about it is without a doubt the characters. The entire story of this manga is driven by characters. These characters aren’t heroes, but are realistic and normal day people. If you want to go further, they are weak, immature and materialistic, the type who doesn’t think about the consequences of their actions.
It’s those people who somehow have to handle the situation they’ve got themselves in, and we can see the toll it takes on them.
While the characters are interesting and realistic, they aren’t necessarily likeable or sympathetic. However, I felt that’s not what Kaneshiro Muneyuki had in mind. No, he wanted to present to us with normal people.
The manga toys not only with the concepts of guilt and redemption, but also friendship, sanity, love and life itself.
There’s also no magic ending here. As with real life, people have to live with the consequence of their actions and some do better while others do worse.
Overall, Bokutatchi ga Yarimashita is a fantastic, dark, suspenseful and psychological manga. Reading this was an experience like any other, but it presented me with a deep look into the human psyche. It’s clearly one of my best reads last year and one of the best manga of all time.
Homunculus is another manga by Hideo Yamamoto, so you know what you’re in for. It’s not as brutal and disturbing as Ichi the Killer, but it’s way, way weirder.
It’s the story of a young man, Susumu Nakoshi, who lives as a homeless man in his car. He encounters a young medical student, Manabu Ito, who’s doing research about the process of trepanation, the drilling of holes into the human skull. He proposes to Nakoshi that he’s looking for test subjects on which to perform trepanation.
After a while, Nakoshi agrees to undergo the procedure. Once it’s over, Nakoshi learns he can now see distorted versions of humans when looking at them with his left eye. These are the titular homunculi.
Homunculus is one of the most unique and best manga I ever read. While it starts out interesting, it becomes very strange after a while.
It’s a psychological masterpiece which deals with a variety of themes, such as vanity, trauma, identity disorder, materialism and many other things.
There’s a fair share of disturbing scenes, both violent and sexual and even more scenes that are just uncomfortable on a different, much deeper, psychological level.
Overall, the story of the manga can be best described as a slow, but steady descent into madness.
Homunculus almost feels unpredictable. Even from the outset, one has to wonder what’s going on with Nakoshi. After the trepanation, after he sees visions, the manga appears more a character study than to follow a straight plot.
The greatest things about Homunculus are without a doubt the art and the weirdness of the story. It’s for those reasons alone that I’ll always consider it one of the best manga of all time.
The various humunculi, the symbolic representation of people’s trauma and Nakoshi’s very own madness are masterfully done.
The art can be abstract at times, disturbing at others, yet it’s always detailed and serves to brilliantly outline what’s happening.
Our two protagonists are very interesting. Nakoshi and Manabu are both complex and flawed characters. Their interactions and the things we learn about them are very interesting throughout the story. I can honestly say that neither of the two is in any way clichéd and the same holds true for any of the side characters.
However, near the end, the manga derails in a variety of ways and what felt as a controlled effort of a deeper psychological story turned into one of surreal insanity.
The biggest problem I had with Homunculus was the ending. It’s something that will stay on my mind for a long while, but I can’t say what sort of ending it was. It was, to say it in the best way, entirely ambiguous.
Overall, Homunculus is a very unique and surreal manga. It’s a psychological tale, one that presents us with some of the most complex characters, but that’s also unrestrained in its narrative.
Still, for the sheer creativity that went into it and for the psychological themes alone, I can’t think of it as anything else as one of the most surreal, yet best manga of all time. It’s absolutely worth reading.
Alice in Borderland by Haro Aso is another manga about death games and in my opinion one of the best manga the genre offers.
Our protagonist Ryohei Arisu does anything he can to avoid thinking about the future. One night when he’s hanging out with his friends Karube and Chota, they see fireworks.
After a sudden, blinding explosion, they find themselves in a different world. They are now in Borderland, a world in which people are forced to either take part in deadly games or die.
As a fan of clever death games, I knew this manga was right up my alley.
What makes this manga more interesting is that there are different types of games that vary in difficulty. Each type of game is specifically suited for different people. There are games that require intellect, while others rely more on physical fitness.
The reason I think this is probably the best manga the death game genre offers is this variety of games.
The games are throughout the board interesting and enjoyable to watch and quite brutal and unforgiving.
I really liked the art in this manga. The Borderland itself and the various game locations are all stunning to look at.
The most attention however was given to the characters. You’ll notice that all the characters look unique and are well designed. You can clearly see their emotions just from their expression.
I really enjoyed most of the characters in this manga. Arisu was a great protagonist since I thought he was rather realistic. He’s smart and resourceful, but he’s not a genius. There’s also a deep-set melancholy surrounding his character. He’s not the type to fight his enemies in ruthless fashion, and not the type who’ll keep fighting until it kills him. No, he’s a more somber character. Yet, it’s this that makes him more complex and interesting.
Most of the side character are also likeable and interesting, and almost every single one of them has their own backstory and many of them develop as characters throughout the course of the story.
The manga goes a bit out of hand in later parts when the story is told from the point of view of individual characters. While most of them are interesting, like I said, it also makes keeping up with them tougher.
The only problem I had with Alice in Borderland is the ending. I think it worked well, and there wasn’t much of a choice to do it differently. Yet, it still felt anti-climactic.
Another problem, like I mentioned before, is the number of characters introduced in the second half of the story. On one hand, it allows Haro Aso to explore how different characters handle the games, but it made the magna almost episodic.
Overall, though, those are merely minor complaints. Alice in Borderland is a probably one of the best manga for anyone who’s interested in manga about death games or general survival manga.
Freesia is another very weird, almost surreal manga. Yet, I find myself going back to it again and again because it’s one of the best manga I ever read.
It’s another manga by Jiro Matsumoto, the creator of Keep on Vibrating, so can already tell that this one’s going to be weird.
The story of Freesia is set in a dystopian Japanese society that’s at war and passed a law that legalizes retaliatory killings. Should a person you love be murdered, you are legally allowed to kill them or hire someone to do the job for you.
The manga centers on Kano, a man who specializes in these types of retaliatory killings, and the other members of his agency.
Freesia is not a pleasant story. It presents us with horrible people, insane people who are doing a job that’s not honorable.
There’s a dark, depressing feeling that lingers over this manga. Freesia’s Japan is a dark place, a gloomy place and most of all, a cruel place.
The art in Freesia is unique. It’s not pretty to look at, but it doesn’t want to be. The drawings are raw, gritty and unpolished. While the backgrounds are often detailed, faces are simplified. It brings forth an interesting contrast, one that’s very fitting for the entire story of the manga.
Freesia is a manga full of broken and damaged people, maniacs and utter madmen. It’s almost as if the writer abandoned the idea of having sane, well-adjusted people as members of his main cast.
Our protagonist Kano is insane, suffers from schizophrenia, hallucinations, delusions and memory failure.
Yet, throughout the story, Kano understands that it’s not the world, but he himself who’s crazy and tries the best to change himself. Other members of the cast suffer from similar ailments or turn out to be downright psychopathic.
Most prominent among all members of the cast are delusions and hallucinations. That’s the reason the manga appears so strange at times, and why scenes don’t seem to make much sense until we understand what’s really going on.
The manga’s premise makes it sound like it’s about the act of retaliatory killings, yet it focuses more on the personal stories of our main cast and the people they are tasked to kill. This can make Freesia somewhat episodic, but the mangaka can give us solid backstories and motifs for the targets of retaliatory killings. It makes them sympathetic, makes us feel and care for them. This makes many of the killings tragedies in their own right. This unique way of presenting them to us elevates Freesia from a black and white view and makes the entire manga nothing but a morally gray mush. This is one of the reason I consider Freesia to be so good and why I think it’s one of the best manga out there.
Freesia is set in a world that’s not safe. Japan is at war, atrocities are committed daily and our cast of characters are mentally ill and some might even snap in the story’s course. This also means that the manga can be heavy in violence and gore.
However, much of the setting isn’t explained. The war is never more than a backdrop, nothing but the reason for all the misery happening in Freesia’s world.
The same is true for most of the main cast. We near learn all too much about their past, only get glimpses here and there. Yet, it’s not a big problem, as we experience the story mostly from Kano’s point of view.
Something that might be tough on people are the mental issues, delusions and hallucinations so prevalent in the series. As I mentioned before, it can be quite confusing, irritating or downright surreal.
Overall, Freesia is a manga that’s not for everyone. It’s a dark, gloomy and depressing world, populated by people who suffer from various mental issues. However, that’s what makes Freesia such an interesting and unique read. The portrayal of Kano and his delusions and hallucinations make Freesia a truly surreal experience and one of the best manga out there. I’d recommend Freesia to anyone who’s looking for a dark and surreal story.
I mentioned before that I’m a big fan of manga about death games and Kamisama no Iutoori by Kaneshiro Muneyuki and its sequel are as good as it gets. It’s also really weird.
It’s one of my favorite manga of all time and I think it’s also one of the best manga ever.
The story starts with Takahata Shun, a normal high school student who’s utterly bored with his life. All that changes when his teacher’s head explodes and a Daruma doll appears. This strange event is only the outset of the very first death game in this manga.
As the series continued, we’re introduced to other interesting and often very odd games and some unique and fascinating characters.
The sequel series starts off with a new set of characters, but eventually ties in with the story of the first part.
What I enjoyed about this manga was that it wasn’t shy in killing of characters. Many times a new character is introduced or their backstory is revealed only for them to die soon after. No one is truly safe in the world of Kamisama no Iutoori.
One of the strongest points of the series are its protagonists. I came to like all of them, and especially the more deranged members of our cast. It’s these characters that cemented Kamisama no Iutoori as one of the best manga of all time.
Some of the characters also develop vastly over the course of the series. The most notable one is Ushimitsu who became my favorite character in the entire series.
The games throughout the entire series are often simple, but their execution is as weird as it is enjoyable. While other manga about death and mind games feature mostly realistic games, Kamisama no Iutoori’s games are almost surreal. What’s interesting is that many of the games have some sort of twist. There’s always a certain way on how to win them that our cast has to figure out over its course.
In the first part the art by Akeji Fujimura might not be that great, but in the second part of the series it becomes much better. Especially, the later parts of the series are absolutely gorgeous with some pages and spreads who are absolutely gorgeous.
I also love how the artist can create suspense only with the art. This has created one of the best manga chapters of all time, in which Shun Takahata’s plotline is brought to an end.
The second part of the series is much longer than the first one. This also means that there’s more time spent on the individual games, which is a fantastic thing, but sometimes things can drag on a little.
One thing I often hear criticised about the series is its ending. I think it’s one of those you either like or hate; I loved it.
Overall, I had an absolute blast with this series and enjoyed it immensely. It’s without a doubt one of my favorite manga of all time and one of the best manga ever.
When it comes to horror Junji Ito is my favorite mangaka of all time, and his horror collection is probably one of the best works of Japanese horror ever.
Ito’s horror collection comprises terrifying one-shots, but also includes one of his most celebrated works, Tomie, and an adaption of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. If you want to know more about Junji It’s work, you can check out my article on my favorite Junji Ito stories.
Tomie is the story of a high school student who was murdered and her body dismembered. However, this is only where the story starts. The next day, Tomie shows up to class as if nothing happened. We soon learn the true horror of Tomie. She can regenerate from any injury and replicate herself from even the smallest part. As if that’s not enough, she’s of entrancing beauty that drives any man to a senseless obsession over her that ultimately drives them mad.
Tomie is told in episodic fashion with each story featuring a different set of characters. The most interesting part here is that Tomie is never the protagonist. She’s always the enigma of the story.
There’s a plethora of other fantastic stories to be found in Junji Ito’s Horror Collection. There’s Lingering Farewell, Long Dream, My Dear Ancestors, The Lovesick Dead, Town Without Streets and my personal favorite Hanging Balloons.
What makes Ito’s work stand out so much is his unique, beautiful art style. He’s a master of the craft and a master of horror who’s created some of the best manga in the horror genre.
His stories are ripe with gruesome imagery, violence and gore. Body horror is a common theme in his work and people are distorted, twisted and changed into ghastly abominations. Yet, Ito’s horror truly shines in the reactions of his characters, their faces. We can see their wide eyes, their terrified expressions, their screaming, distorted faces are all rendered in fantastic detail.
Ito’s also a master of the page turn. He often ends a page with a character’s expression of sheer and utter terror, but only reveals the cause on the next page. It’s famous for these mini-cliffhangers.
Many of Ito’s stories feature people being driven mad, giving into their desires and obsessions or toying with things beyond their understanding.
What’s interesting about Ito’s characters is that they aren’t heroes. They are often mundane nobodies, going about their normal life before they stumble into horrific situations. Yet, Ito’s horror is seldom about monsters or killers. Most of his work features normal, mundane things like dreams, love, hair or even musical records who are turned into deadly enigmas.
Overall, I think Junji Ito’s one of the best, if not the best Japanese horror mangaka. If you are a fan of horror and want to experience the best manga in the horror genre, check out the works of Junji Ito.
There are sometimes short little tales containing a glance of absolute brilliance. Omoide Emanon by Kenji Tsuruta is one such tale and one of the best manga of all time. It’s a short, but beautiful little tale based on the novel by Shinji Kajio.
It’s the story of a young man who’s returning home from his travels on a ferry. He encounters a beautiful young woman who introduces her as Emanon. The two of them talk and have dinner together.
During dinner, she tells him an unbelievable story about herself.
I don’t know what makes this manga so special. There’s the atmosphere. It’s a warm, solemn atmosphere that’s so prevalent in the entire tale. Maybe it’s the way our two protagonists meet, or the reason the young man returns home. It all fits together perfectly.
Omoide Emanon is beautifully illustrated, presenting us with realistic characters and paints a beautiful picture of a beautiful story. Especially Emanon stands out, she’s rendered in beautiful detail, is a very charismatic, yet somewhat ominous character. The author could capture her perfectly while painting a realistic image of her.
What makes Omoide Emanon one of the best manga out there are the emotions it packs into its short, single volume. It had more of an impact on me than many other, longer manga.
It’s merely a glimpse into the life of our two characters, nothing but a chance meeting.
However, at times, it’s the smallest of things that stay on our mind the longest, and if you read Omoide Emanon, it might become one of these things.
Onanie Master Kurosawa or Masturbation Master Kurosawa by Katsura Ise and Takuma Yokota is a manga that has no reason to be as good as it is with a title like that. Yet, I consider it one of the best manga I read.
I first learned of this manga’s existence on an image board, and from the title I thought I had it all figured out. This was going to be nothing but a big, perverted joke. Being intrigued by the weird title and what I heard about it, I read it. Before long I noticed that I’d been entirely wrong and Onanie Master Kurosawa was one of the greatest and most heartfelt stories I’d ever read.
Our protagonist is the fourteen-year-old Kakeru Kurosawa. He’s an anti-social loner with a peculiar habit. Each day, after school’s over, he locks himself into a seldom-used bathroom at school and masturbates.
One day, he witnesses two of the popular girls in class bullying the timid and mousy Aya Kitahara. While he’s usually not riled up over such matters, he takes retribution into his own hands, by doing what he does best.
Eventually, though, he’s confronted by Kitahara, who figured out that he’s the culprit behind. From then on, she blackmails him to do the same to her other bullies.
It’s the start of one of the strangest, yet most heartfelt coming-of-age stories.
While Onanie Master Kurosawa starts out as a more humorous tale, it gradually changes into a more serious one. It’s a sweet, inspiring story that tackles a variety of serious topics.
The art in Onanie Master Kurosawa isn’t the best, but it does a good job at showing the characters’ expressions with its sketchy style and careful shading. However, while there’s a lot of emphasis on characters, the backgrounds are often rather simple and uninspired.
The best part about this manga is without a doubt its protagonist. Kurosawa is one of the best-rounded, believable and likeable characters ever. It’s crazy, how a character who’s referred to as the Masturbation Master can be so great, but it’s true. It’s mostly attributed to his character development. He’s an entirely different person by the end of the manga.
The best thing about him, however, is how relatable he is and how intimate the reader gets to know about him, no pun intended. The manga doesn’t merely tell you what’s going on, or how he feels, but it makes you truly understand him. This intimacy between reader and protagonist elevates this to one of the best manga.
Yet, it’s not only Kurosawa who’s a well done character. Almost all the side-characters who play a bigger role are complex and realistic. While they don’t develop as much as our protagonist, they too change or we get to know more about them.
One thing that might be off-putting to some readers are the depictions of Kurosawa’s fantasies, which can be a bit disturbing, but I guess he’s just a teenager. What’s great, on the other hand, is that apart from these few scenes there’s no cheap fan service.
Overall, Onanie Master Kurosawa was one of the biggest surprises in manga. What I thought of as nothing but a perverted joke turned out to be one of the best manga ever. It’s all-around great and I urge anyone to check it out.
Biomega is another manga by Tsutomu Nihei and can be best described as a mixture of science-fiction, cyberpunk and zombie apocalypse, at least during the first half. And yes, this manga is as weird and crazy as it sounds. That’s why I love it so much and think it’s one of the best manga of all time.
Biomega tells the story of Zouichi Kanoe and his AI companion, Fuyu Kanoe, who’s integrated in his motorcycle. The story starts out when they are sent by Toha Heave Industries to retrieve a human that’s immune from the N5S virus, which is spreading rapidly across the world.
The virus changes all who’re infected by it into disfigured zombie-like beings known as drones.
From here on out, however, the story takes up steam, as more characters with different agencies are introduced, notably the DRF under leadership of Niardi.
Biomega is a manga in the typical fashion and style of Tsutomu Nihei. It’s set in a futuristic world with characters who aren’t truly human and lots of cyberpunk madness.
The art, as in other works of Nihei, is gorgeous. Biomega is raw and gritty, with wide-reaching and detailed backgrounds, crazy architecture and crazy cybernetic monstrosities. It’s this art alone that elevates Biomega to one of the best manga out there.
The creature and character design in Biomega is done fantastically. The drones are clearly biological entities, yet their lifelessness becomes clear at first sight. The many cybernetic monstrosities are rendered in stunning detail, and their transformations are incredibly well done.
The same is true for our protagonists, especially Zouichi and Nishu, who are absolute badasses. They themselves as well as their motorcycles and weapons have an incredible design. Biomega simply looks badass and cool.
What makes Biomega different from other works by Nihei is the sheer pacing of the manga, at least in the first half. The manga consists almost entirely of action, and some of it is insanely fast-paced. However, the action is still fluid, you still know what’s going on even if it’s almost a bit too over-the-top.
As typical for his works, dialogue is sparse. Biomega, like Blame!, is told via visuals. It’s almost impossible to make a division between the art and the story of Biomega. One doesn’t work without the other.
What I enjoyed the most and the reason I think Biomega is one of the best manga of all time is the sheer craziness and creativity.
However, the fast pacing and overall storyline are a double-edged sword. Things are going a bit too fast and the story gets out of hand in later parts of the manga. The second part is set in an entirely different setting, and the atmosphere of the story changes completely.
It’s this division that makes Biomega such a weird manga. While the first part reads more like a fast-paced apocalypse set in a cyberpunk world, the second half shifts more towers a cyberpunk-fantasy story.
The ending is strange too. While it brings the story to a close, it’s also so different from earlier parts that it feels like a different manga.
Overall, Biomega has its problems. The characters are somewhat shallow and the plot tries to fit too much into a manga of only six volumes.
The art and the action, however, easily make up for those weaknesses. While the story is weird and at times lackluster, it never deterred my enjoyment. No, I was stunned and consider Biomega one of the best manga out there.
I wholeheartedly recommend it to any fans of science-fiction and cyberpunk.
Smuggler is yet another manga by Manabe Shohei. It is much shorter than his two other works featured on this list, but it’s also my favorite manga of his.
Our protagonist Yosuke Kinute is a failed actor with a serious debt problem. To pay off his debt, he has to work as a smuggler and become part of a corpse disposal crew.
Of course, there’s trouble brewing when the crew gets involved in a mob war and two deadly Chinese assassins join the fold.
When Yosuke makes a serious mistake later in the manga, he’s a terrible price to pay for it.
Smuggler is absolutely amazing and one of the best manga out there in the thriller and crime genre. It also features its fair share of fantastic action.
The characters are great throughout the board. There’s of course Yosuke who’s the most relatable, and one of the few people in this entire cast who isn’t a madman.
The characters I came to like the most, however, were the assassins and the leader of the corpse disposal crew. They are all absolute badasses in their own right.
There’s even the occasional scene with subtle humor which helps to lighten the mood, but never ruins the overall feel of this being a serious story.
Smuggler can be best described as a story akin to that in movies by Tarantino or Guy Richie. It’s a crazy crime story that features over-the-top characters, but also has scenes that pack a heavy punch.
The art in this manga is detailed and well done, but once again, features Manabe Shohei’s personal style. Characters are rendered unique and even strangely, with distinct facial features that make them look more realistic, but also a bit ugly.
As unique and interesting as the art in this manga is, it’s not for everyone there’ll be some who dislike it.
Overall, I think Smuggler is a gem of a manga that not many people know about. However, it’s not only for that alone that I featured it in this list of the best manga of all time. It’s an amazing and disturbing crime story that’s fantastic throughout the board and features a couple of truly memorable characters and some amazing scenes.
Smuggler also inspired me to write my story Express Delivery Service, which I admit is more an adaption of Smuggler than an original story.
The Climber by Shinichi Sakamoto is a beautiful, beautiful manga.
I’m usually not a fan of sports manga as I mentioned before, so I was reluctant about starting this manga, but the Climber is one of the most beautiful and one of the best manga of all time.
It’s the story of Buntarou Mori, a lonesome and solitary teenager.
His interest in climbing starts when he’s coerced by a classmate to climb the school building. Without hesitation, he begins and makes it to the top. From here on out, his passion is woken, and he’s always searching for new peaks and new goals.
Mori’s transformation right at the beginning is interesting to see. The moment he gets introduced, he gives off the feeling of someone who doesn’t care about anything. Then, suddenly, after he climbed the school building, his entire expression changed. He looks like an entirely different person. And, honestly, one can imagine how he feels at that moment.
Over the course of the story Mori climbs more and more mountains and gets to know other characters, but he still appears as a loner most of the time.
What I came to love about The Climber was the portrayal of dedication and perseverance. If you push and work hard enough, anything is possible, it seems to say.
Another was the story. As much as this is a manga about climbing, it’s also a manga about character development. The Climber is hugely character-driven, and it shows us how Mori develops as a person. He’s got his own problems, he can relate to people, but as he overcomes more and more peaks he also slowly overcomes his personal problems. It’s incredibly well done.
I also enjoyed how the manga portrayed death. Mountain climbing is dangerous and people die. Yet, The Climber never dramatizes it, never presented it in an over-the-top emotional struggle. Instead death is haunting, depressing and natural.
The art in the Climber is some of the best I’ve seen in the entire medium. It’s absolutely breathtaking. There are double pages of beautiful mountains rendered in excruciating detail, with snow and weather masterfully added to them.
What I found most impressive and what clearly makes The Climber one of the best manga of all time, were the brief glimpses of poetic beauty. Mori is a quiet person, he doesn’t talk a lot and many panels are spent watching him climb. But the manga can speak through art, showing us Mori’s psychological struggles with visuals alone. It’s a thing of beauty.
The Climber goes even further though, by adding metaphors, allusions and employing literary passages from poems and quotes. It gives the manga this feeling of joy, of character that one’s not used to in the medium. Yet, it never feels pretentious. The Climber, more so than most other manga and many of the best manga out there, is a piece of art.
However, while The Climber is an outstanding manga, it still has problems.
The first is the change in tone early on. Originally the manga was created by two people, but then the writer left and Sakamoto Shinichi, the artist, decided to continue it on his own. From this point on, there’s a clear change in structure going from a sport manga to an atmospheric and visual character study.
While there are some characters who are well developed, this is the story of Mori Buntarou, so while other people appear and join into his life, the focus is always on him. Which might be daunting to some readers.
The last thing that might be a problem to some people is the frequent time skips. Some might only be a few days or weeks long, others will skip years. It can be a bit confusing or it can make you wonder what happened in the meantime. It did little to deter my enjoyment, though, since they were generally well handled.
The Climber is a manga I’d recommend to anyone. It’s simply a work of beauty, a coming-of-age story nestled in the guise of a mountain climbing one.
And that’s the core of The Climber. It’s not solely a manga about climbing, but a psychological, character-driven one. It can make for some heavy reading, but in the case of The Climber, it’s not a bad thing.
It’s truly one of the best manga of all time, and I urge anyone to read it.
How could a retelling of the life of Robert Johnson set in the American South ever work in a manga? Well, absolutely fantastic!
Me and the Devil Blues by Akira Hiramoto is one of the best manga ever created.
It’s the story of Robert Johnson, a dabbling blues musician who wishes nothing more than to play the blues. However, he’s no good at it. He learns of an urban legend that states that if you play alone at a crossroad at night; the devil comes to take your soul. In exchange, however, you will become a genius blues player.
Unsatisfied with his life, he tries just that one night and his life changes forever.
Me and the Devil Blues is praiseworthy in many ways. The first is definitely the outstanding art of the manga. It’s one of the most beautiful manga I’ve read and comes with a very personal style. It’s gritty, but it also has a lot of attention to detail.
The next is the portrayal of the South in the 1930s. It’s well done, presenting us with a deep-seated division between white and black. The depiction of blues clubs seems very realistic. Overall, the entire manga has a very realistic and western feel to it.
Another thing I came to love were the characters in this story. RJ is a great protagonist who’s more thrown into events than choosing things himself. Clyde Barrow is a fantastic addition to the cast and in my opinion the best character in the entire manga.
Other side characters, especially Stanley McDonald, are also extremely well done. There are no wasted or shallow characters in this entire manga.
What I loved the most though, and what made this one of the best manga I ever read, was the feeling of suspense that hung heavy over the entire work. Especially in later parts, you almost can’t catch your breath for chapters at a time. This suspense and tension will keep you on your toes all throughout the manga.
The one thing that was a bit confusing to me was the beginning of the story, and even after multiple re-reads, I’m still somewhat confused about what happened.
Overall, Me and the Devil Blues is a hidden gem of a manga. Because of its themes and its western feel, it’s entirely unique. It’s an absolutely stunning piece of work.
Me and the Devil Blues is one of the most unique and one of the best manga of all time and I urge anyone, regardless of taste, to read it.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki is one of the most popular manga right now, most likely because of its outstanding anime adaptions released in recent years.
It’s also one of the longest running manga series of all time spanning far over one-hundred volumes and is currently in its eight overall story arc.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure started out relatively normal, and its first part featuring the story of Jonathan Joestar was reminiscent of other manga of its time. The art and overall style can be compared to that of First of the North Star, another vastly popular manga of the time.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure truly started to shine with its third part, Stardust Crusaders. Not only because of the story, but because it introduced Jojo’s most important and unique element, Stands. Stands can be best described as a physical manifestation of a character’s life force taking on the form of an ethereal figure and who possess various superhuman powers.
I enjoyed almost all parts of Jojo’s Bizarre Aventure unanimously and consider the entire series as one of the best manga of all time. My favorite, however, is Part 7: Stellball Run.
It depicts a cross-country horse race across the entire United States with a grand prize of five million dollars starting in San Diego.
Our protagonist is Johnny Joestar, a crippled former horse racer who comes to watch the start of the race. There he encounters a man called Gyro Zeppeli, a racer with two steel balls at his waist. After a dual in which Gyor uses fantastical powers, Johnny touches one of Gyro’s steel balls and feels power surging through his legs, allowing him to stand up again. Wanting to learn the secret of the steel balls, Johnny decides to compete in the race.
Stellball Run is the culmination of all that Hirohiko Araki has done before. It’s not farfetched to call it a masterpiece, and it’s without a doubt one of the best manga ever created.
The world of Stellball run is like the other parts of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, populated with some of the most amazing and unique characters in all of manga. Stands are once more a central concept, and Hirohiko Araki’s creativity shows by coming up with strange and creative powers.
Where Stellball Run stands out is not only in the battles but also in the entire scenario and the overall story. Battles in Jojo are often different from those in other manga. Stellball Run is no exception, and Hirohiko Araki comes up with utterly weird and creative adversaries and Stands.
What makes Stellball Run so unique even for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is the setting, the horse race. While our characters fight adversaries, and have to uncover an overall plot, they are still continuing on their way to win the Stellball Race. This makes the manga so much more interesting and creates multiple layers of tension and suspense.
The art in Stellball Run is absolutely perfect in all fields. The characters and Stands are rendered in Hirohiko Araki’s usual style, and battles are amazing to look at. However, Stellball Run is, overall, much more detailed than former parts.
The characters are throughout the board interesting and complex and offer interesting depictions of well-known characters from earlier parts in the series, notably Diego Brando.
Overall, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the best manga of all time, and, at least in my opinion, Part 7: Steel Ball Run is its best part. There’s nothing that stands out in terms of negativity. It’s just this good.
I’d recommend it to any manga fan, regardless of preferences and interests.
Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura is without a doubt one of the best manga of all time. Be it the art, the story or the characters, this manga is fantastic throughout the board.
It tells the story of Thorfinn Karlsefni, son of Thor, whose part of a mercenary group led by a man called Askeladd. As we find out in the story, it’s Askeladd who’s responsible for Thor’s death and Thorfinn joined his group to one day get revenge against Askeladd.
The story takes up steam when Askeladd learns that the Danish prince Canute has been taken hostage. He hatches a plan that will change their lives forever.
Vinland Saga is a historical manga set in the 11th century Europe focusing on vikings and viking culture. As you can guess, it’s brutal. We see vikings pillaging villages, rape, plunder, and murder. There’s no mercy.
While there are some liberties taken in terms of characters and stories, Vinland Saga feels, overall, realistic.
The art in Vinland Saga is absolutely fantastic and can rival the best manga of all time. It starts out great in the first volume and only improves further. By now, it’s one of the most beautiful manga out there and absolutely outstanding. 11th century Europe never looked that good. I love the realistic and detailed look of all the towns, cities and farmsteads we see throughout the manga. It all brings the story to life and makes it more believable.
One of the best parts of Vinland Saga are of course the battles. They are as brutal as you can imagine. They are blunt, gross and at times gratuitous, but most of all, they are brutal. Yet, the battles always feel real, never unrealistic. I guess it’s what you can expect from a story centered on war and conflict.
However, Vinland Saga isn’t just a story about brutal wars and battles. For long parts the manga tells a calm, gloomy and quiet story. It’s often those quieter parts hat I came to enjoy the most. Examples are Thorfinn and Einar working hard and becoming friends, or the preparations for a large expedition. It’s during those parts that the story truly shines. It might also be because it’s a clear contrast to the brutal battles so prevalent in the story.
All the characters in Vinland Saga are great and might honestly be the best part of an already fantastic work.
There’s our protagonist Thorfinn who starts off as a quiet, efficient killer, more an assassin than a true viking. We can feel just how burned out and dead he’s inside. He’s there, witnessing all those atrocities and ignores them, not seeing them and not caring about them. All he cares for is revenge.
However, as the story progresses, he receives tremendous character development, and becomes one of the most complex manga characters I’ve ever seen.
Askeladd might be one of the best manga characters ever, and I simply can’t find enough praise for him.
There are other side-characters later on who are all well-developed and complex in their own right, like Einar, Hild or even Sigurd.
The only character I have a bit of a problem with is Thorkell. He’s enjoyable, no doubt, and seems to be based on an actual legendary viking. Still, his over-the-top antics and the way he’s acting make him almost a comic relief character.
Overall, Vinland Saga is outstanding. It’s a story I came to love for both its brutal violence and the later, quieter arcs. It’s throughout the board a delight to read, even if there are some parts that are over-exaggerated. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.
Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue is a romanticized retelling of the life of Musashi Miyamoto, based on the novel Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. It’s one of the absolute best samurai manga and one of the best manga in general.
The story starts off with Shinmen Takezou, a wild, young man who wants to become a great swordsman. Together with his best friend Matahachi Honiden, he enlists as part of the Toyotomi army.
The two of them barely make it out alive. After returning home, he becomes a wanted criminal. After he’s captured, he’s strung up at a tree and left to die. Saved by a monk named Takuan Soho, he’s freed and given a new identity, that of Musashi Miyamoto.
From here on out he travels the land in pursuit of the sword with the goal of becoming ‘Invincible under the Heavens.’
Vagabond stands out from other manga in many ways.
The first is the art which is absolutely gorgeous and among the best the medium offers. Even among the best manga in terms of art, scarcely few can compare to Vagabond.
Another great thing are the stunning battles and since this is a samurai manga, there’s a lot of them. Many of them are brutal, gory, and even disturbing. Limbs, guts, and heads are sent flying in the heat of battle and it’s all rendered in stunning detail. However, this explicit content is never glamorized, but always presented in a matter-of-factly fashion.
Yet, there are also battles in Vagabond that aren’t so much about pure action, but comprises tension and suspense, about making the right move at the right time.
The art in Vagabond also comes to light in the character design. Every character in this manga is distinct from one another and they are all depicted detailed and realistically.
It’s those characters that add a lot to the enjoyment of Vagabond. It’s a delight to follow Musashi on his travels as he meets and defeats his various enemies. However, he’s not the only character we get to know. As much as Vagabond is the story of Musashi Myamoto, it’s also the story of Sasaki Koichiro, another great swordsman of the same era.
Still, it’s not merely the story of those two. There’s of course Matahachi, who comes up frequently and who’s out to make a name for himself as well, albeit in a less reputable fashion.
During Musashi’s and Koichiro’s travels we also get to know a plethora of characters who are mostly similarly complex and interesting.
What I really enjoyed was the introspection we got about each character. We get a glimpse into all of them, their emotions, desires, fears, but without painting them as good or bad. No, they are just people living by the sword.
I really enjoyed the storytelling in Vagabond. While we often follow Musashi, there’re long parts dedicated to Koichiro and others to Matahachi. This form of storytelling makes the manga more refreshing since we get to know every character’s unique path and learn more about them.
Another thing I enjoyed a lot was Musashi’s character development. He starts out as a brutal demon child who wants nothing more than to fight, but later becomes a calm man, questioning what it truly means to be invincible and wonder about the path he’s been following.
This coincides directly with the way he fights his battles. He turns from a reckless youth, to someone who learns how to pick his battles, to use finesse and his head to win, rather than relying on pure martial prowess. This turn from bloodthirsty and amoral, to an almost philosophical warrior and artist, is one of the most fascinating and engrossing developments in manga. It’s one of the many reasons I consider Vagabond among the best manga out there.
While Vagabond is great throughout the board, the story can drag on a bit. It’s especially noticeable in one of the later arcs.
Another problem is the spiritual and philosophical moments in the series. While I usually enjoyed them and found most of them insightful and beautiful, they can also come up as pretentious.
Overall, Vagabond is one of the greatest accomplishments in manga. The art is gorgeous, and it presents us with fantastic characters and some stunning character development.
This is a manga I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone, even those who might not be interesting in samurai culture or samurai manga. Vagabond is at the top of the entire medium and one of the best manga of all time.
Ultra Heaven by Keiichi Koike is an absolutely stunning piece of work and the psychedelic manga I’ve ever read. It’s an entirely unique experience and unlike anything I’ve read before.
Ultra Heaven is set in a dystopian future in which all feelings can be artificially created by just the right drugs.
Our protagonist Kabu is a man who’s addicted to these drugs. He stumbles upon a man who reveals a new, illegal substance, called Ultra Heaven.
From here on out, Kabu, and the reader, are in for a trip. Ultra Heaven is one of the craziest, most creative manga I’ve ever read.
While dystopian societies are nothing new, I loved the idea of artificially created feelings via drugs. It’s a concept I’ve only ever seen in the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
What makes Ultra Heaven one of the absolute best manga I’ve ever read is the art. The locations are detailed, characters are realistic, and the setting is gritty and believable. Where Ultra Haven stands out though is during the trips and the hallucinations during meditation.
Panels in manga are usually rectangular and organized. Ultra Heaven breaks those conventions. When Kaub has a trip or suffers from another form of altered mind, the shape of those panels twists and distorts to accommodate the character’s mental state. We’re presented with sheer chaos, twisting spirals and panels running into one another. It gives you an almost surreal, disorienting feeling, but lends itself perfectly to what’s happening in the manga.
I’ve seen nothing like it, and I’m not sure there’s any other manga that can compare to Ultra Heaven’s sheer deconstruction of the medium’s visual rules.
Many themes come to play in Ultra Heaven. The most prevalent, however, is that of conciousness and the transcendence to different states of mind or being.
Drugs being one way to get there, but later in the manga, meditation is used in similar fashion.
There aren’t many important characters in Ultra Heaven. There’s Kabu, an addict and small-time dealer who’s trapped in his own world. His female friend is a perfect example of a neo-hippie who’s using new technology to reach a higher state of conciousness.
There are, however, some problems with Ultra Heaven. The first is the general plot. There really isn’t much of one to be found here. It’s almost a slice-of-life story about an addict.
The biggest problem, however, is that the manga was cut short or never finished. Yet, in the three chapters there are we’ve got so much going on, condensed and presented to us in a weird and confusing way. It’s not that it’s hard to understand what’s going on, it’s more that there’s so many things that come up without an explanation. Especially later on when the story’s set in the meditation center.
Those things, however, didn’t deter my enjoyment of the manga. After all, I feel that’s exactly what Keiichi Koike wanted it to be, a wild, uncontrolled ride down into the depth of one’s conciousness.
Ultra Heaven is a creative and visual masterpiece and one of the best manga of all time that unfortunately few people know about. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in weird visuals, drug culture, or generally more surreal and weird manga.
Uzumaki is the most famous work of Japanese horror mangaka Junji Ito, an absolute horror masterpiece and one of the best manga of all time.
Manga can be a strange medium. There are many bizarre and disturbing tales out there, but few are as unique as Junji Ito’s Uzumaki.
Uzumaki is a three volume epic that tells the story of Shuuichi Saitou and Kirie Goshima and what happened to the town of Kurouzu-cho who’s infested by spirals.
In the story’s course they stumble upon one freakishly scary incident after another, all involving spirals.
The very first story details Shuuichi’s father’s descent into madness as his obsession with spirals grows more and more out of control until it comes to a terrifying conclusion in one of Uzumaki’s most popular pages.
What makes Uzumaki so great is not the story, it’s the art and creativity behind it.
Junji Ito’s imagination is incredible and disturbing. The townspeople of Kurouzu-cho are twisted, warped and changed until they represent the spiral in various ways, always with dire results.
Ito’s art is always great, but in Uzumaki he’s at the top of his game. His unique style, with its simple, yet clean black-and-white drawings, brings forth his strange and dark imagination with all its minute details.
Ito isn’t shy to present us the terrible results of the spiral’s curse. Blood, gore and twisted bodies are everywhere in this manga.
Uzumaki also comes with Junji Ito’s very unique character design. People often look gloomy and their facial features are over-exaggerated when they experience true terror or are changed in strange and grotesque ways. It helps to set the mood for the entire manga.
What makes Uzumaki stand out so much from other horror manga and makes it one of the best manga out there is its premise. There’re no monsters, no killers, no feasible antagonist. There’s nothing our protagonists can fight, nothing to run from. The only thing there is, is a concept that lingers over the town of Kurouzu-cho in the form of an omnipresent curse.
Uzumaki is mostly told in episodic fashion. The first two volumes are more akin to an anthology of strange, spiral-related incidents happening in Kurouzu-cho, all witnessed by the same characters.
We encounter hair, snails, someone twisting their body to resemble a spiral or doomed lovers. Yet each one of these incidents is unique and terrifying in their own right.
It’s only in its third, and ultimately weakest volume that Ito brings the entire story together and drives the narrative to a conclusion as the true Lovecraftian nature of the curse is revealed.
There are of course a few problems with Uzumaki. The first and biggest problem lies in Uzumaki’s protagonist. Kirie is less character and more vessel to give us insight into the surreal hell that Kurouzu-cho becomes. Thus, her actions and her continued presence in the town can appear strange.
Another problem can be the episodic fashion of the story. We often get to know new characters, but most of them will be gone by the end of the chapter. It makes it hard for the reader to get emotionally invested in them and might ultimately dampen the impact of their fate.
Lastly, the last volume is weaker than the rest. I often feel that horror, especially Junji Ito’s blend of horror, is best left unexplained, to be witnessed, not understood. In Uzumaki, Ito gives us an explanation, an ending, and while it’s satisfactory in its own right, it ultimately weakens the manga a bit.
Overall though, Uzumaki is a manga that I’d recommend to any horror fan out there. I think it’s one of the greatest accomplishments in manga and one of the best manga of all time, be it horror or not. Junji Ito’s way of storytelling isn’t for everyone, but his art and creativity are outstanding. For that alone, Uzumaki is worth reading.
Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei is without a doubt one of the best manga of all time and one of my absolute favorites.
It can be best described as a science-fiction, cyberpunk epic.
Blame! follows the character of Killy as he travels The City on his mission to find a human with net Terminal Genes. Such a person could access the so-called Netsphere, a computerized control network. This would allow them to end the chaotic growth of the city and stop the Safeguard from exterminating what remains of humanity.
The most amazing things about Blame! are the art and the world building.
The city is a labyrinth of concrete and steel of gigantic proportions. It’s a technological and architectural wasteland, made up of mega-structures of mind-boggling proportions. This size is showcased in many wide, distant shots in which Killy is barely visible amongst a backdrop of epic proportions. The city is vast and endless and Tsutomu Nihei showcases it in his many huge panels and page spreads. It gives off an overwhelming feeling of being lost and disoriented. Yet, our protagonist Killy travels on undeterred.
Yet, it’s not only the world that stands out but also the creatures populating it. Blame!’s world is populated by cyborgs, the Safeguard, the Builders and various other technological and cybernetic horrors, all unique and terrifying in their own right. The art and detail used to render those beings is absolutely outstanding. Sometimes I couldn’t help but stare at some of them for a while before reading on because I was so impressed by them.
Blame!’s art is among the best, if not the best I’ve ever seen. This art alone, with its mindboggling proportions and all its horrific creatures, makes Blame! one of the best manga of all time.
Blame! is a manga packed with action which is showcased in stunning detail, often featuring enormous explosions, but also intimate battles.
While Blame! features a lot of action, it contrasts it with the aforementioned calmer shots of Killy’s travels against the backdrop of the city.
Blame!’s storytelling differs from many other manga. There’s rarely any dialogue, rarely any semblance of a typical plot. Instead Blame!, as other manga by Tsutomu Nihei, uses his visuals to tell most of the story.
Blame!’s story is divided into several arcs, all held together by Killy’s overarching quest for a human with Net Terminal Genes. Yet, each of those arcs can stand on their own and feature interesting characters and antagonists.
Since the story is mostly told via visuals, Killy’s character lacks compared to other protagonists. He’s mostly quiet, steadily traveling through the city before he meets up with Cibo, our second protagonist.
Yet, there’s more to both of them and in the manga’s course we learn more about them, but it’s not much in terms of character development. Instead, it gives us a few more details about them and who they are.
Blame! of course isn’t free of problems. The action can be overwhelming. Killy’s Gravitational Beam Emitter is a weapon that causes mass destruction and giant explosions, which often causes battles to descend into chaos.
Another thing is Blame!’s story. Early on, the story focuses more on individual arcs, featuring various pockets of humanity. It’s only in its last part the story focuses on Killy’s quest. It’s here that the story gets confusing and we’re left with not so much a clear ending, but another mystery to add to an already huge list.
Even though Blame! can be lacking in the story department, it’s worth a read alone for the outstanding art and the world it’s set in. It’s an absolute visual masterpiece, and for that alone it deserves to be named as one of the best manga of all time.
There are very few manga who can compare to Blame! in terms of art and the unique world it depicts. This makes it a delight for fans of science-fiction, technological horror and cyberpunk.
I highly recommend anyone to give this manga a try.
Berserk by Kentaro Miura is probably the single best manga of all time. It’s not just in terms of art, or story, but Berserk’s themes and narrative that make it standout among a plethora of others. It’s a dark fantasy manga with lots of action, gore, incredible monster design, but also two of the most complex characters in manga history.
Berserk is the story of Guts, the so-called ‘Black Swordsman’ on a quest for revenge against demonic beings known as apostles and an ominous man known as Griffith.
At first glance, Berserk might appear to be a simple story. Our main character Guts is a man with a sword as tall as he is who fights his way through giant monsters and humans alike.
This might be true for the very first arc, the Black Swordsman arc, but soon we find out how much more there is to Guts and just what a complex and nuanced character he is.
It’s during the Golden Age arc we learn more about Guts, his backstory, and his connection to Griffith. Both Guts and Griffith are incredibly complex and unique characters, vastly different from one another, yet drawn to each other. The manga does a fantastic job exploring their relationship, testing and ultimately severing it.
I also love the dualism of their character, their symbolic representation, and how they appear to other people. It’s interesting to see that our protagonist Guts is shown mostly in black and titled the Black Swordsman, while the antagonist Griffith is always shown in white, appearing angelic and presented to us as a savior.
These two characters and their relationship alone elevates Berserk above most manga and is already enough to make it one of the best manga of all time.
The story of Berserk evolves and becomes more complex the longer we read on. What starts off as a simple revenge story becomes very personal as we experience the Golden Age. Later on, the story’s scope expands vastly, including foreign invasions, Christian fanaticism, and magical creatures and powers.
The world of Berserk, however, is a dark place, much darker than what we’re used to. It’s a world full of war and atrocities and Kentaro Miura isn’t shy presenting it to us in all its details. We don’t just witness wards and battles, we also witness murder, rape, torture and senseless slaughter.
However, the violence in gore is always greatest when Guts is involved. We can see him cut through anything it its path, be it monsters, humans or knights in full armor. We see guts flying, people being dismembered and decapitated or torn to pieces.
While Berserk shines in terms of character and story, its greatest part is without a doubt the art. Berserk almost transcends the medium, especially in later parts. It’s less a manga and more a piece of art. There are few manga that can compare to Berserk when Miura is at the top of his game. If you look at the art in Berserk, you can find more details in a single page or even panel than in an entire chapter of a different manga. That’s how outstanding and detailed the art is. For this alone, for its art, Berserk is nothing short than one of the best manga ever written.
My favorite part of Berserk is the monster design. The apostles in Berserk are absolutely gorgeous to look at and very unique. They are both beautiful, but also grotesque, disgusting, yet terrifying.
The one and only, but ultimately biggest problem with Berserk is the slow release time. Throughout the years, as the art in Berserk improved, the manga’s release also slowed down massively. In its earlier years, Berserk was released at a steady rate of two volumes per year. In recent years, though, we barely get a handful of chapters per year, if that. It’s a shame, really. Considering that the story of Berserk isn’t done by a long shot, one wonders if Kentaro Miura will ever finish the manga.
Another slight problem is the quality of the first arc. If we compare it to later parts of Berserk, it doesn’t hold up. It’s almost clichéd. We follow our anti-hero Guts, who’s almost a villain in its own right as he takes down apostles who are almost comically evil.
Yet, this only serves to elevate the Golden Arc age, which too many is one of the greatest arcs in manga history and ends with one of the most disturbing finals I’ve ever witnessed.
Overall, Berserk is nothing short of art. As dark as the manga can get, the story is masterfully told. And when Berserk is at its best, few manga can compare.
At first glance it might not appear the masterpiece it truly is, but if you read on, you will soon be blown away by how good it is.
I really can’t recommend Berserk enough, and it’s for this reason that I consider it as probably the best manga ever written. Anyone interested in dark fantasy, horror or manga in general should check out Berserk. It’s at the peak of the genre and as good as it gets.
Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura is my favorite manga and also one of the best manga of all time.
It’s an action packed battle manga that comes in the guise of a samurai manga, but it rarely explores themes such as honor or samurai code.
Blade of the Immortal tells the story of Manji, an infamous swordsman know as the ‘Hundred Men Killer.’ As punishment for his deeds, the eight-hundred-year-old nun Yaobikuni placed bloodworms in his body, rendering him immortal and making him capable of healing almost any wound.
To atone for his crimes, Manji resolves to kill one thousand evil men. Soon after his promise, Manji meets Rin Asano, a sixteen-year-old girl who asks Manji for help in revenge against the man who killed her parents.
That man is Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-Ryu sword school.
From here on out, Manji and Rin travel the land in search for the members of the Itto-Ryu and Anotsu.
The premise of the story is quite simple, but the plot gets more complex over time as new factions are introduced.
What makes Blade of the Immortal one of the best manga of all time is without a doubt the characters. There are of course our protagonists Manji and Rin. Both go through a significant amount of character development, and Manji is an absolute badass. However, Blade of the Immortal features a plethora of amazing characters. There’s Anotsu Kagehisha who’s one of the most interesting characters in the entire manga. Other fantastic characters include Taito Magatsu, Maki Otono-Tachibana, but also Shira. Many of the side characters in Blade of the Immortal receive the same amount of character development as we get to know more about them, learn more about their motifs and background. At times, I found myself more interested in side-characters than our protagonists. That’s how amazing the characters in this manga are.
The biggest testament to this is that there’s no clear division between whose good and whose evil. Each character has their own circumstances, ideals, goals and reasons to fight. It’s simply the fact that we follow Manji and Rin and their side of the story that makes Kagehisa Anotsu the antagonist.
Yet there’s one clear exception. There’s one character in Blade of the Immortal who’s one of the craziest antagonists I’ve ever seen in manga. Anyone who’s read the manga most likely knows who I’m talking about. For those who haven’t you’re in for a treat, a disturbing and insane one.
Another great point about Blade of the Immortal are the female characters. In many manga female characters are often relegated to the role of love interests or damsels in distress. Blade of the Immortal is, mostly, an exception to the rule. There are many female warriors in this series who are absolute badasses in their own right, especially Makie Otono-Tachibana and Hyakurin.
Overall, if one thing can be said about the characters, it’s that they are all badass and look damn cool. Hell, there are side characters who are only in for a handful of chapters whose backstory is more intense than your usual protagonist’s. That’s how good Blade of the Immortal is.
Now I want to have a few words about the setting. While Blade of the Immortal is a manga about samurai, ronin, and sword fighting, it’s not your typical samurai manga. As opposed to other samurai manga, Blade of the Immortal doesn’t ponder the samurai code, honor, or spend time on philosophical questions. Instead, it’s a raw, gritty and brutal revenge story.
While the story is set in the Edo period of Japan, against a historical backdrop, characters seldom speak in Samurai lingo. Especially Manji and the Itto-Ryu cuss, curse and insult one another in the way contemporary street punks or gangsters would.
The second big point that makes Blade of the Immortal one of the best manga of all time, is the outstanding art. Blade of the Immortal features some of the best art I’ve ever seen. The style is gritty and sketchy, but very detailed, and the characters all look great and unique throughout the board and absolutely badass.
The background and the world are fantastically drawn and show us a detailed view of traditional Japanese towns, cities and landscape.
Since this is a battle manga, I have to talk about the fights in this manga. They are probably some of the best I’ve ever seen. Fights are brutal. People get torn to pieces, blood and guts are flying. However, the violence is never just there for violence’s sake, with maybe the exception of one character. It’s always there to showcase the brutal nature of sword fights and fights in this manga.
However, the greatest thing about the battles is that they are never confusing. The flow of the action is easy to follow, and you’ll always understand what’s going on. This doesn’t mean that fights are simple. On the contrary, Blade of the Immortal showcases some of the best and most intense battles ever seen.
Now one might think that Manji’s immortality lowers the stakes in battles, but this is seldom in the case. One can’t argue that Manji has an advantage, but it never serves to make the fights easy. Manji often has to fight with all he got to even have a chance of making it out alive.
Blade of the Immortal is an outstanding manga, one of the best manga the entire medium offers.
The only problem some people might have with it is the pacing. The beginning of the manga is arguably its weakest point, and it takes a good thirty chapters before the main story really gets going. From then on, it’s an almost flawless ride throughout till the end. There’s one arc, however, that’s unrelated to the main story and drags on a bit too much. However, that’s nothing but a minor complaint against an outstanding work.
Overall, there’s nothing more to be said about Blade of the Immortal. It’s one of the best manga out there and one that will keep you reading until the very end. Blade of the Immortal stands out in terms of characters, as well as character developments and fights. It’s completely amazing. That’s the reason I decided to put Blade of the Immortal at the top of this list.
Anyone interested in manga should check this masterpiece out.
