15 Best Manga Of All Time
The world of manga is a realm where storytelling transcends boundaries, captivating readers with its diverse narratives and intricate visuals.
Amidst the vast array of manga creations, the concept of the "Best Manga of All Time" stands as a testament to the profound impact this medium has had on literature and pop culture.
This introduction embarks on a journey through the realms of imagination, exploring the timeless classics and modern masterpieces that have earned their place as the pinnacle of sequential art.
From the pages of history to the present day, we delve into the artistry, storytelling, and cultural significance that define the best manga of all time.
Kuroko's Basketball
Kuroko's Basketball Season 1 - Trailer
Kuroko's Basketball manga features the Seirin basketball team in a group shot. One of the most significant current sports manga series is Tadatoshi Fujimaki's Kuroko's Basketball.
Kuroko's Basketball transforms ordinary high school basketball players into quasi-superheroes and is filled with ridiculously overpowering super techniques, two of Shonen's most convoluted cliches.
Tetsuya Kuroko (the protagonist of Kuroko's Basketball) transfers to Seirin High School so that he may play basketball there. He has zero court presence because to his lack of height and strength. But that's precisely what gives him an edge.
He joins forces with Kagami, a skilled baller who cut his teeth in American street ball. Kuroko promises to always be Kagami's dark side in order to help him become Japan's top player and beat the Generation of Miracles.
Paradise Kiss
Paradise Kiss Trailer
The legendary Ai Yazawa returns with another Josei classic, this time written and drawn. It debuted as a serial in Zipper, a fashion magazine. Paradise Kiss, by Shodensha, is an exceptional example of the romance manga genre, with its focus on style and its gorgeous character designs.
In Paradise Kiss, our protagonist, Yukari, is a diligent student whose life is flipped upside down when she is abducted by a mysterious organization known only as "Paradise Kiss." Under George's tutelage, Yukari swiftly becomes a fashion expert. In only a few short days, Yukari goes from being a regular girl with boring taste in clothing to a stunning fashion icon.
Parasyte
Parasyte Anime Official Trailer
Parasyte (), which ran in Afternoon from 1988 to 1995, was a manga series that received high marks from manga experts. Hitoshi Iwaaki's ten-volume sci-fi horror manga is now complete. Parasyte Reversi (), a spin-off series illustrated by Moare Ohta, ran from 2018 to 2021.
Parasyte has become a classic, having been adapted into both an anime and a live-action film series, and has received several honors both during and after its serialization. Parasites from outer space invade Earth and replace human victims' heads.
High school student Shinichi Izumi barely escapes complete ownership, as his parasite, Migi, only takes control of his right hand. Because of their shared predicament as parasites, the two are forced to work together in an uncomfortable partnership.
Fire Punch
Fire Punch - Official Manga Trailer
Tatsuki Fujimoto is most known as the mind behind Chainsaw Man, but it was hardly his only groundbreaking creation. The protagonist of Fire Punch, Agni, is constantly enveloped in flames while the setting is a cold wasteland. He embarks on a quest to avenge his sister's death and the freezing of their homeland at the hands of the Ice Witch.
Fans of Chainsaw Man who were looking for something even darker will not be disappointed with Fire Punch. Fujimoto's exceptional narrative skills are on full display in Fire Punch. Fire Punch showcases Fujimoto's innovative cinematic method to creating interesting panels, even if it is limited to manga pages.
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku
Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii (Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku) - Trailer
Fujita's Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku is a lovely tale of Josei romance. Wotakoi is a romantic comedy that takes place in an office and centers on Narumi, a girl who has trouble finding love because the men she meets find her otaku inclinations off-putting.
Hirotaka, a friend of Narumi's from way back when, also happens to be employed there. They get back in touch because of their shared interest in video games, yaoi comics, and otaku culture. Fans of the Wotakoi anime should read the manga since it has more content that was left out of the translation.
Bungou Stray Dogs
Bungou Stray Dogs (Season 1) - Official Trailer
Bungou Stray Dogs by Kafka Asagiri is an excellent introduction for shonen readers into the seinen genre, with its lively cast of characters and plenty of literary allusions. Atsushi Nakajima, the protagonist of Bungou Stray Dogs, is an orphan who was abandoned on the streets and later discovered he is a weretiger.
After realizing that the military police weren't up to the task of solving elite mysteries, he enlists in the Armed Detective Agency. Characters like the darkly complicated Dazai Osamu help characterize Bungou Stray Dogs, even if Atsushi is the story's protagonist.
Inuyasha
犬夜叉CM / Inuyasha - Manga Trailer/Commercial [HQ]
One of the most famous isekai manga series is Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi. With its first airing on Adult Swim, the anime version of Inuyasha introduced many people across the world to the medium.
Inuyasha, one of Isekai's defining titles, ran from 1996 to 2008 and managed to combine adventure, fantasy, and romance into a captivating, one-of-a-kind story that no contemporary series could hope to match.
When Kagome accidentally falls into a well and is transported to feudal Japan, Inuyasha pursues her there. Inuyasha, the titular demonic half-human, is searching for the Shikon Jewel during the time.
Noragami
Noragami - Official Trailer
In Noragami by Adachikota, we follow Yato, a god who doesn't even have his own shrine but yet wants to put himself out there as a "Delivery God" in order to get the worship he so badly seeks. Hiyori came just in time to save Yato from being driven over by a car.
Hiyori's spirit has been separated from her body as a result of this tragedy, and she must now depend on Yato to reattach the two. When reading Noragami, lovers of shonen comedies won't know what to expect from one page to the next.
Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy - Official Manga Trailer
In 2022, a contemporary epic was finally resolved. Satoru Noda's Golden Kamuy () debuted in Weekly Young Jump in 2014 and is a historical adventure manga. The 2018 anime adaptation of the 31-volume manga series Golden Kamuy is the first of its kind.
It deftly weaves together post-Russo-Japanese War settings, survival aspects, treasure seeking, and Ainu culture.
Ex-soldier Saichi "Immortal" Sugimoto and an Ainu girl named Asirpa partner up in postwar Hokkaido to use tattoos carved on escaped inmates to locate a secret Ainu gold treasure. They meet adversaries, learn dark secrets, and dive into the intricate fabric of Ainu history and culture along the way.
Case Closed
Case Closed Anime trailer
Gosho Aoyama's Case Closed is a timeless shonen manga that has been running continuously since 1994. In the manga and anime Case Closed, also known as Detective Conan, the protagonist, Shinichi Kudo, becomes a kid while investigating a criminal organization.
The Case Closed TV show isn't your standard murder mystery. The series has more appeal than its competitors because of the campiness of its narrative and characters. The manga has so many unexpected turns that anticipating its future is difficult, and readers may solve mysteries with Shinichi.
Assassination Classroom
Assassination Classroom Trailer
Although many classic Shonen manga series include high school settings, Assassination Classroom is unlike any of them. There's a feeling of impending doom over Koro-sensei and class 3-E, yet the show is filled with loads of laughter to keep viewers interested for decades.
Before he can destroy Earth, Class 3-E must eliminate Koro-sensei as a threat to humanity. They devote a whole academic year to plotting the death of their instructor. When the time came for Koro-sensei's actual death, however, the pupils quickly learned that murder is never funny.
Vagabond
Vagabond Animation (Chapter 302 scene)
Vagabond is an exciting martial arts manga that has been running since 1998 (although it has been on a very lengthy break since 2015). The story is very loosely based on the true life of a swordsman who lived in the 1600s. Following their narrow escape from the Battle of Sekigahara, young Takezo and Matahachi seek refuge and make a solemn oath to become "Invincible Under the Heavens."
However, their intentions become more difficult to execute when the lads are split apart by their assailants once they have been located. Takez embarks on a perilous and convoluted route as he begins his trip that would, in the end, lead him to become the renowned sword master Miyamoto Musashi. What comes next is the beginning of this path.
Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Trailer 1
Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer is a very successful manga series published by Shueisha. Nearly 30 million copies of the series were sold throughout the globe in 2021. The distinctive visual design, endearing protagonists, and well staged battles in Demon Slayer set it apart from similar titles.
In Demon Slayer, we follow Tanjiro Kamado as he tries to avenge the deaths of his whole family at the hands of a demon, except for his sister Nezuko. After Nezuko's transformation into a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure and get revenge on the Demon Slayer Corps.
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Trailer - English Dub
In the universe of Fullmetal Alchemist, a steampunk series, alchemy is a recognized science, and the only things that can't be transmuted are people and gold. The only exceptions to this rule are the titular Fullmetal Alchemists.
Those who violate this law to the extent that they seek to transform people not only suffer the loss of a component of their own identity but also risk further retribution at the hands of the creature that resembles a god. However, when Edward and Alphonse learn that their mother has died, it becomes clear that the risk is worthwhile.
Unfortunately, their courageous attempts do not go according to plan, and as a result, Edward quickly loses one arm, and Alphonse is reduced to a bodyless ghost that is shackled to a set of armor. The brothers decided to undertake the grueling journey together in order to find the next answer, which was the philosopher's stone...
Hunter X Hunter
Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission - Official Theatrical Trailer
In the complex and layered universe of Togashi Yoshihiro's manga, Hunters are the elite members of society who can unearth the unknown and bring justice to the lawless. Gon Freecs leaves his home to face the grueling Hunter Examination after learning that his father, whom he had assumed to be dead, is really a famous Hunter.
What unfolds next is an unhinged hodgepodge of tournament fights, training scenes, riddles, tricks, and ruses. The series' characters are so unexpected and complicated that the story could theoretically continue on indefinitely while still holding the reader's attention, even as the series' events get more weird (and progressively horrific).
Togashi's dynamic inventiveness would be well-suited to game design, as suggested by Jason Thompson in his book Manga: The Complete Guide.
Final Thoughts
Best Manga of All Time remind of the enduring impact of this art form on both literature and popular culture. These exceptional manga creations stand as milestones in the world of sequential art, weaving intricate tales that span genres, emotions, and generations.
From the classics that laid the foundation to the modern masterpieces that continue to push boundaries, the best manga of all time represents a tapestry of human imagination and creativity. These works have transcended language barriers, captivating readers across the globe and sparking discussions on themes ranging from friendship and love to existentialism and societal commentary.
The intricate interplay of storytelling and artistic prowess within the pages of these manga has left an indelible mark on the way we perceive narratives and visual representation. As we celebrate the achievements of the best manga, we acknowledge the dedication of mangaka and the profound influence they have had on shaping the cultural landscape.
