Manga appeared in this world in 1814, when Hokusai Katsushiki sketched his daily life, “The Whimsical Stories,” or Manga in Japanese. Then, in 1902, the first manga was published by Kitazawa Rakuten. Since then, manga has been a popular medium of entertainment for Japanese and everyone around the world. The name gives it an excuse for all its over-the-top storylines and character designs.
Manga later turned into anime, which changed everyone’s perspective on animated content. Manga has been a big part of modern culture and has dominated the 21st century, while other mediums struggle to gain attention. It has a rich history and has told billions of stories that are reflected in individuals. Well, here’s a list of the top 10 mangas of all time.
Top 10 Manga of All Time
Here’s the list of the top 10 manga of all time:
10. Vinland Saga
Released in: 2005
Creator: Makoto Yukumuri
Volumes: 27 (ongoing)
Set in 1013 AD, the Vinland Saga tells us the story of England, which was conquered by Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard. The story follows Thorfinn as he tries to avenge his father’s murder. The story also takes inspiration from real-life events such as the saga of the Greenlanders, the Flateyjarbok, and the saga of Erik the Red. If you like Viking stories, in-depth characters, and medieval politics, this manga is definitely for you. The historical manga created by Makoto Yukumuri was published in 2005 in Weekly Shonen Magazine.
Currently, the manga has 27 volumes, and it has also been turned into an anime. Makoto’s original idea for Thorfinn was to make him a slave, as Thorfinn’s character was inspired by King of Norway, Olaf Tryggvason, but after his editor opposed this idea, Makoto turned Thorfinn from a slave to a Viking, but the inspiration of Olaf Tryggvason can be seen in the character of Thorfinn, even if not his origin.
9. Grand Blue
Released in: 2014
Creator: Kenji Inoue & Kimitaka Yoshioko
Volumes: 21
Grand Blue or Grand Blue dreaming follows Iori Kitahara as he moves to the Izu Peninsula for further studies and makes his home above his uncle’s diving shop, “the Grand Blue.” Here he comes in contact with a local diving club, and the Grand Blue follows him and this group as they keep falling into different problems and funny situations.
The series is quite lighthearted and funny, and you will roll on your stomach as you watch it. The characters are relatable, young, energetic, and sometimes annoying, but in a nice kind of way. The anime, written by Kenji Inoue and illustrated by Kimitake Yoshioko, was published in 2014 and is a must-read.
8. Oyasumi Punpun
Released in: 2007
Creator: Inio Asano
Volumes: 13
One of the best mangas, it deals with depression, love, sex, death, family, social isolation, and the struggle of a young boy as he becomes an adult. The word Oyasumi means “goodnight,” and Oyasumi Punpun makes a lot of sense once you read the manga. The story follows Punpun Onodera, a young boy living in Japan, as he lives his life from elementary school to his early 20s.
The story is about a normal boy with nothing fantastical, and yet, it feels so fantastic. It is one of the greatest coming-of-age stories to be written by anyone. The story is divided into four parts: Pupun’s elementary school life, middle school, high school, and then his early twenties. If you can get your hands on one of its copies, you should definitely give it a read, especially if you’re in the age range of middle school to early 20s.
Released in: 2003
Creator: Hiromu Arakawa
Volumes: 27
From something grounded, let’s move on to something fantastical. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most famous anime and manga series ever. In terms of popularity, it is somewhere between One Piece and Attack on Titans. Set in the early 20th century, Fullmetal Alchemist follows Edward and Alphonse Eric, two Alchemist brothers’, in search of the philosopher’s stone. The story takes place in a fictional country named ‘Amestris.’ The shonen manga created by Hiromu Arakawa is definitely a great read, and with a lot of in-depth characters, the reasons behind their beliefs and motivations are extremely relatable.
6. Slam Dunk
Released in: 1990
Creator: Takehiko Inoue
Volumes: 31
Slam Dunk is a sports manga that follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a delinquent high school jock and gang leader who is quite unpopular among the ladies and is rejected by fifty girls. In high school, he meets Haruko Akagi and falls in love, and she doesn’t treat him like other girls, which just makes him fall more in love with her. On her request, he joins the basketball team and slowly starts to fall in love with the game. It’s a great novel that is funny, has its moments, and is such a great high school story about change and finding purpose.
5. Monster
Released in: 1994
Creator: Naori Urasaw
Volumes: 18
Monster, a manga created by Naori Urasawa, was published in December 1994. It’s a crime thriller, horror fiction, or murder mystery. It is one of the most sold mangas of all time, with over 20 million copies of The Monster being bought by fans all around the world. The story follows Kenzo Tenma as he works as a surgeon in Dusseldorf, Germany.
His life is turned upside down after being involved in an incident with his previous patient, Johan Liebert, who is revealed to be a psychopath, murderer, and serial killer. The series has been turned into an anime with 74 episodes, so either way, if you love thrillers and you love horror, this is for you.
4. One Piece
Released in: 1997
Creator: Eiichiro Oda
Volumes: 107
One Piece is one of the greatest manga series ever. The series is quite popular among the youth, especially among manga and anime fans. The story follows Monkey D. Luffy along with his crew of ragtag pirates, The Strawhats, as they search the Grandline for the mysterious and great treasure of the dead pirate King Gol D. Roger, the One Piece, so that Luffy could become the next pirate king.
The story is set in a fictional world that is divided by four seas and ruled by the World Government. The world is filled with different races, such as giants, fishmen, animal-human hybrids, and whatnot. The series is extremely long and is still going on. But once you get in, you just can’t stop. The manga has 106 volumes.
3. Vagabond
Released in: 2007
Creator: Takehiko Inoue
Volumes: 37
Set in the year 1600, Vagabond follows Mushashi Miyamoto as he trains to become invincible under the heavens. The story begins after the battle of Sekigahara, where two brothers, Takezo Shinmen and Matahachi Honiden, are on the losing side. They swear to become invincible under the sun as they escape to a small house with two women. The house is attacked, and Takezo and Matahachi are separated, leading Takezo to become a Vagabond and travel around challenging opponents into duels. It’s a great manga, inspired by the book Mushashi.
2. Steel Ball Run
Released in: 2004
Creator: Hirohiko Araki
Volumes: 24
Steel Ball Run is the seventh story arc of the manga Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The story is bizarre, weird, and fun. The story is set in the 1800s and follows Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli as they take part in the titular horse race for a $50 million prize and as they find out about the evil motives of the race’s sponsor. It’s a great story, in the same vein as Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and part of the same universe.
1. Berserk
Released in: 1989
Creator: Kentaro Miura
Volumes: 42
Berserk is another anime set in medieval times. It is a great manga that follows Guts, a lonely swordsman, on his path of revenge on Griffith, who was once his comrade but turned into an evil entity. Griffith used to be the leader of a band called “Band of the Hawk,” but he betrays them and sacrifices them to become an evil entity. Created by Kento Miura, Berserk is an astounding tale of betrayal, revenge, magic, friendship, and greed. It’s a must-read and rightfully ranked first on the list.
Conclusion
These 10 manga aren’t the only great manga out there. There are a lot more mangas that I couldn’t mention in the list, but ones such as Jojo’s bizarre adventure, Attack on Titans, and Can I Eat Your Pancreas are just as good.
Manga has given us a lot of creative stories and has handled quite heavy topics with quite lightheartedness. And that’s why, to this day, manga has been a great medium to put out content. Even in the above list, we have from a medieval fantasy world to a shopkeeper’s daily life to a boy’s life from teenage years to adulthood—that’s how versatile manga and anime are.
FAQs: Top 10 Manga of All Time
1. What manga is a good starting point for new manga readers?
For anyone who wants to get into manga or anime, there are two options: one is the obvious Death Note, and the other is Your Name. The stories in these two mangas are simple and short and wouldn’t take a lot of time or energy. So they’re a good place to start.
2. Which is the most boring manga?
According to me, manga can be subjective. A lot of people find Death Note boring; some find the later volumes of Attack of Titans boring. It depends on your taste.
3. Which is the most emotional manga of all time?
A lot of manga and anime fans believe and agree that Can I Eat Your Pancreas? Is the most emotional manga of all time. The story is really sad and heart-touching and will definitely make you cry.
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