What is this genre all about? The feeling of trust, kindness, and friendship between a group of high school students for example, is a central theme of this anime.
We present you the list of Friendship manga you should read right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 18 Friendship manga you should read right now. [2026 List]
- 18. One Piece
- 17. Haikyuu!!
- 16. Koe no Katachi
- 15. Akatsuki no Yona
- 14. Koori no Jouheki
- 13. Incoming Mr High Energy
- 12. Toaru Majutsu no Index Gaiden: Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
- 11. Case Closed
- 10. Ashita no Joe
- 9. Neko to Kiss
- 8. Look Back
- 7. Kimi ni Todoke
- 6. Yotsubato!
- 5. ReLIFE
- 4. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
- 3. Jibi Eopseo
- 2. Kuroko no Basket
- 1. Contrast
18. One Piece
Gol D. Roger was known as the Pirate King, the strongest and most infamous being to have sailed the Grand Line. The capture and death of Roger by the World Government brought a change throughout the world. His last words before his death revealed the location of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. It was this revelation that brought about the Grand Age of Pirates, men who dreamed of finding One Piece (which promises an unlimited amount of riches and fame), and quite possibly the most coveted of titles for the person who found it, the title of the Pirate King.
Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy that defies your standard definition of a pirate. Rather than the popular persona of a wicked, hardened, toothless pirate who ransacks villages for fun, Luffy’s reason for being a pirate is one of pure wonder; the thought of an exciting adventure and meeting new and intriguing people, along with finding One Piece, are his reasons of becoming a pirate. Following in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Luffy and his crew travel across the Grand Line, experiencing crazy adventures, unveiling dark mysteries and battling strong enemies, all in order to reach One Piece.
One Piece is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ONE PIECE, Budak Getah, Đảo Hải Tặc, Большой куш, Ван Пис, Уан Пийс, Эйтиро Ода, Վան Փիս, וואן פיס, قطعة واحدة, وان پیس, ون بيس, وەن پیس, वान पिस, वान् पीस, ওয়ান পিস, ஒன் பீஸ், วันพีซ, ဝမ်းပိစ်, ዋንፒስ, ワンピース, 海盗路飞, 海賊王, 海贼王, 航海王, 원피스
17. Haikyuu!!
Ever since he saw the legendary player known as the "Little Giant" compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! He decides to join the team at the high school the Little Giant went to-and then surpass him. Who says you need to be tall to play volleyball when you can jump higher than anyone else?
After losing his first and last volleyball match against Tobio Kageyama, "the King of the Court," Shoyo Hinata swears to become his rival after graduating middle school. But what happens when the guy he wants to defeat ends up being his teammate?!
Note: Includes 2 extra chapters.
Haikyu!! has finished publishing and it has 404 Chapters. It is also Known as: ハイキュー!!, Haikyuu!!
16. Koe no Katachi
Shoya is a bully. When Shoko, a girl who can't hear, enters his elementary school class, she becomes their favorite target, and Shoya and his friends goad each other into devising new tortures for her. But the children's cruelty goes too far. Shoko is forced to leave the school, and Shoya ends up shouldering all the blame. Six years later, the two meet again. Can Shoya make up for his past mistakes, or is it too late?
A Silent Voice has finished publishing and it has 64 Chapters. It is also Known as: 聲の形, The Shape of Voice
15. Akatsuki no Yona
Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Su-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when tragedy strikes her family!
Yona of the Dawn has finished publishing and it has 277 Chapters. It is also Known as: 暁のヨナ, Yona: The Girl Standing in the Blush of Dawn
14. Koori no Jouheki
Socially inept, Higawa Koyuki maintains a wall between herself and other people. She spends her time in high school alone, until she meets Amamiya Minato, a boy who keeps trying to close the distance between them for some reason?!
The loner Koyuki, the popular Miki, the boundary-less Minato, and the kind basketball player Youta. This is the story about four complicated and confused young people and their mixed-up lives!
The Ramparts of Ice has finished publishing and it has 116 Chapters. It is also Known as: 氷の城壁, Ice Castle Wall
13. Incoming Mr High Energy
After a catastrophe, the biggest trouble facing humans is energy shortage! A brand new profession was thus born, controlling various elements such as iron, copper, phosphorus, gold, silicon, and carbon, they are the strongest combat power in the world. Restarting a powerful system, the youth began to be accompanied by compulsive tasks again and again! Challenging missions full of danger time and time again, he gradually became stronger, and went further and further on the road to a great demon
Incoming Mr High Energy is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 高能襲来, Kounou Shuurai, 흙수저, 시스템에게 선택받다, High Energy Strikes, Gao Neng Strikes, High-Energy Strikes
12. Toaru Majutsu no Index Gaiden: Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
Welcome to a world where mysticism and science collide, and supernatural powers are derived from either science or religion. At the heart of this world is Academy City, an advanced metropolis whose population is comprised mostly of students The majority of students are enrolled in the city's "Power Curriculum Program," where they must learn to master their latent psychic powers. Out of several million students, only seven are deemed powerful enough to have Level 5 status.
Meet Mikoto Misaka, the third most powerful Level 5 esper in Academy City. Together with her best friends Kuroko Shirai and the other members of Judgment, a student-run law enforcement agency, Mikoto delves deep into the dark heart of the scientific sprawl she calls home, and uncovers secrets she wishes she hadn't!
The special edition of the 5th volume includes the mini-novel Toaru Jihanki no Sonzai Shoumei.
A Certain Scientific Railgun has finished publishing and it has 180 Chapters. It is also Known as: とある魔術の禁書目録外伝 とある科学の超電磁砲〈レールガン〉, To Aru Kagaku no Choudenjihou
11. Case Closed
Kudo Shinichi is a seventeen year-old high school detective whom people call the "Modern Sherlock Holmes." However, one night after a date with his childhood sweetheart, Ran, Shinichi witnessed an illegal trade and, caught off his guard, was knocked unconscious and fed a drug that was supposed to kill him... but he woke up and found himself shrunken to a seven year-old. In order to track down the men who did this to him, Shinichi hid his identity and lived with Ran, whose father happened to be a hopeless detective, and with that came a series of murders and mysteries that he must solve.
Detective Conan is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Meitantei Conan, 名探偵コナン, Meitantei Conan, Detective Conan Kaito Kid Special Collection
10. Ashita no Joe
Joe Yabuki is a troubled young man who runs away from an orphanage. Wandering through the Tokyo slums, he meets former boxing trainer Danpei. Joe is later arrested and goes to a temporary jail where he fights Nishi, his future best friend and leader of a group of hooligans. He and Nishi then go to a juvenile prison miles away from Tokyo. There Joe meets Rikiishi, a former boxing prodigy, and a rivalry develops between them. They face each other in a match in which Rikiishi dominates Joe until the latter hits him with a cross-counter, resulting in both being knocked out. This inspires the other prison inmates to take up boxing. Joe and Rikiishi vow to fight again.
Ashita no Joe has finished publishing and it has 171 Chapters. It is also Known as: あしたのジョー, Rocky Joe, Tomorrow's Joe
9. Neko to Kiss
A fun romantic comedy revolving around Erina Wada, a high school girl who absolutely adores cats, and her classmate, Akira Nekoyama, who is unsociable and always wears a mask. Erina is nicknamed "Queen" by her classmates due to her cool appearance, but when she talks about cats, she gets extremely excited. One day, a cat visits her lawn. Lured by its cuteness, she gets excited and kisses the cat, and then...?!
A Kiss with a Cat has finished publishing and it has 25 Chapters. It is also Known as: 猫とキス, Neko-Kiss, Cat and a Kiss, قطة وقبلة, 猫和亲吻, 고양이와 키스, Küss den Kater!
8. Look Back
Fujino is a fourth-grader who draws a manga strip for the school newspaper. Her art makes her the star of the class, but one day she's told that Kyomoto, a student who refuses to come to school, would also like to submit a manga for the paper...
Look Back has finished publishing and it has 1 Chapters. It is also Known as: ルックバック, Look Back
7. Kimi ni Todoke
Kuronuma Sawako is completely misunderstood by her classmates. Her timid and sweet demeanor is often mistaken for malicious behavior. This is due to her resemblance to the ghost girl from "The Ring", which has led her peers to give her the nickname Sadako. Longing to make friends and live a normal life, she is naturally drawn to Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular guy in class, whose "100% refreshing" personality earns him great admiration from Sawako. So when Kazehaya starts talking to her, maybe there is hope for the friendships Sawako has always longed for. Maybe...there is even a little hope for some romance in her future.
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You has finished publishing and it has 125 Chapters. It is also Known as: 君に届け, Reaching You, Mayuge no Kakudo wa 45° de, 45 Degree Eyebrows, 45° Eyebrows
6. Yotsubato!
Yotsuba's daily life is full of adventure. She is energetic, curious, and a bit odd—odd enough to be called strange by her father as well as ignorant of many things that even a five-year-old should know. Because of this, the most ordinary experience can become an adventure for her. As the days progress, she makes new friends and shows those around her that every day can be enjoyable.
Yotsuba&! is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: よつばと!, Yotsubato!
5. ReLIFE
The story follows Kaizaki Arata, a 27-year-old jobless man, who fails at every job interview he had after quitting his last company. His life changes after he met Yoake Ryou of the ReLife Research Institute, who offered him a drug that can change his appearance to 17-years-old and to become a subject in an experiment for one year. Thus, he begins his life as a high school student once more.
ReLIFE has finished publishing and it has 222 Chapters. It is also Known as: リライフ, 重返17歲
4. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
The boy of her dreams...is a girl's manga artist?!
To the eyes of high school student Chiyo Sakura, classmate Umetarou Nozaki--brawny of build and brusque of tongue--is a dreamboat! When Chiyo finally works up the courage to tell Nozaki how she feels about him, she knows rejection is on the table...but getting recruited as a manga-ka's assistant?! Never in a million years!
But for someone who makes a living drawing sweet girly romances, Nozaki-kun is a little slow on the uptake when it comes to matters of the heart in reality. And so Chiyo's daily life of manga making and heartache begins!
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 月刊少女野崎くん, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
3. Jibi Eopseo
Haejoon Goh, who ran from home, and Eunyung Baek, the problem child who lives in a tent. These two, who met under terrible circumstances, are forced to live together in an abandoned dormitory. This is a story of difficult growth between two people who hate both the dorm and each other.
Jibi Eopseo has finished publishing and it has 269 Chapters. It is also Known as: Homeless, I Have No House, No Home, No House
2. Kuroko no Basket
Teikou Middle School basketball club: an incredibly strong team with over one hundred members and three consecutive championship wins. Amongst their brilliant record, was a generation of five prodigies known as the "Generation of Miracles." However, there was a strange rumour concerning the Generation of Miracles about one more player recognized by the five prodigies... a Phantom Sixth Player.
When Kagami Taiga joins Seirin High School's basketball team, he meets Kuroko Tetsuya, a horrendously bad player. Kagami is shocked to find out that Kuroko is the rumored sixth man of the Generation of Miracles. Not only is Kuroko terrible at everything from dribbling to shooting, he lacks so much presence on the court that at times people even forget he's playing. But during games Kuroko uses that lack of presence to his advantage, specializing in passing the ball to stronger players. In order to become the best player in Japan, Kagami agrees to team up with Kuroko to defeat the other members of the Generation of Miracles.
Note: Chapter count includes Chapter 62.5 "Tip Off."
Kuroko's Basketball has finished publishing and it has 276 Chapters. It is also Known as: 黒子のバスケ, Kuroko no Basuke, The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays
1. Contrast
"Total opposites." Those words suited these classmates perfectly.
Kanata doesn't know the guy's name or class, but their eyes always meet in the hallways.
Contrast has finished publishing and it has 11 Chapters. It is also Known as: コントラスト, Contrast