What is this genre all about? Last stronghold for humanity. If Tokyo falls, it's all over. Tokyo Tower will undoubtedly fall anyway.
We present you the list of Japan manga you should read right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Japan manga you should read right now. [2025 List]
- 20. Kaijuu 8-gou
- 19. Kimetsu no Yaiba
- 18. Nobunaga no Chef
- 17. Saki
- 16. Takane no Hana wa Midaresaki
- 15. Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon Suru Koto ni Natta
- 14. Koe no Katachi
- 13. Vagabond
- 12. ReLIFE
- 11. Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu
- 10. Shokugeki no Souma
- 9. Isshou Senkin
- 8. Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
- 7. Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou
- 6. Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.
- 5. Yotsubato!
- 4. Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun
- 3. Imawa no Kuni no Alice
- 2. Chotto Dake Ai ga Omoi Dark Elf ga Isekai kara Oikakete Kita
- 1. Ashita no Joe
20. Kaijuu 8-gou
A man, unhappy with the work he has had to do in life, is involved in an unexpected event ...! He becomes a Kaijuu, a monstrous creature, giving him a new chance to achieve what he always dreamed of!
Kaiju No. 8 is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 怪獣８号, Monster #8, KAIJU No. EIGHT, 8Kaijuu
19. Kimetsu no Yaiba
Since ancient times, rumors have abounded of man-eating demons lurking in the woods. Because of this, the local townsfolk never venture outside at night. Legend has it that a demon slayer also roams the night, hunting down these bloodthirsty demons. For young Tanjirou, these rumors will soon to become his harsh reality...
Ever since the death of his father, Tanjirou has taken it upon himself to support his family. Although their lives may be hardened by tragedy, they've found happiness. But that ephemeral warmth is shattered one day when Tanjirou finds his family slaughtered and the lone survivor, his sister Nezuko, turned into a demon. To his surprise, however, Nezuko still shows signs of human emotion and thought...
Thus begins Tanjirou's quest to fight demons and turn his sister human again.
Volume 7 contains a bonus chapter about Kanao Tsuyuri.
Volume 10 contains a bonus chapter about Inosuke Hashibira.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has finished publishing and it has 207 Chapters. It is also Known as: 鬼滅の刃, Blade of Demon Destruction
18. Nobunaga no Chef
Ken, a modern age chef, finds himself in back in the 16th century during the warring states period. Lacking any recollection of who he once was or how he arrived to such a time, he only has his knowledge and skills in cooking to rely on. But as he gains reputation for his incredible food, who else would come to demand his services than Oda Nobunaga himself.
Nobunaga no Chef is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 信長のシェフ, A Chef of Nobunaga
17. Saki
Miyanaga Saki is a high-school freshman who doesn’t like mahjong. Ever since she was a child, she would lose her New Year’s gift money during her family mahjong game. If she won, her parents would be upset, and if she lost, well, she lost.
As a result, she’s learned to play in such a way that her score always remains plus/minus zero: not good enough to win, but not bad enough to lose. When we meet her, she’s being dragged to her school’s mahjong club by an old friend. How will a girl who hates mahjong, yet has become adept at the game as a result of her upbringing, survive in this environment?
Saki is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 咲-Saki-, Saki
16. Takane no Hana wa Midaresaki
She is the perfect student, beautiful, clever and with lots of friends... He is an ordinary boy in the class, staring at her from afar but one day he sees her in a very compromising situation! How will she react? The lives of these two will now intermingle with totally unexpected outcomes!
The Unattainable Flower's Twisted Bloom is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 高嶺の華は乱れ咲き, Takane no Hana wa Midaresaki
15. Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon Suru Koto ni Natta
High school student Saito Houjo has married his classmate, Akane Sakuramori, the girl who is his biggest rival at school. The two can't seem to get along with each other, but their heart-pounding newlywed life is about to begin!
I'm Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: クラスの大嫌いな女子と結婚することになった, Kurasu no Daikiraina Joshi to Kekkon Suru Koto ni Natta
14. 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
13. Vagabond
In 16th century Japan, Shinmen Takezou is a wild, rough young man, in both his appearance and his actions. His aggressive nature has won him the collective reproach and fear of his village, leading him and his best friend, Matahachi Honiden, to run away in search of something grander than provincial life. The pair enlist in the Toyotomi army, yearning for glory—but when the Toyotomi suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tokugawa Clan at the Battle of Sekigahara, the friends barely make it out alive.
After the two are separated, Shinmen returns home on a self-appointed mission to notify the Hon'iden family of Matahachi's survival. He instead finds himself a wanted criminal, framed for his friend's supposed murder based on his history of violence. Upon being captured, he is strung up on a tree and left to die. An itinerant monk, the distinguished Takuan Soho, takes pity on the "devil child," secretly freeing Shinmen and christening him with a new name to avoid pursuit by the authorities: Musashi Miyamoto.
Vagabond is the fictitious retelling of the life of one of Japan's most renowned swordsmen, the "Sword Saint" Musashi Miyamoto—his rise from a swordsman with no desire other than to become "Invincible Under the Heavens" to an enlightened warrior who slowly learns of the importance of close friends, self-reflection, and life itself.
Vagabond has finished publishing and it has 327 Chapters. It is also Known as: バガボンド, Vagabond
12. 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
11. Kono Kaisha ni Suki na Hito ga Imasu
Yui Mitsuya and Masugu Tateishi aren't just any coworkers who totally have the hots for each other. His helpful yet humble attitude makes her giddy, and her cuteness leaves him grinning like a fool. The problem is, that they're trying to keep their new relationship under wraps to avoid making things awkward at work. But seeing how they can't keep their hands off each other, they run the risk of spilling their little secret with each passing day at the office.
I Have a Crush at Work has finished publishing and it has 147 Chapters. It is also Known as: この会社に好きな人がいます, Can You Keep a Secret?, The Person I Like Works at the Same Company
10. Shokugeki no Souma
Soma Yukihira's old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town. Aiming to one day surpass his father's culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school!
Can Soma really cut it in a place that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress to the school that he belongs there at all?!
Note: The 3 chapter Le dessert epilogue is counted as chapters 316-318
Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma has finished publishing and it has 318 Chapters. It is also Known as: 食戟のソーマ, Shokugeki no Souma
9. Isshou Senkin
After retiring from public fighting and getting fired from underground fighting, 27 year old Tenma Nozomi's zest for life is gradually dwindling away. It's hard to be at the bottom with nowhere to go, and that's exactly where she and her two friends are. However, Nozomi hits upon an idea that may just solve all of their problems: they could make their own underground fighting circuit for women, and tap into an underexplored market. As good as that sounds, her insistence on including the unknown quantity Hongou Hina may prove to be more than she bargained for...
ST✰R: Strike it Rich is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 一勝千金, ISSK, The Priceless Victory, Isshō Senkin, Issho Senkin, STAR: Strike it Rich
8. Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
Yoshino grew up as the yakuza princess of the Osaka Somei crime family. Everyone left her alone due to her sharp gaze and mobster ties. But when her grandfather signs a truce with the Tokyo-based Miyama crime family, she’s offered for betrothal to the Miyama leader’s grandson, Kirishima. At first, Kirishima seems amiable and polite–but when he shows his dark side, he proves to be more disturbing than any gangster Yoshino has ever met. This engagement is sure to be a wild ride for a tough yakuza princess and her twisted yakuza prince!
Yakuza Fiancé is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 来世は他人がいい, Raise wa Tanin ga Ii
7. Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou
In a modern world where beast people exist and live with other humans, they have a regular household where a student lives with a lamia named Miia. The student, Kurusu Kimihito, came to live with Miia because of the culture exchange that has been going on with humans and sub-species alike. This is their story.
Monster Musume is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: モンスター娘のいる日常, Everyday That There Is a Monster Girl, MonMusu
6. Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.
Yoshida was swiftly rejected by his crush of 5 years. On his way home after drinking his sorrows away, he saw a high school girl sitting on the street.
"I'll let you do it with me, so let me stay."
"Don't even joke about something like that."
And so, the story of living with the high school girl Sayu began. The slice-of-life romantic comedy between a runaway high school girl and a 26 year old salaryman ensues.
Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou. is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ひげを剃る。そして女子高生を拾う。, I Shaved. Then I Brought a High School Girl Home.
5. 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!
4. Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun
"Hanako-san, Hanako-san...are you there?" At Kamome Academy, rumors abound about the school's Seven Mysteries, one of which is Hanako-san. Said to occupy the third stall of the third floor girls' bathroom in the old school building, Hanako-san grants any wish when summoned. Nene Yashiro, an occult-loving high school girl who dreams of romance, ventures into this haunted bathroom...but the Hanako-san she meets there is nothing like she imagined! Kamome Academy's Hanako-san...is a boy!
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 地縛少年 花子くん, Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun
3. Imawa no Kuni no Alice
Alice Ryouhei will leave high school soon, but he's trying to avoid thinking about his future. Late one night, when he's hanging out with his tough friend Karube and his silly, girl-crazy friend Chota, they see fireworks. After one blindingly bright explosion, they find themselves waking up in a different world. In this "Borderland," people are forced to either participate in potentially deadly games or simply die. Will Chota, Karube, and Ryouhei be able to survive this dangerous new world, and is there a way they can get back to their original lives?
Alice in Borderland has finished publishing and it has 87 Chapters. It is also Known as: 今際の国のアリス, Imawa no Kuni no Alice
2. Chotto Dake Ai ga Omoi Dark Elf ga Isekai kara Oikakete Kita
Hinata did it. He got reincarnated into another world, took up the mantle of Hero, and slew the dreaded Demon Lord alongside his party of fellow adventurers. As his reward, he’s returned to Earth to resume a normal life. Or it would be if it wasn’t for the fact that his dark elf companion Mariabelle decided to travel to Earth to come and live with him! Now she uses her arcane talents to ward off any potential romantic rivals and capture Hinata’s affection.
Yandere Dark Elf: She Chased Me All the Way From Another World! is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ちょっとだけ愛が重いダークエルフが異世界から追いかけてきた, A Dark Elf With a Slightly Overwhelming Love Chased Me All the Way From Another World
1. 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
