What is this genre all about? Anime that takes place in the past or clearly seems to take place in the past in case of an alternative universe. This category should almost always go together with one of its sub-categories, because the past can either be a depiction of a historical event(s) or not, in which case it would be alternative past.
We present you the list of Past manga you should read right now.
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Top 19 Past manga you should read right now. [2025 List]
- 19. Berserk
- 18. Vinland Saga
- 17. Claymore
- 16. Issak
- 15. Okan
- 14. Historie
- 13. Pureun Yuri
- 12. Buddha
- 11. Yu Wu
- 10. Dororo to Hyakkimaru-den
- 9. Jungle Taitei
- 8. Shin Chuuka Ichiban!
- 7. Qiang Jin Jiu
- 6. Gosick RED
- 5. Sha Po Lang
- 4. Chuuka Ichiban!
- 3. Yuukoku no Rasputin
- 2. 80's video trip
- 1. Youhei Pierre
19. Berserk
His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.
Notes:
- Volumes 1-5 contain the 16 prequel chapters 0A - 0P.
- Chapter 83 was omitted from Volume 13 due to the author’s request.
- Volume 14 includes “Berserk: The Prototype”.
- Due to the author's passing, starting from Chapter 365, the manga is illustrated by Studio Gaga (Miura's assistants) and supervised by Kouji Mori (a close friend of Miura's).
Berserk is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ベルセルク, Berserk: The Prototype
18. Vinland Saga
As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his father, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band's leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery … the land Leif called Vinland.
Notes:
- Won the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2009.
- Winner of the 36th Kodansha Manga Award in the General category in 2012.
Vinland Saga has finished publishing and it has 220 Chapters. It is also Known as: ヴィンランド・サガ, Vinland Saga
17. Claymore
In a world constantly haunted by demonic predators known as "Youma", the everyday life of humans is full of fear and suspicion, as these monsters easily blend into human society to hunt their hapless prey. However, in this world, there is also a mysterious organization, employing half-human, half-Youma warriors to effectively track down and kill the demons. Called "silver eyed witches" or "Claymores" after the huge Claymore swords they carry, these female warriors are eyed with suspicion and distrust by most because of their inhuman powers.
But there are many currents flowing in the shadows, from the mysterious machinations of the Claymore "Organization" and the twisted ambitions of the powerful "Abyssal Ones" to the hopes and desires of each Claymore warrior. This story follows the fate of Clare, one of the Claymore operatives as she sails deeper and deeper down the currents of conspiracies and revenge.
Note: 4 Extra chapters are included in the chapter count on this page.
Claymore has finished publishing and it has 159 Chapters. It is also Known as: CLAYMORE [クレイモア], Claymore
16. Issak
Anno Domini 1620. Europe is riven with the conflagrations that will grow into the Thirty Years War. Catholic and Protestant forces clash across battlefields ruled by sword and gunpowder alike, and mercenaries of every stripe ply their trade. Among them is Issak, a lone Japanese warrior bearing a matchlock of strange design, and fighting in service to his sworn mission—to find and kill the man who murdered his master and fled Japan for the other side of the world. Meticulously researched and gorgeously illustrated, Issak is the next character-driven, historical action epic that fans of Vinland Saga can sink their teeth into.
Issak has finished publishing and it has 100 Chapters. It is also Known as: イサック, Isack, Isaac, วีรบุรุษสมรภูมิเดือด
15. Okan
A mother leave her alcoholic and gambler husband. Without money or housing, she can no longer rely on herself to raise alone her six year old son. Harsh but fair, proud and brave, she has one life goal: to make his son a man balanced and right! But between poverty, the Yakuza, the judgments of others and lack of father figure, his task will be far from easy. Ode to women, of their courage and unconditional love that they can devote to their children.
Okan has finished publishing and it has 9 Chapters. It is also Known as: おかん, A Bowlful of Happiness, A Bowl full of Happiness, おかん (もりやまつる)
14. Historie
Historie takes place in ancient Greece and follows the life and childhood of Eumenes, who historically was the secretary and general to Alexander the Great. Historie includes characters such as Aristotle and King Philip II of Macedon and begins around 343 BC, which was a time of Macedonian expansion.
Historie is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ヒストリエ HISTORIĒ, Historie
13. Pureun Yuri
You may know the story of Princess of Nakrang, but behind the scenes of the ancient Nakrang Kingdom’s royal palace, unfolds the story of a different princess.
The youngest princess of the Nakrang Kingdom, Seol is determined to pursue a different life from her sister Ran, who by unlucky fate, was persecuted by her father and brothers.
The slave boy she rescued Miru, the odd-eyed Jamalta, and the one we know very well… The three men are in her fate.
Blue Glass has finished publishing and it has 49 Chapters. It is also Known as: Pureun Yuri
12. Buddha
In ancient India, the lives of the people are plagued by drought, famine, constant warfare and the injustices of the strict caste system. The intertwining lives of many unhappy souls are drawn together by the birth of the young prince Siddhartha, who embarks on a spiritual journey, becomes Buddha, "the Enlightened One," and attempts to bring about a spiritual rebirth of the people in this desperate age.
Buddha has finished publishing and it has 66 Chapters. It is also Known as: ブッダ, Buddha
11. Yu Wu
The traitor Gu Mang returned to his home kingdom again. Everyone rejoiced in his banishment. It was said the one who hated him most was his closest friend – the cold and stoic Young Master Mo.
A rumour: Young Master Mo prepared three hundred and sixty-five methods of torture to try on Gu Mang, enough to play with him for a year without repetition.
But what’s the truth then?
Well the truth is even more unspeakable–
Mo Xi’s identity: the most abstinent commander of the empire.
His relationship with the traitor Gu Mang: they’d slept together before.
Remnants of Filth has finished publishing and it has 214 Chapters. It is also Known as: Stains of Filth, Yuwu, Yú Wū
10. Dororo to Hyakkimaru-den
During Japan’s tumultuous Sengoku period, one man sells his son to a pack of devils in exchange for the power to rule. Forty-eight devils take forty-eight pieces of young Hyakkimaru, and the boy is left for dead. But through the assistance of a sage and a series of inventive prosthetics, Hyakkimaru survives. Together with the young thief Dororo, the now-grown Hyakkimaru embarks upon a quest to slay all the demons and retrieve the stolen pieces of his body. This classic story from Osamu Tezuka, the father of modern manga, is now reimagined in this gorgeous new adaptation by Satoshi Shiki.
The Legend of Dororo and Hyakkimaru is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: どろろと百鬼丸伝, Bio of Dororo x Hyakkimaru, Сказание о Дороро и Хяккимару, 多羅羅與百鬼丸傳, 多罗罗与百鬼丸传
9. Jungle Taitei
Africa, mid-20th century: In the face of the encroachment of mankind, a white lion, Caesar, seeks to give all wild animals a safe haven, free from fear. And, to a very large degree, he is successful. His mistake is to liberate the cattle from nearby villages.
A professional hunter, Viper Snakely, known as Ham Egg in the original Japanese, is called in to stop these raids. He avoids directly attacking Caesar — instead, Snakely records the sounds of Caesar and uses that as bait to trap his mate, Snowene, who then becomes bait in a trap for Caesar. Caesar is killed, and the pregnant Snowene is shipped overseas, destined for a zoo.
Kimba is born on the ship. Snowene teaches him his father's ideals. As a huge storm approaches, she urges Kimba out to leave through the bars of her cage. The storm wrecks the ship, leaving Kimba floundering in the ocean. The fish help him to survive and learn to swim. As he begins to despair, the stars in the sky form his mother, and she encourages him with loving guidance. Guided by butterflies, Kimba makes it back to land.
Kimba lands far from his ancestral home and is found and cared for by some people. Kimba learns the advantages of human culture, and he makes up his mind that when he returns to his wild home he will bring civilized culture to the jungle and stand for peace like his father.
The show follows Kimba's life after he returns to the wild (still a young cub) and shows his learning and growing during the next year. One thing Kimba soon learns is that true peace will require communication and mutual understanding between the animals and humans.
Kimba, the white Lion has finished publishing and it has 23 Chapters. It is also Known as: ジャングル大帝, Jungle Emperor
8. Shin Chuuka Ichiban!
After the death of Mao's mother, who was called the "Fairy of Cuisine", Mao must strive to become a legendary chef himself, in order to take the title as head chef at his mother's restaurant. To do this, he must travel across China to learn the many ways of cooking. During his journey, he meets great friends and also fierce rivals.
Shin Chuuka Ichiban! has finished publishing and it has 108 Chapters. It is also Known as: 真・中華一番！, Shin Chuuka Ichiban!
7. Qiang Jin Jiu
The Six Prefectures of Zhongbo were ceded away in surrender to the external enemies, and Shen Zechuan was taken into custody in the capital, reduced to a drowning dog loathed and condemned by all. Xiao Chiye followed the scent of the furor and made his way over. But instead of setting others on him, he kicked Shen Zechuan with his very own leg that rendered the latter an invalid. Who would expect this invalid to turn around and bite him in a counterattack until he was all drenched in blood? That was the start of an epic feud between both men who tear at each other every time they come face-to-face with one another.
“Fate wants to bind me here for life, but this is not the path I choose. The yellow dust submerged my brothers deep under. I have no wish to bow in submission to an illusory fate. The imperial edict couldn’t save my troops, and the imperial court couldn’t fill the stomachs of my mounts. I’m no longer willing to lay down my life for this purpose. I want to overturn that mountain. I am going to fight for myself.”
Qiang Jin Jiu has finished publishing and it has 282 Chapters. It is also Known as: Jiang Jin Jiu, QJJ
6. Gosick RED
Gosick RED is a light novel that acts as the sequel to the Gosick light novels written by Kazuki Sakuraba. It is followed by the upcoming Gosick BLUE. The story is set in New York City in 1931, where Kazuya Kujou and Victorique de Blois live new lives after their experiences in Sauville.
This page includes the following volumes:
Gosick RED
Gosick BLUE
Gosick PINK
Gosick GREEN
Gosick RED has finished publishing and it has Chapters. It is also Known as: GOSICK -ゴシック- RED, Gosick BLUE, Gosick PINK, Gosick GREEN
5. Sha Po Lang
In the age of the Great Liang Dynasty, the lives of the people were made convenient with steam-powered machines that run on a fuel named Violetstream Gold. Chang Geng, who lived in a small countryside village, shared a distant relationship with his mother while his stepfather was away most of the year round, and the only people he was close to were two little kids, the village teacher, and his yi fu – adoptive father. But his life was flipped upside down one day following the barbaric Man tribes’ invasion, and it turned out that his entire identity had been an illusion – not only was Chang Geng himself not the country boy he thought he was, but also his mother, his teacher, and even his beloved yi fu…
Sha Po Lang has finished publishing and it has 143 Chapters. It is also Known as: SPL
4. Chuuka Ichiban!
The story takes place in 19th century China during the Qing Dynasty, where the Emperor was weakened and the country was close to chaos. It is also during a fictitious era called "The Era of the Cooking Wars". It was an era in which top chefs with different cooking styles tried their best to improve their skills and to become the best chef in China. It is a country where insulting a high-grade chef or fooling around with cooking could land a person in a jail, and impersonating a top-chef is as good as usurpation of authority. Chefs compete with each other in order to gain respect and even power, but also with the risks of losing everything.
After the death of Mao's mother, Pai, who was called the 'Fairy of Cuisine', Mao becomes a Super Chef in order to take the title as Master Chef of his mother's restaurant. However, before he takes his mother's place as Master Chef, he continues to travel China in order to learn more of the many ways of cooking, in the hopes of becoming a legendary chef, just like his mother. During his journey, he meets great friends and fierce rivals who wish to challenge him in the field of cooking.
Cooking Master Boy has finished publishing and it has 36 Chapters. It is also Known as: 中華一番！, King of Tower
3. Yuukoku no Rasputin
The Kafkaesque autobiography of a diplomat who compares himself to Rasputin, as he gets caught up in a political purge during the early 2000s.
A legal thriller with a dash of geopolitics.
Note: Despite the title, this manga is not a chronicle of Grigori Rasputin's life.
Rasputin the Patriot has finished publishing and it has 53 Chapters. It is also Known as: 憂国のラスプーチン, Yuukoku no Rasputin
2. 80's video trip
Naoto took a video trip back to the past to his parents' days of youth.
80's video trip has finished publishing and it has 1 Chapters. It is also Known as: 80's video trip
1. Youhei Pierre
In the fifteenth century, when the French and English were at war, there appeared a woman claiming to be a visionary of God. She was Joan of Arc.
Mercenary Pierre has finished publishing and it has 26 Chapters. It is also Known as: 傭兵ピエール, Youhei Pierre
