For this libguide, we will focus entirely on manga! Manga is a form of comic book originating from Japan. While the term manga grows more inclusive with time, the use of this term typically implies that the media comes from Japan and has a strong Japanese cultural perspective. In short, all manga are comic books, but not all comic books are manga.
Things to know about manga:
How to read a manga. Image from Wikimedia commons.
After procuring the top manga fan sites, book sites, and scouring the lists of manga and anime experts, we have picked the top 10 manga of all-time. Click through our tabbed list, and if you see one you wish to start reading, please click on it to go to a 3rd party website where you may do so for free!
If you want to browse other manga based on your personal interests, here are a couple websites we use:
*Our determination, although researched, is still highly subjective. Our views are our own.
**Caution: Manga and anime sometimes contain adult content. Please research before you read to determine if the subject material is right for you.
Naruto
Summary (from amazon.com): "Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!"
Monster
Summary (from amazon.com): "Everyone faces uncertainty at some point in their lives. Even a brilliant surgeon like Kenzo Tenma is no exception. But there’s no way he could have known that his decision to stop chasing professional success and instead concentrate on his oath to save peoples’ lives would result in the birth of an abomination. The questions of good and evil now take on a terrifyingly real dimension."
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Summary (from amazon.com): "Young Jonathan Joestar’s life is forever changed when he meets his new adopted brother, Dio. For some reason, Dio has a smoldering grudge against him and derives pleasure from seeing him suffer. But every man has his limits, as Dio finds out. This is the beginning of a long and hateful relationship!"
Slam Dunk
Summary (from amazon.com): "Slam Dunk is the internationally popular basketball story of the Shohoku Prefectural High School basketball team, and their newest star player Sakuragi Hanmichi, who's also the newest freshman delinquent. A novice on the court, and in love, Sakuragi learns to master the game and will play to bring the national championship to Shohoku and true love to his heart."
Dragon Ball
Summary (from amazon.com): "Dragon Ball introduces a young monkey-tailed boy named Goku (a wry update of the classic Chinese "Monkey King" legend), whose quiet life changes when he meets a girl named Bulma who is on a quest to collect seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma could use the help of a certain super-strong boy."
Death Note
Summary (from amazon.com): "Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?"
One Piece
Summary (from amazon.com): "As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years, later, Luffy sets off in search of the “One Piece,” said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."
Vinland Saga
Summary (from amazon.com): "FOR HONOR AND VENGEANCE! 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 family, 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."
Berserk
Summary (from amazon.com): "Created by Kentaro Miura, Berserk is manga mayhem to the extreme - violent, horrifying, and mercilessly funny - and the wellspring for the internationally popular anime series. Not for the squeamish or the easily offended, Berserk asks for no quarter - and offers none!
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!"
Fullmetal Alchemist
Summary (from amazon.com): "Breaking the laws of nature is a serious crime!
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother’s bodies...the legendary Philosopher’s Stone."
