The Most Popular Japanese Manga

The Most Popular Japanese Manga The Most-Read Japanese Manga ChaptersOne Piece, Eiichiro OdaA Manga Legend: Dragon BallHunter x Hunter: Highly Popular Among Manga FansThe Cult of Death NoteNaruto: Popular MangaSlam Dunk: Making the Basket, Japanese-Style!Tite Kubo’s BleachCase Closed: A Runaway Success!Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Impressive LongevityFullmetal Alchemist: Finishing with a BangCool Japan, a Japanese cultural export concept, has given the broader world magnificent examples of such over the last couple of decades. Sake, sushi and J-Pop - including Tokyopop have all made their mark but the one facet of Japanese culture grabbing the most attention is manga.These graphic novels and their film counterpart, anime, are the cause of leagues of rabid fans in the west; in their country of origin (as well as abroad) the number of copies sold ranges in the millions.There is a good possibility that you already know what manga is but for those who come to this aspect of popular culture only now: manga is, essentially, Japanese comic books.The same manga artists that create those graphic novels are generally also responsible for the production of the ‘film version’ of their work. Those stories range from thrillers and adventures to romance and caricature.Superprof now takes you on a journey of discovery; together we’ll examine the ten most popular manga â€" the cream of the crop, so to speak, in order to provide you with the best point of immersion into this most enjoyable and engaging art form.Beware, though: globally, the majority of manga readers are young males; their preferred storylines are defined as Shonen.Therefore, you shouldn’t expect to see any Shojo (for females) titles like Nana or Seinen (older males) series like Gantz on this list.Discover the best Japanese classes London here. the best-selling manga of all time.Within the 92 manga volumes, we have been treated to the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate whose goal is to become the king of pirates by finding One Piece, the treasure left b y the old king Gold D. Roger.His secret weapon: he is completely elastic â€" a very handy way to battle against other pirates!Luffy and his ever-growing band have fought their way into fandom by sheer persistence (it has been a staple of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since 1992) and more than a bit intrigue: will he ever find that treasure?No other Japanese cultural export treats us to this level of entertainment; quite possibly it could be considered the crown jewel of the genre.A Manga Legend: Dragon BallIt would be impossible to discuss manga without mentioning Dragon Ball: one of the most renown and best-selling manga. Author of this masterpiece is Akira Toriyama.Granted, it is a bit older, having enjoyed its Shonen Jump run between 1984 and 1995 but you can still purchase tankoban (books) in the series.Dragon Balls: magic spheres capable of granting wishes. In Son Goku and Bulma’s world, such things are not that uncommon.The first tome introduces us to a number of friends as we ll as enemies that the protagonists defeat using their excellent martial arts skills and ‘ki’ or magic spells.If the manga is well-known, the anime series must be a part of global collective consciousness.The new series, Dragon Ball Super, premiered in 2015, much to the joy of anime fans the world over.Don’t just scout for the anime online though; head to your local bookstore or library to see if you can discover for yourself the joy and complexity of reading manga!Once you get started, you will be delighted to know that there are more Dragon Ball adventures to embark on:Son Goku: childhood and fight against Piccolothe battle against the saiyans who have come to invade the EarthRescuing planet Namek, which was colonised by Freezathe story of the Cyborgs and Cell’s tournamentFighting to save the world from a demonOnce you get started on these epics, you may just find yourself to be a super manga reader!Hunter x Hunter: Highly Popular Among Manga FansHere again, a shining exam ple of decades-long publication in Shonen Jump and as volumes in their own right â€" 36 of them, to be exact... and still, the story goes on!Two anime have been created based on Hunter; the more recent one is truer to the original story arc that the first effort.Meet Gon, a spirited young boy who wants to become a Hunter; an adventurer on sea and land... because he wishes to find his father, who was one of the greatest Hunters.Submitting to required examinations, Gon makes plenty of friends to follow him into adventure: Kirua, Kurapika et Leolio... and a frightful enemy: Hisoka.This series creator, Yoshihiro Togashi is also known for Yu Yu Hakusho â€" another excellent manga. He caters to those who like a bit of humour with their tension and combat.If that is you, you may have just found a manga to sink your teeth into!Nobody wants their name inscribed in the Death Note! Source: KanaThe Cult of Death NoteIt may be a bit difficult, once you start travelling in manga circles, to meet someone who hasn’t read Death Note. This Shonen â€" which actually skates very close to Seinen, enjoyed a relatively short run but actually revolutionised the otaku world.A passionate tale expressed through sublime artwork and a storyline that is as disturbing as it is enjoyable.One day, Light Yagami finds a notebook titled Death Note, wherein one could inscribe names. Everyone whose name has been entered dies.So begins Light’s crusade, under the pseudonym Kira: he seeks out those he opines are unworthy of life, with an elite police squad on his trail, led by the mysterious detective L.As though there weren’t enough intrigue built into the story itself, even the creator of the series is a mystery: Tsugumi Oba is a pseudonym for... who?Is Light heroic or an anti-hero? Read all about the heroes of manga...Slam Dunk: Making the Basket, Japanese-Style!Shonen Jump is really the go-to in manga publishing, and that is where we find this title, too.During it’s six-year run, this man ga was overwhelmingly popular because it embraced a sports theme â€" something few mangas had ever done. Even more impressively: it is the first manga about basketball.Hanamichi Sakuragi, a rebel in search of love, comes across beautiful Haruko, a girl mad for basketball. To impress her, he takes to the court even though he knows nothing of the game.Between romance and the love of the game, this story presents a slice of secondary school life, full of athletic rivalry and comedy.If sports is your game, you may want to dribble your way through all 20 volumes of this tale.A tale of morality as well as a reflection on the afterlife, Bleach gives us serious food for thought Source: GlenatTite Kubo’s BleachWith 74 volumes in the manga series and 366 anime episodes, Bleach manga enjoyed a long run of publication in Shonen Jump.The story takes us to a world where shinigami, angels of death chase ‘hollows’ - corrupt human spirits, with the intent of sending them to Soul Paradise.Rukia is shinigami but, following a difficult battle, she transfers her powers to Ichigo, a human (and the story’s protagonist).This extended-run story involves several important characters, including:Ichigo Kurosaki, a big-hearted shinigamiRukia Kuchiki, the shinigami who conferred her powers onto Ichigo,Orihime Inoue, a human who has the power to heal and protectYasutora Sado (Chad), a human with a superhuman armIshida Uryu, a quincy with a magic bowKon, the comical sidekick with a soul squeezed into the body of a stuffed animalFor its frenzy of combat, reflections of justice and dark ambience, Bleach is not to be missed, either in anime or manga format.You really need to understand manga as an art form to grasp all of its nuance... learn everything you need to know about reading manga!Case Closed: A Runaway Success!What is the Japanese equivalent to Sherlock Holmes? Few Japanese comics would tempt you to call off from work or school for a week just to get caught up on them; Case Clo sed is one of them.Shinichi Kudo, a 17-year-old student with a fair measure of success as a detective is forced to swallow a toxin that will make him regress to childhood.To lead the investigation into the ‘Black Organisation’ who visited this curse on him, he adopts the name Conan Edogawa and, to ‘disappear’ himself, takes up residence with Ran Mori and her father.This serialized story, with sales in the millions, has been ranked the fourth bestselling manga of all time.Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Impressive LongevitySo difficult is it to categorise this Japanese comic book series that, through the course of its long run, it moved from Shonen Jump to Ultra Jump â€" the seinen anthology.Is it fantasy? Horror? Action? All of them?Written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki, this manga has featured in Jump since 1986. That record of publication, along with its monumental 124 volume collection makes Jojo one of the greatest stories to reckon with in the history of manga.The compl exity of Jojo lies in the fact that it tells its tale of one family from many perspectives; every family member’s name is condensed down to Jojo and each Jojo follows their own story.As of 2016, more than 100 million volumes of Jojo have been sold worldwide.Have you too stepped into Jojo’s universe?Even in the fantastic world of Japanese anime there are rules to follow! Source: KurokawaFullmetal Alchemist: Finishing with a BangNo manga compilation or collection would be complete without the only manga to have never been published in Jump.Fullmetal Alchemist is a fantasy/adventure story that very much recalls the Steampunk world.Here we cast our lot with brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, whose mother had died. They attempted to bring her back to life through alchemy.Their failure cost them dearly: Edward, an arm and a leg; Alphonse’s entire body vanished, leaving his soul trapped within his armour. Edward regained limbs, albeit made of metal â€" from which he derives his name .To fully understand the limits of alchemy in this story, you must understand the rules governing the practice:Humanity may obtain nothing without giving something in return. For each receipt, there must be something of equal value lost. In alchemy, it is the fundamental law of equivalent exchange.Should you be interested in exploring this world, beware: the manga and anime will push you to the edge of your philosophical reasoning... and maybe a bit beyond!There are so many manga books and so much Japanese animation to take in; we could hardly cover every single one!If you too are otaku â€" obsessed with this aspect of pop culture, you will appreciate our paying homage to these titles:Attack on titanMy hero academiaOne punch manBerserkGolgo 13KochikamePokemonHokuto no KenYu gi oh!AkiraMonsterFairy TailGreat Teacher Onizuka (GTO)Now that you have an expanded list of manga to explore, it would be a cinch to read manga online!And did you know that reading manga can help you learn the J apanese language? Of course, you would have to buy manga magazines in Japanese and know a bit about the language...That’s something Superprof tutors can help you with!