Manga (komikku) are Japanese comics, which often become the basis for the creation of anime.
It is believed that the origins of this literary genre originated in the land of the rising sun more than two hundred years ago. But in the form in which manga is presented at the moment, it arose after the end of World War II.
Undoubtedly, its style was greatly influenced by Western (in particular American) traditions of writing and designing comics, but manga also has deep roots in Japanese art from a much earlier period.
In their homeland, these comics are incredibly popular - they are read by people of all ages and taste preferences. Manga is respected both as a form of fine art and as a unique literary genre. We present the top 10 most popular manga.
Mighty Atom
Mighty Atom
manga , also known as Astro Boy, has been serialized in Shonen magazine since 1952. The main character of the work is the powerful robot Atom, which was developed by Dr. Temma.
The scientist decided to construct the Atom to embody his son Tobio, who tragically died in a car accident. However, after some time, the professor realized that artificial intelligence could not replace his son.
Tenma decides to get rid of Astro Boy and sells him to the cruel circus owner Hamegu. But, after some time, Professor Ochanomizu accidentally saw Atom among the circus performers. He begged the owner of the robot to give it to him.
Studying Atom more and more, the professor realized that this iron guy is endowed with incredible power, and now he can experience real human emotions!
Golgo 13
Manga by Takao Saito has been published in Big Comic magazine since January 1969. This work in Japan is considered the longest manga in history.
Almost nothing is known about the hero Golgo 13 His signature sign is a skeleton wearing a crown of thorns.
The nickname “Golgo” is a reference to Golgotha, the very one on which, according to biblical texts, Jesus Christ was crucified.
Pokemon Adventures
The legendary manga “Pokemon Adventures” was created by Hidenori Kusaki. It is based on the plot of the Pokemon game series.
Here the action takes place in an alternative reality. In this world there live creatures who have supernatural abilities. They are called Pokemon here.
The people who are the trainers of these creatures prepare them for fights with the Pokemon of other trainers: to some extent, such battles are similar to the usual sports competitions held among people.
The main character of the work is Pokémon mentor Red, who travels around the Kanto region and together with his comrades, and tries to prevent the criminal actions of Team R.
Doraemon
The authorship of this popular manga belongs to the author duo Fujiko Fujio.
Episodes of the work were published from 1969 to 1996. A total of 1,344 issues were created. The total circulation is approximately 100 million copies. The plot of the comic centers on a robot cat named Doraemon , who made a time jump from the 22nd century to help schoolboy Nobit Nobi.
Dragon Ball
The Dragon Ball
manga was created by Akira Toriyama. It was published in separate chapters in the Japanese edition of Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995.
The plot of the manga is based on one of the 4 classic Chinese novels that are popular in the land of the rising sun, “Journey to the West.”
The central character of the work is a boy with a monkey tail named Son Goku. He learns martial arts techniques and searches for the seven magical objects, better known as the “dragon pearls.”
Naruto
Naruto is the most popular anime not only within the homeland, but also in many other countries; the manga belongs to the authorship of Masashi Kishimoto. The work was written in the shonen genre, which is characterized by an abundance of humorous episodes, focusing on the themes of male friendship, the confrontation between good and evil forces, or martial arts.
The main character of the manga is Naruto Uzumaki. This is a noisy and energetic teenager who, more than anything else, wants to achieve universal recognition and earn the right to be called Hokage - the head of his village and the strongest ninja.
To achieve his dream, the young man will have to go through thousands of tests: ninja exams, various missions and battles.
Detective Conan
Detective Conan is a very famous manga in Japan created by Gosho Aoyama. Since 1994, the manga has been published in the pages of Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine.
A seventeen-year-old boy named Shinichi Kudo is interested in detective stories and loves the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He selflessly helps law enforcement agencies in investigating complicated crimes.
During the next operation, he falls into a trap, and the bandits force him to swallow a poisoned pill. But, due to unforeseen circumstances, the poison did not kill Kudo, as the criminals had hoped, but turned him into a seven-year-old boy.
Professor Agasa, Shinichi’s comrade, is unable to return him to his real appearance. From that moment on, the homegrown detective decides to hide his identity under the pseudonym “Edogawa Conan.” Now his main goal is to find and neutralize members of the criminal community who tried to kill him.
Volleyball!! | Haikyuu!! | ハイキュー!! (2012)
This entire list so far has consisted of horror, action, and superhero manga. However, there are a huge number of sports mangas, and the most popular of them is “Volleyball!!”
"Volleyball!!" is an uplifting and inspiring sports manga with an anime adaptation about a high school volleyball team. The popularity of manga grew so dramatically that half of Japan's youth became fans of the sport, and suddenly volleyball teams began to appear in every school in the country.
The series relies entirely on the willpower of the characters and their relationships. They grow in both personal skills and teamwork. They learn to love and care for each other. They also face increasingly difficult problems and refuse to give up.
This is the police station near Kameari Park in Katsushika Ward
The humorous manga “This is the police station near Kameari Park in Katsushika District” was published from 1976 to 2016 in the famous Shonen Jump magazine. In total, more than 1,800 chapters of the work were published, making it the longest-running Japanese comic in the history of this genre.
The plot of the manga takes place in a Tokyo police station, around the funny incidents that happen to an elderly law enforcement officer.
Dr. Stone | Dr. Stone |ドクターストーン (2017)
While most classic manga followed many of the genres we've already mentioned, modern manga is evolving in more exciting and varied directions. Specifically, “Dr. Stone” brought the edutainment genre.
Dr. Stone is a post-apocalyptic manga about an arrogant, cocky scientific genius (think Rick from Rick and Morty in the body of a Japanese high school student). When a sudden "apocalypse" turns everyone in the world into statues, Senku becomes one of the first people to return to life after nature took 3,700 years to reclaim the earth. Using his brains in chemistry, engineering, physics, etc., Senku goes on a mission to find a cure for petrification, as well as the cause of it.
“Doctor Stone” is a series of educational and entertainment programs. It offers readers real-life lessons in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering as the action unfolds and the story progresses.
One Punch Man | One Punch-Man | ワンパンマン (2009)
This is another very popular and praised modern manga inspired by superheroes, and it certainly has a compelling story behind it. The creator of One Punch Man, known as ONE (who also wrote Mob Psycho 100), is not the most talented artist. The original incarnation was a crude webcomic. The manga as it exists today is a reworking of the original and is designed by artist Yusuke Murata, who is one of the most talented artists in the manga industry.
The manga has also been adapted into a short anime series with top production values and smooth animation. The first season of the anime was simply great. However, the anime's second season, handled by a different studio, was decidedly less impressive, which only gives anime fans more reasons to switch to the manga. I would even say that avoiding the second season of the anime entirely is a smart move.
Plot-wise, it's a comedy and action film that tackles some pretty smart philosophical questions about things like: the purpose of life, personal motivation and drive, what gives us true satisfaction, the importance of goals. One-Punch Man is a twenty-something former employee named Saitama. After too long and hard training, Saitama becomes incredibly strong, so much so that he is able to defeat any enemy with one blow. Thus, Saitama faces more absurd and enormous enemies.
The way the manga takes this concept and how it manages to stay fresh is consistently interesting. Not to mention, every fight is drawn with amazing detail and flare.
