10 Manga You MUST Read

Manga is one of Japan’s most beloved and successful cultural exports. By extension, the anime industry is gigantic and incredibly lucrative. Its success originally hinged solely on the success of the manga industry which has been a beloved cultural norm for all ages in Japan for many decades. Its international popularity has exploded over the past couple of decades also with several anime adaptations paving the way for exposure and fan interest across the globe.

Manga tales are typically published on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis in black and white ink for collectors’ magazines. While most manga are born serialised in these magazines, the more popular ones eventually return in trade paperback volumes.

Manga has successfully encompassed any and all genres, demographics and age ranges: action, sports, romance, slice of life, science fiction, fantasy, comedy. You name it, manga has a story for it.

In amongst the thousands upon thousands of manga out there in the world, some are bound to stand ankles and toes above the rest. Let’s take a look at 10 such entertainingly essential reads the wonderfully diverse world of manga has to offer.

In a world ravaged by nuclear war, survival of the fittest takes over as the surviving 30% of humanity struggle for the scarce resources still available to them. Lead protagonist Kenshiro is introduced to us in the midst of a quest for that most precious of commodities: clean water.

Ambushed by a raiding biker gang, Kenshiro reveals himself as a master of the deadly Hokuto Shinken, an old school martial art made for carrying out assassinations. From here, we follow Kenshiro on an epic journey across a brutal, post-nuclear landscape. Seemingly everywhere he goes there are more enemies to throw down with and defeat. The bone-crunching action and suspenseful world building make this one a highly addictive read.

An action-packed entry in the adventure genre, Buronson’s 245 chapter eighties classic is a must read for new and old manga readers alike. Its exceptional quality is bolstered by the high intensity illustrations of highly acclaimed artist, Tetsuo Hara.

A seminal, classic manga, Fist of the North Star has become an immense best selling franchise over the years and influenced many great talents to come in the years since.