Summary
To no one’s surprise, many shonen manga are serialized monthly in various magazines. Most manga fans mayrecognizeWeekly Shonen Jumpas one of the most popular publications. Still, others are just as prominent, such asV-JumpandFamitsu, which have serialized extremely famous series likeDragon Ball SuperandRyza no Atelier,respectively.
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Another magazine that has serialized very notable titles isBessatsu Shonen Magazine,which officially launched in 2009. Popular in its own right,Bessatsu Shonen Magazineis home to many manga titles, many of which are still running, that may surprise even the most dedicated manga fans.
8The Heroic Legend Of Arslan
Originally written as a light novel series by Yoshiki Tanaka,The Heroic Legend of Arslanmanga illustrates the age-old story of maturity, as demonstrated by its main character Prince Arslan. The artwork of the series is courtesy of theacclaimed manga artist Hiromu Arakawa, who is best known for the widely famed seriesFullmetal Alchemist.
Originally a carefree prince who knew nothing of the outside world, Arslan is ultimately forced to flee for his life after the kingdom of Pars is invaded by the opposing kingdom Lusitania. From there, Arslan begins a grueling attempt to retake the Parsian throne while fending off enemies from both inside and outside of Pars.
7Half & Half
Half & Halfpresents some interesting artwork, which gradually grows more and more detailed, wispy, and fantastical as the series progresses. However, this manga’s greatest strength lies in its story, which shows two complete strangers being bound together in the most bizarre of ways.
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Shinichi Nakagawa and Yuuki Sanada had absolutely no knowledge of the other’s existence until both of them werekilled by an oncoming truck. Shortly after getting killed, however, the pair are resurrected by God, who instructs them to never leave each other’s side and decide which of the two will continue to live on for the next seven days.
6Gunka no Baltzar
Being a militaristic series, it should come as no surprise thatGunka no Baltzarfeatures some pretty rugged artwork and character design. Even as the artwork becomes more polished as the series progresses, there remains a rugged aesthetic within the depictions of characters and settings.
Story-wise, renowned soldier and war lover Baltzar is set to become an instructor at the country of Baselland’s military school, much to his disappointment. As he struggles to get accustomed to his new role, Baltzar is forced to deal with both his student’s inexperience and the disdain the people of Baselland hold for artillery and weapons.
5Animal Land
InAnimal Land,the world is completely inhabited by all kinds of animals, with humans nowhere to be found. However, this changes when a raccoon named Monoko finds a baby floating in a river and decides to raise it to protect it from the more dangerous animals lurking about.
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Much like withThe Heroic Legend of Arslan,the author ofAnimal Land, Makoto Raiku, is best known for another popular series, something which is reflected in the artwork. In this case, Raiku is also the original creator of theZatch Bellseries, with characters from that series even appearing inAnimal Land.
4Flying Witch
Flying Witchtakes both of these elements for fans of witches and the supernatural and sets them in the real world. Combined with the main heroine’s airheadedness, this manga is sure to have fans enjoying the shenanigans that stem from the use of witchcraft in the real world, complete with broomstick riding and the astounded reactions that follow.
Flying Witchcenters around Makoto Kowata, a witch who moves in with her distant cousins to finish her studies and officially become a master witch. In the process of moving in with her cousins, however, Makoto must also attend the same high school as them, a concept foreign to Makoto due to her parents' warnings about high schools.
3A Silent Voice
Though most fans may recognize it as a renowned film released in 2016,A Silent Voiceactually dates back to a 2011 one-shot manga written by Yoshitoki Ooima. Its artwork may be simple and cutesy, but this manga pulls no punches when it comes toits major themes, which include bullying, disability, peer pressure, and redemption.
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Much like the movie,A Silent Voiceretains the same premise: Shoya Ishida and his friends bully their deaf classmate Shouko Nishimiya to the point that she moves away, resulting in Shoya’s isolation from the rest of his peers. At his wits' end because of this, Shoya decides to seek out Shouko and make amends for his past actions.
2Tomodachi Game
LikeA Silent Voice,Tomodachi Gamealsodeals with the heavy topic of financial insecurity, something which many readers may unfortunately be familiar with. However, this manga masterfully intertwines this heavy topic withan exciting and psychological storythat puts the trust and loyalty of each character to the test.
Tomodachi Gamefocuses on Yuichi Katagiri, a poor high school student who pursues happiness through the friendships that he currently has. However, Yuichi’s trust in his friends starts to waver upon the disappearance of the school’s field trip money and the subsequent induction into the Tomodachi Game, where he must find the culprit behind the money’s disappearance in exchange for great wealth.
1Attack On Titan
Since its debut in 2009,Attack on Titanis considered the most successful series serialized byBessatsu Shonen Magazine.Due to its immense popularity, the series has since received its share of spin-offs, namely the renowned anime adaptation, a drama CD, and even a novel adaptation written by the series creator Hajime Isayama.
There are many aspects ofAttack on Titanthat fans enjoy the most, but the most common reasons that are given are the impressive world-building, detailed artwork, and complex cast of characters that fans have had the pleasure to call their favorites. In particular,the main character of the series, Eren Yeager, receives an extremely complex character arc, going from a young man who loathed Titans to a more composed man with a nuanced worldview.
