A heartbreaking tale rife with unrequited love, mental illness, self harm, and abuse. This manga will tear your soul out of your body. This manga was so emotionally traumatizing I ugly cried after finishing it. Probably the best depiction of depression in any medium I have experienced. A manga that I felt a huge personal connection with. I felt understood while reading this. Not a manga for everybody and if you have any triggers it will probably trigger all of them so you've been warned.

This one is objectively the best manga ever made, regardless of this opinion. Has been ongoing since 1989 and I'm glad I waited to binge the whole thing so far instead of waiting for the snails pace of releases over the years, granted now that I'm caught up it's gonna be another 10 years before this damn comic is finished. In any case it is still very much worth reading. The artwork is the most detailed and beautiful I have ever seen in a manga before, so good in fact that most anime adaptations fail to capture the grandiosity. Not only that but the story is one of the most original of its kind, being Japan's first foray into dark fantasy. Expertly written, ridiculously good world building and evolution. Don't let the macho man look of the protagonist fool you, though the series has tons of carnage it's a lot more than it seems. It's a tragic and enraging tale about struggling against astronomical odds. It's about what it means to be a family and holding on to what is precious as hard as you can. There are so many themes and so much character growth for the characters. This is a deep and rich story you're going to want to be a part of. Also trigger warning again for just about everything.

EDIT: The author died recently so the the future of the series is up in the air, here's hoping they can wrap it up with an ending but at this point nobody knows what they're going to do. In any case the last chapter made ends with a reveal that feels like an ending in itself and a lot of fans have come to terms with it just ending there. Still worth reading.

EDIT2: They're continuing the series! Under supervision from the late mangaka's best friend who actually has some entries on this list.

Another manga about mental illness and abuse (you'll notice this as a running theme). What makes a person special? Are you special? A coming of age tale about a lonely boy that loves poetry and the girl that changes his life forever. A great tale of self-hatred and unbridled teen angst. A tale about love and growing up. A real tear jerker. Trigger warning again.

Made by the same mangaka that did Flowers of Evil, this is a macabre coming of age story/romance with vampires. It explores budding sexuality and dealing with hormones as well as the namesake and what that truly means. As heart wrenching as it is gruesome. Also a much better love story than twilight.

As someone who grew up getting into fights this manga portrays that violent teen angst best. The feeling of fear and adrenaline, of physically dominating an opponent, the feeling of losing yourself to violence, the taste of brutal revenge, it's all here. You see this through the eyes of the very depressed protagonist trying to find his "Holyland". This manga tackles bullying, suicide, and depression shockingly well. Sometimes to really find out who you are and to find a reason that you exist fighting is the only thing that will make any sense. I also enjoyed the fact that a lot of his opponents gain respect and become friends with the main character after their very brutal fights, I can say first hand that this often happens. The bullies that I ended up with good terms on were the ones I fought. Another thing I really liked about this manga was the worthlessness the main character feels, I haven't read many manga that portray this feeling so well.

Orange is a shoujo manga about friendship, love, and unfortunately suicide. Often times it's hard to tell when someone wants to take their own life and we will inevitably find ourselves questioning what we could have done differently to prevent it. In this manga the main character gets exactly this chance to stop a tragedy.

Solanin is a slice of life manga that tackles coping the death of a loved one. It also has themes of friendship, coming to terms with failed dreams and getting older.

A soul shattering manga about bullying the disabled. You will ugly cry with this one. Very triggering across the board, has some scenes that made me sick to my stomach. The bullying is shown very starkly and feels traumatizing to read. Ultimately it's a story about forgiveness and redemption and the life long consequences bullying can have on someone.

A manga where this guy drills a hole in his head so he can have psychic powers that lead him into an absurd journey of psycho-analysis. Amazing artwork and psychological nonsense throughout. Some horrific scenes.

This is gonna be a tough sell, IT'S NOT A HENTAI I SWEAR, it is about a guy that jacks off in the female restroom and hates everybody. It's another coming of age story that while the protagonist seems like an irredeemable pervert the story unfolds as to why he is the way he is and what it means to grow up and become a better person.

This is another manga about mental illness. The main character that makes manga and hentai for a meager living and suffers from Social Avoidance Disorder has a fan with Asperger's randomly show up at his doorstep that demands to live with him. A very heartwarming and borderline educational tale about coping with mental illness/disability. Also technically a romance. Both the male and female character suffered from abuse growing up, the female character's abuse being very severe so be warned about this one too. The artwork is a bit stiff but the message makes up for it.

A love story about an otaku man that is at first mistaken for a stalker/rapist and through a bunch of hijinks ends up falling in love. While somewhat crudely drawn the story is very funny and emotional and it is actually based on a true story about how the creator met his now wife. It is very candid and very much from a male perspective so while there really isn't fan service the main character is a bit of a pervert but that's part of his charm. He actually spent a lot of time on 2chan posting about his relationship troubles at the time and a lot of it is left in much to our enjoyment.

What are you supposed to do after doing something unforgiveable? This manga follows a group of friends that commit a horrendous crime and try to figure out what the hell they're supposed to do next. This manga is anxiety inducing to say the least and a thrill ride from beginning to end. It should be said though that there is a decent amount of sexual content so it's not going to be for everyone but it is censored. There is a TV mini series based on this manga you can watch as well.

An old guy that nobody cares about, even his own ungrateful family, is turned into a robot super hero. Extremely fun and fresh read with a ton of emotion. Made by the Mangaka that created Gantz. This manga has been made into a movie and an anime also.

A manga that follows legendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto's life. Some of the best artwork and storytelling imaginable. This story really sucks you in and has a ton of character growth. There is a literal farming arc where the main character literally just learns how to farm rice and it still manages to be absolutely gripping. Unfortunately this manga is ultimately unfinished and there are no plans to bring it back but it is still worth the read despite that. The last chapter is a pretty good stopping point anyway.

Yet another coming of age story, at this point I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with me. I think there was a lot missing in my life growing up and these stories fill that hole. ANYWAY, this story is literally a Zootopia rip off (the creator of the manga fully admits this) that is arguably better and is more upfront about racism, sexuality, having biracial kids even, this manga tackles it all through a furry lens. Don't let the furry stuff put you off, it's very good regardless. Many charming characters and romance to be had.

A very cute love story about this extremely aloof boy that this tsundere girl is obsessed with, nothing too new or original but a cute, heartwarming read to cleanse the palate of all the horrific abuse I recommended previously.

A short, creative, mind-bending manga with absolutely beautiful artwork. Has some Lovecraft inspiration and some awesome horror visuals. Not necessarily emotionally deep like the other manga but still a great read.

This is gonna be a tough one to recommend but here goes. So imagine you randomly lose your virginity to some girl that literally only wants to sleep with you to get it out of the way. You have an ok time but mostly feel weird about it because you're in love with your teacher but that'll never happen because well, she's your teacher dumbass. Then your old ass dad tells you that he's getting married and that 2 girls that are now supposed to be your step-sisters and his new fiancé are moving in with them. Those 2 girls? Yeah turns out one of them is your teacher and the other one is the girl you just slept with and they're actually sisters. Ridiculous page turning soap opera shenanigans ensue. It's an addicting read with some emotional maturity but ultimately it's just a soap opera with occasional fan service. There are sex scenes but they are censored. There is a few extra chapters with some boob so not for everybody if that gets you going. Also it has one season of an anime.

A horror tale about a mutant insect woman that murders people and is looking for a mate. Insanely great artwork and a short scary story that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.

How the hell did I forget this one? A manga about this down on his luck homeless guy who just wants to know what it's like to be able to eat good food, find a girlfriend, and maybe live something of a normal life. He ends up absorbing a chainsaw demon that turns him into a literal chainsaw man that hunts demons that threaten humanity. A brutal manga with a ton of heart, this one is a must read. Really brisk pacing and awesome artwork. Also very funny when it wants to be.

An extremely emotional and funny tale about a middle aged construction worker who has never been in a relationship or really had any friends or fulfilled dreams and his journey to change his life into something admirable. As a fellow mongoloid who also has never been in a relationship and will very likely die alone this manga really resonated with me. It tells a tale of strife and tragedy that is ultimately uplifting and inspiring. For some people life can be a nightmare where you struggle to even feel human or connected with others much less have someone fall in love or even like you, even then at work you might be devalued and life can beat your dreams to a pulp. What should we do when existing is a struggle in itself? This manga tackles those topics and is filled with humor and heart. For some of us the battle of living each day despite being failures is admirable in itself.

This one is sort of a half recommend, I did have a lot of fun reading this but I was also upset that the Harem grew to like 6 different chicks. I was sold on a love triangle of sorts but they JUST KEPT ADDING GIRLS. Anyway the premise of this one is yakuza kid is forced to pretend to be in a relationship with mafia girl for both families to be able to complete this business deal. Yakuza kid actually has a crush on someone else and suddenly there's like 5 other girls from his childhood that all fall in love with him and he has no idea and ends up in a bunch of wacky shenanigans trying to figure out which one he's actually in love with. Also he has a locket that can only be opened by one key and each of the girls has a key and when he was a kid he made a promise to be with the person who had the key that opened the lock. Romantic comedy hijinks ensue, managed to make me laugh pretty hard most of the time also has a lot of heart warming scenes and a satisfying ending.

This is a fun love story between this stacked gyaru and her teacher, wholesome despite a decent amount of fan service and also written and drawn by a woman so there's a different voice than usual with these types of stories. Very cute and funny, does not overstay its welcome.

Another cute/fun one about this girl that bullies and teases this artsy fartsy loner with a whole will they/won't they deal. Very funny and heartwarming. Also some decent character growth.

A beautifully written manga about love, life, and JAZZ BABY. Great coming of age story with a poetic style, deals with heartbreak and friendship, loneliness as well. Highly recommended, might make you cry by the end.

Absolutely adorable manga about this JACKED girl that professionally boxes that has a crush on her shrimpy trainer. They end up having to hide a relationship which leads to hilarious hijinks. Lots of heart and great gags. Also some pretty great hyped up fight scenes.

Another cute love story this time between a boy that makes traditional Japanese dolls and the gyaru obsessed with cosplay and how he unwittingly becomes her costume maker. Will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Actually somewhat educational when it comes to cosplay and all the work that goes into it. Was recently made into an anime.

A crazy ass action manga about a boy that can turn into a living fursuit and the perverted girl that enters him naked and pilots him like a gundam for extra power and their quest for revenge. This story is all style and some substance but the plot is mostly kind of nonsensical. Some spectacularly cool action scenes and fantastic artwork however.

Another cute one, strikingly similar to Gal Gohan. This one is about a Gyaru that teases this meek studious kid and sort of changes his life. Lot's of teasing, etc. Fan service isn't as egregious but it's still there. Great artwork.

OK.... Uh, I might have a problem. You might have noticed a lot of similarities with some of these manga, I tried to be slick and space them out but um... I seem to have a gyaru thing going. Please don't judge me. ANYWAYS, this one is about a gyaru that meets a new boy from the city and they quickly become friends. There is a love triangle arc as well, pretty standard fare and also great artwork.

Literally just pick any of his manga to read and it will chill you to the bone guaranteed. The master of manga horror himself doesn't even need an intro. Stand out titles are, Uzumaki, Tomie series, Hellstar Remina, just to name a few. He has the uncanny ability to draw the creepiest facial expressions. Lots of cosmic as well as traditional horror.

Made by the same author as Holyland. Not as good as Holyland in my opinion but still worth reading. It tackles a lot of similar subjects and in some cases takes it further. The premise is that for whatever reason Japan decides to dump suicidal people on an island instead of rehabilitating them, lawless hijinks ensue and a lot of murder and rape happens and a group of characters tries to live properly despite being suicidal. Also has a lot of educational survival tips which is pretty cool. Not for the faint of heart at all, while the manga isn't overly gory there are multiple scenes of attempted rape/full on rape, death, suicide, and child abuse that will probably keep you up at night.

Do I really have to say anything? Ok so the show is long and pacing is all over the place, read it then you idiot! It's the highest selling comic book on the planet for a reason. It outsold Batman AND Superman IN GENERAL. Yeah it's a thousand chapters so far and will probably have like 300 more before it's finished, so what? If you do the math on how long it took you to read any other manga you'll catch up VERY quickly. I have read through the entire series twice myself, it's doable. It's so entertaining those thousand chapters will fly by trust me. Catch up with the rest of us and be a fan of literally the most popular manga of all time. Stop being a stupid moron idiot!

A desperate panicky guy gets dumped by his first girlfriend and out of complete despair uses an escort service for a date and turns out the rental girlfriend he hired lives 3 doors down from his apartment and goes to his school and uses the escort service under an alias for extra money and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MUST ANYONE FIND OUT. Tons of wacky will they/won't they back and forth, sometimes to the point of enraging frustration, though I can't really judge being a hot emotional mess myself. Very funny and heartwarming as well, has managed to keep my interest for over 200 chapters though I need this guy to make a move already it's driving me nuts.

A webtoon with pretty terrible artwork (I can confidently say I can do better) but a pretty engaging story about a kid that is forced by his serial killer dad to help him murder unsuspecting women. What happens when suddenly your dad gets eyes for the girl you have a crush on at school? Throw in some bully/coming of age/poverty shenanigans and you got BASTARD. Manages to be very engaging despite its weaknesses.

A story about a mentally ill kid that gets viciously bullied and blames himself for the death of his brother who becomes a voice in his head. A pretty short read reminiscent of Oyasumi Punpun in a lot of ways, if you like tales about mentally ill people and abuse/bullying then it's right up your alley.

A beautiful manga about how failure can effect our psyche, about finding that one thing you can be good at and how to find that perseverance to keep going. Not a traditional romantic tale so you will be blue balled but that's not the point of the manga. This one will give you courage.

Literally Bill Nye the Science Guy: The Manga. A single scientist is tasked with rebuilding society after an apocalyptic event and he uses science to do a bunch of cool wacky stuff. Very educational and a lot of fun, there is never something boring happening in this manga. Very briskly paced and the artwork is absolutely stunning, Boichi is a modern master, great character design and anatomy exaggerated in all the right ways. It's hard to find an unlikeable character.

A fast paced wacky cartoony mess of a manga that I really liked. Explaining the manga is kind of tough but the main draw for this one would be the very charming and expressive artwork, sort of reminds me of my own art style so I'm biased. Not too long and never slows down or gets boring. The gist of it is this immortal guy that wishes he was dead and the mortal girl that wants nothing more than to live forever.

Easily one of the most original manga I have ever read. The premise is borderline nonsensical, it's about a lizard man that loves gyoza that has a man living inside him that is looking for the guy that killed him/and/or turned him into a lizard man and the cute muscle girl that joins him on wacky adventures in which they BRUTALLY maim and murder magic users that pop in from a different dimension or something. The plot has many twists and turns and the artwork is absolutely superb and grotesque. Action packed to say the least. Plot gets to almost Gurren Lagann levels of insanity and it is just a great satisfying and fun read even if it can get a little messy.

Yeah I know it's another gyaru one, go ahead and sue me. This manga is about a boy that has a spell put on him that makes gyaru/delinquent chicks instantly fall in love with him and he just wants a peaceful school life. Many hilarious situations ensue as well as completely absurd and over the top fights. He ends up attracting a bunch of girls with basically hulk level strength which leads to a lot of great gags. This series had me laughing my ass off on multiple occasions. My one complaint would be that there were a couple of arcs that got a little too serious, this manga shines brightest when they hit you with the jokes. Still a great read. Also the ending is a little abrupt.

A very heart wrenching, soul destroying story about a whole bunch of sad stuff. This one is very short so I won't go into the plot but if you want to feel something read this one. Guaranteed tear-jerker.

Commonly also referred to as "WataMote" since the title is so damn long. Extremely hilarious story about a perverted weirdo girl that has crippling social anxiety. She desperately wants friends and a boyfriend and continually fails at just about every situation. Might be a bit much for some folks since the character is VERY perverted and things do NOT go well for her until the far later chapters but I personally found the character very relatable and funny as hell. Adds a colorful cast of characters as the series progresses that contribute to the fun. There is one season of the anime out now which I hear is great.

A cute manga about this aloof loner guy and the girl from his college that keeps pestering him. Manages to be very funny and has a cute will they/won't they thing going on. Pretty simple and to the point. Also yeah she's got huge knockers.

A really cool and edgy manga about this kid that ends up turning into a ghoul through extenuating circumstances and has to deal with craving human flesh. Lots of action and cool characters. Also manages to be pretty emotional and has themes of overcoming trauma. Can also be considered a coming of age story. I recommend reading the manga over the anime as the endings and some plot points are wildly different. The manga is much longer as well and there are some twists that had my jaw on the floor that the anime just doesn't have. The original manga ends sort of abruptly and the sequel manga WILL be very confusing at first but once you get past that you will find a very rewarding story.

Pretty cute love story manga about some high schoolers trapped on an island. Manages to become QUITE the page turner after a while once the mechanics of the island are fleshed out but that's all I'll say about it. Not a particularly amazing read but if you want to read something nice I'd recommend it.

Another cute one about this boy and girl that have a long standing competition to see who can make the other person blush. Spoiler alert the guy loses most of the time and it's pretty damn funny. Super wholesome read, no funny business here.