10 of Best Manga For Beginners in 2023

manga

Manga is something that a lot of people across the world appreciate to read. There are various types of manga present, and we have even written countless articles regarding manga as well. 

So, you can easily read those articles, as well. However, in this article, we will be discussing some of the best manga that people who are just starting out in the world of manga would prefer to read. 

It should be noted that there are a number of different manga present, and some of them have been going on for decades now, so it is best suited for you to start off with a manga series that currently has a shorter number of volumes. 

Otherwise, it might get a little too much, and you might decide to tap out of the story. So, with all that said, here are some of the best manga that beginners can try out. 

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Jojo Bizzare Adventure

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a beloved manga series that was written by Hirohiko Araki. The story of the series follows the character of Jojo, who is in a battle against his stepbrother. 

Back when it was launched, the series was part of the Shueisha’s shōnen manga magazine, and the chapters would come out weekly. 

That era of Jojo Bizzare Adventure is known as the Shōnen Jump, and it continued till 2004. However, after that, it was transferred to a monthly seinen manga magazine in 2005, and since then, it is referred to as Ultra Jump.

English publisher: NA Viz Media

Genre: Adventure, Supernatural

Magazine: Weekly Shōnen Jump, (1987–2004) | Ultra Jump, (2005–present)

Published by: Shueisha

Volumes: 131

Kingdom

Kingdom is also a very popular manga series that is written by Yasuhisa Hara. The manga series has been around since 2006, and it tells the story of the character Xin. 

Xin is an orphan boy who dreams of becoming the best general that the world has ever seen; he also has a friend, Piao, who shares a similar dream. The story is about their friendship and how they try to continue towards their goal. 

Genre: Adventure, Supernatural, Seinen manga

Published by: Shueisha

Released: April 19, 2006

Volumes: 69

Grand Blue

Grand Blue is a manga series that is written by Kenji Inoue, and the illustration is done by Kimitake Yoshioka. The series has been serialised since April 2014.

It follows the story of Iori Kitahara, who settles from a different place to have a new start. Iori stays in a place that is above a diving shop, which belongs to his uncle.

After some days, Iori quickly learns that the divers that are part of the club don’t actually come for diving, but they actually perform antics.

Genres: Seinen manga, School story, Sports manga, Comedy

Published by: Kodansha

Released: April 7, 2014

Volumes: 20

Mushishi

Mushishi tells the story of the character who goes by the name of Ginko, and the series focuses on his adventure spanning Japan as Ginko tries to help the people who have been affected by the spirits known as Mushi. 

Mushis can be both helpful as well as harmful too, and the problem is that most people aren’t able to see them. 

The artistry and the overall story of the series are pretty great, and if you are a beginner, then you should definitely check this series out. 

English Publisher: Del Rey Manga; Kodansha USA (digital)

Magazine: Afternoon Season Zōkan; (1999–2002); Monthly Afternoon; (2002–2008)

Published by: Kodansha

Volumes: 10

Chainsaw Man 

Chainsaw Man is a fairly new manga series, and it follows the story of Denji. Denji is shown to be someone who lives in poverty, and along with him is his favourite pet, Pochita, and they both are quite happy.  

However, things decide to take a turn when Denji is actually set up by his employer as he is falsely lured into a devil’s lair. 

Over here, Denji is attacked, and what follows is an adventure and tale between Pochita and to what lengths it would go to save Denji. 

English publisher: NA Viz Media

Genre: Shonen manga

Volumes: 15

REAL 

Real is a wheelchair-based basketball manga series that is written by Takehiko Inoue. It follows the story of three different people, and all three are victims of marginalization, which also end up affecting their mental health. 

The manga is keen on inspiring the readers by showing the struggles of the three protagonists, who do not give up on their dreams and instead focus on their love for basketball.

English publisher: NA Viz Media

Genre: Sports Genre

Original run: October 28, 1999 – present

Published by: Shueisha

Volumes: 15

20th Century Boys

20th Century Boys is a mystery/drama manga series as it tells the story of Kenji Endo and his friends. One day, they all come across someone who refers to himself as a “Friend” and asks for their help to demolish the entire world. 

As the series continues, Kenji and his friends find out that this person is somehow related to their childhood, and together, they find out about him and try to save the world from ending. 

English publisher: NA Viz Media

Genre: Science fiction, Action manga, Detective/Mystery

Published by: Shogakukan

Volumes: 22

Tokyo Ghoul 

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul is a very famous name in the world of manga, and it is a dark fantasy manga series that tells the story of a young boy, Kaneki Ken, who lives alone. 

One day when Ken manages to go on a date with his fellow crush, who later reveals that she is actually a ghoul. 

After this, what follows is a bizarre sequence of events that cause Ken to be rushed to the hospital, and he undergoes an operation that ends up changing his life forever.

English publisher: NA Viz Media

Genre: Dark fantasy; ‎Supernatural thriller‎;‎

Published in: September 8, 2011

Volumes: 14 

The Promised Neverland 

The Promise Neverland is a Japanese manga series that follows the story of Emma and her siblings, who were told that they were living in an orphanage.

However, soon they realise that they were actually just being kept as food for a monster as Emma learns the about the truth of the orphanage. 

As soon as she gets to know about what awaits her and her siblings, she decides to run away with all of them. 

English publisher: NA Viz Media

Genre: Shonen manga

Volumes: 20

Berserk

Berserk

Berserk is also a manga title that has been mentioned quite a lot of times on this website. The manga showcases the story of a  former mercenary whose name is Guts.

Guts was once betrayed by his best friend and this betrayal ends up in various tragedies as Guts finds himself in gruesome and sometimes unimaginable situations. 

However, he never stops, and he constantly finds the will to continue. The journey of Gust can often be a bit too dark for the readers, but this series is considered to be one of the best manga series dated 

English publisher: NA ‎Dark Horse Comics

Genre: Seinen manga, Fantasy

Published by: Hakusensha

Volumes: 41

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Conclusion

Well, there you have it. An article discussing some of the best manga for beginners. 

As I mentioned at the beginning that there are multiple different manga with various numbers of volumes, I tried to include a mix of series that have been going on for a long time, against some that are quite new, as well. 

So, you can easily choose any of them, and decide which series would be your first manga series. 

There are various other articles also available that discuss in-length about manga, that are available on our website, so you can check those out, as well. 

As always, these have been my thoughts regarding this topic. What about you? Do you agree with my list? Or do you think that I missed out a few?

Whatever your thoughts are, do let us know about them in the comments down below!

Picture of Sanjit Mansingh

Sanjit Mansingh

Sanjit Mansingh is a Journalism and Mass Communication graduate. While studying in this field he quickly realized what he wants to do in his life: Filmmaking. His interest in writing scripts is what made him give a try in the world of content writing. Sanjit's an avid Movie Geek and is an award winning Director as well.

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