10 Best Seinen Manga Of All Time, Ranked

Seinen manga is probably one of the hardest demographics of manga to define; while seinen manga are supposed to be for adults, much like how shonen manga can lean toward an older audience, seinen manga can also be perfectly fine for younger audiences, and they’ll only be called seinen because they happened to be published in a seinen magazine.

Because of just how much variety there often is with seinen manga, the entire demographic has always been popular with fans and critics, especially with people who feel like shonen manga can get too predictable. A few seinen manga are especially worth highlighting, as each one does a perfect job of showing off what, exactly, makes seinen manga so great.

10) The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

In Rikito Nakamura’s and Yukiko Nozawa’s The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, after Rentaro Aijou suffers 100 rejections, he’s told by the God of Love that he will gain 100 soulmates in high school, but he must find a way to love them equally or else risk killing them for depriving them of a soulmate.

As divisive as harem anime and manga can be, 100 Girlfriends excels not just because of its parody-laden writing, but because of how genuinely heartwarming the romance and friendships can be in a genre that’s often devoid of them. It’s a harem series unlike any other, and with season 3 of the anime in development, there’s plenty more in store.

9) Kingdom

Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom is a fictional account of the life of Li Xin, the general of the future legendary Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang. Much like in real life, their relationship paved the way for ending the Warring States period and uniting China under the Qin dynasty, one of the most important eras in the history of the nation.

For years now, Kingdom has unequivocally been one of the most popular manga in the world, and with its combination of great artwork and even greater character writing, it’s easy to see why. There’s never been a manga quite like Kingdom, and with it finally being officially released in English, there’s never been a better time to read it.

8) Record Of Ragnarok

In Shinya Umemura, Takumi Fukui, and Azychika’s Record of Ragnarok, all the universe’s gods have decided to erase humanity, but the Valkyrie Brunhilde, opposed to the decision, challenges the 12 strongest gods to fight history’s 12 strongest humans in a tournament called Ragnarok, giving humanity a chance to survive and the gods a chance to definitively prove their superiority.

From the very start, Record of Ragnarok never fails to deliver intense action with gorgeous illustrations, and with a surprisingly deep story that only grows more complicated, it’s always fun to read. The anime’s visuals and overall presentation have made it rather divisive, but fortunately, the manga is nothing short of a masterpiece.

7) Bocchi The Rock!

Aki Hamazi’s Bocchi the Rock! stars Hitori Gotoh, a girl who learns to play the guitar in an attempt to break out of her shell and make friends. That idea ultimately fails, however, and it isn’t until years after the fact that Hitori, now nicknamed “Bocchi”, can finally make friends after her impromptu induction into the band Kessoku Band.

While Bocchi the Rock! is most famous for its anime, the manga is still great for its cute art style and, of course, its relatable story of overcoming social anxiety. Bocchi the Rock! Season 2 will adapt the arcs where the story truly comes into its own, and hopefully, that will bring even more attention to such an outstanding manga.

6) Delicious In Dungeon

In Ryoko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon, after Laios’ sister, Falin, is eaten by a dragon in a dungeon raid, Laios’ team must race back through the dungeon to bring Falin back to life. To survive with a lack of resources, though, Laios gets everyone to eat the monsters they kill, something Laios was just looking for an excuse to do.

It’s one thing for Delicious in Dungeon to have great artwork, but between its fun cast and amazing worldbuilding, it’s hard to see it as anything other than one of modern manga’s best fantasy stories. Delicious in Dungeon season 2 will adapt the second half of the manga, and with any luck, that will cement it as an all-time legend.

5) Goodnight Punpun

Inio Asano’s Goodnight Punpun stars Punpun Onodera, an awkward young boy who, for some reason, is depicted as a cartoon bird while almost everyone else is depicted as a regular person. The series is focused largely on Punpun’s growth from childhood into adulthood, and despite the bizarre presentation, the story gets progressively darker with each passing milestone in Punpun’s life.

Seinen manga have a reputation for being dark, and as overblown as that may be, Goodnight Punpun stands out for its dark and thought-provoking narrative about human nature and the stunning art that complements it at every turn. It’s an incredible manga specifically because of how hard it is to read, and it’s nothing short of Inio Asano’s magnum opus.

4) Pluto

Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’s Pluto is a modern adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s legendary manga, Astro Boy. When a mysterious robot called Pluto starts killing the strongest robots in the world one after another, it falls onto robot detective Gesicht to uncover the truth, and it ends up going further than anyone could have imagined.

Naoki Urasawa is one of the biggest names in seinen manga, and with its great artwork and action, and mature narrative centered around war and humanity, Pluto is probably the best series that exemplifies that. It’s a perfect modernization of Astro Boy, but even without that, Pluto would still be nothing short of a masterpiece.

3) Vinland Saga

Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga is a fictional account of Thorfinn Karlsefni, the first Viking to form a major settlement in North America, i.e., Vinland. Thorfinn devoted his life to avenging his father’s death, but what followed was a story of Thorfinn questioning the meaning of life as he sought out redemption and his true purpose in life.

Between the gorgeous artwork and how well it switches from intense action to philosophical drama, Vinland Saga has long been one of the greatest seinen manga of all time, and it more than deserves that reputation. Vinland Saga recently ended its historic 20-year run, and there’s no denying that it will be seen as a masterpiece for years to come.

2) Berserk

Kentaro Miura’s Berserk tells the story of Guts, a man who was forced to watch his best friend destroy everything he loved to ascend into the demonic God Hand. Now wielding a giant sword, Guts travels the world hunting the God Hand to get his revenge, all while the world slowly becomes twisted by the God Hand’s various plots.

Berserk’s dark narrative, highly detailed artwork, and surprisingly mature writing have made it one of the most iconic manga of all time, and almost 40 years later, it still holds up amazingly well. Kentaro Miura tragically passed away before the story could end, but even if Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga hadn’t picked it up, its legacy would be undeniable.

1) Vagabond

Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond is a fictionalized account of the life of Musashi Miyamoto, the greatest swordsman in the history of Japan. Vagabond chronicles Musashi’s growth from a cocky man into a wise figure seeking the meaning of strength, all of which is paired with the growth of various other characters, most notably Musashi’s destined rival, Sasaki Kojiro.

Vagabond is often called the greatest manga in history, and with its gorgeous and detailed artwork and engaging philosophical writing, it’s easy to see why it’s held in such high regard. With how long Vagabond has been on hiatus, it’s unlikely to ever return, but even that doesn’t make it anything less than the greatest seinen manga of all time.

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