Manga Report Breaks Down the Most Popular Characters of 2022
2022 was a major year in the anime world. With anime adaptations like Chainsaw Man, Lycoris Recoil, Blue Lock, and Spy x Family taking the world by storm, new manga series and old favorites released plenty of new chapters to give fans more than enough material to read. Now, in an award ceremony to decide who are the standout characters in the medium for 2022, Booklive's Magademy awards have narrowed down their choices for the best manga characters as though they were winning the Academy Awards.
2021's Magademy Awards christened the likes of Manjiro Sano from Tokyo Revengers, Guts from Berserk, and Shinobu Wakamiya from Chihayafuru as some of the winners for the best in the medium for that year. As fans attempt to read free manga as much as they can, publishers are making good use of this digital age to allow readers from all over the world by placing more manga online. Viz Media, Kodansha, and other companies are continuing to spread manga stories outside of Japan and have made the medium a hit in North America. With the choices for 2022 best manga characters, Booklive might throw some readers for a loop when it comes to its picks.
Who Are The Best Manga Characters of 2022?
Booklive's Magademy Awards split the categories for best manga characters into best male character, best female character, best supporting male character, best supporting female character, best newcomer, and an award listed as "Special Jury Award":
- Best lead male character: Dai Miyamoto from Shinichi Ishizuka's Blue Giant Explorer
- Best lead female character: Inori Yuitsuka from Tsurumaikada's Medalist
- Best supporting male character: Chifuyu Matsuno from Ken Wakui's Tokyo Revengers
- Best supporting female character: Ai Haibara from Gosho Aoyama's Detective Conan
- Best newcomer: Rudo from Kei Urana's Gachiakuta
- Special jury award: Chiikawa from Nagano's Chiikawa
When it comes to Shonen Jump, more new manga might have the opportunity to take a bigger piece of the spotlight in the coming years. With the likes of One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen all inching toward their grand finales, the opportunity to become the "next big thing" might see some wild new entries introduced. As manga's popularity continues to increase, more anime adaptations will increase as well.
Who was your favorite manga character in 2022? Which brand-new manga character has resonated the most with you? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of manga.