Manga is a very booming industry in Japan, arguably the most successful comics industry by country. Which is also why there is underrated manga around all of the magazines. Much like the rest of the underrated comics pages, we’ll be needing some guidelines for series to qualify for the list.
- The manga cannot have adaptations like anime, live-action productions, stage plays, etc.
- This also discounts manga adaptations of written or visual novels, games, movies, and Western media.
- This will include from all manga publishers from their original sources like Shueisha. This does not include translations.
- Must have publishing dates of more than 1.5 years and no less than 8.
- Web manga is optional.
- No award winners or nominees like Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha.
- Cannot be on lists of the most popular manga.
- Nothing with Drama CDs, side stories are fine.
- Spin-offs/sequels of anything that meet the above points are not viable.
- Most importantly, the manga must have a rounded ranking of 7.5 (or 3.8) or higher on MyAnimeList and/or Anime Planet.
- However, this only includes comics of Japanese origin.
- Manga by non-Japanese people are fine if its creation and first publishing is in Japan.
- However, this only includes comics of Japanese origin.
- Only complete series can be on here as time will tell if ongoing series will meet the above criteria.
- There will be exceptions to these rules occasionally.
Please note that not all of these series are available worldwide or in certain languages. Feel free to leave suggestions to the list every now and then.
Underrated Manga Lists
Shueisha
God Sider is a series in the style of Go Nagai and Masami Kurumada about a battle between Heaven and Hell. With some classic designs and action, this series is a must for collectors.
Hareluya II: Boy is a sequel to another manga and it has a forgettable anime. It’s about God’s delinquent son starting a gang to help with people’s problems. Starts pretty straightforward before going into more serious issues. The manga shows that better.
The Tough franchise is probably the most overlooked martial arts manga about a high school champion. Being in the shadow of Baki, Kiibo Miyazawa embraces the ever learning and humbling experiences to improve. The highlight of this series comes in how the characters present themselves with tension that readers can feel radiating off the pages. Hence why its only adaptation just wasn’t enough for it.
Bremen might have a sequel, but no one talks about either one. Probably because it gets real about starting as a new rock band and no soundtrack. But it goes into the passion of playing music and trying to evoke that feeling.
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is a cult classic manga remembered mostly for its anime. So why’s it on here?! Because it’s impossible to find in most places and the anime ended on a cliffhanger. This parody of typical Shonen Battle manga is actually just the framing device for random sketch comedy humor. It’s what allowed many people to jump in without too much trouble, even when the translations had to cut some content. Some of the over-the-top happenings were copyright infringing.
Psyren is a shonen-style action series involving time travel, a death game, and psychic powers. Despite not having an anime to its name, this series shows the humanity inherit in its cast. From protagonist Ageha and the relationships he forms, every decision and action taken has a weight to them.
Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom is a unique supernatural action-comedy where the titular Cerberus demon must learn discipline. Stuck with super strict high school student council president Kazuma Magari, these two have to learn to cooperate. With rebel demons attacking the human world, the back and forth slapstick is an entertaining read. With all of the absurdity that comes from raising a pet, this series is popular enough for a sequel.
Kurohime is one of the more absurd series on this underrated manga list. Featuring a gun-toting witch who changes from a girl to a woman after defying a status quo, this series goes into detail on how some people’s drastic actions are out of love.
magico is one of the more interesting series on this list. Featuring a wizard and his newly wed wife on a quest to lift the wife’s curse; this series delves into the question of love vs. duty.
My Little Home is about two single-parent families learning to coexist after a real estate fraud. Despite this sitcom style set-up, the series does not shy away from the drama of domestic life. From cheating spouses to worrying over the small things, it’s an endearing story of growing comfortable.
Yamamoto Zenjirou to Moushimasu is a series about reconnecting with family. Hotate can see and communicate with ghosts, wishing to speak with her late mother. Later she moves into a farm of the enigmatic Zenjirou where she bonds with him. All while helping the spirits who have ties to the living.
Koisome Momiji is an anomaly in Shonen Jump’s lineup. This series is a romance about two high schoolers in the midsts of learning about love. No love triangle or harems, just moments that are both fun and youthful.
Peace Maker is a wild west manga about a wandering gunman looking for his brother. But the only way he can support himself is through quick-draw duels. For fans of the Mexican standoffs from Clint Eastwood starring movies, this series will provide something.
Gimmick! is one of the more unusual if underrated manga on this list. Featuring a make-up artist and a stuntman at their studio, the duo do all kinds of jobs for the right price.
Ad Astra: Scipio to Hannibal is a look at the battle between two of history’s most notable military commanders. This underrated manga series illustrates the rise of Hannibal as Scipio comes to blows with him.
Sinooh takes place during the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate where political upheavals of samurai are taking place. With orphan brothers struggling to survive, they embark on the warrior’s quest to find their place in the world.
Gamma is a series about a government organization that supports superheroes. With the world constantly under threat, many of these heroes go through identity crises. So to make sure everyone gets something out of it, two sisters do what they can to support these champions.
Yuugai Toshi is about the clash of censorship and freedom of expression. With the Japanese government cracking down on mass media in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, a mangaka finds himself and his fanbase at odds with the status quo.
Birdmen is a superhero series about people growing closer to one another after encountering a winged boy.
Demon Tune is an underrated absurd manga where a fairy meets a ninja. ‘Nuff said.
Batuque is a martial arts manga about the drive for freedom. When high school girl Ichiri Sanjou has trouble expressing herself, she discovers capoeira. Infusing the martial art’s background with Brazilian culture and crime drama, this is one series nobody should ignore.
Tenmaku Cinema is an underrated manga about the love for film making as personal expression even after death. When a movie lover meets the ghost of a screenwriter, their clashes and drive to make movies is inspiring.
Green Green Greens is an exceptional series for defying Shonen Jump traditions. Especially for a sports manga. Featuring a lead looking for direction as he starts to support someone, it turns into something else. A relatable journey about finding motivation to just exist.
Shogakukan
The Legend of A Strongest Man is a series dealing with how life can get people down in the worst of ways. With bad luck and bad decisions running Kurosawa’s life, he tries everyday to better himself. But those past actions and lack of a good upbringing make it hard for him. Combining everyday life with equal parts tragedy and humor, this series is a must for everyman fans.
The Heart of Thomas is a tragic love story about how the feelings and words of others remain with someone. After the last words of a friend are a confession of love, Juli grapples with despair upon reflecting on his life. When a new student appears resembling the late Thomas, this battle of the heart continues.
Zatch Bell! is definitely an anomaly. The reason we’re putting this RPG-like manga on here is because the anime came up short in the unique premise and the manga’s translations discontinued as it was getting good. Featuring a character-development magic system that emphasize strategy in flashy battles to determine the next king of the demon world, there are a lot of surprises. Amid goofy yet heartwarming downtime, there are tragic moments that emphasize our heroes resolve. This is definitely an underrated manga.
To further emphasize this franchise’s anomaly status on this list, it got a sequel 15 years after its finale. Despite heroes reaching their goals, the demon world is under attack and only a few survivors escape to Earth. To combat this new threat that steals their magic, the protagonists Zatch and Kiyomaro must gather forces of both new and old characters.
Happy Hustle High is a romantic comedy series where an all-girls school combines with an all-boys one. Whereas a number of series have all-girls recently going co-ed, this dynamic has the protagonist on the hunt for a pretty boy. One who funnily enough, has one of those manga-only allergies of girls.
Saruyama! is a series where perceptions have to give way to better understand people. Upon transferring to a public high school, Haruna Aizawa is hesitant to accept others after her father’s political scandal. Her classmate, Macharu however strives to better understand her in some very sincere ways even after an outburst.
Yomawari Sensei is a based on life story about a high school teacher helping troubled youths. The tension is suffocating because it shows how life won’t always change with a pep talk. But always trying to make a difference means a lot.
Itsuwaribito is a series about how deceptions and truths are anything but black and white. With the cast in compromising positions that continue to show scars, they go on a journey to help others through deception.
March Story by Korean (yet Japan based) duo Kyung-il Yang and Hyung Min Kim details a monster hunter. When demons appear out of paintings where tragedy comes from both victim and vessel.
Tada, Kimi wo Ashiteru is what happens when romance turns you astray. Two friends bond in university, one falls in love while the other has eyes for someone else. But will anyone be satisfied with their decisions, or do these two treat love more like a game?
Kongoh Bancho is an absurdly awesome Shonen Style series where school delinquents are practically superheroes. From gigantic muscular men, cybernetic sharks, and a likable cast, it’s a shame that this is an underrated manga.
Strain is a pulp style series about a hitman who after sparing a target starts a chain reaction. With organized crime everywhere (including mega-corporations) people look for reasons to exist in such a world.
Have you ever heard of the Iron Maiden torture device? Hengoku no Schwester reveals that the story behind it is fake. It’s actually the story of a revolutionary girl with fighting prowess against the protestant church.
Underrated Manga in Kodansha
A Diffusion Disease is an artful look at sadness and hope through a man warping in and out of reality. In fine detail, the viewpoint looks at life’s highs and lows throughout the world.
CLOVER is one of the most underrated manga to come out of CLAMP. Probably because all it has for an adaptation is a music video…and for being unfinished. Featuring a stylistic mechanical future world where readers experience how characters live in the strange.
Ningen Kyouki Katsuo! goes into the highs and lows of looking for confidence as a delinquent. It’s hard with a past weighing you down, but finding the right people changes that a lot.
Bakuon Rettou is about the infamous bosozoku gangs of Japan. But it takes a semi-autobiographical approach of being at the lowest in your life too early. Where once you have an outlet, even if it is on its way out, you can have one good memory to push you forward.
Gang King is about a delinquent in name only. It’s a surprisingly fun comedy about subverting expectations while embracing why people flock to the concept. Finding the confidence to get through life.
Animal Land is a series about different people in the journey to coexist. As a human child is adopted by a tanuki, the boy sets out to create a peaceful world where intelligent animals can live in harmony. As the series goes on with tales of hardships, the reader gets enthralled as they fall in love with the characters.
Emma presents a simple concept of a supernatural force of judgment. With the underworld full of innocents it takes a new perspective on things to sort out the mess.
Dragon Eye presents a classic post-apocalypse shonen series about monster hunters. The lengths that people go for the power to combat threats are one thing, but it’s important to remain true to themselves. With this series on hiatus, it can potentially go anywhere.
You might have come across the idol group AKB49 somewhere. Well Renai Kinshi Journei, goes into how tough it is to join that group. As well as what they have to give up to perform. Especially when you’re a crossdressing boy trying to support your crush.
Fort of Apocalypse is where going to jail for a crime you didn’t commit is actually a good thing. Because when the zombie apocalypse comes running, you’re going to need a place to bunk. Once the apocalypse does arrive, you find the best people in the unlikely places.
Path of the Assassin is Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima’s less notable piece. It stars the lord of the Iga ninja, Hattori Hanzo as he goes through life. From the friends he makes to the strategic maneuvers, this epic tale details a legend in the making.
Rin is a manga about dreamers and the journeys of life in their attempts to fulfill those dreams. With great detail about the process of manga, the cast spend time living in a slight urban fantasy. I mean the leading lady can see the future.
Red is one of the only manga to feature Native Americans. Taking place during battles of the frontier period like the Battle of Little Bighorn a motley crew assembles. With the titular character out for revenge his interactions with the people he meets force people out of their comfort zones. This creates a very humanizing story about people trying to make a living during hard times.
CITY from the creator of nichijou is a surreal-slapstick series about how insane everyday life is. What does a college student do when she’s in debt? It involves dealing with relationship and money troubles. A perfect story about people just trying to get through life, because it’s anything but simple.
Pitch-Black Ten is an underrated manga about a teacher and a mysterious boy clashing with a death cult. The journey here is about finding meaning in life without blindly following a status quo.
Origin is about a dystopic Japan where criminals lay about Tokyo. In addition creatures stalk the night with only the titular character out to stop them.
Real Account is a social thriller manga about identity. With everyone on a social media website, the mascot arranges a death game surrounding it. Diving into how people depend on their social media presences, this series displays how much of their persona a person can be.
Nekogahara presents a John Wick-like situation where cat samurai try to make a living by any means. As one eyed ronin Norachiyo wanders the land, Kurosawa-like moments appear throughout. From duels to the need to stay true to one’s beliefs.
Tomodachi Game is a series surrounding the value of friendship. While it’s easy to say that friends are the secret of life, to the point of working to spend special time with them; what happens when they get you into trouble? When money ends up missing to the point of debt, five friends are stuck in a death game. One where the games reveal the dark secrets of their current predicament.
ES: Eternal Sabbath features a psychic wandering Tokyo who can enter people’s minds and rearrange their memories to change their mindsets. Never has the saying “morality is relative” been more serious. Especially when these actions affect the way people look at the world.
All-Rounder Meguru is a manga about arguably one of the most authentic takes on MMA. With the training and physics that go into the techniques, this series puts similar sports manga to shame.
Kiichi! details the period of growth of a man from his childhood in the slums to adulthood. With a life of hardships, the title character is determined to turn his life around by any means necessary. All without compromising his morales.
Oyaji is yet another series about turning lives around. After a man is jailed for protecting his family from yakuza profiteers, he gets released to a family who look down on him. Making up for lost time is probably the most important thing to Kumada who takes the steps necessary to help his family.
Homunculus is a series about how the world changes once perceptions shift. As Susumu Nakoshi finds himself between lifestyles, he takes the chance to turn his life around. Through an experimental procedure, he gains the ability to see people’s repressed feelings. With character development after seeing the worst in people come about, this series deserves a look for its psychological premise alone.
Green Blood is a Wild West story about protecting what you value. As the American Dream feels so far away with mobs running a post-Civil War city district, two brother walk different paths. The younger brother tries to hold onto his virtues while the older one serves as a mob assassin. Each of them try to protect one another as the world becomes more bleak.
Kadokawa Shoten
Before the likes of My Hero Academia, Ratman demonstrates how a superhero status quo can go wrong. With superpowers being a corporate commodity, this series delves into how such a society functions. Because beneath the celebrity glamor there are dark secrets.
Bonnouji is about rediscovering yourself by opening up new possibilities. As the main couple bonds over their interests, a romance blossoms over quirkiness.
Heterogenia Linguistic is a series that turns the monster fantasy world concept around. Because who wouldn’t want to see how many different peoples live together; language is just a step around all of the other barriers.
Hakusensha
Sarashi Asobi is a non-traditional love story about interactions. A shinigami possesses a capable but depressed student council president. Revealing her loving nature, the shinigami Ai’s interactions with Ren begins to give him fulfillment. One that could change the course of either of their lives.
My Darling! Miss Bancho details the abnormal life of Hirayama Hayaka. Due to family troubles, she transfers from her private school to an industrial high school as the only girl. If that wasn’t enough there are plenty of school gangs around. Due to a series of mishaps however she ends up becoming leader of these delinquents.
Karakuri Odette is about an android in the age old question of differences between robots and humans. Going through high school Odette learns the ropes of being human.
Yukarism is a romance series where a novelist wakes up in the Edo period as a courtesan. Capturing the era’s romanticism including its contact with the English, this series is about reconnecting with loved ones. Unlike similar series that are more like power fantasies.
Hanatsukihime is an Arabian Nights inspired romance story about a deal with a devil. A dancer is searching the desert to find the demon who saved her in exchange for her life at 16. In classic fashion, she and the demon fall in love after some trials.
Warning: underrated manga New York, New York contains physical and sexual abuse of homosexual men, read with caution.
Kouji Mori has a lot of series that don’t get mainstream attention. In addition to Holyland, Jisatsutou deals with societal flaws. As suicidal patients in mental wards take a lot of time and money, the people behind them offer a dark choice. In their quest for meaning, people ask the hard questions if a meaningful life is just a self-delusion.
Akita Shoten
Nanairo Inko is arguably Osamu Tezuka’s most underrated manga. While Lupin III is the archetypical phantom thief series, Tezuka himself dabbles with the genre. Featuring an actor who presents his heists like theatre, the audiences get a performance that puts imitators to shame.
Full Ahead! Coco is the pirate manga franchise preceding One Piece by just a few months. While the public is galavanting with the Straw Hats in adventures that cross into different genres; Coco and his crew play straight in the genre with a treasure hunt that push them to self-discovery.
Gamble Fish much like the above series precedes another series who popularize its niche. This series in particular is about a transfer student who challenges the elitism of his new school. All through gambling matches where the stakes have no safety nets in comparison to Kakegurui.
Akumetsu is the breakout series by the duo Yuuki Yugo and Yoshiaki Tabata. As Japan’s economy crumbles while those with political ties save their wealth, the general public suffers. That is until the titular vigilante appears to force Japan to pull itself back together. All by butchering every corrupt politician and executive in his way in detailed fashion. Seemingly without consequence as he appears to be immortal.
The Voynich Hotel is a dark comedy manga about the titular hotel and its newest resident. As an ex-yakuza is on the run from his employers he gets to know the maids running it. All while dealing with every surreal situation possible.
Metro Survive is a post-disaster drama about survival and wanting to start over. Salaryman Mishima becomes the default leader of the survivors of a train wreck trapped by a 7.0 earthquake; but hope lessens with each passing chapter. With many of the characters reflecting on their life what hope that remains drives them to find their loved ones.
Change 123 is a series about love. A girl with dissociative identities manifests different traits and skills after being instilled by her 3 fathers. But when she begins her relationship with an otaku, it becomes a series about acceptance from all parties. While love can stretch across people, it takes self-love to make peace with themselves and others.
Franken Fran is one of the odder series on this list. Featuring a Frankenstein-like girl, this series practically inverts expectations. While body horror is apparent, it just as easily switches to body comedy. Despite the surreal situations, the reader joins Fran as she and her support cast encounter what makes people human.
Bouncer goes into the world of Japan’s private security industry. At the heart of this epic is the story of saving yourself by finding strength and inspiration. Plus if you thought this was a simple story about fights, it quickly turns into twist mystery crime drama.
Oren’s and its spin-off Jank Runk Family is a post-disaster franchise depicting the struggle for man. Yeah, there’s not a lot to know about this one, hence why something with high marks is underrated manga.
Shinchosha
Area 51 is probably the most off-the-walls satire of All Myths Are True. Not just the ancient ones like Aztec and Greek, but modern myths like Gray aliens and people with superpowers. In stylized fashion, this series shows how America’s 51st state holds every wonder the world has together. But this area is full of crime and cultures clashing, all seen through a detective and her kappa partner who try to solve problems amid power struggles. Thankfully there’s humanity in how everyone tries to live their best life.
Joshikouhei is one of the oddest mecha manga out there. The mechs look like teenage girls and the soldiers who pilot them treat this as normal! If that’s not enough, there are existential looks at life in the most absurd fashion possible.
Gangan Comics
Peace Maker is a story of duty vs. revenge. When a boy’s family is brutally killed, he joins the Shinsengumi for revenge.
Black Detective is a black comedy about genius PI Kuroba You and his naive assistant Toiro Arata. With the tropes found in manga like Detective Conan and Kindaichi, this series adds a buddy element. Because when your title character prefers to destroy his targets, there needs to be a balance.
O-Parts Hunter by Seishi Kishimoto gets way too many comparisons to his brother’s franchise Naruto. Sure, you have a kid who has a demon sealed in him, but the real attraction comes from how following unlocking past secrets comes with accepting people. No matter how unromantic things can get.
Nightmare Inspector is a series with some complicated translation history. Detailing the job of a unique kind of detective, he works to feed on people’s nightmares. Doing so means helping people make sense of their reoccurring nightmares, because there are traumas tied to it.
The Arms Peddler is a weird west style series about a world that demons ha long ruined. A gun-for-hire makes her living offering her services while selling weapons. With absurd situations like magic and high science experiments, this series makes Mad Max look mundane.
Until Death Do Us Part is by no means a romance story. Instead it’s about dependencies and objectification. As a girl with precognitive abilities is sought after by an evil organization who want to profit off her power, she makes a contract with a blind swordsman to remain by his side until the end. With tensions high at every turn, readers get an addiction to this series.
Master of the Sea is about salvors, people who salvage wrecked ship cargo. Rintarou Nanbu however wanted to be a rescuer until his father’s death leaves him in debt. Now Rintarou has to compromise where he can as he takes over his father’s salvor company.
Today’s Cerberus is a bizarre series about a boy with a condition and his relationship with the one responsible. This surreal series details a Cerberus now protecting him from his void of unhappiness. Not just the negativity but supernatural hijinks.
Ryushika Ryushika is a vignette series about a little girl and her imagination. Because what better mind to enjoy things than a child’s?
If you thought high school was already Hell, you haven’t seen Aphorism. Instead of studying, students have to work together to survive in order to awaken their special abilities.
Classi9 has the basic gender bender setup: girl gets accepted into an all-boys school so she disguises herself. As if having a secret identity isn’t enough pressure, being around musical prodigies does a lot to her psyche. Luckily her princes are there to help.
Enterbrain
Ultra Heaven details a potential future where feelings are now drugs. When a peddler encounters a new sensation, he goes mad trying to get that high again. So a dealer introduces him to the titular drug.
Shōnen Gahōsha
Spirit Circle is Satoshi Mizukami‘s other big series, this one revolving around fate and reincarnation. As two students enter into a many lifetime-spanning feud, readers have to wonder if people are nothing more than echoes of their past lives or if are their new possibilities?
Tokuma Shoten
Bokura no Hentai might have a peculiar name but there’s a bigger meaning behind it. Three lady friends get together for various reasons, the twist being that they were all born male. But this isn’t your traditional struggle about being trans. Instead, it details the spectrum of gender, identity, and romantic feelings.
Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary is where the monster girl genre goes into its classical stage. This series in particular is about how monsters of any kind have individual traits and treatments. As situations become surreal to outright absurd, some readers are bound to have good times.
Mag Garden
Sengoku Youko is Mizukami’s first major series delving into the lines of morality. Many series are rather cynical in their approach but this one goes into how some boundaries are necessary. Because even if the intentions are good, such pessimistic actions bely satisfaction.
Hobunsha
Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro is a 4-koma series unlike anything before. Rather than focus on comedy like its predecessors, this series makes full detail on each panel. With a gothic art style encompassing relatable characters, this series shows a highly endearing side.
Gentosha
Marie no Kanaderu Ongaku is a post-post apocalypse about trying to live with the past. When the symbol of satisfaction tries to distract the characters from the cruel reality two characters find hard truths. Despite all of the wonders of this world, some people have to learn to live with its less savory parts too.
Media Factory
Lucky Dog Blast features a prison escape artist who gets the job to bust out some crime executives.
Magazine Be x Boy
His Favorite is a boys love series taking conventions from generic romance series and reapplying them. Featuring a less attractive protagonist and the school celebrity who confesses his love. But unlike other formulas, this series is about learning to love themselves while opening up. For any gender or sexuality, this is a powerful read.
Hirari,
Secret of the Princess is a girls love story about the struggle to keep up appearances. As two classmates try to live up to their mutual expectations, they now have to grapple with their growing feelings. But will their anxieties get the better of them?
Comic It
Shonen Oujo is a gender bender series about a society where women rule supreme. But this society comes with its own set of problems as the princess and her male body double see the world. Because even in a gender-flipped role, things still get dangerous for both royalty and the world at large.
Pixiv
Giant Spider & Me is a series about a post-apocalyptic world where a young woman shares her home with a giant spider. Finding companionship in a lonely world brings a heartwarming story, especially in the comforts of home.
Mobile Man
Himegoto: Juukyuusai no Seifuku is a series about personas and how three people come together over them. It’s a series about self-discovery and making the best of what’s available.
Dojinshi
Onanie Master Kurosawa is a dojinshi series veering away from erotic fan fiction; yet not some of the more mature themes. Kurosawa might look like a stoic loner but his secret life leads him down a rabbit hole. The suspense of Kurosawa out of his routine feels genuinely overwhelming. Yet this gives way to character development on this unusual protagonist and his supporting cast.