The best Shonen manga of all time

December 12, 2022

Shonen is one of the most popular demographics of manga, targeting young boys and teens, but actually loved by people of all ages and genders. Here are our top 10 shonen manga of all time.

My Hero Academia: Boku no Hero Academia

Autor: Kouhei Horikoshi

Status: Publishing

Published: July 7, 2014 to present

My Hero Academia has more than 65 million copies in circulation. Critics acclaimed the manga for its art, character designs, story, fight scenes and use of references to Western superhero comic culture. It also received the Sugoi Japan Award (2017) and Harvey Award (2019) for Best Manga. The story of manga is set in a world where superpowers have become commonplace. We follow a boy who was born without superpowers but still dreams of becoming a superhero.

Fullmetal Alchemist

Autor: Hiromu Arakawa

Status: Finished

Published: July 12, 2001 to September 11, 2010

Fullmetal Alchemist has sold over 80 million volumes worldwide. It received the 49th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2004, the UK’s Eagle Award for Favorite Manga in 2010 and 2011, and the Seiun Award for Best Science Fiction Comic in 2011. Critics positively reviewed the series, especially for the character development, action scenes and philosophical mentions. After discovering the concept of the Philosopher’s Stone, Hiromu Arakawa was inspired to have her characters use alchemy. She studied books on alchemy, but finding many inconsistencies, she focuses on the philosophical aspects rather than the practical parts.

Hunter x Hunter

Autor: Yoshihiro Togashi

Status: Publishing

Published: March 16, 1998 to present

Hunter × Hunter is a great critical success with over 84 million copies in circulation. Yoshihiro Togashi explained that one of his hobbies was collecting objects of all sorts. This gave him the inspiration to create a manga around collecting entitled “Hunter x Hunter”. The manga has been adapted into an anime series 2 times: a first series of 62 episodes from October 1999 to March 2001 produced by Nippon Animation and afterward a second anime series by Madhouse from October 2011 to September 2014, totaling 148 episodes.

Attack on Titan: Shingeki no Kyojin

Autor: Hajime Isayama

Status: Finished

Published: September 9, 2009 to April 9, 2021

Attack on Titan is a worldwide success, with a total circulation of more than 110 million copies. The critical reception is mostly positive, due to the atmosphere, the intensity and the development of the story, also receiving numerous awards. Drawing his manga, Hajime Isayama was inspired both by an image from the manga Jigoku Sensei Nūbē showing a Mona Lisa coming out of her painting to eat people, but also by an encounter with a drunk person who makes him understand that human beings can be the scarest animals. He decided to make a story based on Titans because they have a rough and crude appearance and they provoke a feeling of insecurity.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken

Autor: Hirohiko Araki

Status: Ongoing

Published: January 1, 1987 to present

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has over 120 million copies in circulation. Araki, passionate about fashion, gives his characters a physical and clothing aesthetic as well as very particular postures, “JoJo poses”. All these details have contributed significantly to the aura of the series. The universe of this manga is a reflection of the real world with the existence of forces and supernatural beings.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Autor: Koyoharu Gotouge

Status: Finished

Published: February 15, 2016 to May 18, 2020

Demon Slayer has over 150 million copies in circulation, including digital versions, making it the ninth best-selling manga series. In this way, it was the best-selling manga of 2019 and 2020. Creating her manga, Koyoharu Gotouge followed in the footsteps of three Shonen Jump classics: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Naruto and Bleach. Aditionally, the main character, Tanjiro, was inspired by a swordsman from the famous manga of the 1990s, Rurouni Kenshin. The story, set in early 20th century Japan, benefits from an original and undoubtedly striking drawing.

Slam Dunk

Author: Takehiko Inoue

Status: Finished

Published: October 1, 1990 to June 17, 1996

Slam Dunk has 170 million copies in circulation. In 1994, it received the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category. Takehiko Inoue received special recommendation from the Japan Basketball Association for his contribution to popularizing basketball in Japan. The author was inspired to make Slam Dunk due to his love for basketball since his high school days. As he started drawing, he received letters from readers who said they started playing basketball because of the manga. This motivated Takehiko Inoue to give his best drawing basketball games.

Naruto

Author: Masashi Kishimoto

Status: Finished

Published: Sepember 21, 1999 to November 10, 2014

Naruto is one of the best-selling manga series with 250 million copies in 47 countries and regions of the world. Critics have acclaimed the manga’s character development, compelling storylines and also well-executed fight scenes. The world of Naruto has simultaneously a retro-futuristic look mixing elements of modern northern civilization and traditional East Asian culture.

Dragon Ball

Author: Akira Toriyama

Status: Finished

Published: November 20, 1984 to May 23, 1995

Since its release, Dragon Ball has become one of the most popular manga series of all time. The 42 volumes of the manga have sold over 160 million copies in Japan and 300 million copies worldwide. Critics have praised the art, characterization and humor of the story. It is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential manga series ever made. Akira was a fan of Hong Kong martial arts films, especially Enter the Dragon (1973) and Drunken Master (1978). These movies inspired him to create a manga about martial arts.

One Piece

Author: Eiichiro Oda

Status: Ongoing

Published : July 22, 1997 to present

One Piece is the best-selling manga series of all time. The total number of One Piece volumes sold is 516.5 million copies, with 416.5 million copies in Japan and 100 million copies in the rest of the world. It has received numerous awards and is ranked by critics, reviewers and readers as one of the best manga of all time. One Piece is known for its extraordinary storytelling, art, and humor. In writing his manga, Eiichiro Oda was inspired by the animated series Vicky the Viking and by the biographies of real-life pirates.