New Manga Recommendation You Must Read in 2023
New Manga Recommendation you must read in your life. I’ve been wanting to do another recommendation list, so I decided to do one this week. Anywho I can’t wait to talk about these series, so let’s get into the recommendations.
01. Jagaaan
Jagaaan is one of the best manga I have ever read, and it’s written by one of the creators of Blue Lock, Muneyuki Kaneshiro with Art by Kensuke Nishida. It has yet to be published in English yet, but I’m hoping it is one day soon. One of my most wanted print releases. Jagaaan is one of my favorites because as elements of horror that make it similar to others I love like Gantz and Parasyte.
But while it’s reminiscent of those and is right up my alley, as a result, it’s very much its own thing. It’s easy to compare Jagaaan to Parasyt because the MCs are both infested by parasites, which would normally take over their hosts. But in both cases, they managed to somewhat control it. In Jagaaan these parasites are parasitic frogs called frenzied frogs that morph their hosts into these terrifying visions and once turned are appropriately called fractured humans.
The monstrous forms they take on are a representation of their deepest and strongest desires, which are unique. Like Gantz, it’s very graphic. It’s bloody, gory, shocking at times, and it holds nothing back. There’s also a great deal of mystery in both that makes them intriguing too.
That being said, if you enjoy manga like these, you’ll enjoy Jagaaan. Not to mention the fact that it has some of the best art I’ve ever seen and some of my favorite panels in all of the manga. The character designs are great, and their expressions are as well, but it’s the designs of the fractured humans I love the most. They are nightmarish and they bring the host’s innermost desires to light in a physical form.
02. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a heartfelt series about an elf and a mage named Frieren who is embarking on a new journey to carry out the final wishes of her comrades. Her party defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the world. But after losing one of her friends to old age, she looks back on their times together. The series follows Frieren who lives a near-immortal life as she makes up for lost time and seeks to know more about her comrades and the human experience. We all want to feel connected, but sometimes we just don’t know how. And Frieren Beyond Journey’s End explores this deeply.
Among a fantasy backdrop where demons reside in magic and heroes exist, we get a story that is refreshingly relatable and real. It’s easy to connect with Frieren’s journey and is one of the most compelling as well as touching fantasy stories I’ve read as of late. To top it all off, there are no clichés in this story and the ideas, as well as the themes that are explored or fresh. Frieren Beyond Journey’s End debuted not too long ago and was already one of my favorite fantasy stories. It will capture your heart from the get-go with the story and characters developing in a way that keeps you invested.
The artwork is incredibly powerful too. The feelings of the characters are displayed beautifully, but it’s how the past and the present collide together seamlessly in this story that makes it a true standout. An anime for Frieren Beyond Journey’s End is confirmed to be released in the Fall 2023 anime season. Something I’m looking forward to as well.
03. Witch Hat Atelier
In Witch Hat Atelier we follow a young girl named Coco who wants to be a witch. Her dream, however, feels out of reach because, in this world, magic users are born, not made. Just when she’s about to give up, she meets a traveling witch named Qifrey, whose curiously performing magic gives her hope that one day her dream may very well come true. Qifrey becomes her mentor and takes her in, and she, along with other apprentices, studies, and trains to become a witch. The friendship that forms between Coco and the other apprentices is heartwarming to watch, but there’s an air of darkness and danger that’s always lurking in this series.
It’s a whimsical, lighthearted read but as we learn more about this world and the curtain is lifted, we realize that everything is not as it seems. The story is incredible and the magical system that exists within the series is unique, but it’s the art which is breathtaking that sets this one apart from the rest.
Witch Hat Atelier has some of the best manga panels, and I was continuously amazed by its art. The dynamic way in which the panels flow from page to page and the unique way in which they are structured makes it, unlike any other manga I’ve ever read before. The artwork is delicate, but highly detailed and the contrast is incredible too. What excites me most about the art in Witch Hat though, is how the art of magic and the emotions that come with mastering it are conveyed. There’s so much to marvel at in the series and awaken your sense of wonder.
04. Pluto is Naoki
Urasawa’s take on Astro Boy’s greatest robot on Earth arc is one of my favorite sci-fi manga to release to date. In the postscript in the lines, I read that the son of Osamu Tezuka first said no to Urasawa’s proposal, but after meeting with him later accepted with one condition. He had to go toe to toe with his dad and create something entirely different and new. The combination of Tezuka and Urasawa, who was already creating masterful works like Monster and 20th Century Boys, is a no-brainer given what they both have achieved in the type of works they create. What Urasawa adds to Astro Boys is an air of mystery, a story where the world’s greatest robots are being hunted down and killed by an unknown killer.
Instead of the main character being Astro Boy or Atom, as he’s called in Pluto, we follow a detective who is a robot, but through his actions and interactions with others, we see that he’s very much human. In Pluto and Astro Boy, the human and robot relationship and how the line between the two is so often blurred is explored. Urasawa delves into this even further in Pluto and showcases the struggles and discrimination that robots face in this world. The big thing Pluto really questions, though, is what happens when the line between robot and human no longer exists, and humanlike emotions such as hatred and sadness are brought into the mix. Being that is set in a post-war society and highlights the aftermath that war has had on the people, both robot and human alike, it’s many times a heartbreaking, harrowing read, but it’s also thrilling and exciting thanks to the mystery and action that fills its pages as well.
Urasawa didn’t stray too far from Astro Boy, so it’s a respectful retelling, but it breaks the mold also. As a result, it’s one that fans of the original series will find familiarity with, but it offers an entirely new experience too. It’s a fantastic retelling and it has one of the most enthralling stories and some of the most striking panels I’ve seen in manga.
05. Gannibal by Masaaki
Ninomiya is one of the most underrated manga in the horror genre and is a hidden gem. When we are first introduced to our main character, he has just moved to a remote village in the mountains with his family, but it’s not just any ordinary village. It’s shrouded in a lot of mystery. More terrifying than that it’s a place where cannibals are rumored to reside. Everyone jokes about this at first, but when the local policeman goes missing and our MC is sent in to take over his post he begins to wonder whether or not these rumors are true and starts to investigate.
The only problem is that one particular family in the area doesn’t like him poking around in their business. It reminds me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in a lot of ways because there’s the townsfolk and then there’s a main family in this case, the Goto family that puts the whole town in a state of unease. The townspeople acknowledge them, but they don’t pry into their lives. It’s a rather suspenseful but also horrifying read as a result, and it constantly puts you on edge. Through his interactions with the people in this town, but also the Goto family, you uncover the mystery alongside the MC and others. There are some pretty gruesome scenes in the series, but it’s a mysterious and thrilling series as well.
Gannibal has not been printed in English yet but has been printed in several different languages, including French and Italian. I hope we get an English release one day. I’ve read a lot of horror manga over the years and Gannibal is one of the most exciting and best new horror series I’ve read.
06. Are The 100 Girlfriends Who, Really, Really, Really Love You
It’s a harem manga at its extreme. Not just because our main character, thanks to a god’s error, has not one but 100 soulmates, but also because it stands out from the pack with its unconventional MC and endearing cast of characters. This isn’t your everyday harem or romance manga. It has so much more than that. It will make you laugh a lot with its out-there and over-the-top humor and situations, but will make you feel as well thanks to the relatability of its characters.
The girls in particular all have insecurities and struggles that I relate to. I also really enjoy the fact that Rintaro isn’t your typical MC. He isn’t creepy in any way, and you can tell he cares for his girlfriends and appreciates them all for who they are. He celebrates what makes them unique and finds them to be beautiful in their ways, and I like this about him. Watching him try to maintain harmony between all of these girls proves to be hilarious.
But The 100 Girlfriends is a heartwarming read as well. It’s the interactions between the girls that move me the most though because you see them connect and become close friends. A lot of these girls didn’t have friends previously, so it’s awesome to see them making connections, as well as opening up more to the idea that it’s okay to let others in. There are many times throughout the series that you ask yourself, what the hell is going on? This is part of the 100 Girlfriend’s undeniable charm.
07. Summertime Rendering
Summertime Rendering follows Shinpei, a young man who returns to his hometown of Hiroshima Island for the funeral of his childhood friend Ushio. However, upon his arrival, Shinpei discovers that she has death shrouded in mysterious circumstances. Determined to uncover the truth behind his friend’s death, Shinpei begins to investigate a mysterious presence on the island that could have been responsible. As he delves deeper into the island’s dark secrets, Shinpei realizes that this presence poses a serious threat to the safety of Everyone he loves. With the fate of his hometown and the people he cares about at stake, Shinpei must use all of his wit and strength to stop the dangerous forces at work, all the while protecting Ushio’s little sister Mio in the process.
Needless to say, it’s a mysterious series. Part of what makes Summertime Rendering such an engaging supernatural mystery is its use of the death loop story mechanic. The death loop is a concept that has been explored in other manga, but the way it’s used and evolved in the series makes it a truly unique entry. Also, the cast of characters is extremely well-developed. By the end of the story, every character plays a crucial role. On top of that, the lore surrounding the island was so interesting
I could not put the series down. I highly recommend Summertime Rendering to anyone who enjoys horror, supernatural, or mystery. At only 13 volumes, the pacing is great and twists happen at every turn, so it’s a quick but also well-thought-out and impactful series that knows how to keep you on your toes. Udon recently released the series in both paperback and hardcover releases if you’d like to check it out.
08. Dandadan
Dandadan is up there with series like Chainsaw Man, Hell’s Paradise, Call The Night, and Oshi no Ko for me. This is a huge compliment because these are some of my tops released within the past few years. Dandadan is set in a world that has both sci-fi elements like aliens and supernatural elements like ghosts in it. Instead of focusing on one or the other, the two collide in this world, and this makes it unique and intriguing. Dandadan follows Momo, who comes across a boy named Ken that’s being bullied because of her kind heart and her knack for jumping into situations without thinking, she ends up confronting the bullies and saving Ken.
In return, he takes this opportunity to try and make a friend and attempts to connect with her by talking about one of his favorite topics, the occult. Momo rejects his claims but says that she believes in ghosts. On the flip side, Ken believes in aliens, but he doesn’t believe in ghosts. Momo and Ken set up a challenge to determine who is right. Momo will go to a fabled local alien hotspot and Ken will go to a fabled local ghost hotspot.
Both of them arrive at their destinations and funnily enough, it turns out that both of them were correct. Because of their discoveries, their lives are turned upside down. Now they have to navigate the supernatural and sci-fi worlds they have stumbled into, all the while working to return their lives to normal. Something is endearing about
Dandadan and its charm are undeniable. It’s quirky and wacky, but in a lovable way, and I love every single thing about it. Viz is releasing the series now if you’d like to check it out. Also, I hope an anime is on the way soon. There have been rumors that one is on the way, but no confirmation as to whether or not these rumors are true yet. Here’s hoping.
09. Yomotsuhegui: Scions of the Underworld
Yomotsuhegui: Scions of the Underworld, and it’s one I’ve added to my list of most anticipated releases of 2023. Yomotsuhegui: Scions of the Underworld is the latest from Masasumi Kakizaki, the creator of Green Blood and the artist of one of my all-time favorite seinen, Rainbow, and Seven Seas are releasing the series for the first time with English translation in February 2024.
The story follows Nawa Kanetsugu, who used to be a police officer until his wife and child were murdered, and he sought revenge by any means necessary. In a new quest for vengeance after his release from prison, he discovers that a mortal wound won’t kill him. A confrontation with a mysterious girl shows Nawa that he’s eaten the fruit of Yomotsuhegui, the tree in the realm of the dead, and now he’s immortal with monstrous powers. The girl is a god of death who wants his help to fight other dangerous immortals. If you’re a fan of cosmic horror, you’ll want to keep an eye out for this one. The artwork is incredible and is highly detailed in the series, as expected from Masasumi Kakizaki, and is one of the most exciting new supernatural manga I’ve read as of late.
10. DRCL Midnight Children
Not one but two of Shinichi Sakamoto’s manga are releasing in 2023. In addition to Innocent which is being released by Dark Horse. #DRCL Midnight Children is being printed with English translation thanks to Viz. Shinichi Sakamoto showcases his highly realistic and detailed art yet again in the series but is also one of my favorites, thanks to his subject matter. #DRCL Midnight Children is based on Dracula by Bram Stoker. Horror is one of my favorite genres, so I couldn’t wait to see how Shinichi Sakamoto would reimagine this original classic. Set in the quintessential Gothic setting in the 19th century, the landscapes as well as the backdrops that Shinichi Sakamoto drew further bring the world of Dracula to life, and our MC, Mina is a well-written and strong character.
#DRCL Midnight Children pays homage to the classic by maintaining the same atmosphere and feel of the original, but it brings the series into the modern day and age with the topics and themes it explores. Viz is releasing the first volume of #DRCL Midnight Children on September 19, 2023, and it’s a hardcover release. It’s one of my most anticipated 2023, and I hope you’ll check it out.
And that’s it for the list, guys. I hope you’ll find a series or multiple series that you’re excited to check out.
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