The 10 Best Manga I Read in 2024
Why did I limit myself to ten? I do not know.
The moral of the story I’m about to tell is “there’s too much good stuff to read and I’ll never read it all.” I mean, in what world does Vinland Saga not even crack a top ten? As I started making this list, I swapped manga in and out probably about a hundred times, but what lead to the final decision was three questions—which ones would I pick up again the quickest? Which ones do I think about regularly? Which ones do I miss?
So without further ado, let’s look at some honorable mentions that I adored this year, and then we’ll get into the countdown.
Honorable Mentions
Kaiju No. 8, Kagurabachi, Gokurakugai, Chainsaw Man, Vinland Saga, Shangri-La Frontier, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Blue Period, Drifting Classroom
10. Dinosaur Sanctuary
In case you missed the memo, I never grew out of my love for dinosaurs and pirates, and while there are an abundance of pirates in manga (though always room for more), dinosaurs are less widely represented. Dinosaur Sanctuary is all the dinosaur the manga world needs. A low-stakes Jurassic Park with characters rich in complexities and full of intrigue. And yes, as the piece I wrote about Dinosaur Sanctuary attests to, when you start giving your non-human characters their own personality, you’ve really achieved something.
One big takeaway: Dinosaurs are characters too.
MangaCraft posts about Dinosaur Sanctuary:
9. Delicious in Dungeon
Very, very surprised I could only squeeze Delicious in Dungeon in at No. 9, but alas, here we are. I truly adore this series, everything about it, it’s so feel-good without being a cozy, it’s pure brilliance. It also gave us a protagonist, Laios, who I find to be exceptional, just so wonderfully unique compared to others. He contains multitudes, and he’s just one piece of a massive and immensely satisfying story.
One big takeaway: Go confidently into goofiness.
MangaCraft posts about Delicious in Dungeon:
8. The Fable
If I were to anoint any series the “biggest surprise of 2024,” it would be The Fable. I decided to start picking up some of the republished classics, and The Fable set an impossibly high standard. The sense of humor is just perfect, it doesn’t pull focus, it just does its thing. Not just that, but as a big fan of Yakuza-driven comedies, it also set an impossibly high bar. Sure, I enjoyed Sakamoto Days, but The Fable is the Yakuza comedy for me.
One big takeaway: Silence is golden. (And hilarious too.)
MangaCraft posts about The Fable:
7. Gachiakuta
When I first found Gachiakuta, I fell hard. I didn’t want anything else in my life, I just wanted to live in the world of Gachiakuta. The art style just jives with my punk, dystopian sensibility, and this story, more than any other, showed me the value of setting. How setting, when done right, should reverberate across the entirety of the series, from character to plot.
One big takeaway: Setting changes everything.
MangaCraft posts about Gachiakuta:
6. Dandadan
Aside from the anime opening up another banger of a theme song from the greatest band in the world (Creepy Nuts), Dandadan has this remarkable ability to be wholly it’s own thing, to go completely unhinged and still feel grounded. It’s hilarious, it’s ridiculous, but it also does storytelling so, so well—character development, dramatic tension, etc. Dandadan is exceptional in every sense.
One big takeaway: Get weird.
MangaCraft posts about Dandadan:
5. Blue Lock
Yes, I am very surprised that Blue Lock is only No. 5 on this list, but such is manga. It’s the series I’ve written about the most, the series I have the most plastic figures of, and it is this wonderful link that connects my past life as a sports writer with my current life. But what Blue Lock does that sets it above so many other stories is its commitment to complete characters, no matter how small their part.
One big takeaway: Every character can be special.
MangaCraft posts about Blue Lock:
4. Witch Hat Atelier
I am continuously in awe of Witch Hat Atelier, and that’s saying something, because I get bored easily. Whether it’s character development, artistic flourishes, world-building, or magic systems, there is always something to amaze me and make me fall deeper in love with this series. It’s truly magical, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it snuck up the list when I do this again in 2025.
One big takeaway: Beautiful doesn’t have to mean complex.
MangaCraft posts about Witch Hat Atelier:
3. The Summer Hikaru Died
Subtle horror has become my new favorite thing, and it’s all thanks to The Summer Hikaru Died, which continues to amaze me with how uneasy it makes me feel with only little winks and nudges. With an over saturation of in-your-face horror and monsters, The Summer Hikaru Died goes the opposite direction, often inferring, rarely showing. Add to that a deep and resonant theme and there’s no way to quantify just how excited I am to see where this series goes.
One big takeaway: Leave some things to the readers imagination.
MangaCraft posts about The Summer Hikaru Died:
2. Wind Breaker
I stand by my assertion that Wind Breaker is like that old friend that’s always there for you, no matter how much time you spend apart. Anytime I’m fatigued or weary, I turn to Wind Breaker to help and it always delivers. Not only do I jive with the delinquent characters, having been a delinquent myself, but Sakura is my favorite protagonist of any other manga out there and he does it all (in case you didn’t hear) with no backstory. At least not as of yet. He’s a remarkable example of what you really need to make a story work.
One big takeaway: You don’t need the past.
MangaCraft posts about Wind Breaker:
1. Hell’s Paradise
If you haven’t been paying attention to MangaCraft at all, know this one thing—Hell’s Paradise is perfect. I can’t foresee a series that could ever unseat Hell’s Paradise from my top spot. Nothing has touched its perfection, its brilliant character panoply, its incredible instinct for tension and dramatic timing. Yuji Kaku has become a saint in my household, I’ve been begging for Fantasma to be licensed in English, and yes, I loved Ayashimon too. This is one of the most underrated series in manga, and in storytelling as a whole.
One big takeaway: Perfect endings do exist.
MangaCraft posts about Hell’s Paradise:
I haven't read most of these but I've watched the anime for some and I've been thinking of switching to the manga, I think it's time to at least check out Hells Paradise because the manga looks so cool and the anime really didn't stand out to me (from what I've seen, the manga's art looks way nicer)