Top Thriller Manga Recommendations

Yakusoku no Neverland

Also known as The Promised Neverland.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.



Note: Nominated to the 22nd, 23rd, and 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Tags: Survival , Primarily Child Cast , Body Horror , Demons , Dystopian , War , Found Family , Guns , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Politics , Coming of Age , Alternate Universe , Travel , Ensemble Cast , Conspiracy , Anti-Hero , Time Skip , Gore , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Amnesia , Rural , Heterosexual , Augmented Reality , Suicide

MONSTER

Also known as Monster.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

Everyone faces uncertainty at some point in their lives. Even a brilliant surgeon like Kenzo Tenma is no exception. But there’s no way he could have known that his decision to stop chasing professional success and instead concentrate on his oath to save peoples’ lives would result in the birth of an abomination. The questions of good and evil now take on a terrifyingly real dimension.

Years later, in Germany during the tumultuous post-reunification period, middle-aged childless couples are being killed one after another. The serial killer’s identity is known. The reasons why he kills are not. Dr. Tenma sets out on a journey to find the killer’s twin sister, who may hold some clues to solving the enigma of the “Monster.”



Tags: Seinen , Conspiracy , Tragedy , Philosophy , Amnesia , Fugitive , Twins , Noir , Foreign , Memory Manipulation , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Detective , Historical , Ensemble Cast , Crime , Police , Medicine , Time Skip , Crossdressing , Orphan , Adoption , Suicide , Torture , Gore , Achronological Order , Assassins , Episodic

20 Seiki Shounen

Also known as 20th Century Boys.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi , Thriller

Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren't for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a group of boys who try to save the world.

For Kenji, a simple convenience store manager who once dreamed of becoming a rock 'n' roll musician, a host of memories from his past come rushing back when one of his childhood friends mysteriously commits suicide. Could this new death be related to the rise of a bizarre new cult that's been implicated in several other murders and disappearances? Determined to dig deeper, Kenji reunites with some of his old buddies in the hope of learning the truth behind it all.



Tags: Coming of Age , Ensemble Cast , Politics , Seinen , Achronological Order , Dystopian , Fugitive , Conspiracy , Cult , Found Family , Pandemic , Time Skip , Post-Apocalyptic , Terrorism , Male Protagonist , Detective , Philosophy , Cosmic Horror , Female Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Tragedy , Musical Theater , Historical , Augmented Reality , Police , Robots , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Transgender , Foreign , Time Manipulation , Homeless , Nudity , Twins , Urban , Rock Music , Drugs , Crossdressing

Fire Punch

Also known as Fire Punch.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Orphaned siblings Agni and Luna, like the Ice Witch who cursed their world, are two of the “blessed,” humans who hold special abilities. However, not all who are blessed are friendly, and after another of their kind attacks Agni and decimates the orphans' village, Agni fights to survive, vowing revenge.



Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , Suicide , Dystopian , Revenge , Philosophy , Cult , Anti-Hero , Super Power , Survival , Religion , Body Horror , Torture , Meta , Gore , Male Protagonist , Cosmic Horror , Filmmaking , Acting , Snowscape , Time Skip , Coming of Age , Cannibalism , Incest , Transgender , Slavery , LGBTQ+ Themes , Surreal Comedy , Gods , Urban Fantasy , Memory Manipulation , Denpa , Politics , Amputation , Shounen , Heterosexual , Orphan , Psychosexual

DEATH NOTE

Also known as Death Note.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

When Light Yagami finds a notebook giving him power over death, will he use it for good—or evil?

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But will Light succeed in his noble goal, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?



Tags: Detective , Tragedy , Anti-Hero , Police , Urban Fantasy , Crime , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Espionage , Gods , Primarily Male Cast , Time Skip , Shounen , Demons , Memory Manipulation , Amnesia , Politics

Hurejasik

Also known as Bastard.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Thriller

High school life is hard enough, but it’s even harder for Seon Jin. A sickly disabled boy, Jin might as well be invisible. No one ever pays attention to him, except for the bullies who prey on him for being weak. Jin, however, keeps a very dark secret—there’s a serial killer in his house…and it’s his father!



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Crime , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Gore , Bullying , Anti-Hero , Full Color , Coming of Age , Disability , Noir , Heterosexual , Delinquents , Suicide , Philosophy , Memory Manipulation , School , Assassins , Amnesia , Long Strip

Sweet Home

Also known as Sweet Home.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

After an unexpected family tragedy, a reclusive high school student is forced to leave his home -- only to face something much scarier: a reality where monsters are trying to wipe out humanity. Now he must fight alongside a handful of reluctant heroes to try and save the world before it’s too late.



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Survival , Demons , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Full Color , Gore , Body Horror , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Suicide , Hikikomori , Bullying , Urban , School , Long Strip

Tomie

Also known as Tomie.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Supernatural , Thriller

Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie.



Notes:
- While a collection of mainly independent short stories, Tomie was originally published as Volumes 1 and 2 of the Ito Junji Kyofu Manga Collection. This entry is for the standalone release of Tomie first published in February 2000 with previously unreleased chapter "小指/Little Finger".
- Later collections such as the 'Complete Deluxe edition' by Viz combines this and the sequel entry Tomie: Again for a total of 20 chapters.
- The short story “Painter” has been adapted in the first part of episode 9 of Ito Junji: Collection.

Tags: Body Horror , Monster Girl , Gore , Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Episodic , Shoujo , Male Harem , Yandere , Urban Fantasy , Demons , Suicide , Nudity , Succubus , Bullying , Cannibalism , School

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Also known as Classroom of the Elite.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Slice of Life , Thriller

Students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School are given remarkable freedom—if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks! Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has landed at the bottom in the scorned Class D, where he meets Horikita Suzune, who’s determined to rise up the ladder to Class A. Can they beat the system in a school where cutthroat competition is the name of the game?



Includes Volumes: 4.5, 7.5, 11.5
Included Chapters: 14 Prologues, 13 Epilogues, 1 Extra

Tags: School , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Battle Royale , Ensemble Cast , Politics , Revenge , Fugitive , Survival , Heterosexual , Denpa , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Boarding School , Classic Literature , Conspiracy , School Club , Tragedy , Bullying , Disability , Tsundere , Athletics , Torture , Kuudere , Delinquents , Female Harem , Martial Arts , Rehabilitation , Love Triangle , Suicide , Board Game , Yandere , Teacher

Imawa no Kuni no Alice

Also known as Alice in Borderland.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future feels like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

Note: Chapter count includes 22 side story chapters.

Tags: Tragedy , Death Game , Survival , Philosophy , Battle Royale , Amnesia , Gore , Urban , Male Protagonist , Afterlife , Gambling , Alternate Universe , Anti-Hero , Shounen , Isekai , Dystopian , Primarily Adult Cast , Revenge , Guns , Outdoor Activities , Heterosexual , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Martial Arts , Gods , Drugs , Parkour , Mahjong , Nudity

Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu

Also known as The Summer Hikaru Died.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Two boys lived in a village: Yoshiki and Hikaru. The two did everything together...until the day Hikaru was encompassed by a mysterious light. That was when everything changed—Hikaru most of all. Yoshiki still wishes from the bottom of his heart to always stay by his side...but is there even a Hikaru left to be with?

Tags: Monster Boy , Male Protagonist , Rural , Cosmic Horror , Body Horror , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Boys' Love , Mythology , School , LGBTQ+ Themes , Unrequited Love , Gods , Curses , Urban Fantasy , Seinen , Aromantic , Asexual , Mountaineering

Billy Bat

Also known as Billy Bat.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Supernatural , Thriller

It’s 1949 Los Angeles, and Kevin Yamagata, a Japanese American comic book author, is drawing his bestselling character, Billy Bat: a quick-witted detective who is, unsurprisingly, a cartoon bat. Everything is going well for Kevin until he discovers an unfortunate truth: He may have unintentionally plagiarized his beloved character from a drawing he once saw in Japan. Devastated by the news, Kevin returns to war-torn Japan to find the drawing’s original artist . . . but the character’s origins turn out to be far older and more perplexing than he had ever imagined.



Note: Won the Max und Moritz Prize for "Best international Comic" in 2014.

Tags: Drawing , Historical , Time Manipulation , Seinen , Conspiracy , Philosophy , Politics , Ensemble Cast , Urban Fantasy , Travel , Foreign , Achronological Order , War , Time Skip , Primarily Adult Cast , Police , Religion , Male Protagonist , Dystopian , Ninja , Guns , Swordplay , Anachronism , Espionage , Nudity , Terrorism

Boku wa Mari no Naka

Also known as Inside Mari.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Ecchi , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

College dropout Isao Komori wakes up one morning to find himself in the body of a high school girl. How did this happen and what happened to the girl whose body his is possessing?

Tags: Female Protagonist , Body Swapping , Dissociative Identities , Gender Bending , Seinen , Philosophy , Hikikomori , Psychosexual , Primarily Female Cast , LGBTQ+ Themes , Rehabilitation , School , Male Protagonist , Masturbation , Unrequited Love , Nudity , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Bullying , Disability

BANANA FISH

Also known as Banana Fish.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Psychological , Thriller

Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of "Papa" Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him. But the hideous secret that drove Ash's older brother mad in Vietnam has suddenly fallen into Papa's insatiably ambitious hands--and it's exactly the wrong time for Eiji Okamura, a pure-hearted young photographer from Japan, to make Ash Lynx's acquaintance...



Tags: Mafia , Tragedy , Gangs , Conspiracy , Noir , Drugs , Primarily Male Cast , Crime , Revenge , Criminal Organization , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Fugitive , Coming of Age , Shoujo , Delinquents , Urban , Foreign , Male Protagonist , Politics , Guns , Primarily Adult Cast , Adoption , Orphan , Tanned Skin , Assassins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Police , Cars , Boys' Love , Bisexual , Photography , Classic Literature , Heterosexual , Time Skip , Prison

Usogui

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Psychological , Thriller

There are gamblers out there who even bet their lives as ante. But to secure the integrity of these life-threatening gambles, a violent and powerful organization by the name of "Kakerou" referees these games as a neutral party. Follow Baku Madarame a.k.a. Usogui (The Lie Eater) as he gambles against maniacal opponents at games—such as Escape the Abandoned Building, Old Maid, and Hangman—to ultimately "out-gamble" and control the neutral organization of Kakerou itself.

Tags: Gambling , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Death Game , Seinen , Crime , Martial Arts , Amnesia , Philosophy , Memory Manipulation , Poker , Anti-Hero , Mafia , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Gore , Fairy Tale , Terrorism , Aliens , Guns , LGBTQ+ Themes

Boku dake ga Inai Machi

Also known as Erased.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Twenty-nine-year-old Satoru Fujinuma is floundering through life. Amid his daily drudgery, he finds himself in the grip of an incredible, inexplicable, and uncontrollable phenomenon that rewinds time, a condition that seems to only make his drab life worse. But then, one day, everything changes. A terrible incident forever changes Satoru's life as he knows it...and with it, comes a "Revival" that sends Satoru eighteen years into the past!

In the body of his boyhood self, Satoru encounters sights he never imagined he would see again--the smile of his mother, alive and well, his old friends, and Kayo Hinazuki, the girl who was kidnapped and murdered when he was a boy the first time around. To return to the present and prevent the tragedy that brought him back to his childhood in the first place, Satoru begins plotting a way to change Hinazuki's fate...But up against the clock and a faceless evil, does eleven-year-old Satoru even stand a chance?



Note: Was nominated for the 18th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Reader Award in 2014 and for the 7th, 8th and 9th Manga Taisho Award between 2014 and 2016. Also nominated for the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2016.

Volume 9 contains the 5-chapter “Boku Dake ga Inai Machi:Re” side story.

Tags: Crime , Primarily Child Cast , Age Regression , Male Protagonist , Time Manipulation , Time Skip , School , Seinen , Detective , Fugitive , Tragedy , Revenge , Bullying , Rehabilitation , Writing , Amnesia , Snowscape , Photography

Shinai naru Boku e Satsui wo Komete

Also known as My Dearest Self With Malice Aforethought.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Slice of Life , Thriller

Eiji the college-age virgin dreams of someday having a girlfriend...until he wakes up one day with his "girlfriend" in his bed with him! Not only that, his buddy tells him he got in a fight...and that three days have passed that Eiji doesn't remember? What dark secrets are being hidden...by Eiji himself?



Note: Includes 1 epilogue chapter.

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Revenge , Crime , Seinen , Amnesia , Police , Denpa , Fugitive , Yandere , Detective , Torture , Male Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Prostitution , Suicide , Gore , Gangs , Nudity , Adoption , College , Time Skip , Orphan , Tragedy , Body Horror , Guns , LGBTQ+ Themes

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Also known as Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Psychological , Romance , Thriller

Subaru Natsuki was just trying to get to the convenience store but wound up summoned to another world. He encounters the usual things--life-threatening situations, silver haired beauties, cat fairies--you know, normal stuff. All that would be bad enough, but he's also gained the most inconvenient magical ability of all--time travel, but he's got to die to use it. How do you repay someone who saved your life when all you can do is die?



Tags: Time Manipulation , Time Loop , Heterosexual , Tragedy , Witch , Isekai , Male Protagonist , Cosmic Horror , Ensemble Cast , Gore , Politics , Disability , Astronomy , Memory Manipulation , Magic , Cult , Body Horror , Reincarnation , Elf , Amnesia , Suicide , Alternate Universe , Twins , Dissociative Identities , Unrequited Love , Maids , Hikikomori , Assassins , Time Skip , Love Triangle , Dragons , Kemonomimi , Crossdressing , Female Protagonist , Femboy , Age Regression , Yandere , Medieval , Zombie , Shapeshifting , Curses , Necromancy , Werewolf

Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria

Also known as The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural , Thriller

Kazuki Hoshino treasures nothing more than his ordinary life, and March 2 should have been an ordinary day. The arrival of a transfer student, the mysterious Aya Otonashi, shouldn't have shattered the world he knows. He's never seen this girl before in his life, but she says she's met him thousands of times--and declares war on him for a crime he can't even remember... As the truth begins to unravel, nothing is as it seems, and at the heart of it all is a wish powerful enough to change everything...



Tags: Anti-Hero , Tragedy , Time Loop , Philosophy , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Coming of Age , Dissociative Identities , Achronological Order , Yandere , Bullying , Time Manipulation , School , Heterosexual , Battle Royale , Primarily Teen Cast , Memory Manipulation , Amnesia , Death Game , Gore , Body Swapping , Marriage , Shapeshifting , Yuri , Baseball

Summer Time Render

Also known as Summertime Rendering.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery , Supernatural , Thriller

A tragic incident calls a young man named Shinpei back to his hometown on the remote island of Higotoshima, Japan. But something sinister awaits upon his return, and a chilling sequence of events unfolds that will have dire consequences for Shinpei, for Japan, and for the entire world!



Tags: Time Manipulation , Rural , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Body Swapping , Time Loop , Urban Fantasy , Demons , Survival , Shapeshifting , Aliens , Reincarnation , Gore , Tanned Skin , Dissociative Identities , Mythology , Crime , Cosmic Horror , Tragedy , Suicide , Gods , Denpa , Religion , Swimming , Love Triangle , Outdoor Activities , Amnesia , Nudity , Historical , Heterosexual , Unrequited Love