Top Achronological Order Manga Recommendations

Berserk

Also known as Berserk.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Psychological

His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.



Notes:
- Volumes 1-5 contain the 16 prequel chapters 0A - 0P.
- Chapter 83 was omitted from Volume 13 due to the author’s request.
- Volume 14 includes “Berserk: The Prototype”.
- Due to the author's passing, starting from Chapter 365, the manga is illustrated by Studio Gaga (Miura's assistants) and supervised by Kouji Mori (a close friend of Miura's).

Tags: Tragedy , Seinen , Revenge , Male Protagonist , Demons , Cosmic Horror , Gore , Found Family , Philosophy , Anti-Hero , Travel , Rehabilitation , Mythology , Swordplay , Magic , War , Survival , Body Horror , Foreign , Gods , Religion , Primarily Adult Cast , Nudity , Fairy , Military , Politics , Disability , Amnesia , Torture , Time Skip , Witch , Elf , Coming of Age , Sadism , Dystopian , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Kaiju , Curses , Achronological Order , Cult , Age Regression , Skeleton , Tomboy , Medieval , Adoption , Dungeon , Super Power , Kingdom Management , Slavery , Pregnancy , Prostitution , Cannibalism , Group Sex , Dragons , Incest , Ships , Monster Girl , Vore , LGBTQ+ Themes , Monster Boy , Masturbation , Mermaid , Fellatio

Shingeki no Kyojin

Also known as Attack on Titan.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what's left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 50-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.



Note: Includes two extra chapters.

Tags: Dystopian , Anti-Hero , War , Tragedy , Military , Conspiracy , Survival , Philosophy , Kaiju , Shapeshifting , Memory Manipulation , Politics , Revenge , Henshin , Male Protagonist , Monster Boy , Terrorism , Medieval , Post-Apocalyptic , Super Power , Gore , Time Manipulation , Body Horror , Ensemble Cast , Cosmic Horror , Time Skip , Cannibalism , Coming of Age , Slavery , Swordplay , Torture , Shounen , Espionage , Mythology , Amnesia , Tsundere , Kuudere , Class Struggle , Disability , Cult , Dissociative Identities , Drugs , Achronological Order , Transgender , Religion , Heterosexual , Reincarnation , Suicide , Baseball , Acrobatics , Primarily Adult Cast , Yuri

Vinland Saga

Also known as Vinland Saga.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama

As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his father, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band's leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery … the land Leif called Vinland.



Notes:
- Won the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2009.
- Winner of the 36th Kodansha Manga Award in the General category in 2012.

Tags: Rehabilitation , Historical , Coming of Age , Vikings , Foreign , Philosophy , Seinen , Male Protagonist , War , Revenge , Tragedy , Travel , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Slavery , Gore , Time Skip , Swordplay , Ships , Politics , Medieval , Rural , Parenthood , Class Struggle , Anti-Hero , Agriculture , Pirates , Environmental , Religion , Indigenous Cultures , Achronological Order , Adoption , Language Barrier , Mythology , Nudity , Archery , Wilderness , Tomboy , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes

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 , Philosophy , Tragedy , Amnesia , Fugitive , Noir , Twins , Foreign , Memory Manipulation , Male Protagonist , Detective , Historical , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Crime , Police , Medicine , Time Skip , Crossdressing , Orphan , Suicide , Adoption , Torture , Gore , Assassins , Achronological Order , 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 , Dissociative Identities , Tragedy , Musical Theater , Historical , Female Protagonist , Augmented Reality , Police , Robots , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Transgender , Foreign , Rock Music , Time Manipulation , Homeless , Nudity , Twins , Urban , Drugs , Crossdressing

NANA

Also known as Nana.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Drama , Music , Romance , Slice of Life

Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city.

Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar.

This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties.



Note: Winner of the 48th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shoujo Category in 2002.

Tags: Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Band , Shoujo , Tragedy , Time Skip , Philosophy , Pregnancy , Found Family , Netorare , Bisexual , LGBTQ+ Themes , Cheating , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Rock Music , Achronological Order , Age Gap , Urban , Nudity , Drugs , Bar

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

Sabishisugite Rezu Fuzoku ni Ikimashita Report

Also known as My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness.

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

A hugely popular comic on Pixiv, My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness offers readers an honest and heartfelt look at one young woman’s exploration of her sexuality, mental well-being, and growing up in our modern age.



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Autobiographical , Non-fiction , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Family Life , LGBTQ+ Themes , Rehabilitation , Disability , Yuri , POV , Psychosexual , Philosophy , Drawing , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Female Cast , Survival , Achronological Order , Urban , Nudity , Full Color , Denpa

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san

Also known as Teasing Master Takagi-san.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Middle schooler Nishikata has had it with his classmate Takagi--the chronic teaser who sits nearby. Day in and day out, she comes after him with every sort of trick or prank. Even when he tries to get her back, she's always one step ahead. But rest assured, it's only the beginning. He's not about to give up that easily in this battle of cunning and youth!

Note: Includes 13 extra chapters.

Tags: School , Achronological Order , Slapstick , Primarily Child Cast , Heterosexual , Shounen , Episodic , Bullying

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

Tengoku Daimakyou

Also known as Heavenly Delusion.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Mystery

Within the safety of the walls, youths are raised in a nursery-style setting by robots. While life there may appear stale on the surface, the children are full of potential and curiosity. In many ways it is like a slice of heaven. The outside world is a hell-scape. It is almost entirely void of anything mechanical and is now inhabited by bizarre, yet powerful super-natural beings.

Maru, with the aid of Kiruko, is out there crisscrossing what was once Tokyo for heaven. But after searching for so long, maybe heaven is more of an untenable dream than a potential reality.



Winner of 'Kono Manga ga Sugoi!' 2019 Award in Male Readers category.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Survival , Dystopian , Achronological Order , Female Protagonist , Body Swapping , Travel , Gender Bending , Conspiracy , Super Power , Heterosexual , Bisexual , Artificial Intelligence , Nudity , Amnesia , Orphan , Yuri , Guns , Demons , Gore , Transgender

Tian Guan Ci Fu

Also known as Heaven Official's Blessing.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Romance

800 years ago, Xie Lian was a pure-blooded and noble Crown Prince, a well-regarded child of Heaven with unlimited potential. But who knew that, after he ascended and became a god with tens of thousands of worshippers, his fate would take such a sharp downhill turn? He was demoted again and again, and fell to rock bottom. 800 years later, Xie Lian ascended again, but this time, without worshippers or and without incense. One day, after returning from collecting scraps, he took a mysterious young man home. And this young man was the Ghost King that made others pale in fear whenever discussed—Hua Cheng.



Tags: Gods , Boys' Love , Tragedy , Historical , Cultivation , Wuxia , Male Protagonist , Demons , LGBTQ+ Themes , Full Color , Ghost , Primarily Male Cast , Magic , Primarily Adult Cast , Anti-Hero , Travel , Lost Civilization , Suicide , Revenge , Body Horror , Achronological Order , Food , Crossdressing , Gender Bending

Bakemonogatari

Also known as Bakemonogatari: Monster Tale.

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

The first part of the Monogatari Series.

There’s a girl at their school who is always ill. She routinely arrives late, leaves early, or doesn’t show up at all, and skips gym as a matter of course. She’s pretty, and the boys take to whispering that she’s a cloistered princess. As the self-described worst loser in her class soon finds out, they just don’t know what a monster she is. So begins a tale of mysterious maladies that are supernatural in origin yet deeply revealing of the human psyche, a set of case files as given to unexpected feeling as it is to irreverent humour.



Note: The English release and the JP ebook edition have Bakemonogatari split across three volumes, instead of the original two volumes.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Vampire , Gods , Meta , Achronological Order , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Ghost , Primarily Female Cast , Dissociative Identities , Denpa , Heterosexual , School , Ensemble Cast , Tomboy , Nekomimi , Shounen

Nijigahara Holograph

Also known as Nijigahara Holograph.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

Even as butterflies ominously proliferate in town, the rumour of a mysterious creature lurking in the tunnel behind the school spreads among the children. When the body of Arie Kimura's mother is found by this tunnel's entrance, next to apparently human traces, the legend seems to be confirmed. Is the end of the world coming? In order to appease the wrath of the beast, the children decide to offer it a sacrifice: The unfortunate Arie, whom they believe to be the cause of the curse, is shoved into a well that leads to the Nijigahara tunnel—an act that in turns pushes Komatsuzaki, the budding thug who has carried a torch for Arie for a while already, entirely over the edge.

But this is only the beginning of the complex, challenging, obliquely told Nijigahara Holograph, which takes place in two separate timelines and involves the suicidal Suzuki; Higure, his stalker-ish would-be girlfriend; their teacher Miss Sakaki, whose heavily bandaged face remains a mystery; and many more―brothers, sisters, parents, co-workers, teachers, aggressors and victims who are all inextricably linked to one another and all will eventually―ten years later―have to live with what they've done or suffered through.



Note: Includes three extra chapters.

Tags: Achronological Order , Denpa , Philosophy , Seinen , Tragedy , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Religion , Suicide , Crime , Bullying , Male Protagonist , Adoption , Twins , Nudity , Heterosexual , Police , Detective

Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE

Also known as Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Romance

"The world is a very small place, but for those who know it...it is very, very large. And the world, when it is viewed by those who 'know'— is far larger than just one world can hold!"

The famous CLAMP brings back the characters from all their creations for an ultimate showdown in this multi-dimensional tale.

This is the story of four travelers, bound by fate and by prophesied future. Sakura is the princess of Clow Country, and possessor of a strange power that promises to change the world. Syaoran is an aspiring archaeologist and her childhood friend. When Sakura is endangered by the plan a certain man has for the future, the princess' memories are scattered across dimensions in the form of feathers, and Syaoran is forced to go on a desperate journey to retrieve them. They are accompanied by Fay D. Flourite, a magician running from the horrible truth of his past, and Kurogane, a rough-mannered ninja trying to get back to his world. However, the ability to cross worlds demands a great price, and each of them must pay the Dimensional Witch with what he or she values most. In order to save his princess, Syaoran must give up his relationship with her. Even if he gathers all of Sakura's memories, she will never remember their past together...

But the world is not so simple. The very moment these four made this decision, their destinies are sealed into a tragic course...as everyone in the group has their own secrets. Visions of the future are seen, and prophesies are made. The cruel future which lies ahead reads only of betrayal, abandonment, devastation and anguish.

Tags: Travel , Alternate Universe , Magic , Crossover , Amnesia , Memory Manipulation , Found Family , Clone , Tragedy , Achronological Order , Curses , Ensemble Cast , Time Manipulation , Heterosexual , Shounen , Body Horror , Reincarnation , Post-Apocalyptic , Swordplay , Lost Civilization , Dissociative Identities , Vampire , Desert , Urban , Snowscape , Twins , Cannibalism , Time Loop

Innocent Rouge

Also known as Innocent Rouge.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

The eve of the French Revolution, 1772—

The eldest brother of the Sanson family, Charles-Henri, has grown as an executioner, while his sister, Marie-Joseph, has been living freely in Versailles.

But one day, Marie-Joseph's first love, a man named Alain, is killed by aristocrats...!

This history of innocents plunges into the arc of the crimson revolution, Rouge—!!



Tags: Historical , Seinen , Dystopian , Female Protagonist , Foreign , Gore , Achronological Order , Politics , Nudity , Primarily Adult Cast , Bisexual , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age ,

Dwaejiuri

Also known as PIGPEN.

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

A relaxing getaway in paradise, or a death trap? A young man wakes up on a breathtaking beach, but he has no idea who he is or how he got there. Try as he might to piece it all together, untangling this mind-bending mystery won’t be easy when every clue leads to more maddening questions... and the family that welcomes him into their home is not what they seem.



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Amnesia , Anti-Hero , Body Horror , Male Protagonist , Achronological Order , Full Color , Rehabilitation , Survival , Alternate Universe , Gore , Primarily Adult Cast , Rural , Tragedy , Coastal , Software Development , Crime , Long Strip , Wilderness

Jakjeonmyeong Sunjeong

Also known as Operation: True Love.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance

It’s hard dating someone who won’t give you the time of day. Su-Ae Sim knows that better than anyone, having dated her indifferent boyfriend, Min-U Kang, for years. She sometimes wishes she could be more like her charismatic stepsister, Ra-Im, who seems to have it all. But life takes a turn for the weird when Su-Ae discovers Jellypop, a sentient flip phone, in her locker. Jellypop has a lot to say about her love life, especially as Su-Ee drifts further away from Min-U and finds herself running into Min-U’s friend, Eun-Hyeok. Add to the mix a growing suspicion that Min-U and Ra-Im might be more than friends, and Su-ae might need a miracle to navigate the ups and downs of high school romance!



Tags: Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Female Protagonist , Revenge , Full Color , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Time Skip , Gods , Work , Coming of Age , Urban Fantasy , Magic , Bullying , Long Strip , Chibi , Fake Relationship , Achronological Order , Idol , Writing

Tutorial-i Neomu Eoryeopda

Also known as The Tutorial Is Too Tough!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Fantasy

Lee Ho-Jae had given up his life as a pro gamer, until one day he received a mysterious message:

“Congratulations! You’ve been invited to the Tutorial World.”

Intrigued, he enters the game and confidently chooses “hell” difficulty, but soon learns that he is trapped there. With a mere 0.01% survival rate, Ho-Jae must somehow overcome the game’s agonizing challenges to figure out the real reason he was invited. This tutorial may be tough, but its secrets are what’s truly hellacious.



Tags: Survival , Gods , Death Game , Video Games , Full Color , Male Protagonist , Isekai , Tragedy , Achronological Order , Dragons , Goblin

Modao Zushi

Also known as Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Mystery , Supernatural

Feared and hated for his sinister abilities, Wei Wuxian–the grandmaster of demonic cultivation–was driven to his death when the most powerful clans united to destroy him.

Thirteen years later, Wei Wuxian is reborn. Summoned by a young man who sacrificed his soul in a forbidden ritual, Wei Wuxian is now bound to seek vengeance on the stranger’s behalf or risk the destruction of his own soul. But when an evil entity emerges, a familiar face from Wei Wuxian’s past suddenly appears amidst the chaos–Lan Wangji, a powerful cultivator who will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.



Tags: Wuxia , Cultivation , Boys' Love , Tragedy , Historical , Travel , War , Male Protagonist , Reincarnation , Primarily Male Cast , Zombie , Magic , Achronological Order , Politics , Martial Arts , Anti-Hero , Swordplay , Revenge , Amnesia , Full Color , LGBTQ+ Themes , Gore , Foreign , Necromancy , Exorcism , Long Strip