Top Historical Manga Recommendations

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 2 extra chapters.

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

Kimetsu no Yaiba

Also known as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

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

The setting is Taisho era Japan. Tanjirou is a kindhearted young boy who lived peacefully with his family as a coal seller. Their normal life changes completely when his family is slaughtered by demons. The only other survivor, Tanjirou's younger sister Nezuko, has become a ferocious demon. In order to return Nezuko to normal and get revenge on the demon that killed their family, the two of them depart on a journey. From a young talent, an adventure tale of blood and swords begins!



Notes:
- Includes 2 extra chapters.
- Nominated to the 24th and 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Tags: Demons , Shounen , Swordplay , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Revenge , Gore , Historical , Afterlife , Body Horror , Rural , Coming of Age , Orphan , Time Skip , Shapeshifting , Travel , Trains , Reincarnation , Guns , Oiran , Disability , Family Life , Crossdressing , Animals , Religion , Age Regression , Polyamorous , Youkai , Bisexual , Food

SPY×FAMILY

Also known as SPY x FAMILY.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The master spy codenamed <Twilight> has spent his days on undercover missions, all for the dream of a better world. But one day, he receives a particularly difficult new order from command. For his mission, he must form a temporary family and start a new life?! A Spy/Action/Comedy about a one-of-a-kind family!



Notes:
- Includes 2 "Extra Missions" and 11 “Short Missions”.
- Nominated for the 24th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2020.
- Nominated for the 13th and 14th Manga Taisho Award in 2020 and 2021.
- Nominated for the 44th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2020.

Tags: Family Life , Espionage , Found Family , War , Surreal Comedy , Assassins , Work , Female Protagonist , Adoption , Male Protagonist , School , Fake Relationship , Politics , Shounen , Heterosexual , Marriage , Orphan , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Hikikomori , Aliens , Guns , Slapstick , Parody , Parenthood , Episodic , Terrorism , Foreign , Satire , Iyashikei , Urban , Historical , Anachronism , Tsundere , Gore

Vagabond

Also known as Vagabond.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama

At seventeen years of age, Miyamoto Musashi--still known by his childhood name, Shinmen Takezo--was a wild young brute just setting out along the way of the sword.

In the aftermath of the epic Battle of Sekigahara, Takezo finds himself a fugitive survivor on the losing side of the war. Takezo's vicious nature has made him an outcast even in his own village, and he is hunted down like an animal. At this crucial crossroads in Takezo's life, an eccentric monk and a childhood friend are the only ones who can help him find his way.



Tags: Swordplay , Seinen , Samurai , Historical , Philosophy , Travel , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Martial Arts , Tragedy , Survival , Cultivation , Biographical , Gore , Rural , Heterosexual , War , Outdoor Activities , Ghost , Agriculture , Classic Literature , Fugitive , Language Barrier , Nudity , Afterlife ,

Vinland Saga

Also known as Vinland Saga.

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

Jeonjijeok Dokja Sijeom

Also known as Omniscient Reader.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

Back then, Dok-Ja had no idea. He had no idea his favorite web novel 'Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse' was going to come to life, and that he would become the only person to know how the world was going to end. He also had no idea he would end up becoming the protagonist of this novel-turned-reality. Now, Dok-Ja will go on a journey to change the course of the story and save humankind once and for all.



Tags: Survival , Post-Apocalyptic , Full Color , Death Game , Gods , Male Protagonist , Meta , Denpa , Astronomy , Found Family , Tragedy , POV , Time Loop , Philosophy , Cosmic Horror , Suicide , Primarily Adult Cast , Historical , LGBTQ+ Themes , Battle Royale , Isekai , Swordplay , Body Horror , Adoption , Dragons , Age Regression , Parody , Trains , Crossover , Demons , Angels , Terrorism , Afterlife , Female Protagonist , Zombie , Ensemble Cast , Super Robot

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 , Twins , Amnesia , Fugitive , Noir , Foreign , Male Protagonist , Memory Manipulation , Primarily Adult Cast , Historical , Detective , Ensemble Cast , Police , Medicine , Time Skip , Crossdressing , Orphan , Adoption , Suicide , Torture , Gore , Achronological Order , Assassins

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

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Steel Ball Run

Also known as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7–Steel Ball Run.

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

Originally presented as an unrelated story, this series was later officially declared a part of the JoJo storyline. The series stars Gyro Zeppeli, who uses a set of steel balls that spin incredibly fast, and Johnny Joestar (Jonathan Joestar), a former hot-shot jockey who was crippled by an ambusher and lost his fame and fortune. They race, along with others, in a mad-dash across America for 50 million dollars, reminiscent of The Cannonball Run.



Tags: Travel , Male Protagonist , Super Power , Cowboys , Seinen , Conspiracy , Primarily Adult Cast , Disability , Foreign , Alternate Universe , Tragedy , Environmental , Philosophy , Ensemble Cast , Historical , Outdoor Activities , Terrorism , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , Crossdressing , Desert , Guns , Coming of Age , Body Horror , Nun , Trains , Espionage , Acting , Dinosaurs , Time Manipulation , Gambling , Nudity , Delinquents , Shapeshifting

Jigokuraku

Also known as Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.

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

Gabimaru the Hollow is one of the most vicious assassins ever to come out of the ninja village of Iwagakure. He’s ruthlessly efficient, but a betrayal results in him being handed a death sentence. He has only one hope—in order to earn his freedom, he must travel to a long-hidden island and recover an elixir that will make the shogun immortal. Failure is not an option. On this island, heaven and hell are just a hair’s breadth away.



Tags: Survival , Samurai , Philosophy , Ninja , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Mythology , Gore , Tragedy , Historical , Gods , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Eco-Horror , Swordplay , Battle Royale , Body Horror , Gender Bending , Shounen , Nudity , Arranged Marriage , Heterosexual , Super Power , Travel , Amnesia , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crime , Yandere

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi

Also known as Fullmetal Alchemist.

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

Alchemy tore the Elric brothers’ bodies apart. Can their bond make them whole again?
In this world, alchemists are those who study and perform the art of alchemical transmutation—the science of manipulating and transforming matter. They are bounded by the Law of Equivalent Exchange: in order to gain something, one must sacrifice something of equal value.
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother’s bodies...the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.



Note: Includes 8 extra chapters.

Tags: Alchemy , Conspiracy , Politics , Military , Philosophy , War , Tragedy , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Disability , Travel , Steampunk , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Magic , Body Horror , Lost Civilization , Chimera , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Shapeshifting , Guns , Gore , Historical , Tsundere , Cars , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Tomboy , Trains

Kingdom

Also known as Kingdom.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama

Millions of years have passed since the times of legends, when the worlds of man and gods were still the same. In these times it was the desires of man that moved the world. It is the period of the 500 year war: the Era of Warring States. Kingdom is the story of a young boy who grew into a great general and all the trials and bloodshed that led him there.

Tags: Military , Historical , War , Ancient China , Royal Affairs , Politics , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Coming of Age , Swordplay , Tragedy , Foreign , Heterosexual , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , Fugitive , Conspiracy , Body Horror , Assassins , Spearplay , Time Skip , Archery , Ensemble Cast , Torture , Crossdressing , Nudity , Magic

Shuumatsu no Valkyrie

Also known as Record of Ragnarok.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Supernatural

The story begins when the gods call a convention to decide whether to let humanity live or die, and settle on destroying humanity. But a lone valkyrie puts forward a suggestion to let the gods and humanity fight one last battle, as a last hope for humanity's continued survival. 13 gods will fight against 13 human champions in one-on-one battles to decide whether humanity lives or dies.

Tags: Gods , Mythology , Death Game , Survival , Historical , Super Power , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Cultivation , Gore , Wrestling , Samurai , Assassins , Cheerleading

Akatsuki no Yona

Also known as Yona of the Dawn.

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

Yona reels from the shock of witnessing a loved one’s murder and having to fight for her life. With Hak’s help, she flees the palace and struggles to survive while evading her enemy’s forces. But where will this displaced princess go when all the paths before her are uncertain?



Tags: Female Protagonist , Travel , Shoujo , Historical , Found Family , Dragons , Politics , Fugitive , Gods , Mythology , Reincarnation , War , Tragedy , Royal Affairs , Heterosexual , Foreign , Coming of Age , Primarily Male Cast , Archery , Super Power , Survival , Orphan , Kuudere , Drugs , Pirates , Animals

Golden Kamuy

Also known as Golden Kamuy.

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

In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush in the wilderness of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it. But Sugimoto is not the only interested party, and everyone who knows about the gold will kill to possess it! Faced with the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers, Sugimoto will need all his skills and luck—and the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa—to survive.



Note: Won the 9th Manga Taisho Award in 2016 and the 22nd Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2018. Nominated for the 20th and 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2016.

Tags: Historical , Conspiracy , Military , Outdoor Activities , Seinen , Politics , Ensemble Cast , Educational , Surreal Comedy , Food , Travel , Found Family , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Survival , Guns , Revenge , LGBTQ+ Themes , Language Barrier , Anti-Hero , Slapstick , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Crime , Male Harem , Snowscape , Trains , Prison , Male Protagonist , Nudity , Swordplay , Disability , Archery , Suicide , Tanned Skin , Boys' Love , Transgender , Twins , Cannibalism , Zoophilia , Heterosexual , Yakuza , Time Skip , Dissociative Identities , Crossdressing , Animals , Wilderness , Gender Bending

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Phantom Blood

Also known as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Supernatural

Young Jonathan Joestar’s life is forever changed when he meets his new adopted brother, Dio. For some reason, Dio has a smoldering grudge against him and derives pleasure from seeing him suffer. But every man has his limits, as Dio finds out. This is the beginning of a long and hateful relationship!



Tags: Shounen , Vampire , Primarily Male Cast , Cultivation , Super Power , Tragedy , Historical , Male Protagonist , Gore , Time Skip , Foreign , Body Horror , Bullying , Heterosexual , Bisexual , Rugby

Gwihwanjaui Mabeobeun Teukbyeolhaeya Hamnida

Also known as A Returner's Magic Should Be Special.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

The worst calamity humankind has ever faced...

Shadow Realms have ravaged the earth and decimated almost everyone in their way. The survival of humanity hinges upon the success of just six mages, including analytic fighter Desir Herrman. The remaining heroes make one final stand to end the bloodshed...but to no avail. Desir closes his eyes on what should be the end of his life—only to open them and see the beginning of his school days?! Desir has returned thirteen years back to the past, where he’s been given another chance. A chance to see the loved ones he lost, a chance to meet his fellow warriors again, and a chance to save the world…!



Tags: Male Protagonist , Magic , Lost Civilization , Full Color , Terrorism , Age Regression , School , Time Manipulation , War , Swordplay , Time Skip , Demons , Reincarnation , Historical , Dungeon , Ensemble Cast , Tsundere , Conspiracy , Espionage , Ojou-sama , Gore , Tragedy , Love Triangle , Female Harem

D.Gray-man

Also known as D.Gray-man.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

A born exorcist, Walker's primary anti-akuma weapon is the cross that's embossed on his red, disfigured left hand, which contains Innocence. But not only does Walker destroy akuma, he sees the akuma hiding inside a person's soul! Together with his fellow exorcists fighting under the command of the Black Order, Walker leads the battle against the Millennium Earl, the evil being out to destroy mankind.



Tags: Demons , Amnesia , Tragedy , Found Family , Super Power , Foreign , Dissociative Identities , Male Protagonist , Religion , Cult , Shounen , Adoption , Circus , Historical , Primarily Male Cast , Exorcism , Steampunk , Post-Apocalyptic , Curses

Tonikaku Kawaii

Also known as Fly Me to the Moon.

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

First comes marriage, then comes an earthbound love that is out of this world! From the day his parents named him, Nasa Yuzaki has been destined for outer space…or so he believes. But while trying to join the space program, he is thrown for a loop when an accident introduces him to Tsukasa, a mysterious girl with strange powers. Is she an alien, a moon goddess or something else? Since she insists on marrying him, Nasa has plenty of chances to find out!



Notes: The 16th volume includes the 4 chapter prequel "FLY ME TO THE MOON".

Tags: Marriage , Iyashikei , Family Life , Heterosexual , Historical , Age Gap , Amnesia , Coming of Age , Parody , Meta , Shounen , Primarily Adult Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Astronomy , Tsundere , Mythology , Otaku Culture , Ojou-sama , Swordplay , Maids , Software Development , Yuri

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto

Also known as The Apothecary Diaries.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Mystery

Maomao, a young woman trained in the art of herbal medicine, is forced to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace. Though she yearns for life outside its perfumed halls, she isn’t long for a life of drudgery! Using her wits to break a “curse” afflicting the imperial heirs, Maomao attracts the attentions of the handsome eunuch Jinshi and is promoted to attendant food taster. But Jinshi has other plans for the erstwhile apothecary, and soon Maomao is back to brewing potions and…solving mysteries?!



Note: Won the Grand Prize in the Printed Manga category at the Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Award 2019.

Tags: Female Protagonist , Medicine , Detective , Historical , Ancient China , Foreign , Primarily Female Cast , Seinen , Royal Affairs , Drugs , Tragedy , Work , Politics , Crime , Episodic , Maids , Asexual , Adoption , Heterosexual , Conspiracy , Chibi , Ojou-sama , Suicide , Religion