Top Lost Civilization Manga Recommendations

ONE PIECE

Also known as One Piece.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But his life changed when Luffy accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world...



Tags: Pirates , Travel , Found Family , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Tragedy , Ships , Politics , Fugitive , Crime , Male Protagonist , Conspiracy , Military , Slapstick , War , Terrorism , Time Skip , Lost Civilization , Slavery , Post-Apocalyptic , Anachronism , Primarily Adult Cast , Gods , Swordplay , Mythology , Religion , Animals , Environmental , Gangs , Espionage , Anti-Hero , Prison , Anthropomorphism , Primarily Male Cast , Skeleton , Samurai , Cyborg , Henshin , Adoption , Food , Medicine , Robots , Mermaid , Assassins , Drugs , Guns , Battle Royale , Revenge , Meta , Board Game , Dragons , Amnesia , Monster Girl , Desert , Surreal Comedy , Oiran , Time Manipulation , Kemonomimi , Demons , Memory Manipulation , Ninja , Transgender , Zombie , Trains , Aliens , Clone , Centaur , Dinosaurs , Gender Bending , Angels , Shapeshifting , Bar , Female Protagonist , Body Swapping , Curses , Arranged Marriage , Artificial Intelligence , Episodic

HUNTER×HUNTER

Also known as Hunter x Hunter.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

Gon might be a country boy, but he has high aspirations. Despite his Aunt Mito's protests, Gon decides to follow in his father's footsteps and become a legendary Hunter. The Hunter hopefuls begin their journey by storm-tossed ship, where Gon meets Leorio and Kurapika, the only other applicants who aren't devastated by bouts of seasickness.

Having survived the terrors of the high seas, Gon and his companions now have to prove their worth in a variety of tests in order to find the elusive Exam Hall. And once they get there, will they ever leave alive...?



Tags: Shounen , Super Power , Cultivation , Ensemble Cast , Travel , Male Protagonist , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Urban Fantasy , Revenge , Chimera , Assassins , Politics , War , Anti-Hero , Battle Royale , Death Game , Crime , Philosophy , Gangs , Coming of Age , Gore , Conspiracy , Lost Civilization , Martial Arts , Video Games , Ships , Card Battle , Mafia , Animals , LGBTQ+ Themes , Time Manipulation , Demons , Amnesia , Cannibalism , Kemonomimi , Transgender , Virtual World , Reincarnation , Asexual

Black Clover

Also known as Black Clover.

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

Young Asta was born with no magic ability in a world where magic is everything. In order to prove his strength and keep a promise with his friend, Asta dreams of becoming the greatest mage in the land, the Wizard King!



Tags: Magic , Shounen , Super Power , Demons , Male Protagonist , Medieval , Dissociative Identities , Lost Civilization , Elf , Cultivation , Heterosexual , Class Struggle , Time Skip , Time Manipulation , Triads , Tragedy , Royal Affairs , Tsundere , Female Harem , Age Regression , Dungeon , Found Family , Reincarnation

Dr. STONE

Also known as Dr. STONE.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi

One fateful day, all of humanity was petrified by a blinding flash of light. After several millennia, high schooler Taiju awakens and finds himself lost in a world of statues. However, he’s not alone! His science-loving friend Senku’s been up and running for a few months and he's got a grand plan in mind—to kickstart civilization with the power of science!



Note: Shueisha published its 27th volume on April 4, 2024. This volume contains the one-shot Dr. STONE: TERRAFORMING and the mini-series Dr. STONE 4D SCIENCE.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Survival , Ensemble Cast , Educational , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Lost Civilization , Travel , War , Environmental , Philosophy , Time Skip , Space , Kingdom Management , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Espionage , Ships , Wilderness , Adoption , Asexual , Food , Time Manipulation , Guns

Uzumaki

Also known as Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror.

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

Kurozu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in small ways: seashells, ferns, whirlpools in water, whirlwinds in air. And in large ways: the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father, the voice from the cochlea in your inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurouzu-cho are pulled ever deeper, as if into a whirlpool from which there is no return...



Notes:
- Includes the extra chapter "Uzumaki Tokubetsu-hen: Ginga", which was included in editions later released.
- Chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) as one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2009. (Vol. 1)

Tags: Tragedy , Body Horror , Cosmic Horror , Seinen , Survival , Female Protagonist , Gore , Episodic , Philosophy , Lost Civilization , Rural , Cannibalism , Urban Fantasy , Heterosexual , Suicide , Curses , Bullying , Demons , Unrequited Love , Cult , 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 eight extra chapters.

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

BLAME!

Also known as BLAME!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In a future version of Earth, there is a city grown so chaotically massive that its inhabitants no longer recall what “land” is. Within this megastructure the silent, stoic Killy is on a mission to find the Net Terminal Gene—a genetic mutation that once allowed humans to access the cybernetic NetSphere. Armed with a powerful Graviton Beam Emitter, Killy fends off waves of attacks from fellow humans, cyborgs and silicon-based lifeforms. Along the way, he encounters a highly-skilled scientist whose body has deteriorated from a lengthy imprisonment who promises to help Killy find the Net Terminal Gene, once she settles a score for herself…



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Cyborg , Seinen , Post-Apocalyptic , Cyberpunk , Robots , Lost Civilization , Survival , Travel , Body Horror , Dystopian , Guns , Cosmic Horror , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Urban , Time Skip , Artificial Intelligence , Gore , Alternate Universe , Kaiju , Time Manipulation , Amnesia , Agender

Made in Abyss

Also known as Made in Abyss.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Sci-Fi

In an age when the corners of the world have been scoured for their secrets, only one place remains unexplored–a massive cave system known as the Abyss. Those who traverse its endless pits and labyrinth-like tunnels are known as Cave Raiders. A young orphan named Riko dreams of following in her mother’s footsteps as a Cave Raider, and when she meets a strange robot when exploring the Abyss, she’s one step closer to achieving her goal!



Notes:
- Includes the 5-chapter "How Are You? Somewhere" side story.
- Nominated for the 11th Manga Taishou Awards (2018).

Tags: Survival , Tragedy , Primarily Child Cast , Travel , Lost Civilization , Body Horror , Female Protagonist , Wilderness , Chibi , Amnesia , Gore , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Robots , Twins , Food , Monster Girl , Curses , Nudity , Adoption , LGBTQ+ Themes

FAIRY TAIL

Also known as Fairy Tail.

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

Cute girl wizard Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a club for the most powerful wizards. But instead her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. Natsu’s not your typical hero—he gets motion sickness, eats like a pig, and his best friend is a talking cat. With friends like this, is Lucy better off with her enemies?



Note: Includes four extra chapters.

Tags: Ensemble Cast , Magic , Shounen , Dragons , Found Family , Animals , Super Power , Large Breasts , Female Protagonist , Time Skip , Male Protagonist , Nekomimi , Gods , Cult , Demons , Travel , Fairy Tale , Time Manipulation , Lost Civilization , War , Medieval

Nanatsu no Taizai

Also known as The Seven Deadly Sins.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

When they were accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy, the feared warriors the Seven Deadly Sins were sent into exile. Princess Elizabeth discovers the truth the Sins were framed by the king's guard, the Holy Knights too late to prevent them from assassinating her father and seizing the throne! Now the princess is on the run, seeking the Sins to help her reclaim the kingdom. But the first Sin she meets, Meliodas, is a little innkeeper with a talking pig. He doesn't even have a real sword! Have the legends of the Sins' strength been exaggerated...?



Note: Chapter count includes 346 regular chapters, 18 extra chapters, and 3 gaiden chapters.

Tags: Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Demons , Super Power , Magic , Reincarnation , Tragedy , Gods , Memory Manipulation , Fairy , Spearplay , Medieval , Fairy Tale , War , Male Protagonist , Amnesia , Primarily Adult Cast , Swordplay , Dissociative Identities , Martial Arts , Anti-Hero , Revenge , Bar , Heterosexual , Animals , Nudity , Time Manipulation , Lost Civilization , Found Family

Dungeon Meshi

Also known as Delicious in Dungeon.

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

When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions...and a member! They're eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they're sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: "Let's eat the monsters!" Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons...none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!



Notes:
- Nominated in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Manga Taishou Award in 2016-2019.
- Ranked first in the 2016 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (Male Readers Division).
- Includes 14 extra chapters.

Tags: Dungeon , Food , Environmental , Magic , Ensemble Cast , Medieval , Primarily Adult Cast , Lost Civilization , Seinen , Anti-Hero , Philosophy , Elf , Male Protagonist , Necromancy , Demons , Dragons , Body Horror , Cosmic Horror , Kemonomimi , Episodic , Chimera , Monster Girl , Iyashikei , Alternate Universe , Witch , Succubus , Mermaid , Curses , Tanned Skin

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou

Also known as Girls' Last Tour.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Civilization is dead, but Chito and Yuuri are still alive. So they hop aboard their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and aimlessly wander the ruins of the world they once knew. Day after hopeless day, they look for their next meal and fuel for their ride. But as long as the two are together, even an existence as bleak as theirs has a ray or two of sunshine in it, whether they're sucking down their fill of soup or hunting for machine parts to tinker with. For two girls in a world full of nothing, the experiences and feelings the two share give them something to live for…



Note: Winner of the Best Comic Award at the Seiun Awards in 2019.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Lost Civilization , Survival , Iyashikei , Primarily Female Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Episodic , Travel , Snowscape , Seinen , War , Urban , Artificial Intelligence , Cosmic Horror , Chibi , Military , Denpa , Tanks

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 , Long Strip , Female Harem

Totsukuni no Shoujo

Also known as The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

In a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living in both realms are told never to cross over to the other side, lest they be cursed. A young girl named Shiva lives on the other side, in a vacant village with a demonic guardian known only as “Teacher.” Although the two are forbidden to touch, they seem to share a bond that transcends their disparate appearances. But when Shiva leaves Teacher’s care to seek out her grandmother, the secret behind her mysterious living arrangement comes to light.



Tags: Fairy Tale , Rural , Anthropomorphism , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Demons , Amnesia , Family Life , Pandemic , Philosophy , Adoption , Found Family , Body Horror , Curses , Teacher , Cosmic Horror , Gods , Tragedy , Orphan , Foreign , Religion , Travel , Lost Civilization , Survival , Politics , Eco-Horror , Medicine , Centaur , Shounen

Owari no Seraph

Also known as Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign.

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

After trumpets of the apocalypse proclaim the fall of humanity, vampires arise from the shadows to rule the earth. Yuichiro wants just one thing—to get revenge by killing each and every vampire.

Yuichiro’s dream is near-impossible, given that vampires are seven times stronger than humans, and the only way to kill them is by mastering Cursed Gear, advanced demon-possessed weaponry. Not to mention that humanity’s most elite Vampire Extermination Unit, the Moon Demon Company, wants nothing to do with Yuichiro unless he can prove he’s willing to work in a team—which is the last thing he wants!



Note: Includes two extra chapters.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , Vampire , Post-Apocalyptic , Male Protagonist , Angels , Reincarnation , Shounen , War , Found Family , Military , Tragedy , Cosmic Horror , Demons , Primarily Teen Cast , Revenge , Conspiracy , Lost Civilization , Pandemic , Orphan , Primarily Male Cast , School , Boys' Love

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Also known as Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.

Status: Finished
Genres: Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Set hundreds of years in the future after an environmental catastrophe, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (also known as Yokohama Shopping Log) centers on the simple life of Alpha, an android who runs a small coffee shop in coastal Japan. Alpha stands witness to chronicle the end of humanity’s days with coffee, a slice of watermelon, and the sound of her moon guitar backed by distant seagulls. Quiet and bittersweet, this tale is about the melancholy beauty that can be found even as the end approaches.



Note: Includes four extra chapters.

Tags: Iyashikei , Female Protagonist , Post-Apocalyptic , Coastal , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Rural , Robots , Lost Civilization , Seinen , Artificial Intelligence , Time Skip , Episodic , Travel , Work , Mopeds , Yuri , Family Life , Restaurant , Motorcycles , Nudity

Yao Shen Ji

Also known as Tales of Demons and Gods.

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

Because of the Space-Time Demon Spirit Book, time and space underwent a reversal. Though he was supposed to have died to demon beasts, Nie Li found himself sitting in a classroom when he opened his eyes. He had gone back to the age of thirteen. Now that everything has begun anew... how will he protect his beloved?



Tags: Wuxia , Cultivation , Reincarnation , Age Regression , Martial Arts , Male Protagonist , Full Color , Super Power , Lost Civilization , Politics , Female Harem , Heterosexual , Gods , Coming of Age , Demons , War , Love Triangle , Economics , Alchemy , Calligraphy , Time Manipulation , Dragons , Angels , Magic , Kaiju , Kemonomimi , Foreign , Crossdressing

Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä

Also known as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Sci-Fi

Humanity, in its hubris, has precipitated a devastating environmental disaster. Flourishing industrial civilizations have been swallowed up by the Sea of Corruption, an enormous forest of fungi releases a miasma of poisonous spores into the air. Nausicaa, a compassionate young princess, and her allies battle to heal a wounded world and its inhabitants...



Note: Won the 26th Seiun Award for Best Comic (1995).

Tags: Environmental , Post-Apocalyptic , Lost Civilization , War , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Survival , Aviation , Military , Cult , Dystopian , Eco-Horror , Politics , Religion , Kaiju , Anachronism , Ghost , Magic , Slavery , Tragedy , Tanks , Travel , Calligraphy

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 , LGBTQ+ Themes , Demons , 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

Helck

Also known as Helck.

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

Helck is the hero that defeated one of the Demon Kings, and in the wake of the Demon King's death, a new one must be declared. This is achieved through a fighting tournament, where the strongest becomes ruler. Vamirio, one of the Great Demon Kings, discovers that Helck is a participant for the tournament and is so far winning! What could be his motive? If a human becomes the next Demon King, what does that spell for the Demon kingdom?

Tags: Demons , Tragedy , Cosmic Horror , Shounen , War , Magic , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Lost Civilization , Post-Apocalyptic , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Revenge , Food , Medieval