Top Rural Manga Recommendations

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

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 ,

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 , Body Horror , Primarily Child Cast , 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

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 , Travel , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Slavery , Time Skip , Gore , Politics , Swordplay , Ships , Parenthood , Anti-Hero , Rural , Pirates , Agriculture , Environmental , Achronological Order , Religion , Language Barrier , Heterosexual , Adoption , Nudity , Tomboy , Medieval , Archery , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Wilderness , Indigenous Cultures

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

Aku no Hana

Also known as The Flowers of Evil.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance

The story opens as middle school student Takao Kasuga receives an F on a math test. But he doesn't even seem to notice because he's too engrossed in surreptitiously reading Beaudelaire's The Flowers of Evil. And the day goes downhill from there. In a moment of weakness, he finds and takes home the gym clothes belonging to sweet, pretty Nanako Saeki on whom he has a major crush. Unfortunately for Takao, there's a witness to the theft: Nakamura, who has a huge chip on her shoulder and a sadistic streak.

As the saga unfolds, we see Takao struggling to decide whether to confess or cover up his misdeeds at the same time that he tries to win over the girl of his dreams, and avoid the blackmail attempts of Nakamura, his new ”BFF.”

Smart, funny, and emotionally engaging, The Flowers of Evil introduces a character who's not a hero, but just an ordinary teenager in search of true love and real friendship.



Note: Includes 1 extra chapter.

Tags: Coming of Age , Psychosexual , Philosophy , Denpa , Love Triangle , School , Rehabilitation , Classic Literature , Tragedy , Time Skip , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Sadism , Bullying , Suicide , Female Protagonist , Writing , Rural , Urban , Heterosexual , Blackmail , Nudity , Crossdressing

Yotsuba to!

Also known as Yotsuba&!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

Hello! This is Koiwai Yotsuba, Yotsuba Koiwai...um, YOTSUBA! Yotsuba moved with Daddy to a new house from our old house waaaaaaay over there! And moving's fun 'cos people wave! (Ohhhh!!) And Yotsuba met these nice people next door and made friends to play with (one of 'em acted like one of those bad strangers Daddy told Yotsuba not to go with, but it was okay in the end). I hope we get to play a lot. And eat ice cream! And-and-and...oh yeah! You should come play with Yotsuba too!



Notes:
- Includes an interlude.
- Won the Excellence Award for Manga at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006 and the Grand Prize of the 20th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize in 2016.
- Was nominated for the Manga Taishō award in 2008 and for the 12th and 20th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize in 2008 and 2016.
- Was nominated for the Eisner Award in the "Best Publication for Kids" category.

Tags: Family Life , Iyashikei , Episodic , Female Protagonist , Slapstick , Shounen , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Parenthood , Rural , Adoption , Primarily Female Cast , Tomboy , Fishing

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken

Also known as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

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

As players of Monster Hunter and Dungeons & Dragons know, the slime is not exactly the king of the fantasy monsters. So when a 37-year-old Tokyo salaryman dies and wakes up in a world of dragons and magic, he's a little disappointed to find he's become a blind, boneless slime monster.



Note: Chapter count includes 2 bonus chapters.

Tags: Reincarnation , Isekai , Kingdom Management , Politics , Medieval , War , Magic , Shounen , Economics , Monster Girl , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Demons , Dragons , Goblin , Agender , Rural , Yuri

Shounen no Abyss

Also known as Boy's Abyss.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Romance

In a town with nothing, in the middle of a daily life with seemingly no signs of change, high schooler Reiji Kurose was "just" living. Family, dreams for the future, childhood friends. All of them were binding him down to that city. He thought he would "just" keep on living like that. Until he met her. Is there hope in living? Is there light waiting ahead? It's the start of a boy meets girl series which reflects the "now".

Note: Includes 2 extra chapters.

Tags: Tragedy , Suicide , Seinen , Coming of Age , Psychosexual , Male Protagonist , Love Triangle , Crime , Yandere , Age Gap , Nudity , Heterosexual , Teacher , Idol , LGBTQ+ Themes , Ensemble Cast , Female Harem , Rural , Bullying , Incest , Marriage , Hikikomori , Time Skip , Natural Disaster

Dragon Ball

Also known as Dragon Ball.

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

Dragon Ball follows the adventures of Son Goku from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven mystical orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which can summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls for their own desires. Along the way becoming the strongest warrior in the universe.

Part II of Dragon Ball is also known as "Dragon Ball Z" in North America.

Note: Chapter count includes 519 regular chapters and 1 extra. (Volume 33's "Trunks: The Story").

Tags: Martial Arts , Shounen , Travel , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Cultivation , Full Color , Time Skip , Aliens , Henshin , Coming of Age , Cyborg , Afterlife , Anachronism , Tragedy , Gods , Magic , Adoption , Military , Shapeshifting , Nudity , Robots , Rural , Dragons , Dissociative Identities

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 , Orphan , Foreign , Tragedy , Religion , Travel , Lost Civilization , Survival , Politics , Eco-Horror , Medicine , Centaur

Yeokdaegeum Yeongji Seolgyesa

Also known as The Greatest Estate Developer.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

When civil engineering student Su-Ho Kim falls asleep reading a fantasy novel, he wakes up as a character in the book! Su-Ho is now in the body of Lloyd Frontera, a lazy noble who loves to drink, and whose family is in a mountain of debt. Using his engineering knowledge, Su-Ho designs inventions to avert the terrible future that lies in wait for him. With the help of a giant hamster, a knight, and the world’s magic, can Su-Ho dig his new family out of debt and build a better future?



Tags: Anachronism , Economics , Male Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Royal Affairs , Isekai , Anti-Hero , Kingdom Management , Full Color , Politics , Magic , Rural , Zombie , Dragons , Parody , Butler , Animals , Cult , Long Strip , Agriculture , Military , Necromancy , Swordplay , Chimera

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.



Tags: Iyashikei , Coastal , Female Protagonist , Post-Apocalyptic , Coming of Age , Philosophy , Rural , Robots , Time Skip , Lost Civilization , Seinen , Artificial Intelligence , Episodic , Travel , Work , Mopeds , Yuri , Family Life , Restaurant , Motorcycles , LGBTQ+ Themes , 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 , Seinen , Cosmic Horror , Body Horror , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Boys' Love , Gods , LGBTQ+ Themes , Unrequited Love , Curses , Mountaineering , Eco-Horror

Mahoutsukai no Yome

Also known as The Ancient Magus' Bride.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Romance , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Hatori Chise has lived most of her short 15-year life full of neglect and abuse, and devoid of love. With no familial warmth, she's had more than her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when it seems like life can't get any worse, she's now being sold at a slave auction! When a cloaked man, with the head of a beast' skull and wielding strange powers, purchases her, Chise’s life will never be the same again.

The man is a a sorcerer of great power, a kindly magus who frees Chise and then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice–and his bride!



Note: Nominated for the 8th Manga Taisho Award.

Tags: Magic , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Foreign , Mythology , Rural , Age Gap , Monster Boy , Shounen , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Adult Cast , School , Travel , Fairy , Werewolf , Shapeshifting , Dragons

Otoyomegatari

Also known as A Bride's Story.

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

A Bride’s Story tells the tale of a beautiful young bride in nineteenth-century Asia. At the age of twenty, Amir is sent to a neighboring town to be wed. But her surprise at learning her new husband, Karluk, is eight years younger than her is quickly replaced by a deep affection for the boy and his family. Though she hails from just beyond the mountains, Amir’s clan had very different customs, foods, and clothes from what Karluk is used to. As the two of them learn more about each other through their day-to-day lives, the bond of respect and love grows stronger.



Note: Won the Prix Intergénérations ("Intergenerational Award") at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2012 and the 7th Manga Taishou award in 2014.

Tags: Ensemble Cast , Marriage , Historical , Female Protagonist , Heterosexual , Travel , Seinen , Foreign , Arranged Marriage , Iyashikei , Desert , Indigenous Cultures , Family Life , Rural , Matchmaking , Age Gap , Educational , Cohabitation , War , Food , Religion , Unrequited Love , Language Barrier , Twins , Archery , Nudity , Animals , Female Harem , Military , LGBTQ+ Themes

Mushishi

Also known as Mushishi.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Mystery , Slice of Life , Supernatural

Some live in the deep darkness behind your eyelids. Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. They are known as mushi—creatures that came into being shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze. They still exist parallel to our own lives and can only be seen by a select few. As a mushishi, Ginko is one of the few who are aware of their existense, and this young man with a sardonic smile roams from place to place with the knowledge and skill to aid those unwittingly affected by mushi.



Note: Won the Excellence Prize for Manga at the 7th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2003 and the Kodansha Manga Award for General Manga in 2006.

Tags: Travel , Episodic , Environmental , Youkai , Seinen , Mythology , Rural , Iyashikei , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Urban Fantasy , Historical , Work , Demons

Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi

Also known as Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!.

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

City boy Tsubasa Shiki has just moved from Tokyo out to the sticks in Hokkaido—and right in the middle of winter! Despite being dressed in many, many layers, Tsubasa is quick to find the blistering cold inescapable and unbearable. Stumbling around trying to find his way, Tsubasa makes a beautiful discovery: A Hokkaido Gal, buxom but barely covered in the freezing weather! Minami Fuyuki is a Hokkaido local who takes an immediate interest in Tsubasa, wanting him to tell her all about city life. Tsubasa tries to resist falling for the blonde beauty—after all, he’s supposed to be into prim, proper, raven-haired girls!—but there’s no resisting Minami’s electric and boisterous personality.

But will his strict grandmother also be able to appreciate her charms, or will Tsubasa be forced to part ways with his first Hokkaido friend?



Note: Includes the original one-shot and 3 extra chapters.

Tags: Gyaru , Coming of Age , Large Breasts , Love Triangle , Male Protagonist , Snowscape , School , Female Harem , Shounen , Heterosexual , Rural , Female Protagonist , Urban , Marriage , Nudity , Video Games , Time Skip

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 , Love Triangle , Outdoor Activities , Amnesia , Nudity , Historical , Heterosexual , Unrequited Love

Gleipnir

Also known as Gleipnir.

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

Shuichi Kagaya is an ordinary high school kid in a boring little town. But when a beautiful classmate is caught in a warehouse fire, he discovers a mysterious power: he can transform into a furry dog with an oversized revolver and a zipper down his back. He saves the girl’s life, sharing his secret with her. But she’s searching for the sister who killed her family, and she doesn’t care how degrading it gets: she will use Shuichi to accomplish her mission …



Tags: Super Power , Shapeshifting , Monster Boy , Seinen , Anti-Hero , Rural , Psychosexual , Battle Royale , Aliens , Body Horror , Nudity , Memory Manipulation , Gore , Monster Girl , Guns , Heterosexual , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Yandere , Love Triangle , Clone , Time Manipulation , Suicide , LGBTQ+ Themes