Top Tokusatsu Manga Recommendations

Kaijuu 8-gou

Also known as Kaiju No.8.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Sci-Fi

A man working a job far removed from his childhood dreams gets wrapped up in an unexpected situation…! Becoming a monster, he aims once again to fulfill his lifelong dream…!



Note:
- Nominated for the 14th Manga Taisho Award in 2021.
- Winner of the 7th Next Manga Award in the Web Manga Category in 2021.

Tags: Kaiju , Shounen , Shapeshifting , Military , Henshin , Primarily Adult Cast , Urban Fantasy , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Tokusatsu , Monster Boy , Guns , Gore , Conspiracy , Revenge , War , Body Horror , Heterosexual , Tragedy , Survival , Primarily Male Cast , Kuudere

Dandadan

Also known as Dandadan.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

Momo Ayase strikes up an unusual friendship with her school’s UFO fanatic, whom she nicknames “Okarun” because he has a name that is not to be said aloud. While Momo believes in spirits, she thinks aliens are nothing but nonsense. Her new friend, meanwhile, thinks the exact opposite. To settle matters, the two set out to prove each other wrong—Momo to a UFO hotspot and Okarun to a haunted tunnel! What unfolds next is a beautiful story of young love…and oddly horny aliens and spirits?



Notes:
- Includes 1 extra chapter.
- Nominated for the 15th Manga Taisho Award in 2022.

Tags: Youkai , Urban Fantasy , Aliens , Super Power , Ghost , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Surreal Comedy , Male Protagonist , Henshin , Tokusatsu , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Heterosexual , School , Shapeshifting , Body Horror , Love Triangle , Terrorism , Conspiracy , Kaiju , Acrobatics , Gore , Chuunibyou , Super Robot , Tragedy , Cannibalism , Exorcism , Circus , Gods , Tsundere , Nudity , Bullying , Dissociative Identities , Suicide

Shin Seiki Evangelion

Also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In 2015, the "Angels" have returned, and Shinji Ikari, a fourteen year-old child of the new Earth, is forced by his father Gendo--commander of the secret organization NERV--to pilot the monstrous biomechanical weapon called "Evangelion" to match the Angels' fearsome power...



Tags: Philosophy , Coming of Age , Kaiju , Tragedy , Military , Body Horror , Primarily Teen Cast , Real Robot , Conspiracy , Male Protagonist , Post-Apocalyptic , Denpa , Cosmic Horror , Robots , Super Robot , Tsundere , Angels , Kuudere , Gore , Memory Manipulation , Cyberpunk , Amnesia , Bisexual , Espionage , Guns , School , Urban , Seinen , Nudity , Space , Boys' Love , Age Gap , Tokusatsu , Love Triangle

Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia ILLEGALS

Also known as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes.

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

In the world of My Hero Academia, not everyone needs a license to fight for justice!

In a superpowered society, there is nothing ordinary about evil anymore. Heroes, trained and licensed to protect and defend the public against supervillains, stand above all the rest. Not everyone can be a hero, however, and there are those who would use their powers to serve the people without legal sanction. But do they fight for justice in the shadows, or for reasons known only to themselves? Whatever they fight for, they are called…vigilantes.

Koichi Haimawari couldn’t make the cut to become an official hero, so he uses his modest Quirk to do good deeds in his spare time. Then one day a fateful encounter with some local thugs leads him to team up with two other unlikely heroes. None of them really know what they’re doing, but they’ve got the courage—or foolishness—to try. But they soon discover fighting evil takes more than just being brave…



Note: Includes 7 extra chapters.

Tags: Super Power , Superhero , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Fugitive , Crime , Martial Arts , Anti-Hero , Female Protagonist , Tokusatsu , Heterosexual , Police

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Also known as Sailor Moon.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo , Romance

Usagi Tsukino is a normal girl until she meets up with Luna, a talking cat, who tells her that she is Sailor Moon. As Sailor Moon, Usagi must fight evils and enforce justice, in the name of the Moon and the mysterious Moon Princess. She meets other girls destined to be Sailor Senshi (Sailor Scouts), and together, they fight the forces of evil!



Notes:
- The tankoubon release contains 52 Acts and 9 bonus chapters across 18 volumes; chapter/volume counts follow the tankoubon release.
- The shinsouban release contains the original 52 Acts plus 8 new Acts across 12 volumes, but no bonus chapters as all 9 were released separately in Sailor Moon Short Stories alongside another bonus chapter that was previously released in an artbook.
- The kanzenban release contains both the 60 Acts and the 10 bonus chapters from the short story shinsoubans across 10 volumes.


Tags: Shoujo , Primarily Female Cast , Reincarnation , Magic , Female Protagonist , Lost Civilization , Henshin , Time Manipulation , Urban Fantasy , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Tragedy , Memory Manipulation , Mythology , Philosophy , War , Cosmic Horror , Space Opera , Demons , Space , Super Power , Astronomy , LGBTQ+ Themes , School , Aliens , Fairy Tale , Bisexual , Body Horror , Rehabilitation , Nudity , Bullying , Revenge , Time Skip , Dissociative Identities , Urban , Unrequited Love , Yuri , Found Family , Superhero , Circus , Gender Bending , Shrine Maiden , Love Triangle , Animals , Parenthood , Tokusatsu , Kemonomimi , Age Gap , Age Regression , Twins , School Club

Sentai Daishikkaku

Also known as Go, Go, Loser Ranger!.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Sci-Fi

When the Monster Army invaded Earth thirteen years ago, the Divine Dragon Rangers rose up to stop them! With the war raging on, these great heroes are mankind’s last hope!

…or are they?

In truth, the invaders were subjugated within a year, forced to continue to crank out a monster a week for the Rangers to crush in front of their adoring fans! But one monster has had enough. Something has to change! He’ll rebel against the might of the Dragon Rangers and destroy them all…from the inside!



Tags: Tokusatsu , Anti-Hero , Henshin , Urban Fantasy , Revenge , Monster Boy , Fugitive , Acting , Male Protagonist , Conspiracy , Shapeshifting , Espionage , Dystopian , Shounen , Urban , Aliens , Agender , Survival , Time Skip , Ensemble Cast , Work , Super Power , Gore , Acrobatics , Time Loop , Angels , Battle Royale , School

Terra Formars

Also known as Terra Formars.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Horror , Sci-Fi

After humanity’s first manned mission to the Red Planet was lost, a second expedition arrives. The explorers prepare to exterminate the cockroaches that were used to transform the Martian environment, but are shocked to discover that the insects have mutated into giant, aggressive humanoids with one overriding goal—exterminate the humans! However, this crew of explorers has each undergone the “Bugs Procedure,” terrifying experimental surgery designed to make them more than human…



Tags: Aliens , Henshin , Tragedy , Super Power , Seinen , Ensemble Cast , Espionage , Martial Arts , War , Space , Tokusatsu , Gore , Shapeshifting , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Politics , Military , Dystopian , Conspiracy

ZETMAN

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

Jin is a strange kid with an angel mark on his hand. He lives a poor but peaceful life with his grandfather, along with the other destitute and abandoned vagabonds near the river. One day, his peaceful life changes when a strange monster named "player" appears, chopping off heads and killing everyone who appears in front of it.

Tags: Seinen , Tokusatsu , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Urban Fantasy , Gore , Body Horror , Tragedy , Conspiracy , Henshin , Superhero , Anti-Hero , Nudity

SHY

Also known as Shy.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama

Earth was on the brink of a third World War when super-powered individuals came forth from each country around the globe, ending the conflict and ushering in a new era of relative peace. Among those heroes, Japan is represented by a timid young girl known as “Shy.” She may spend more time worrying about her own shortcomings than she does battling villains, but she’ll show the world that despite it all she still has the heart of a hero!



Note: Nominated for the Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Manga Category.

Tags: Superhero , Henshin , Super Power , Female Protagonist , Shounen , Coming of Age , Tokusatsu , Philosophy , Yuri , Suicide , Ninja , Space , LGBTQ+ Themes , Yandere , Disability , Body Horror

Rosengarten Saga

Also known as Rosen Garten Saga.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Ecchi , Fantasy , Supernatural

“Clench your ass, girl! Playtime's over!” Meet Rin, a gorgeous virgin who just can't seem to get laid. But her village getting decimated by raiders doesn't keep her down in the dumps for long! Picking up a sword that happens to be housing an extraordinary perver-… Er, the former prince, she sets off on an epic journey of revenge with various degenerat-… Ahem, heroes!

Tags: Nudity , Seinen , Female Protagonist , Sadism , Gender Bending , Futanari , Bisexual , Swordplay , Crossdressing , Yuri , Ghost , Foreign , Heterosexual , Parody , Dragons , LGBTQ+ Themes , Masochism , Henshin , Twins , Incest , Male Protagonist , Femboy , Historical , Idol , Tokusatsu , Ensemble Cast , Surreal Comedy

Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san

Also known as Mr. Villain's Day Off.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

One evil supervillain spends most of his time hatching nefarious plots to take over the world-but on his days off, nothing gets between him and the cute pandas he adores! This fresh, charming comedy series answers the age-old question of what a villain does off the clock!

The mysterious and dastardly man known only as the General within the evil organization plotting to take over the world is one of the top targets of Earth's defensive unit, the Rangers. But on his precious days off, he's more likely to be at the local zoo staring at his beloved pandas or trying out new ice cream flavors! Will his secret hobbies be jeopardized forever when his natural enemy - a Ranger hero out to save the Earth - catches him in the act?



Tags: Male Protagonist , Iyashikei , Food , Animals , Aliens , Primarily Adult Cast , Found Family , Demons , Shoujo , Episodic , Urban , Konbini , Tokusatsu , Henshin

Ultra Heaven

Also known as Ultra Heaven.

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

In a world where all feelings are artificial and where everyone is a potential drug addict, nothing is really changed: the excess is near at hand and very few substances are considered dangerous and put under a strict control by a hygiene office which has full power on the drug addicts who are in extreme condition.

The main character is Kabu, a little peddler and heavily addicted. Used to any kind of hallucinogenic trip, he is able to feel
the happiness through the ecstasy of the drug, while at the same time hypocritically hating who gave birth to the society that forced him the excess. After an overdose caused by mixing two incompatible drugs, he spends his days looking for stimulants until the encounter with an enigmatic man who offers him a new kind of illegal substance: Ultra Heaven.
From that moment, his incredible journey begins, where dreams and reality are fused in an undivided world, causing him hysterical and joyful reactions and unrestrained pains.

But what really is Ultra Heaven and who's really behind it? Who is the guru who is promoting the meditation as a powerful way to influence the whole universe surrounding us exploiting the quantum theory?

With the help of a special amplifier helmet, Kabu starts a trip into the deep and hidden layers of his conscience, diving into a nightmare he would never discover...

Tags: Seinen , Drugs , Dystopian , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Alternate Universe , Philosophy , Nudity , Cyberpunk , Tokusatsu

RaW Hero

Also known as RaW Hero.

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

Just remember this. In this world of ours… the first to die are those without guts. A portion of humanity has obtained special abilities, and two groups emerge in conflict. On the side of justice are “heroes.” On the side of villainy are “monsters.” For Chiaki, however, all that matters is finding work to support his younger brothers. But when a simple train ride to his latest interview takes a perverse turn, his sense of right leads him down an unexpected and uncomfortable path! From the mind of Prison School creator Akira Hiramoto comes a raw new story of a man caught between good and evil, lies and truth—and light and shadow!

Tags: Gender Bending , Male Protagonist , Crossdressing , Nudity , Henshin , Seinen , Espionage , Superhero , Tokusatsu , Age Gap

Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de

Also known as Love After World Domination.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Supernatural

There are two sides to every coin...light vs. dark, good vs. evil, love vs. hate. Sometimes the line between the two grows thin...and it's so, so easy to cross. So it's no surprise that Fudo Aikawa, A.K.A. Red Gelato of the Gelato Five and hero to all people, just may have happened to fall for the villainess and member of the shadow organization Gekko, Desumi Magahara! But when opposites like these attract, there's more than a few obstacles to their love...! What's a pair like this to do?



Tags: Superhero , Villainess , Tokusatsu , Shounen , Heterosexual , Parody , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Henshin , Anthropomorphism , Animals , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban Fantasy , Tsundere , Urban , School , Slapstick , Tomboy , Espionage , Shapeshifting , Tanned Skin , Kuudere , Guns , LGBTQ+ Themes , Gyaru , Time Skip , Nudity

Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!

Also known as Combatants Will Be Dispatched!.

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

After a career spent slapping down superheroes as an evil minion of the Kisaragi Corporation, Agent Six has his next assignment-invade a fantasy world! With his pluck new partner, the "pretty-girl android" Alice, Agent Six sets out to bring his target planet to heel. What better way to accomplish that than by partnering with the locals?! Alongside Royal Guard Captain Snow, Battle Chimera Rose, and Archbishop Grimm, Alice and Six will square off against demon hordes-even if it's just a means of taking down the competition! Let the battle to be baddest begin!



Note: Includes 7 extra chapters

Tags: Anti-Hero , Alternate Universe , Female Harem , Isekai , Nudity , Male Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Magic , Seinen , War , Guns , Robots , Disability , Tokusatsu

Kabushiki Gaisha Magi Lumiere

Also known as Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc..

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Fantasy , Mahou Shoujo

“Magical Girl”— A profession that undertakes the work of exterminating a kind of natural disaster called “Kaii.” Kana Sakuragi, a female college student who struggles with job hunting, is picked up by a magical girl startup company and…?! Magical Girl work-life starts now!



Tags: Work , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Magic , Henshin , Superhero , Software Development , Urban , Kaiju , Office Lady , Shounen , Crossdressing , Tokusatsu

Otome Kaiju Caramelise

Also known as Kaiju Girl Caramelise.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Supernatural

Suffering from a rare, incurable illness that causes frightening changes to her body, loner Kuroe Akaishi spends her high school days avoiding all her classmates—especially class idol Arata Minami and his groupies. But when Arata starts making her heart skip a beat with irritating regularity, Kuroe discovers that her illness actually has a big—make that MONSTER—secret: Romance turns her into Love-zilla…literally!



Tags: Kaiju , Monster Girl , Female Protagonist , Seinen , Urban , School , Henshin , Tokusatsu , Shapeshifting , Love Triangle

Hakaijuu

Also known as Creature!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Horror , Mystery

Tachikawa, Tokyo. Akira Takashiro is a normal high school student who is devoted to playing basketball. In the early afternoon on a day that should have gone like any other, a gigantic earthquake suddenly strikes the city. There in the school rubble, Akira witnesses a mountain of dead bodies...and an unknown creature that eats them. The tale that unravels is one that will overpower and shock you!! Get ready for an excellent urban monster attack!



Tags: Kaiju , Gore , Survival , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Post-Apocalyptic , Conspiracy , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Tokusatsu , Henshin , Body Horror , Time Skip

Dr. Slump

Also known as Dr. Slump.

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

Basking in the glow of his scientific achievement, Senbei scrambles to get Arale in working order so the rest of Penguin Village won't have reason to suspect she's not really a girl. But first Senbei needs to find her a pair of glasses and some clothes...



Tags: Shounen , Chibi , Slapstick , Surreal Comedy , Urban Fantasy , Meta , Family Life , Parody , Super Power , Time Manipulation , Robots , Space , Tokusatsu , Real Robot , Aliens , Travel , Anthropomorphism , Motorcycles , Cars , Urban

Colorless

Also known as COLORLESS.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sci-Fi

A cosmic disaster changed the Earth forever, stripping away every last drop of color from the world. Mankind also changed: the familiar human face is almost forgotten in a world now populated wholly by mutants. Against the backdrop of a moody urban landscape, a lone wolf investigator named Avidia relies on both his wits and extraordinary gun to hunt down the world’s last hidden scraps of color. He soon crosses paths with a very special girl–one who just might hold the key to bringing back what the world has lost.



Note: Includes 11 extra chapters.

Tags: Cult , Lost Civilization , Dystopian , Post-Apocalyptic , Detective , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Conspiracy , Crime , Urban , Full Color , Cyberpunk , Urban Fantasy , Henshin , Tokusatsu , Body Horror