Top Urban Fantasy Manga Recommendations

Chainsaw Man

Also known as Chainsaw Man.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Horror , Supernatural

The name says it all! Denji's life of poverty is changed forever when he merges with his pet chainsaw dog, Pochita! Now he's living in the big city and an official Devil Hunter. But he's got a lot to learn about his new job and chainsaw powers!



Notes:
- Nominated for the 2020 Manga Taisho Award.
- Winner of the 2021 Kono Manga ga Sugoi Award.
- Winner of the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shounen category.
- Winner of the 2021 and 2022 Harvey Award for Best Manga.
- Chapters 1-97 were released in Weekly Shounen Jump from Dec 3, 2018 to Dec 13, 2020. The series resumed from Ch. 98 in Shounen Jump+ on July 12, 2022

Tags: Demons , Tragedy , Urban Fantasy , Psychosexual , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Gore , Body Horror , Cosmic Horror , Henshin , Urban , Monster Boy , Survival , Found Family , Female Protagonist , Work , Memory Manipulation , Shounen , Anti-Hero , Unrequited Love , Alternate Universe , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Cult , Politics , Guns , Assassins , Yandere , Monster Girl , Human Pet , Revenge , Shapeshifting , Terrorism , Femdom , Surreal Comedy , Philosophy , Slapstick , Meta , Primarily Teen Cast , Super Power , Afterlife , Nudity , School , Cannibalism , Delinquents , Angels , Necromancy , Amnesia , Time Skip , Yakuza , Mafia , Tsundere , Time Manipulation , Zombie , Chimera , Motorcycles , Denpa , Vore , Bisexual

Na Honjaman Level Up

Also known as Solo Leveling.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

In a world where awakened beings called “Hunters” must battle deadly monsters to protect humanity, Seong Jin-U, nicknamed “the weakest hunter of all mankind,” finds himself in a constant struggle for survival. One day, after a brutal encounter in an overpowered dungeon wipes out his party and threatens to end his life, a mysterious System chooses him as its sole player: Jin-U has been granted the rare opportunity to level up his abilities, possibly beyond any known limits. Follow Jin-U’s journey as he takes on ever-stronger enemies, both human and monster, to discover the secrets deep within the dungeons and the ultimate extent of his powers.



Note: Includes 22 extra chapters.

Tags: Dungeon , Male Protagonist , Super Power , War , Full Color , Magic , Necromancy , Urban Fantasy , Gods , Creature Taming , Primarily Adult Cast , Politics , Demons , Post-Apocalyptic , Video Games , Foreign , Tragedy , Memory Manipulation , Anti-Hero , Time Manipulation , Bullying , Estranged Family , Long Strip , Age Regression , Heterosexual , Assassins , Chimera , Language Barrier , Time Skip , Snowscape , Marriage , Ensemble Cast

Jujutsu Kaisen

Also known as Jujutsu Kaisen.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Supernatural

Although Yuji Itadori looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Research Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object. Little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal…



Notes:
- Ranked 1st in Japan's Bookstore Employees Top Manga of 2018.
- Nominated for the 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2021.
- Nominated for the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2019.
- Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , Demons , Super Power , Shounen , Curses , Tragedy , Monster Boy , Male Protagonist , Youkai , Magic , Martial Arts , Body Horror , Dissociative Identities , Death Game , Battle Royale , Gore , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban , Exorcism , Ensemble Cast , Cosmic Horror , Sadism , Body Swapping , Cult , School , Anthropomorphism , Assassins , Amnesia , Slapstick , Time Skip , Time Manipulation , Swordplay , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Nudity

Tokyo Ghoul

Also known as Tokyo Ghoul.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Tragedy , Cannibalism , Urban Fantasy , Gore , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Survival , Dystopian , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Body Horror , Torture , Police , Primarily Adult Cast , Kuudere , Terrorism , Cosmic Horror , Heterosexual , Chimera , Twins , Mythology

Boku no Hero Academia

Also known as My Hero Academia.

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

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…



Note:
- Winner of the 1st Next Manga Award in the Print Category in 2015.
- Nominated for the 8th Manga Taisho Award in 2015.
- Nominated for the 40th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2016.
- Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Superhero , Super Power , Urban Fantasy , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Boarding School , Ensemble Cast , Terrorism , School , Conspiracy , Coming of Age , Crime , Criminal Organization , War , Anti-Hero , Revenge , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Rescue , Politics , Gore , Body Horror , Drugs , Animals , Heterosexual , Fugitive , Tomboy , Guns , Age Regression , Yakuza , Robots , Nudity , Memory Manipulation , Yandere , Teacher

One Punch-Man

Also known as One-Punch Man.

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

In this new action-comedy, everything about a young man named Saitama screams "AVERAGE,” from his lifeless expression, to his bald head, to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking fellow doesn't have your average problem... He's actually a superhero that's looking for tough opponents! The problem is, every time he finds a promising candidate he beats the snot out of them in one punch. Can Saitama finally find an evil villain strong enough to challenge him? Follow Saitama through his hilarious romps as he searches for new bad guys to challenge!



Tags: Superhero , Super Power , Urban Fantasy , Parody , Surreal Comedy , Kaiju , Satire , Meta , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Slapstick , Gods , Cosmic Horror , Seinen , Philosophy , Urban , Martial Arts , Cyborg , Swordplay , Gore , Aliens , Time Manipulation , Nudity , Tragedy , Guns

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

BLEACH

Also known as Bleach.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Supernatural

Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits and, along with Rukia— who is slowly regaining her powers— it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace.



Note: Includes the 12-chapter “Turn Back The Pendulum” side story and 8 extra chapters.

Tags: Shounen , Swordplay , Super Power , Ghost , Male Protagonist , War , Ensemble Cast , Afterlife , Urban Fantasy , Tragedy , Conspiracy , Coming of Age , Large Breasts , Philosophy , Primarily Teen Cast , Henshin , Exorcism , Heterosexual , Anachronism , Primarily Male Cast , Time Skip , Gods , Body Horror , Delinquents , Transgender , Marriage

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?



Note: Nominated for the 15th Manga Taisho Award in 2022.

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

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 , Assassins , Politics , Chimera , Anti-Hero , Battle Royale , War , Death Game , Crime , Philosophy , Gangs , Coming of Age , Gore , Martial Arts , Conspiracy , Lost Civilization , Video Games , Ships , Card Battle , Mafia , Animals , LGBTQ+ Themes , Time Manipulation , Demons , Amnesia , Cannibalism , Kemonomimi , Transgender , Virtual World , Reincarnation , Asexual

[Oshi no Ko]

Also known as [Oshi no Ko].

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

Gorou is a gynecologist and idol fan who’s in shock after his favorite star, Ai, announces an impromptu hiatus. Little does Gorou realize that he’s about to forge a bond with her that defies all common sense! Lies are an idol’s weapon!



Notes:
- Nominated for the 14th and 15th Manga Taisho, the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, the 67th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category and the 46th Kodansha Manga Award.
- Winner of the 7th Next Manga Award in the print category.
- Includes "[Oshi no Ko]: interlude" and one extra chapter.

Tags: Revenge , Acting , Idol , Tragedy , Reincarnation , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Twins , Detective , Female Protagonist , Work , Urban Fantasy , Time Skip , Otaku Culture , Age Gap , Female Harem , Love Triangle , Suicide , Anti-Hero , Primarily Teen Cast , Heterosexual , Bullying , Urban , Denpa , Educational , Tsundere , Primarily Female Cast , Filmmaking , Pregnancy , Incest , VTuber , Cosplay

Kaijuu 8-gou

Also known as Kaiju No.8.

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

Fire Punch

Also known as Fire Punch.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Orphaned siblings Agni and Luna, like the Ice Witch who cursed their world, are two of the “blessed,” humans who hold special abilities. However, not all who are blessed are friendly, and after another of their kind attacks Agni and decimates the orphans' village, Agni fights to survive, vowing revenge.



Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , Suicide , Dystopian , Revenge , Philosophy , Cult , Anti-Hero , Super Power , Survival , Religion , Body Horror , Torture , Meta , Male Protagonist , Filmmaking , Gore , Cosmic Horror , Acting , Snowscape , Time Skip , Coming of Age , Cannibalism , Incest , Slavery , Gods , Surreal Comedy , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Urban Fantasy , Memory Manipulation , Denpa , Politics , Amputation , Shounen , Psychosexual , Heterosexual , Orphan

Tokyo Ghoul:re

Also known as Tokyo Ghoul:re.

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

In Tokyo, an unchanging despair is lurking. Mysterious man-eating beings, ghouls, run rampant in Tokyo. Living hidden during everyday life, the existence of ghouls, whose true identities are shrouded in mystery, permanently terrorizes Tokyo's residents.

At CCG, the sole institution that investigates and resolves cases related to ghouls, Haise Sasaki has been assigned a certain mission. While dealing with the unruly four problem children known as "Quinx", Haise's days of suffering begin...?!

Note: Includes 1 extra chapter and the one-shot "Tokyo Ghoul: Joker".

Tags: Tragedy , Dissociative Identities , Seinen , Amnesia , Philosophy , Dystopian , Body Horror , Shapeshifting , Gore , Coming of Age , Urban Fantasy , Conspiracy , Police , Rehabilitation , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Suicide , Kuudere , Yandere , Human Experimentation , LGBTQ+ Themes , Meta , Cosmic Horror , Terrorism , Crossdressing , Transgender , Nudity , Mythology , Incest , Gender Bending

DEATH NOTE

Also known as Death Note.

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

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But will Light succeed in his noble goal, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?



Tags: Detective , Police , Anti-Hero , Urban Fantasy , Tragedy , Crime , Male Protagonist , Philosophy , Gods , Primarily Male Cast , Espionage , Time Skip , Shounen , Memory Manipulation , Demons , Amnesia , Politics , Cult

Dorohedoro

Also known as Dorohedoro.

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

In a city so dismal it's known only as "the Hole," a clan of Sorcerers have been plucking people off the streets to use as guinea pigs for atrocious "experiments" in the black arts. In a dark alley, Nikaido found Caiman, a man with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. To undo the spell, they're hunting and killing the Sorcerers in the Hole, hoping that eventually they'll kill the right one. But when En, the head Sorcerer, gets word of a lizard-man slaughtering his people, he sends a crew of "cleaners" into the Hole, igniting a war between two worlds.



Note: Includes 23 side stories titled "Extra Evil" and the side story "The Lizard Head and the Magic Whistle."

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Magic , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Amnesia , Seinen , Revenge , Dystopian , Body Horror , Gore , Monster Boy , Surreal Comedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Demons , Urban Fantasy , Curses , Time Manipulation , Super Power , Henshin , Gangs , Cosmic Horror , Body Swapping , Female Protagonist , Nudity , Animals , Anthropomorphism , Zombie , Male Protagonist , Cyberpunk , Gender Bending

SAKAMOTO DAYS

Also known as Sakamoto Days.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy

Taro Sakamoto was the ultimate assassin, feared by villains and admired by hitmen. But one day...he fell in love! Retirement, marriage, fatherhood and then... Sakamoto gained weight! The chubby guy who runs the neighborhood store is actually a former legendary hitman! Can he protect his family from danger? Get ready to experience a new kind of action comedy series!



Tags: Assassins , Urban Fantasy , Family Life , Crime , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Konbini , Male Protagonist , Gangs , Guns , Shounen , Espionage , Dissociative Identities , Conspiracy , Gore , Heterosexual , Triads , Mafia , Acting , Slapstick , Urban , Prison , Tragedy , Super Power , Survival , Motorcycles , Gambling , Crossdressing

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

Jumyou wo Kaitotte Moratta. Ichinen ni Tsuki, Ichimanen de.

Also known as Three Days of Happiness.

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

Kusunoki used to believe he was destined for great things. But now, approaching the age of twenty, he’s a completely mediocre college student with no motivation, no dreams, and no money. After learning he can sell his remaining years, he chooses to divest himself of all but his last three months. Spending this remaining time with his monitor, Miyagi, has Kusunoki truly destroyed his final chance to find happiness…or has he somehow found it?



Note: Includes two extra chapters.

Tags: Philosophy , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Urban Fantasy , Heterosexual , Suicide , Kuudere , Drawing , Photography , Shounen , Mopeds

Sayonara Eri

Also known as Goodbye, Eri.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

With his mother dying, Yuuta attempts to capture her last days on his phone. After her death, Yuuta heads to the roof of the hospital to commit suicide, but a meeting with a strange girl leads him on the path to making a movie.



Note: The one-shot was compiled in a special volume, released on July 4, 2022.

Tags: Meta , Filmmaking , POV , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Acting , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Vampire , Time Skip , Primarily Teen Cast , School , Family Life , Suicide , Shounen , Disability