The year 2023 has been great for manga. As many series enter their later years of serialization, newer stories are finally coming into their own and proving themselves to be ample competition. Whatever the case, plenty of manga have done a lot in 2023 to maintain reader’s interest in them, and that likely won’t change in 2024.
A lot of pre-established manga have done a great job of maintaining their quality in 2023, and there are some ongoing manga in 2023 that stand out as among the best. Some are manga that have been around for years, decades in some cases, and others are comparatively newer series that have made great progress with their developing stories and establishing their place in the community. Whatever the case, they all have plenty to offer people, and that will surely remain true for years to come.
10 Kindergarten Wars Is the Perfect Blend Of Action & Comedy
Manga by You Chiba, published by Shueisha.
Release Year | 2022 |
Number Of Volumes | 6 |
Where To Read It | Manga Plus |
As Kindergarten Wars enters its second full year of serialization, not only does the romance and character drama continue to ramp up in engaging ways, but the absurdist comedy and gunslinging action continue to get even more over-the-top in all the best ways, chapter #48 spending six pages on a lengthy monologue about shojo manga being a particularly great bit of insanity out of the series. Kindergarten Wars has managed to carve out a great niche for itself, and that hopefully won’t change in the slightest in 2024.
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9 Dandadan Ramps Up Its Action With Its Best Story Arc Yet
Manga by Yukinobu Tatsu, published by Shueisha.
Release Year | 2021 |
Number Of Volumes | 12 |
Where To Read It | Manga Plus, Viz |
Another fairly new ongoing manga that stood out in 2023 was 2021’s Dandadan. 2023 saw the completion of Dandadan‘s Space Globalists arc, and not only did it do a great job of advancing everyone’s abilities and character arcs, including making Vamola the most tragic character in the story to date, but it did so with some of the most gorgeous and detailed art to come out of a weekly serialization in years. The Space Globalists arc has cemented Dandadan as a truly standout story, and with Dandadan receiving an anime in 2024, even more people are bound to realize that.
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8 Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Sets Up Its Saddest Story Yet
Manga by Kanehito Yamada & Tsukasa Abe, published by Shogakukan.
Release Year | 2020 |
Number Of Volumes | 12 |
Where To Read It | Viz |
2020’s Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has been a major hit with fans and critics from day one, and 2023 has more than maintained all of its goodwill. The main story in 2023 follows Frieren after being sent back in time to her days with Himmel’s party, and as great as it is to see Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen in their prime, there’s still an implication of tragedy, since Frieren can’t change how her past self behaved around them. That sort of bittersweet tragedy is perfectly in line with Frieren, and it has the potential to make it the best arc of the series yet.
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7 Kinnikuman Continues To Show How Far It’s Come After 45 Years
Manga by Yudetamago, published by Shueisha.
Release Year | 2011 |
Number Of Volumes | 83 |
Where To Read It | Unavailable |
On the opposite end of the spectrum, an older manga that’s been a great read in 2023 is the relaunch of Kinnikuman (2011). Not only did Kinnikuman close out its Choushin arc with spectacular fights for everyone involved and do a great job of setting up its next story arc, but the implication that said story arc will definitively make Ultimate Muscle canon again promises a lot of great story developments in the weeks to come. Everything in the 2011 relaunch has perfectly shown how far Kinnikuman has evolved over 45 years, and 2024 is sure to take that even further, especially with 2024’s new Kinnikuman anime coming out.
6 Blue Lock‘s Best Match Yet Solidifies It As A World-Class Hit
Manga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro & Yusuke Nomura, published by Kodansha.
Release Year | 2018 |
Number Of Volumes | 27 |
Where To Read It | K Manga |
2018’s Blue Lock has done a lot to cement itself as a major hit, and 2023 was a great showing of why that is. The match between Bastard München and Ubers had some of the best plays and character writing in the manga to date, and seeing Isagi finally make a name for himself as a striker in the Neo Egoist League was an incredible moment that perfectly set the arc up for its final act. Blue Lock‘s success over the years has led to it becoming the top-selling manga of 2023, and with the amazing content that came out of the Ubers match, it’s easy to see why.
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5 Bocchi The Rock! Continues To Be A Great Slice-Of-Life Manga
Manga by Aki Hamazi, published by Hobunsha.
Release Year | 2017 |
Number Of Volumes | 6 |
Where To Read It | Unavailable |
Another great ongoing manga in 2023 without a fantasy element attached to it is 2017’s Bocchi the Rock! 2023’s content has continued Kessoku Band’s growth toward becoming legitimate artists, which has always done a lot to set it apart from other music-based slice-of-life manga, but beyond that, the attention given to Bocchi and Kita contemplating adulthood made for great character drama and an excellent way of further developing their dynamic. Bocchi the Rock! might be best known for its incredible anime, but the original manga has plenty to offer as well, and 2023 did a great job of showing why that is.
4 Undead Unluck Continues Showing Why Its New Story Is Its Best Yet
Manga by Yoshifumi Tozuka, published by Shueisha.
Release Year | 2020 |
Number Of Volumes | 19 |
Where To Read It | Manga Plus, Viz |
Conversely, a great ongoing manga of 2023 that’s completely locked into fantasy is 2020’s Undead Unluck. 2023 saw the continuation of Fuuko’s transition into the leader of the Union and definitive protagonist of the series, as well as seeing how much Fuuko has changed things for the better has been nothing but a great showing of why she’s one of the best female characters in modern shōnen manga. The establishment of the Master Rules as the new villains also sets up great conflict in future chapters, and seeing how it plays out in 2024 and beyond will be nothing but great.
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3 Rosen Garten Saga Is Still An Incredible Battle Manga, Despite Its Depravity
Manga by Fujisaki Mori & Bakotsu Tonooka, published by Shogakukan.
Release Year | 2020 |
Number Of Volumes | 8 |
Where To Read It | Comikey |
Another great ongoing fantasy manga of 2023 is 2020’s Rosen Garten Saga. As the Rosen Garten Schlacht continues, not only are the mysteries surrounding Lynn’s curse finally developing significantly, but the fights in the tournament keep getting even more over the top, with Tonooka Bakotsu’s art always making everything look as gorgeous as possible. Of course, the series is still as perverted as it was in previous years and is still nowhere near safe for work, but as always, that, oddly enough, doesn’t do anything to stop it from being one of the best battle manga to read right now.
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2 Zatch Bell! 2 Proves That Makoto Raiku Still Hasn’t Lost A Step
Manga by Makoto Raiku, published by Birgdin Board Corp.
Release Year | 2022 |
Number Of Volumes | 3 |
Where To Read It | Unavailable in English |
2022’s Zatch Bell! 2 has shown itself to be an excellent continuation of the original Zatch Bell! manga, and 2023 has been no exception. The overarching mystery of the new enemies of the demon world hasn’t progressed very far, but what has been done has still created an engaging story, regardless, and seeing how much Tio and Kanchome have grown made for great fight scenes and incredible fanservice for fans of the original series. Makoto Raiku hasn’t lost his touch with the series and his writing, in general, and it leaves a lot to be excited about with Zatch Bell! 2‘s developments in 2024.
1 One Piece‘s Egghead Island Arc Is The Manga’s Best Story In Years
Manga by Eiichiro Oda, published by Shueisha.
Release Year | 1997 |
Volumes | 107 |
Where To Read It | Manga Plus, Viz |
The last great ongoing manga in 2023 to discuss is the undisputed king of shōnen manga, 1997’s One Piece. After how divisive the Wano arc ended up becoming, the new Egghead Island arc has been seen as a return to form with great action, incredible character writing, and amazing lore developments that are perfectly befitting of it being the start of One Piece‘s final saga. The Egghead Island arc has brought a lot of new life to One Piece with no signs of stopping anytime soon, and it’s easily made One Piece one of the best ongoing manga of 2023.
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