Let’s keep up with the latest manga trend next to My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba!
Japanese pop culture has been more recognized worldwide lately, and you can see the unrestrained expansion of manga as well as anime and light novels. Lots of popular manga series have been translated into English and other languages as soon as the original Japanese edition released, and they have a bigger and bigger circulation in the global market today.
Specifically, several famous Japanese manga magazines like Weekly Shonen Jump help potential manga artists to create high-quality manga in waves. In 2022, tens of successful manga are adapted into anime series for their popularity.
Then, what is the hottest manga to read this year? Today, I’d like to introduce 15 most popular manga of 2022 including the worldly less-known but domestically trendy series and the must-read comic books newly serialized.
▷Check the best manga of all time, too!
Let’s check out the best manga to read in 2022!
▽This is the list of the best manga series of 2023 or later including brand newcomers!▽
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1. Sakamoto Days
The biggest-circulation Japanese manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump has satisfied a large number of fans all over the world with unique comedy manga as well as classic adventure and action. Sakamoto Days is an ongoing action comedy manga written by Yuto Suzuki since 2020, which is looked on as one of the hottest manga in Japan at the moment.
It tells the story of Taro Sakamoto, who used to be the most famous hitman but stands back from the shady world to form a peaceful family with his wife and their daughter. In conflict with his intention, he has to fight against lots of assassins targeting at him.
Manga artist: Yuto Suzuki
Published: Since 2020
Serialized on Weekly Shonen Jump
Volumes: 6 (As of March, 2022)
2. Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン), a must-read for every manga fan around the globe, has been already known as one of the greatest manga series in the 2020s. The action, dark-fantasy manga, written by Tatsuki Fujimoto, started its publication in 2018 and came to the end in 2020 earlier than many fans expected.
The shocking theme and symbolic devil characters have kept the readers absorbed. The following part just re-started with the Academy Saga on Shonen Jump Plus since July 13, 2022. Chainsaw Man’s anime adaptation will be released by Mappa within this year. The latest short story of the author titled Look Back is also one of the best recommendations to read in 2022, too!
Manga artist: Tatsuki Fujimoto
Published: 2018-2020/2022- (Part 2)
Serialized on Weekly Shonen Jump/Shonen Jump Plus (Part 2)
Volumes: 11
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3. Goodbye, Eri
In addition to the latest outstanding comics, a brand new impressive one-shot manga was born in April, 2022: Goodbye, Eri (さよなら絵梨). The drama short manga was made by the high-profile manga artist Tatsuki Fujimoto, who is also famous for Chainsaw Man, Fire Punch and Look Back. At the same time as Japanese edition was released on Shonen Jump Plus, its English edition was distributed on the official manga publishing website Manga Plus by Shueisha for free.
Goodbye, Eri centers on an incoming middle school student Yuta, who is given a smartphone on his birthday and asked to film his mother’s life until she dies of a disease. After he encounters a mysterious girl named Eri, he is getting into making a film.
Manga artist: Tatsuki Fujimoto
Published: 2022
Serialized on Shonen Jump Plus
Volumes: 1
<<Read Goodbye, Eri in English on Manga Plus!>>
4. Spy×Family
What has sparked a boom the most recently is a spy-themed action comedy Spy×Family, which has been published by the author Tatsuya Endo on the online publishing platform Shonen Jump Plus every two weeks since 2019. Fans are looking forward to watching the first anime adaptation to be broadcasted from April, 2022.
Spy×Family tells the story about a fake family comprising a professional spy Loid Forger, his wife and skillful assassin Yor Forger and their adopted psychic girl Anya Forger. While the “parents” carry out their missions behind a veil of secrecy, Anya reads their minds but hide them to live peaceably. You can enjoy both the serious story of the escalation of international tensions of two great powers and the humorous scenes with comedy there.
Manga artist: Tatsuya Endo
Published: Since 2019
Serialized on Shonen Jump Plus
Volumes: 9 (As of April, 2022)
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5. Oshi no Ko
Oshi no Ko (推しの子) is the manga series that has surprised a large number of manga fans with its unexpected story including the recent status of Japan since its serialization broke out on Weekly Young Jump and Manga Plus since April, 2020. The fantasy suspenseful manga has been illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari and written by Aka Akasaka, who is also famous for Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. Oshi no Ko will become much more known and popular worldwide since the production of its anime adaptation has been confirmed. You can read it on Manga Plus by Shueisha in English, and the first volume of English edition will be published in January, 2023.
Ai Hoshino, a Japanese female idol growing in popularity, triggers the thrilling and interesting story of Oshi no Ko. It gets rolling since she asks Goro, an obstetrician and gynecologist and a fan of Ai, for help. Also introducing a sick girl Sarina, who loves the brilliant idol girl, Oshi no Ko focuses on the world of show business including actors and idols.
Manga artist: Aka Akasaka (Writer)/Mengo Yokoyari (Illustrator)
Published: Since 2020
Serialized on Weekly Young Jump
Volumes: 8 (As of June, 2022)
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6. My Dress-Up Darling
My Dress-Up Darling (その着せ替え人形は恋をする), which is the manga in the spotlight in 2022, is what you should enjoy reading now. Classified into romantic comedy, it has been published by Square Enix since 2018. Its anime adaptation composed of 12 episodes made by the popular anime studio CloverWorks in the beginning of 2022 has made this trendy manga much more popular.
My Dress-Up Darling has the theme of making Japanese hina dolls, set in Iwatsuki, the town that has been really famous for quality hina dolls for a long time. The life of a first-grade high schooler Wakana Gojo, who is into making hina dolls under his grandfather’s influence, is changing after he gets closer to a popular cheerful classmate Marin Kitagawa, who is a lover of cosplays. You can enjoy how they throw themselves into making good cosplay outfits seriously and how cute Marin is throughout the story in this manga.
Manga artist: Shinichi Fukuda
Published: Since 2018
Serialized on Young Gangan
Volumes: 10 (As of September, 2022)
▽After completing all episodes of the anime series, enjoy the following story in the manga!▽
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7. Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction (デッドデッドデーモンズデデデデデストラクション) is one of the greatest manga series that finished its serialization in 2022. The coming-of-age manga mixed with fantasy contains 12 volumes published from 2014 to 2022. It is written by a renowned modern Japanese manga artist Inio Asano, who also completed Solanin (2005-2006) and Goodnight Punpun (2007-2013). It has been announced that Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction will be the first Inio Asano manga adapted into an anime series.
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction depicts the contrast between adolescent days and a crisis of the world and humans. The setting is Tokyo, where a circular mothership has hovered in the sky as if it were air since the aliens invaded the city three years ago. A high school girl Kadode Koyama with short hair and eye glasses enjoy her school days with her best friend Ouran Nakagawa, a twintail Chunibyo girl.
Manga Artist: Inio Asano
Published: 2014-2022
Serialized on Big Comic Spirits
Volumes: 10
8. Takopi’s Original Sin
A shocking manga titled Takopi’s Original Sin (タコピーの原罪) blazed onto the Japanese comic book scene in the end of 2021, which just finished its story after being serialized on Shonen Jump Plus for more than three months. The Taizan 5’s first serialized manga series consists of 16 episodes that depict a poor elementary school girl Shizuka. She gets cruelly bullied by her classmates due to a complicated family circumstance.
One day, she encounters an octopus-shaped alien, which is named Takopi by her, it uses the Happy Tools brought from the Happy Planet to make her happy. However, they sometimes lead to unintended consequences. The English edition of the Takopi’s Original Sin’s tankobon has not been published yet, but you can read it on the official online publishing site Manga Plus by Shueisha for free.
Manga artist: Taizan 5
Published: 2021-2022
Serialized on Shonen Jump Plus
Volumes: 2
<<Read Takopi’s Original Sin in English on Manga Plus!>>
9. Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen (呪術廻戦), which has been one of the most-watched manga series for these few years, will still continue to be a notable trend worldwide in 2022 and the next several years. The dark-fantasy adventure has been serialized on Weekly Shonen Jump since 2018, written by Gege Akutami. Following the hit anime movies Jujutsu Kaisen 0 in 2021, it’s just announced that the secound season of the television anime series will come in 2023.
In addition to the protagonist Yuji Itadori, who gets a part of the king of the Curses into his body, other coolest characters including his friend Megumi Fushiguro, his teacher Satoru Gojo and his senpai student Yuta Okkotsu have occupied the spotlight. Don’t miss the powerful battles between the jujutsu sorcerers and the Curses.
Manga artist: Gege Akutami
Published: Since 2018
Serialized on Weekly Shonen Jump
Volumes: 19 (As of April, 2022)
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10. Kaiju No. 8
For every fan of action and science fiction, Kaiju No. 8 (怪獣8号) is one of the hottest recommendations to read in 2022. The new action manga just started its serialization on the Shueisha’s online platform Shonen Jump Plus in 2020, which you can read in English in real time on the free official manga website Manga Plus.
A 32-year-old Monster Sweeper named Kafka Hibino, who failed the exam of the Japanese Defense Force so many times. While he decides to make efforts to become a member of the Defense Force, he gets a power to transform himself into a powerful monster by accidentally swallowing a tiny monster.
Manga artist: Naoya Matsumoto
Published: Since 2020
Serialized on Shonen Jump Plus
Volumes: 6 (As of March, 2022)
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11. Dandadan
The largest Japanese manga company Shueisha has focused its efforts on developing online publishing platforms Shonen Jump Plus and Manga Plus as well as the famous existing physical magazine Weekly Shonen Jump recently. what is drawing the most attention from across the world in Shonen Jump Plus is a cutting-edge action comedy Dandadan (ダンダダン). It has been written by Yukinobu Tatsu since 2021.
The occult-themed recent manga series centers on two high schoolers: Momo Ayase who believes in ghosts but disbelieves aliens; Ken Takakura who believes aliens exist but refuses to believe in ghosts. They are stepping into the supernatural world where both aliens and ghosts exist.
Manga artist: Yukinobu Tatsu
Published: Since 2021
Serialized on Shonen Jump Plus
Volumes: 4 (As of March, 2022)
12. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Many manga fans are enjoying the fantasy adventure story of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (葬送のフリーレン) these days. It has been serialized on Weekly Shonen Sunday since 2020 as one of the most popular manga recently. The unique adventure manga doesn’t tell a story of hero party until they defeat the end boss.
It focuses on the story after the hero party beats the Devil King at the end of a 10-year journey, revolving around an elven girl Frieren, who has a lifetime for over a thousand years.
Manga artist: Kanehito Yamada (Writer)/Tsukasa Abe (Illustrator)
Published: Since 2020
Serialized on Weekly Shonen Sunday
Volumes: 7 (As of March, 2022)
13. The Apothecary Diaries
The Apothecary Diaries (薬屋のひとりごと) is a trendy manga series that is getting more popular not only domestically but also worldwide. Based on the hot light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga since 2011, its manga adaptation has been made by a manga artist Itsuki Nanao since 2017. Both the fans of the light novel and manga series are expecting its anime adaptation production in the near future.
The mystery, rom-com manga is set in an Eastern country inspired by China, following a young court lady named Maomao. She is forced to provide help to solve mysteries inside the palace with her literacy and deep knowledge about medicine and poison.
Manga artist: Natsu Hyuga (Writer)/Itsuki Nanao (Illustrator)
Published: Since 2017
Serialized on Monthly Big Gangan
Volumes: 9 (As of November, 2021)
14. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (無職転生 〜異世界行ったら本気だす〜), one of the most popular franchise in the recent past, is standing in the center of attention from Japanese and foreign fans in 2022 as well. The Isekai adventure manga has been adapted from the popular light novel series published between 2014 and 2022. The 2021’s anime adaptation sparked the boom of the series.
Since 33 episodes of the anime series aired, lots of fans have read this manga series for the following story. Enjoy the exciting journey of a genius magician Rudeus Greyrat, who is growing up with his family and friends!
If you are interested in the next episode after the anime ended, check which volume to start in Manga!
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Manga artist: Rifujin na Magonote (Writer)/Yuka Fujikawa (Illustrator)
Published: Since 2014
Serialized on Monthly Comic Flapper
Volumes: 16 (As of November, 2021)
15. Tokyo Revengers
As one of the hottest Japanese manga series, quite a few people has got into the modern science fiction Tokyo Revengers (東京卍リベンジャーズ) especially since its anime adaptation was released in 2021. The action and sci-fi manga with the theme of yanki (young Japanese delinquents) started to be serialized on Weekly Shonen Magazine by Ken Wakui in 2017 and came to the end in November 2022. The final volume of the manga series reaches the best part, which is highly recommended to read right now.
Tokyo Revengers is set in a modern Tokyo, centering on a 26-year-old part-time jobber Takemichi Hanagaki, who becomes aware of his supernatural ability for time travel. He decides to go back in time and become a member of the Tokyo’s largest gang group known as the Tokyo Manji Gang to save his ex-girlfriend Hinata Tachibana. In addition to the passionate protagonist, you can enjoy a variety of cool yanki characters including the leader Mikey and his best friend Draken.
Manga artist: Ken Wakui
Published: Since 2017
Serialized on Weekly Shonen Magazine
Volumes: 31
Tokyo Revengers is undoubtedly one of the hit franchises in recent years. It uniquely fuses the science fiction genre of[…]
Did you find your next target in this article? This list of the best manga recommendations for 2022 is being updated with additional hottest manga!
▽Check out the newer list of the best manga series of 2023, too!▽
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