Popular Manga That Still Don't Have an Anime

Meet Punpun Punyama. He’s an average kid in an average town. He wants to win a Nobel Prize and save the world. He wants the girl he has a crush on to like him back. He wants to find some porn. That’s what he wants, but what does he get…? (Source: VIZ Media)

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. (Source: VIZ Media)

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? (Source: Yen Press) Note: Includes two extra chapters.

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. (Source: Manga Plus) Note: The one-shot was compiled in a special volume, released on July 4, 2022.

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? (Source: WEBTOON, edited) Note: Includes 12 extra chapters.

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. (Source: VIZ Media)

Transfer student Buntaro Mori starts his first day at his new school already on the administration’s radar. He’s withdrawn and sullen, and the teachers are just waiting for him to explode. When his annoying classmate Miyamoto promises to leave him alone forever if he climbs to the top of the school, Mori eagerly takes up the challenge and shocks everyone when he makes it all the way to the roof. Flushed with the victory of his first successful climb, Mori can’t resist the lure of the local peak, despite warnings from more experienced climbers about the risks of climbing alone. But Mori does…

This part will take place in Morioh-Cho (the same town in Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable), but in the alternative universe in which Steel Ball Run takes place. Following the Great East Japan earthquake, Morioh has been stricken by vast earthen protrusions known by the locals as Wall Eyes. Despite investigation, professional estimations are left empty. Meanwhile, the young girl Yasuho Hirose discovers a man buried within the ground, he possesses a distinctive star-shaped birthmark together with deeply penetrating bite marks. The man, who has contracted a staple case of amnesia is taken in by…

Nakoshi Susumu, age 34, is living out of his car. Between spending his days with the homeless and his nights in his vehicle, he has little to his name–but not so little that he’ll agree to be the subject of a scientific experiment. An unnerving medical student is stalking him and offering to pay Nakoshi a significant sum to test trepanation: the ability to draw out a sixth sense by drilling into the skull. Nakoshi refuses. When Nakoshi’s beloved car is towed, though, he finally agrees to cash and the operating table. At first, the experiment seems to bear no fruit, and Nakoshi’s life is unc…

High school life is hard enough, but it’s even harder for Seon Jin. A sickly disabled boy, Jin might as well be invisible. No one ever pays attention to him, except for the bullies who prey on him for being weak. Jin, however, keeps a very dark secret—there’s a serial killer in his house…and it’s his father! (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment) Note: Includes one extra chapter.

In the mysterious, RPG dungeon-like Tower, Confucius Kim lives a mundane existence, envying all the star hunters. One day, his wish for more is granted with a legendary skill to copy others’ abilities… at the cost of his life. Before he can make sense of it, he’s killed by the #1 hunter, the Flame Emperor! But this activates his skill and now he’s copied a new one, the ability to travel back in time upon death. How will Confucius use these skills to outplay the competition and rise to the top? (Source: Tapas)

This game’s got me obsessed! It’s like it’s taken over my life... wait—HARD MODE ACTIVATED. No-no-no-no-no! It has literally taken me and thrown me into the part of Penelope Eckhart. Love is easy as the heroine, but as the hated villainess, I’m trying very hard not to die… at the hands of my brothers… the prince… a fork… every possible ending is death! This world is stacked against me, but can my wits and insider game knowledge score the affection of these male characters? Or the reset button??? (Source: Tapas)

A motorcycle accident, bone cancer, a speeding truck crashing into a boy on a stolen bicycle--tragic life-changing events turn the worlds of three young men upside down. These three very different personalities have only one thing in common--their passion for basketball. (Source: VIZ Media) Note: Won an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival.

Kakeru Kurosawa is an asocial junior high school student. He rarely associates with his classmates, and he looks down on them. But this behavior is topped off by a certain bad habit, his closely guarded secret: every day after school, he sneaks in to the rarely used girls' toilet on the 3rd floor and masturbates in a stall. Kakeru's shadowy routine remains undisturbed until one day, when a diminutive girl from his class, Aya Kitahara, almost discovers him. Their meeting begins a coming-of-age story dealing with blackmail, bullying, revenge, heartbreak, and ultimately, redemption. (Source: A…

Jay's the perfect student. He's got straight As and he's the student body president. But after being coerced into joining the school's biking team, the Hummingbird Crew, he discovers a whole new world outside of studying. What new adventures will he face outside the comfort of his textbooks? (Source: WEBTOON) Notes: - Includes two extra chapters. - The work was cancelled after it was discovered that the artist had been tracing other people's art.

Ordinary middle school student Seiichi Osabe receives love and care from his mother Seiko. Until one summer an incident changes the family dynamic forever. This is a story of a mother’s love that has gone too far…. (Source: Kodansha USA)

Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he’s also terrified that he’s been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own. In this realistic, heartfelt depiction of LGBT+ characters from different backgrounds finding their place in the world, a search for inner peace proves to be the most universal experience of all. (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)

High school senior year, spring—one of life's important forks in the road. Taichi Ichinose finds himself in the same class as Futaba Kuze, who he feels strangely averse to, and his popular childhood friend, Touma Mita. One day, Futaba confides in him her love for Touma, and asks him for help. How will Taichi respond? This new “pure” love story begins as the three are colored in the emotions of youth. (Source: MANGA Plus)

After an unexpected family tragedy, a reclusive high school student is forced to leave his home -- only to face something much scarier: a reality where monsters are trying to wipe out humanity. Now he must fight alongside a handful of reluctant heroes to try and save the world before it’s too late. (Source: WEBTOON) Note: Includes one extra chapter.

College graduates struggle to cope with the real world. Music offers refuge in this modern manga with an American attitude. Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Naruo is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut out to be a part of the real …

For decades, the brave warriors of the Northern Heavenly Sect fought to keep the world safe from the evil Silent Night. But when the fourth generation leader is accused of colluding with the enemy, he is forced to disband the sect and commit suicide to protect his son, Moo-Won. With no family and allies left, Moo-Won leads a dreary life under close surveillance... until a surprise attack from the Silent Night gives him a chance to escape to the mountains. There, the young warrior trains to master the fighting techniques of his predecessors, before the mysterious disappearance of a loved one…

Nanotechnology meets martial arts at the Mashin Academy. Yeo-Un’s mother may not be one of the High Priest’s six official wives, but his father’s blood still qualifies him for a chance at the position of Minor Priest. Will a mysterious nanomachine injection from a future descendent help Yeo-un in this fierce competition against his powerful half-siblings? (Source: WEBTOON)

When Cheong-Myeong of the Mount Hua Sect awakens a hundred years in the future, his last memories are of a bloody battle against the Leader of the Demonic Cult, the evil Cheon-Ma. The battle almost saw the end of the Ten Great Sects of ancient China, when Cheong-Myeong ended the hard-fought struggle by striking down Cheon-Ma. Soon after, he succumbed to his wounds, filled with regret at their pyrrhic victory. All is not lost, however, as he awakens to his second chance at life. Shocked to find his beloved Mount Hua Sect reduced to a mere shadow of itself in the present day, Cheong-Myeong em…

1-Star heroes are just fodder for learning a boss' attack patterns. That was Seojin Han's philosophy when playing the notoriously difficult game Pick Me Up. But after being transported into the game as one of those 1-star heroes, he's got no choice but to rise in rank and defeat the player controlling him and his party. Can a gacha game character hope to defeat a player akin to being his god? (Source: Tapas)

A hugely popular comic on Pixiv, My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness offers readers an honest and heartfelt look at one young woman’s exploration of her sexuality, mental well-being, and growing up in our modern age. (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment) Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Sun Jing has a massive crush on a girl she sees at the bus station—feminine, blonde, and absolutely adorable, Qiu Tong is everything Sun Jing desires. But the tomboyish, outgoing Sun Jing cannot bring herself to utter a single word in Qiu Tong's presence. Once she musters up the courage, however, Sun Jing successfully introduces herself and secures a friendship with the cute girl. Although they are only friends for now, Sun Jing will do anything to see Qiu Tong smile; and with her genuine kindness, she might just win Qiu Tong's heart. (Source: MAL Rewrite)

HOW MUCH IS LIFE TRULY WORTH? Kusunoki used to believe he was destined for great things. Ostracized as a child, he held on to a belief that a good life was waiting for him in the years ahead. 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-and just how little they're worth-he chooses to divest himself of all but his last three months. Has Kusunoki truly destroyed his last chance to find happiness...or has he somehow found it? (Source: Yen Press)

It’s 1949 Los Angeles, and Kevin Yamagata, a Japanese American comic book author, is drawing his bestselling character, Billy Bat: a quick-witted detective who is, unsurprisingly, a cartoon bat. Everything is going well for Kevin until he discovers an unfortunate truth: He may have unintentionally plagiarized his beloved character from a drawing he once saw in Japan. Devastated by the news, Kevin returns to war-torn Japan to find the drawing’s original artist . . . but the character’s origins turn out to be far older and more perplexing than he had ever imagined. (Source: Kana) Note: Won th…

Kang Jin-Hyeok, a gaming streamer, and content creator is the only person who has cleared the game, [Tower of Trials]. However, as the game’s popularity declines, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to continue making a living as a content creator. Jinhyeok prepares to end his 11-year-long relationship with the game and say goodbye to his humble group of subscribers. But on that very day, the Tower of Trials appears in reality with a message saying that humanity will perish unless all players clear each floor within 90 days. Jin-Hyeok, who knows the game better than anyone, decides to…

Raised to kill like a pack of loyal hounds, the Baskerville children took countless lives as a band of fearsome assassins. Despite being the shunned illegitimate son of the brood, Vikir served his family faithfully, only to meet his untimely demise at his father’s hands. But when he is inexplicably reborn with a second chance at life, Vikir, armed with the memories and knowledge of his past, swears to rise above the pack and take his revenge. This time, he's ready to bite the hand that feeds. (Source: Tapas)

Shizuku is a shy girl who hardly talks to other people. Instead, she loses herself in creative writing, crafting a novel that she never plans to show anyone. But when Kaori–Shizuku’s cute, popular classmate–gets her hands on Shizuku’s manuscript, everything changes. Kaori is a huge fan, and suggests that Shizuku can get inspiration for her writing if the two of them start dating! Can these very different young ladies create their own love story together? (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)

Kim Rok-Su has one life motto: “Let’s not get beat up.” But after dozing off somewhere midway through the novel “Birth of a Hero,” he wakes up as Cale Henituse - one of the minor villains in the novel who gets the beating of a lifetime from soon-to-be hero Choi Han. Only time will tell how much longer he has before that dreadful encounter. Can Kim Rok-Su change the course of this story so he can enjoy a long and lavish life free of the soon-to-be hero? (Source: Tappytoon)

Reiji’s life is as miserable as the small town he can’t escape. The most interesting thing that’s ever happened there is a double suicide down by the river. Does Reiji have any power over his fate, or will he too fall into the abyss? (Source: VIZ Media) Note: Includes two extra chapters.

As the Demon King, Yifan Zhuo uses his knowledge and power, collected over millennia, to defeat all foes, until the day he is betrayed. With his last breath, the demon king manages to reincarnate... but into the body of a puny young servant! To Yifan's dismay, the servant has a spirit bond with his mistress, Lady Luo. Yifan, now known as Fan, finds himself inexplicably drawn to Lady Luo and links his fate to her family. With Lady Luo at his side, will he regain his place as the Demon King? (Source: Tapas)

A chance encounter. A handsome soldier. A beautiful woman. A tentative love affair smolders on the snowy cobblestone streets, out of sight of those that might keep them apart. Veil is a beautifully illustrated full-color romance manga, told in stylish short vignettes, beautiful illustrations, and secret moments. (Source: Udon Entertainment, edited)

Yeonwoo’s brother disappeared years ago, and he’s devastated to learn of his death. As he copes with his loss, he’s given a pocket watch and learns there’s more to his brother’s death: he was betrayed while competing in the Tower of the Sun God. Now it’s Yeonwoo’s turn to use the knowledge his brother left behind. Can Yeonwoo (call sign: Cain) navigate that world and gain enough power and experience to reach the top of the tower, defeating his brother’s enemies and all those who stand in his way? (Source: Tapas)

Jin Runcandel was destined to become the head of his swordmaster clan. But despite his best efforts, he's banished for his shoddy swordsmanship. Though Jin eventually makes a contract with the god Solderet and is freed from the curse that hindered his abilities, he meets a rather unfortunate end. In the next moment, however, he awakens as a baby, long before his tragedy began. Armed with a second chance and some new powers, Jin swears to fulfill his destiny and become the ultimate swordmaster. (Source: Tapas)

Tomoyo Shiino has stood by her friend Mariko through years of abuse, abandonment, and depression. However horrific her circumstances, their friendship has been the one reassuring constant in Mariko's life-and Tomoyo's too. That is, until Tomoyo is utterly blindsided by news of Mariko's death. In life, Tomoyo felt powerless to help her best friend out of the darkness that ultimately drove her over the edge. Now, Tomoyo is determined to liberate Mariko's ashes for one final journey together... to set free her dear, broken Mariko. (Source: Yen Press) Notes: - Includes the one-shot "YISKA". - i…

A girl who shut herself in a closet for the last 2 years of middle school realizes she has to go to high school. When she exits her closet for the first time in two years and looks at herself in the mirror, she notices that she grew shimeji mushrooms out of her head.

In the 18th century, seeking "freedom and equality," the event that gave birth to modern French society, the French Revolution, began. There was one protagonist that lived within the darkness, Charles-Henri Sanson. He was the fourth-generation head of the Sanson family, and the executioner of Paris. This is the story of a man nobly facing his harsh fate... (Source: Shueisha, translated) Notes: - Nominated for the 18th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize "Reader Award" in 2014 - Nominated for the 8th Manga Taishou Award in 2015.

It's time once again for the annual family gathering on Rokkenjima! Ange Ushiromiya is just getting over a cold, but that won't dampen her excitement at seeing her cousins again! Granddad couldn't be more thrilled to see his beloved grandchildren and throws a special Halloween party where everyone gets lots of treats! By lunchtime on the first day, the aunts and uncles are chatting up a storm, and the cousins are eagerly planning the afternoon's fun. It's the very picture of a happy family-one that in no way resembles the bickering, bitter Ushiromiya clan! What is going on?! (Source: Yen Pr…

The year is 1967, and a young Japanese man is thinking about the future. On one side of the water, the war is raging in Vietnam; far away on the other side, the Apollo Project has just met with disaster as three astronauts die in a capsule fire. And here and now, on a long nighttime ferry ride back home, he will meet and fall in love with a mysterious young woman who carries a past deeper and more profound than his dreams and fears of tomorrow. Her name, she jokes, is no name—Emanon, and she can never be forgotten, any more than she can forget. (Source: Dark Horse)

The great Lombardi family was once at the top of the empire. After the death of its patriarch, the fate of the family and that of Firentia, born from a Lombardi and a peasant, fall to ruin at the hands of her useless and cruel cousins. But when she’s reincarnated as her seven-year-old self, she’ll work to protect the family’s honor, gain her grandpa Lulac’s favor, and prevent her own father’s death. In this lifetime, there’s only one way for her to win: become the head of their mighty household. (Source: Tapas)

Zephyr is the last human fighting evil in a world abandoned by the gods. When he is killed in battle by Tartarus, the god of destruction, all hope for humanity seems lost. But Zephyr’s fate is not sealed — the gods who find his battles entertaining have gifted him a second chance at life, as he is sent ten years into the past, back to when he was a slave instead of the most powerful human alive. Can Zephyr get his revenge against Tartarus and save the woman he loves, or is he doomed to repeat the past? (Source: WEBTOON)

Faced with imminent defeat and certain death, would you choose to run – or continue to fight for a doomed world? When mysterious towers appear across the world, summoning monsters that prey on mankind, this is the choice presented to the Tower Walkers – adventurers with special powers to fight the monsters. On the brink of death, they can choose to use a “regression stone” to return to the past for a second chance, though this decision places them in a separate timeline forever. Stubborn Tower Walker Jae-Hwan rejects this choice, choosing to fight for the original timeline, and learning sho…

After Sirone was abandoned in a stable, he was found by a family of hunters and raised in a loving home. Despite the hardships of the peasant life, he learned how to read from a young age and became obsessed with books, especially ones on the history of magic. One day, he has an unlikely encounter with a mage and learns how to enter the "spirit zone," the first step to learning how to use magic. Although they say only nobles can be mages, will Sirone be able to prove his infinite potential? (Source: Tapas)

Gokurakugai, a bright and bustling working class district with a hidden dark side. In this area without order, Tao and Alma work as troubleshooters for hire. Their missions involve helping a young boy find his lost friend, a person who dissapears without a trace, and disfigured animal corpses. All the while, the evil spirits who live in the shadows bring out a different side to these troubleshooters! (Source: MANGA Plus)

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. (Source: Yen Pre…

Shy Miwa has always dreamed of finding love, but living in small-town Japan made finding the right match difficult—especially since she likes girls! Even going away to college didn’t seem to help, until one day her outgoing classmate Saeko suggests they might as well start dating each other since it’s not like either of them has other options. At first it seems like things won't work out as their personalities clash and misunderstandings abound. But when their casual friendship starts to become something more, Miwa begins to wonder—can a pragmatic proposal lead to true love? (Source: VIZ Me…

Best friends Tokio and Azuma do everything together, even if most of the time it feels like Tokio is just stumbling along in Azuma’s cooler, more talented footsteps. But when they’re attacked one night by a superhuman mutant called a choujin, Tokio finally has a chance to shine—by turning into a choujin himself! Being a superpowered creature isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, though. Tokio has to hide his transformation from his family and dodge a truancy charge at school, all while dealing with the increasingly odd incidents happening around town! (Source: VIZ Media) Note: The manga chapters…