Best Modern Manga of the 2020s
The fresh series defining manga's current decade.
By Web Admin
The 2020s have been one of the most exciting stretches in manga history. A wave of new series broke out of Japan and onto bestseller lists worldwide, driven by streaming anime, TikTok recommendations, and a generation of artists willing to be strange, funny, and emotionally raw all at once. If you stopped reading manga a decade ago, the shelf you’d find today looks radically different — and better.
This guide rounds up the best modern manga of the 2020s: the breakout hits everyone’s talking about, the quieter gems worth your money, and honest notes on where to start and what each series will cost you. Every book here is one we’ve actually read, with US prices for the print volumes so you can plan a haul.
What makes 2020s manga different
Two forces reshaped the medium this decade. First, the anime pipeline got faster and slicker — studios like MAPPA turned Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man into global events within a year or two of their manga peaks, sending readers straight back to the source. Second, the tone loosened. The biggest new hits mix genres shamelessly: horror-comedy, action-slice-of-life, sports-thriller. The result is a decade defined less by a single house style than by fearless tonal whiplash.
Prices have stayed friendly, too. Most single volumes from Viz Media and Kodansha run about US$10–13, and box sets or omnibus editions bring the per-volume cost down further. That makes the 2020s a cheap decade to explore. If you’re brand new, our best manga for beginners guide pairs well with this list.
Chainsaw Man — the decade’s most influential series (2018–, US$10/vol)
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man technically began in late 2018, but its explosion — and the anime — belong to the 2020s. Denji is a broke teenager who merges with his pet devil-dog Pochita to become a chainsaw-wielding devil hunter. What starts as gleeful splatter becomes a strange meditation on trauma, desire, and how badly a neglected kid just wants a normal life. Part 1 runs eleven volumes; Part 2 is ongoing and quieter. It’s the template half this list is chasing.
Spy x Family — the crowd-pleaser (2019–, US$10/vol)
Tatsuya Endo’s Spy x Family is the feel-good counterweight to all the carnage. A master spy fakes a family — marrying an assassin and adopting a telepathic girl, none of them aware of the others’ secrets — and the comedy writes itself. It’s warm, gorgeously drawn, and safe for younger teens, which makes it one of the easiest 2020s series to recommend to anyone. Great as a gift.
Jujutsu Kaisen — modern shonen’s high bar (2018–2024, US$10/vol)
Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen took the dark-action-shonen formula and sharpened it to a razor. Cursed spirits, a hidden world of sorcerers, and a cast the story is genuinely willing to hurt. It concluded in 2024 across 30 volumes, so it’s now a complete, bingeable epic — a rarity worth valuing. For more in this lane, see our best shonen manga guide.
Blue Lock — sports manga, weaponized (2018–, US$13/vol)
Imagine a soccer manga rewritten as a survival battle royale where 300 strikers compete to become Japan’s ultimate egotist. Blue Lock shouldn’t work and absolutely does. Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura turn tactics into psychological warfare, and it converted a lot of readers who “don’t like sports manga.”
Dandadan — the pure fun pick (2021–, US$13/vol)
Yukinobu Tatsu’s Dandadan is what happens when aliens and ghosts collide in one hyper-kinetic package. It’s a horror-action-romance-comedy with some of the best-drawn action of the decade, and it never sits still long enough to get boring. If you want to feel what “modern manga energy” means, start here.
Kaiju No. 8 — the accessible blockbuster (2020–, US$10/vol)
Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 is a monster-fighting story with an unusual hook: its hero is a 32-year-old cleanup worker who dreams of joining the Defense Force, then gains the power to transform into a kaiju himself. It’s clean, propulsive, and one of the most beginner-friendly action series of the decade.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End — the quiet masterpiece (2020–, US$13/vol)
The opposite of a battle manga. Frieren, by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe, opens after the heroes have already saved the world, following an elf mage who outlives her human companions and slowly learns what their short lives meant to her. It’s gentle, melancholy, and quietly profound — the kind of book that makes people cry on public transport. A future entry on any best manga of all time conversation.
Look Back and Sakamoto Days — the short read and the sleeper hit
Two more essentials. Look Back is a one-shot (about US$15 as a hardcover) by Tatsuki Fujimoto about two young artists, ambition, and grief — arguably the finest thing published in comics this decade in any language, and readable in under an hour. Sakamoto Days, by Yuto Suzuki, is a hitman-comedy about a retired assassin turned pudgy family man forced back into action; it’s pure crowd-pleasing fun.
The 2020s manga at a glance
Here’s a quick comparison to help you pick your first buy, sorted by vibe and difficulty.
| Series | Genre | Best for | Approx. price/vol | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chainsaw Man | Horror-action | Bold, weird taste | ~US$10 | Ongoing (Part 2) |
| Spy x Family | Comedy-action | All ages / gifts | ~US$10 | Ongoing |
| Jujutsu Kaisen | Dark shonen | Action fans | ~US$10 | Complete (30 vols) |
| Frieren | Fantasy drama | Literary readers | ~US$13 | Ongoing |
| Dandadan | Horror-comedy | Pure fun | ~US$13 | Ongoing |
| Kaiju No. 8 | Action | Beginners | ~US$10 | Ongoing |
How to start (and what to buy first)
You don’t need to read everything. Pick one lane and commit to a single volume 1:
- Want the definitive modern hit? Buy Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1.
- Want something warm and safe for the whole family? Buy Spy x Family, Vol. 1.
- Want a complete story you can binge? Buy Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 — it’s finished.
- Want to cry? Buy Frieren, Vol. 1, or the Look Back one-shot.
A few of these carry content warnings — Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Dandadan feature graphic violence and mature themes — so gift them to older teens and adults. If you’re worn out on newness and want a proven classic next, One-Punch Man remains a perfect palate cleanser; see our One-Punch Man review.
Pros
- Cheap to explore — most volumes under US$13
- Several complete series you can binge in full
- Huge genre range, from cozy comedy to body horror
- Anime adaptations make it easy to sample first
Cons
- The biggest hits are graphic — not all-ages
- Ongoing series mean an open-ended (and growing) shelf
- Print volumes can go out of stock during anime hype
The verdict
The 2020s gave manga a second golden age, and it’s still going. If we had to hand a newcomer one book to explain the decade, it’d be Chainsaw Man for its influence or Frieren for its heart. Start with either, then wander. When you’re ready to go deeper into the medium’s roots, browse the full manga hub or our best manga of all time list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-selling manga of the 2020s?
Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Spy x Family have all been among the top-selling series of the decade, each moving many millions of print and digital copies worldwide, with sales spiking around their anime seasons.
Which 2020s manga is best for a total beginner?
Spy x Family and Kaiju No. 8 are the most beginner-friendly — clear art, easy pacing, and low content-warning stakes. Our beginners guide has more gentle on-ramps.
Are any of these series finished?
Yes. Jujutsu Kaisen concluded in 2024 at 30 volumes, and Look Back is a complete one-shot. Most of the others are still ongoing.
Do I need to watch the anime first?
Not at all. Every series here reads perfectly on its own, and the manga is usually ahead of the anime anyway. The anime is a great free way to sample a series before you buy the books.
Keep exploring with our best shonen manga guide or the full manga hub.
