2024 is coming to a close, and with it comes another great year formanga. Whether it was a manga that had been running since 2023 and beyond or ones that just premiered, there were plenty of great manga to read, and no matter what someone was into, there was always something for someone to get invested in.
Plenty of great manga ran throughout 2024, and naturally, some manga stood out more than others. Whether it was because of great artwork, stellar storytelling, or some combination of the two,the best manga of 2024 were the ones that had the best presentation either narratively or artistically, and that’s true of both ongoing manga and manga that only just started in 2024. A few manga, in particular, are especially worth highlighting, as each one will be a great read for old and new fans alike in 2025 and beyond.
15Howling Song For Husky Girl
Manga By Kashikaze; Serialized In Comic Yuri Hime Since 2024
Kashikaze’sHowling Song for Husky Girlstars Haru Ogami, a girl who spends her time uploading covers of popular artist Yuuri as a means of coping with her unnaturally deep voice. One day, however, Haru’s classmate, Yuu Narumiya, reveals that she’s Yuuri, and rather than make fun of her, she asks Haru to form a collab with her.
Howling Song for Husky Girl’s unique premise and great character writing make it fun as both a character drama and ayurimanga; Kashikaze is best known for the short seriesI Can’t Say No to the Lonely Girl, and anyone who was a fan of that will get plenty out ofHowling Song for Husky Girl.
14Wicked Spot
Manga By Sal Jiang; Serialized In Candle A Since 2024
Sal Jiang’sWicked Spotstars Sada, a witch who’s spent her whole life in isolation until the day she found a cell phone and learned about human fashion. Realizing that humans are actually fun, Sada ventures out into the world and starts a fashion blog, attracting positive and negative attention alike as her account grows viral.
As is common with the works of Sal Jiang,Wicked Spotuses great artwork and paneling, combined with engaging character writing, to tell a fun character-driven storywith plenty of greatyurito balance things out, as well. The story has only just started, but it’s looking to be a fun read, regardless.
13The Death-Defying Princess Creates A Yuri Harem To Survive
Manga By Moromi Koji, Aoi Akashiro, Shinya Murata, & Nobuhiko Yanai; Serialized In Wild Heroes' Since 2024
Moromi Koji, Aoi Akashiro, Shinya Murata, and Nobuhiko Yanai’sThe Death-Defying Princess Creates a Yuri Harem to Survivestars Marie Auvergne Lilyon, a selfish princess who keeps being sent back in time whenever she’s killed. Eventually, Marie realizes that various women she’s scorned are responsible, so to change her fate, she decides to seduce the women who would have her killed one by one.
The Death-Defying Princesssucceeds in large part because of its parody stylings and unabashedly terrible protagonist, with Marie’s selfishness always being a great source of comedy. Add in a pleasing art style, and it’s a great series for anyone looking for a new villainess manga.
12Hima-Ten!
Manga By Genki Ono; Serialized In Weekly Shonen Jump
Genki Ono’sHima-Ten!stars Tenichi Iemori, a part-time house cleaner, and Himari Yoshino, a popular influencer who owns her own line of makeup products. The two don’t initially have much in common, but that changes when Iemori is assigned to be Himari’s new house cleaner, thus forcing them to bond in more ways than one.
Hima-Ten!’s writing hits all the classic tropes of a harem rom-com, but fortunately,the earnestness with whichHima-Ten!executes its cliches does a lot to keep the story from ever feeling boring.Shonen Jumphasn’t had a straightforward rom-com in some time, and thankfully,Hima-Ten!has done a great job of filling that void.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Cast
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End follows the elven mage Frieren after the defeat of the Demon King. As generations pass, she confronts humanity’s mortality, taking on a new apprentice and striving to fulfill her late friends' final wishes, embarking on a journey to reconcile with life and death.
Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe’sFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endhas entered a new arc that sees Frieren and other mages protecting Serie from an assassination attempt by the Empire. Doing so puts them against the elite fighters of the Empire, however, making for one of the toughest fights in the entire series.
In addition to having the same great artwork and nuanced writing as in previous arcs,Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s latest arc is great for how much life there is due to the return of older characters like Ubel, Land, and fan-favorite character Sein. The series has just entered another hiatus, but hopefully, it won’t be long before it returns to such a phenomenal story arc.
10Astro Royale
Manga By Ken Wakui; Serialized In Weekly Shonen Jump Since 2024
InKen Wakui’sAstro Royale, a sudden meteor shower has not only destroyed most of Japan, but has also given some people dangerous supernatural abilities called Astros. The power of Astros has only heightened the chaotic state of Japan, and the only one who can fix things is Hibaru Yotsurugi, the heir to a notorious Yakuza clan with a noble heart and a powerful Astro.
While the series started a bit slow,Astro Royalehas slowly evolved into a great manga with standout character writing and entertaining fight scenes.Astro Royaleis the latest series by Ken Wakui ofTokyo Revengersfame, and anyone who was a fan of that will find plenty to love here.
9Centuria
Manga By Tohru Kuramori; Serialized In Shonen Jump+ Since 2024
In Tohru Kuramori’sCenturia, after the brutal slaughter of his fellow slaves, Julian is given the combined strength and lives of his 100 companions thanks to the blessing of the demonic guardian of the sea. With the baby of one of the slaves in tow, Julian decides to make the most of his second chance at life, even as outside forces would find reason to object to that.
Centuria’s great action and incredible artwork have made it a standout dark fantasy series from the moment it debuted; straightforward fantasy stories are always great to see, and anyone looking for a new one would be remiss to pass onCenturia.
8Ichi The Witch
Manga By Osamu Nishi & Shiro Usazaki; Serialized In Weekly Shonen Jump Since 2024
Osamu Nishi and Shiro Usazaki’sIchi the Witchstars Ichi, a young hunter who kills a creature called a Majik and gains magical powers. The act is treated as a marvel both because of the power of the Majik and because up until then, only women had ever had magical powers.
Ichi the Witch’s paneling, character designs, and general artwork are some of the best of anyShonen Jumpmanga right now, resulting in a series that only gets better with every chapter. The team of Osamu Nishi and Shiro Uzaki has proven to be a great one, andIchi the Witchis easily the best newShonen Jumpmanga of 2024, by far.
Zatch Bell!
Zatch Bell! is an anime series that follows Kiyo Takamine, a high school student, who becomes the caretaker of Zatch Bell, an amnesiac but powerful Mamodo. Partnered by a spellbook that endows Zatch with special abilities, Kiyo must compete against other Mamodos vying to become the Mamodo King. The series intricately blends themes of friendship, responsibility, and battle-driven strategy within a fantastical narrative framework.
In Makoto Raiku’sZatch Bell! 2, Zatch and Kiyo went to see the one person who was bound to already be working on a plan for the new threat: Doctor Riddles. Unfortunately, Doctor Riddles was cursed by a new enemy and would die unless the caster or someone else died first, forcing Zatch and Kiyo into a race against the clock to save their friend.
In addition to the always gorgeous artwork and fight choreography,Zatch Bell! 2’s latest arc did a phenomenal job of blending touching drama with incredible comedy.Zatch Bell! 2continues to be a perfect sequel to the original series, and 2025 will surely be no different.
Dandadan
Two high school students, embroiled in a wager to prove the existence of ghosts or aliens, encounter daunting paranormal threats, acquire superpowers, and possibly discover love. The series blends supernatural elements with personal dynamics as the protagonists navigate their newfound abilities and unexpected challenges.
After numerous trials and tribulations in Yukinobu Tatsu’sDandadan, Momo and Okarun have finally tracked down Okarun’s missing testicle to Unji Zuma, a local delinquent with supernatural abilities based around an umbrella. Unfortunately, Momo’s attempts at getting it back lead to her and Zuma getting trapped in a bizarre board game, and getting out is as challenging as it is bizarre.
The unfolding of Zuma’s tragic backstory gave the Danmara arc some of the best writing in all ofDandadan, something that was perfectly complemented by the always stellar artwork and fight scenes. There has never been a bigger shakeup to the status quo, and it will be great to see where things go from here.
