Five Classic Manga Series You Need To Read

by Carrie Wood

It’s Manga Month in this month’s edition of PREVIEWS, so we’ve decided to take a more in-depth look at some excellent series you absolutely need to take a look at. While there’s plenty of great new manga franchises out there, today we’re going to look at five classic series you absolutely need to read.

Astro Boy – Osamu Tezuka is known as the “father of manga” and this is probably his best-known work. This science fiction story ran as a manga from 1952 to 1968 and has since been adapted into a number of different anime series. Astro Boy (MAY150105) follows the titular Astro, an android who fights crime and various other evildoers with his many powers. Between the action sequences and solid storytelling, it’s no surprise that Astro Boy has sold more than 100 million copies around the world. To truly appreciate the manga medium’s roots, you really have to sit down and enjoy Astro Boy.

Pokémon Adventures – I’m sure some people might find it a bit of a stretch to call Pokémon a “classic” series, but the Pokémon Adventures manga (FEB138619) began in 1997, and we’d consider a 20-year lifespan to be pretty significant. This story is actually entirely separate from any of the Pokémon anime seasons and instead bears a closer resemblance to the games, with each story arc based on one of the game generations. The battles in Pokémon Adventures are also surprisingly harsh and sometimes graphic, with some Pokémon and even their trainers becoming grievously injured. For Pokémon fans who prefer the games over the show, this is probably the best way to expand that world. Pokémon Adventures is actually the sixth best-selling manga of all time, with more than 150 million copies sold around the world.

Ranma 1/2 - This series is one of the many works of Rumiko Takashi, who is otherwise known for Inuyasha and Rin-ne. Combining comedy, action and romance, Ranma 1/2 (JAN141383) follows the many exploits of Ranma Saotome, who fell into a cursed hot spring and now changes into a girl when splashed with cold water, and back into a boy when splashed with hot water. He seeks to find a cure for the curse, but also must deal with the fact that he has been set up to marry Akane Tendo. Ranma is also sought after by a variety of other suitors, and on top of having to live a normal high school life, it leads to a number of shenanigans. The manga ran between 1987 and 1996 and is considered a major influence on many contemporary series today.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – This series actually celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, having started in 1987. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (DEC141742) is currently divided into eight different story arcs, all featuring a different JoJo going on their own bizarre adventure. The stories of these arcs range from taking down an adopted-brother-turned-vampire, to finding and defeating a serial killer, to following a horse race across the country as people seek to find the scattered corpse pieces of Jesus Christ. That last one isn’t even remotely a joke, that’s literally a thing that happens. The fact that the overall story has been so neatly divided into eight different arcs makes it easy for newcomers to the series to pick one arc at a time to finish – otherwise, 118 manga volumes might seem a little daunting. The show is also now an anime, which has so far covered the first four story arcs, which can be seen now during the Adult Swim Toonami block.

Revolutionary Girl Utena – Besides maybe Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena (DEC162078) is probably the single most important and influential shoujo series of all time. It follows the exploits of Utena Tenjou, who met a prince in her childhood after losing her parents and seeks to become a prince herself. She ends up caught up in the mysterious “dueling game” of Ohtori Academy, where her fate ends up intertwined with that of Anthy Himemiya, the rose bride. It is said that whoever possesses the rose bride will gain the power to revolutionize the world, but Utena eventually finds out the dark secrets that Anthy hides as well as the true nature of the prince from her childhood. Most fans of Revolutionary Girl Utena are familiar with the anime series – the manga actually ran somewhat concurrently to the show and diverges a bit from the show’s story. Fans are pretty divided on how the manga’s story plays out, especially when compared to the show, but the manga is absolutely worth reading to experience a somewhat different take on the plot. Chiho Saito’s artwork for the manga is also some of the most gorgeous shoujo manga artwork you’ll ever see.

That’ll wrap it up in terms of classic manga, but as always, be sure to check out the June PREVIEWS catalog to check out the full lineup of new and returning manga series, and pre-order your favorites at your local comic shop.