10 Best Short Manga For New Readers

The manga industry is a truly vast one, and even experienced manga fans have trouble deciding which series to read next. Some manga series are more rewarding for established fans of certain genres, and some series are long and complex, which can be intimidating. All that goes double for new fans who are getting into manga for the first time. Fortunately, there are some valid entry points, such as short but sweet manga series.

Unlike juggernaut franchises like One Pieceand Vagabond, a large handful of great manga series tell a terrific story in a short time frame. This makes them feel more like a movie on the page than a sprawling epic. Short manga series are typically ten slim volumes in length or shorter, and some of them were released in the West as a single omnibus volume that a reader can finish in about two hours. These excellent short series are the best way for curious newcomers to see what manga is all about.

Remina Is A Short But Haunting Sci-Fi Horror Story

Horror manga author Junji Ito is known for his many short horror stories, some of which are commentary and criticism of Japanese society and history, including Gyo. Anyone who wants a sample of what Ito can do should try his short horror series Remina, which combines alien invasions with the power of mass hysteria.

In Remina, an astronomer discovers a new planet. The planet happens to be alive and is racing towards the Earth with wicked intentions. Soon, the people of Earth will turn on the astronomer's daughter Remina, who inspired the living planet's name, and then it's a race against time to see if anyone can survive Remina's arrival.

After The Rain Is About Rekindled Love & Hope

The semi-obscure manga series After The Rainwas released in the West in five 2-in-1 omnibuses, collecting the ten slim volumes of the original Japanese release. It's a fairly short yet poignant seinen manga series about the power of healing, with protagonist Akira Tachibana and her boss mending each other's wounded hearts in a big way.

Akira has a one-sided crush on her middle-aged boss, Mr. Kondo, but After The Rainisn't exactly a "forbidden romance" series. Instead, Akira's infatuation will inspire Mr. Kondo to rediscover his love of literature, and Akira will find the strength to overcome her own despair about her injured ankle so she can run track once again.

A Silent Voice Shows Two Troubled Teens Trying To Communicate

A Silent Voiceis, on some levels, a tense drama story about the consequences of bullying, but it's more than that. This seven-volume manga series is actually about two youths desperately trying to communicate and understand one another, but it won't be easy given their shared history.

Shoya Ishida bullied the deaf Shoko Nishimiya in 6th grade constantly, but by 12th grade, Shoya is determined to make amends, and he gets one last chance when Shoko returns. However, hardly anyone trusts Shoya to get the job done, even himself, but he must still try so he can finally bury the past.

Girls' Last Tour Is A Grim "Cute Girls Doing Cute Things" Manga

The brief, six-volume manga series Girls' Last Touris a bizarre blend of genres that makes it stand out for any manga fan. On one hand, it has "cute girls doing cute things" vibes with the two female leads having innocent fun together all day long, but it's also a gritty post-apocalyptic story where the future is pitch-black.

Protagonists Chito and Yuu enjoy wandering a post-war sci-fi city, exploring all kinds of hidden goodies and emotionally supporting each other as friends. They have the whole city to themselves, but that actually works against them. Their supplies are running out, and they know they can't outrun their fate, so they enjoy life while they still can.

Wolf Children Is An Inspiring Tale Of A Single Mother

The Wolf Childrenmanga series was released in the West as an all-in-one hardback omnibus volume, making it wonderfully convenient to find and read the entire story in one sitting. Wolf Childrenis an inspiring drama story about a college student named Hana who has two children with her wolf-man lover.

Hana will raise her son and daughter, Ame and Yuki, as a hardworking single mom who faces unique challenges with her half-canine children. Still, Hana will try her best and is willing to uproot her entire life for her kids, though some drama may unfold when Ame, the son, gets some bold ideas about how he should live his wolf life.

Planetes Is A Great Seinen Manga For Sci-Fi Fans

Author Makoto Yukimura is best known for his historical seinen manga Vinland Saga, but before that, he drew a fantastic science fiction manga series titled Planetes. That manga was released in the West with two thick omnibus volumes, and readers can finish the story in a few hours or so.

Planetes, unlike sci-fi series like Mobile Suit Gundamand Cowboy Bebop, is a grounded and realistic take on space travel, including the problem of space junk orbiting the Earth. The astronaut protagonist dreams of exploring the furthest reaches of space rather than clean up space junk, but space is so polluted, his dream might not be possible at this rate.

Azumanga Daioh Is A Slice-Of-Life Series With A Comic Strip Vibe

Some short manga series pack a lot of drama or big ideas, but some are just meant to be a relaxing, fun read, such as Azumanga Daioh. It's a charming slice-of-life series from the late 90s and early 2000s that stars a handful of female high school students who enjoy the nonsense of their daily lives together.

Even if Azumanga Daiohdoesn't have a real plot, it's still an engaging read for fans of low-drama stories. The humor is gentle but always on point. This series is excellent for Western fans getting into manga because it's told in four-panel segments, making it look and feel like a newspaper comic strip.

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas Is About Enjoying What Remains Of Life

The short manga series I Want To Eat Your Pancreaswas released as a single omnibus volume in the West, and its realistic, heartfelt story makes it a highly accessible read for any fan of teen drama, even if they've never read manga before. The story begins with an anonymous high school boy reluctantly befriending his energetic classmate, a girl named Sakura.

Early in the story, the protagonist will learn that Sakura doesn't have much time left because of her pancreatic problem, but Sakura is still determined to enjoy life and not let her looming fate ruin her experience. She will share this optimistic enthusiasm with the timid male lead and encourage him to see life the same way she does.

All You Need Is Kill Combines Time Loops With Deadly Aliens

The short manga series All You Need Is Killcomes in a single, convenient omnibus volume in the West, and interested readers can finish it in about an hour or two. It's a fantastic introductory manga for sci-fi and action fans since the series doesn't lean that much on established manga/anime tropes. That may be why All You Need Is Killinspired the sci-fi movie Edge Of Tomorrow.

Protagonist Keiji Kiriya is a Japanee soldier who's on the front lines as humanity desperately tries to fight off a horde of invading aliens known as the Mimics. Soon, Keiji will learn that time operates differently for him, and he can harness his unique circumstances to fight the deadly Mimics in ways no one else can.

Solanin Is A Drama About Young Adults Feeling Lost In Life

Author Inio Asano is famous for his dark manga series Goodnight Punpun, but that series can be a bit heavy for newcomers. Instead, new manga fans who enjoy drama stories can try out Solanin, a much shorter and comparatively more inspiring story about two young adults trying to find their way in life.

Heroine Meiko is a 20-something who feels stifled and bored by office life. So she quits her job as the story begins to find her own path. Her musician boyfriend Taneda supports her decision while trying to make it big as a rock star, but fate may have different plans in store for both of them.