Highlights
- Manga have gained a global following, with some series inspiring billion-dollar franchises and gaining millions of fans worldwide.
- Successful manga series are determined by total volume sales and copies in circulation, with the highest-selling series reaching millions of copies.
- Popular manga series cover a range of genres and themes, from historical fictions like Vagabond to sports-focused stories like Slam Dunk.
In Japan, manga have long been popular with readers of all ages. But over the past few decades, manga have gained millions of fans globally, who eagerly await new volumes of their favorite series. Some of the most popular manga have even inspired billion-dollar franchises, with anime adaptations, films, theme parks, and merchandising.
Not only do their stories and characters achieve a universal appeal that transcends cultural divides, but their volumes also translate and distribute on a massive scale. Total volume sales and copies in circulation are the key metrics for determining the most successful manga. The following list ranks the best-selling manga series according to this metric.
10 Vagabond (1998 – Ongoing; Currently on Hiatus)
Copies Sold: 82 Million
Vagabond is regarded as a seminal work of graphic fiction. Written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, the manga is a fictional retelling of the life of the legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. He is considered one of the greatest warriors to have ever lived, undefeated in over 60 duels in 16th and 17th century Japan.
Creator Takehiko Inoue is an expert in visual storytelling who uses highly stylized art with minimal dialogue. This gives Vagabond a very cinematic quality that emphasizes mood, emotion, and action over exposition. However, it’s a very slowly-paced manga, focusing on the meditative moments in between actions. It can dwell on poetic visuals for pages at a time, giving the series a very different tempo and tone than most mainstream seinen series.
9 Sazae-san (1946 – 1974)
Copies Sold: 86 Million
Sazae-san manga is a true icon of Japanese culture and holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running anime. Created in 1946 by female manga artist Machiko Hasegawa, Sazae-san follows the daily life of Mrs. Sazae, a cheerful housewife, and her family in post-World War II Tokyo. While very simple, the series is a slice-of-life comedy that reflects the experiences and values of ordinary Japanese people.
Machiko Hasegawa’s work on Sazae-san helped popularize the ‘yonkoma’ comic strip format. This layout, which later became the standard for mangas, allowed for concise storytelling and easy-to-follow humor. However, a significant factor that contributed to Sazae-san’s success is probably because it's a family-oriented manga, which appeals to all ages.
8 Fist Of The North Star (1983 – 1988)
Copies Sold: 100 Million
Fist Of The North Star was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. It was one of the first manga series to combine martial arts with a post-apocalyptic setting. This kind of hyper-violent action genre went on to influence many later manga stories. Kenshiro, the main character, is a skilled martial artist who uses the deadly fighting style, Hokuto Shinken.
His stoic demeanor, strong sense of justice, and signature catchphrase ‘You are already dead’ (Omae wa mou shindeiru) have made him popular all over the internet. Even if you haven’t read the manga, you probably know this catchphrase from somewhere!
7 Oishinbo (1983 – 2014)
Copies Sold: 135 Million
Food is a very relatable topic that appeals to almost everyone! This culinary manga series revolves around the adventures of two journalists, Yamaoka Shiro, and Kurita Yuuko, and their quest to create the ‘Ultimate Menu’ for the 100th anniversary of the fictional Tozai Newspaper. Oishinbo is a seinen manga that dissects the cuisine and gourmet culture of Japan.
Ramen, sushi, tempura, and sukiyaki are all put under their microscope, revealing insights into history and preparation that would make any foodie salivate. Of course, no depiction of cuisine would be complete without a sprinkling of culinary battles: Yamaoka frequently crosses chopsticks with his father, the artist and gourmand Kaibara Yuzan, over tradition versus innovation. No other manga has dished up food in such depth and obsessive details.
6 Demon Slayer (2016 – 2020)
Copies Sold: 150 Million
Demon Slayer manga saw a huge boost in popularity in 2019 following the premiere of the anime television adaptation by Ufotable. The stunning animation and action sequences brought the series to a wider global audience.
In 2019, Demon Slayer was the best-selling manga. And it didn’t lose that status in 2020 as well. The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba film, Mugen Train, is also now the highest-grossing anime film of all time, earning over $500 million at the global box office.
5 Slam Dunk (1990 – 1996)
Copies Sold: 170 Million
If you were a teenager in Japan during the 90s, you probably wore out a pair of Air Jordans imitating Sakuragi's moves and drowned in Slam Dunk merch. Slam Dunk has been credited with helping to popularize basketball sports in Japan during the 1990s. As a result, it garnered a large fan base that extended beyond typical manga readers.
The manga's creator, Takehiko Inoue, was a basketball player himself, and his passion for the sport shines through in the intricacies of the game he portrays. Due to its popularity and influence, Slam Dunk received numerous accolades including the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen category in 1994. It has spawned several spin-off works, video games, TV series, movies, and merchandise.
4 Dragon Ball (1984 – 1995)
Copies Sold: 260 Million
While other manga certainly helped popularize the medium, Dragon Ball brought it mainstream for international fans. Beginning as a comedic retelling of the Chinese novel Journey to the West, Dragon Ball evolved into an epic sci-fi adventure spanning multiple series.
It established many shonen genre tropes that are used widely today. The manga has been adapted into several successful anime series, including Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super. These adaptations have extended the franchise's reach. Toriyama's manga has brought joy to generations of fans and granted the simple wish of an entertaining adventure story.
3 Detective Conan (1994 – Ongoing)
Copies Sold: 270 Million
Detective Conan, also known as Case Closed in the West, is one of the longest-running and best-selling mystery manga series of all time. Originally intended to last only a few volumes, the series now spans over 1000 chapters. The story revolves around Conan Edogawa, a high school detective who solves difficult criminal cases.
The mysteries and logic puzzles in the manga are very clever and well-written, which makes readers keep coming back to figure out the solutions. However, Detective Conan is not all serious crime drama. It has plenty of comedic moments, especially the interactions between Conan and the Junior Detective League.
2 Golgo 13 (1968 – Ongoing)
Copies Sold: 300 Million
Golgo 13 by Takao Saito is the longest-running manga still in publication. It was a Japanese take on the suave and skilled assassin/spy archetype that was popularized in the 60s. The manga also tapped into the postwar Japanese fascination with James Bond-style spycraft and international intrigue.
Duke Togo (codenamed Golgo 13) is a cold-hearted and highly skilled assassin who always gets the job done. This old-school masculinity and his signature M16 and steel-eyed gaze made him an iconic character. The thriller series is also known for its meticulous research and attention to detail, particularly concerning weapons, tactics, and geopolitics.
1 One Piece (1997 – Ongoing)
Copies Sold: 517 Million
One Piece tops this list, which shouldn’t be surprising to anime aficionados. However, what should be mind-boggling is the fact that One Piece beats all other manga series in sales by more than 200 million! This wide margin difference alone can elevate any manga series to rank among the top 10 best-selling manga! One Piece has also one of the largest character casts of any manga.
The manga seems to never run out of creative new places to explore and adventures to be had. More impressively, author Oda manages to keep all the details straight even with such a sprawling saga. He frequently references events from hundreds of chapters ago and connections you never saw coming. The level of planning and care put into crafting this manga world is truly unmatched.
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