When you want to start reading manga, you might feel overwhelmed by the number of choices you have and the variety of genres to choose from. It might be a bit too much for a complete beginner.
This is why I decided to create this article featuring the best manga for beginners that anyone can start reading, irrespective of their experience with this form of media!
At some point, anime fans eventually become interested in the world of manga. It happened to me, and it will also likely happen to you. However, for those interested in reading manga as a form of media, it can initially be a little intimidating.
The way dialogues work and how they portray scenes and handle fighting and movement are different. Manga is a world in itself, and carefully choosing the correct titles to begin your journey is probably the best way to start enjoying the media.
For that reason, I will showcase a list of manga series that I believe are the most beginner-friendly. All these manga series balance dialogue with entertaining events to keep you motivated!
Best Manga for Beginners in 2025
1. One-Punch Man by ONE & Yusuke Murata
One-Punch Man has become extremely popular today thanks to its two-season anime adaptation. However, as you might have expected, the manga is much more advanced in its story and character development. I recommend it if you liked the anime and want to enjoy even more content!
For those who know nothing about One-Punch Man, the story follows a “hero” known as Saitama, who has the strength to defeat all his enemies in just one punch—thus, “One-Punch Man.”
He eventually takes Genos, a cyborg, as his apprentice, and they become involved with different enemies and organizations.
This manga series strikes an outstanding balance between comedy and serious action. It also features a unique cast of characters, and the fight choreography is among the best. Yusuke Murata illustrates the manga, and his artwork is one of the most significant reasons behind the title’s popularity!
2. Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endou
Spy x Family is a big hit in the world of anime and manga thanks to its intriguing plot and the way the series handles its premise.
The manga starts with Twilight, the agent who is rumored to be the best spy in Westalia. Twilight is ordered to spy on a significant leader of a rival country. Because the target is so secretive, Twilight will have to adopt and enroll a child in a prestigious school that the target’s son attends.
Twilight then changes his identity to that of Loid Forger and takes it upon himself to adopt an orphan and find someone to marry. What he doesn’t know is that the child he adopts, a little girl known as Anya, is an esper capable of reading minds.
And the woman he decides to marry, Yor Briar, is the famed assassin known as the Thorn Princess.
So, the spy, the assassin, and the telepath start living together as a family, each with their own agendas to fulfill!
3. Grand Blue by Kenji Inoue & Kimitake Yoshioka
Grand Blue is the story of Iori Kitahara, who’s about to start his first year at Izu University. He’ll be staying at his uncle’s scuba diving shop and dreaming about having a perfect college life with beautiful girls.
But when he enters the scuba diving shop, he’s greeted by the sight of a group of naked men having fun. These naked men are his upperclassmen who are part of a scuba diving club, and they immediately rope in Iori into their over-the-top alcoholic activities.
Iori doesn’t want to be a part of this men’s group, but it doesn’t take long for him to join them!
This may sound like a weak synopsis, but trust me, this is the manga you need to read if you are a beginner because it’s one of the best manga out there.
The comedy is top-tier, the story is fantastic, the characters are unique and loveable, and the art is just out of this world. If you were to pick any one manga to read, make sure it’s this one because Grand Blue won’t disappoint you!
4. Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most popular manga series, and the community heavily appreciates it. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is how the series culminates without leaving loose ends.
The series primarily focuses on a couple of characters, two brothers known as Edward and Alphonse. After losing their mother, they try to resurrect her using alchemy, an act that is forbidden because of the dangers it entails.
After all, alchemy is ruled by a fundamental principle—the Law of Equivalent Exchange, which states that an equal thing must be lost to achieve something.
The ritual results in Edward losing one of his legs and an arm while Alphonse loses his entire body. However, Edward saves Alphonse by sealing his soul inside an iron armor.
After many years, they venture on a journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone, an artifact of immense power that’s said to be capable of bypassing the Law of Equivalent Exchange and recovering what they lost during the tragedy.
5. Dandadan by Yukinobu Tatsu
If you like reading stories with action, adventure, and comedy with tons of fight scenes, lovely characters, and a unique plot, then Dandadan manga is what you should read!
It is a story about two students, Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura. Momo Ayase believes in ghosts and spirits but not aliens; Ken Takakura believes aliens exist but doesn’t believe in ghosts.
When their beliefs clash, they bet with each other to prove that they are correct, promising that if one of them is wrong, they’ll become the winner’s gofer.
So, Momo sends Ken to a haunted location while Ken sends Momo to a site believed to be an alien hotspot. It turns out that both of them were right; not only do ghosts and spirits exist, but aliens are real, too.
This starts their unique friendship, during which they encounter many dangerous situations with ghosts, spirits, and aliens. They’ll also try to retrieve Ken’s balls! You heard it right—Ken’s balls were stolen during his first encounter with a ghost! And when I say his balls, I mean his balls!
6. Dr. Stone by Riichiro Inagaki & Boichi
Dr. Stone takes place in a world that was suddenly overwhelmed by a dazzling light, which turned every single human being on the planet into a stone statue.
Years and years pass as the world is swallowed by the wonders of nature, and one day, more than 3,000 years later, our main character wakes up.
His name is Senku. He was awake throughout this ordeal. He couldn’t move, but his mind was active, counting down seconds, which is how he deduced exactly how many years had passed since humanity turned to stone.
He is a proud genius and young scientist who tries to understand everything that surrounds him. Thanks to that, his mind is filled with knowledge most people ignore.
He does his best to bring his best friend to life, and with his help, he will save everyone around him and put humankind back on the path toward progress.
7. Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama
The Dragon Ball series is often called the foundation that motivated and inspired many other creators to build their franchises. It is a classic among classics and a worldwide phenomenon that is still popular decades later.
Most of us have grown up watching the Dragon Ball anime series and reading the manga, so I do not doubt that it is one of the best manga for beginners!
It follows the legendary story of Goku after he meets Bulma, a young girl who managed to create a radar that could take her to the 7 Dragon Balls. These are mystical and legendary artifacts capable of achieving the impossible, i.e., fulfilling the dreams of those who collect all of them.
In their travels, Goku and Bulma will make many comrades and face many villains, including aliens, cyborgs, and martial arts masters.
8. Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui
Assassination Classroom is a masterpiece of comedy, action, and science fiction. It’s one of those titles with an original and fascinating premise, masterfully developing the plot with a solid conclusion.
We start with most of the moon being blasted by an unknown creature. This creature seems to be a tentacle-legged yellow alien with a head similar to that of a lollipop and a big smile on his face. The creature also warns that he will destroy the earth in a year like he destroyed the moon, yet gives humankind a single chance of survival.
He will become the teacher of a class filled with marginalized students, and as he teaches them many life lessons, they must attempt to kill him.
The students decide to call him “Koro-Sensei,” using the combination of Kanjis that translates to “Teacher” and “Unkillable,” mainly because he’s capable of moving faster than the speed of sound and is virtually indestructible.
9. Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto
There are two approaches you can take when it comes to Chainsaw Man. You either wait for the anime’s second season, which is likely not to adapt the whole series right away, or you can both enjoy the manga and wait for the anime adaptation.
Chainsaw Man is a peculiar series that shares some similarities to Devilman Crybaby. The central premise of the title focuses on the idea of devils and a world that was attacked by the Gun Devil, which managed to kill over a million people worldwide in an attack that lasted less than 5 minutes.
Our protagonist, Denji, is heavily involved with a gang of yakuza and eventually becomes capable of becoming a devil hybrid. However, the public association of Devil Hunters cannot allow this. As the Chainsaw Devil, he has to join the hunters to find and kill the Gun Devil or face death.
10. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge
As a humble member of a family of coal burners, Tanjiro led a happy and simple life. Sadly, after returning home one day, he finds his family slaughtered by a demon, with only Nezuko, one of his little sisters, surviving the tragedy.
Although Nezuko is alive, she’s transformed into a demon, and she attacks Tanjiro. As he tries to calm her down, a mysterious character approaches the scene, trying to kill Nezuko as she has turned into a demon.
Tanjiro tries to protect Nezuko in every way possible, and when Tanjiro’s life is threatened, Nezuko protects him as well, which captivates the mysterious man. He introduces himself as Giyu, a demon slayer, and orders Tanjiro to find a man named Urokodaki and become a demon slayer.
This title is undoubtedly one of the best manga for beginners because it has a straightforward story and an easy-to-understand plot. Once you read the manga, you will love watching its anime adaptation.
11. The Fable by Katsuhisa Minami
I have no idea why this manga isn’t as famous as many other titles on this list, but if you like reading a series with comedy, action, and a badass main character, you need to start reading The Fable!
This title focuses on the life of a legendary hitman who has always completed his mission. But when the number of people he has eliminated becomes too high, his boss orders him to lay low and leave the killing business for a while. He is also ordered to live as an ordinary citizen, as the experience will help him in his future work.
So, the hitman, known only as Fable, is accompanied by the woman who drove him everywhere. The two assume the identities of siblings, taking the names Akira Satou and Youko Satou, and start living away from the underworld.
However, it won’t be a good story if the legendary hitman doesn’t get to flex his skills on common thugs and organized crime syndicates, now would it? So, Akira takes out everyone who’s an obstacle to his year of laying low, but he doesn’t kill anyone because he is a professional and was ordered not to kill anyone during the year!
12. Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
Fruits Basket is that series anyone who’s a fan of the shoujo and romance genre should read, especially since fans acclaim it as one of the most enjoyable pieces one can start.
The shoujo manga series revolves around a female character known as Tohru Honda, who struggles after her mother passes away in a car accident. At first, she intends to move in with her grandfather, but she ends up camping because of a problematic family member.
Sadly, a landslide stops her journey as a camper, and Yuki Sohma, one of her classmates, decides to help her.
Tohru will then meet other members of the Sohma household and learn the secret of the Sohma family, a curse heavily linked to the Chinese zodiac, which she will try to lift.
13. Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku by Yuuji Kaku
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku is the story of Gabimaru, who was raised in a shinobi village specializing in assassination arts. Since childhood, he’s been taught to be an emotionless killing machine with no attachments in life. The training to become an assassin is so tough that the ninjas develop supernatural bodies.
However, he was set up by his fellow ninjas on one of the missions, and he’s now captured and on death row. Gabimaru himself wants to die, but no matter what execution methods are used, none of them work on him because no matter how much he says he wants to die, he has a reason to live.
He wants to live for his wife, who was the only good thing about his violent life, and to return to her.
So, when Sagiri, an executioner from a famous executioner family, comes with a proposal that promises to pardon him for all his crimes if he manages to travel to a mysterious island and find the elixir of life, he immediately accepts the proposal.
14. My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi
My Hero Academia was acclaimed to be the title that would replace Naruto in the Shonen Jump. Although some believe it didn’t fit the big shoes of its predecessor, it still managed to achieve a great deal of popularity and success.
The story of My Hero Academia focuses on Deku, a quirkless teenager in a world where everyone has superpowers or special abilities. This breaks his heart because he has dreamed of becoming a hero since he was a kid, the same as the person he admires the most – All Might, the greatest hero of all time.
When trying to save his childhood friend and bully, Katsuki Bakugo, from a villain attack, he catches the interest of All Might himself. After the ordeal is solved, the hero tells him he will become his mentor and guide him on becoming his successor and the greatest hero.
15. One Piece by Eiichiro Oda
One Piece is one of the most admired series and one of the longest titles in the world of manga, but it might not seem like the best manga for beginners at first glance.
However, I recommend trying it primarily because of its incredible premise, progressive plot, and fascinating and enchanting assembly of characters. If you start reading the series and like it, you’ll probably read it entirely and reach its latest chapter within a few days.
As an introduction to the series, the title revolves around Monkey D. Luffy, a young man who wants to become the pirate king. Yet, this can only be achieved by finding the “One Piece,” the treasure left by the first and last pirate king, Gol D. Roger.
As a man made out of rubber from eating a devil fruit, Luffy can fight with a unique style. He will become friends with other characters and eventually fight even more unique enemies while remaining true to himself in searching for Roger’s legacy.
16. Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! by Take
If you are starting your manga reading journey, it’s a good idea to pick up a title that’s a light read. And so, consider reading Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out, which is one of the best manga for beginners!
The story is about Shinichi Sakurai, a third-year student who likes to spend his time in peace and mostly alone, and Hana Uzaki, his lively junior who’s made it her mission in life to spend time with him.
Uzaki is worried that Sakurai will end up spending all his time in his house, so she makes him hang out with her by dragging him out of the house to do all sorts of fun activities. Although Sakurai seems annoyed, he enjoys spending time with his enthusiastic junior.
This manga is a slice-of-life story with tons of comedy. No matter what Uzaki and Sakurai are up to, their encounters often lead to misleading situations that are just hilarious!
17. Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata
Bakuman is a series I recommend to people who like complex stories that tackle real issues. It is written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, the authors of Death Note.
In this particular case, it is heavily recommended for those interested in the world of art, comics, manga, or content creation. It showcases how harsh the manga industry can be, which is something that many other fields can share.
The story tackles the lives of Moritaka Mashiro, an artist, and Akito Takagi, a writer, who decided to work together to create a successful manga. Along the way, they face the harsh reality of the world, deal with intellectual differences, and compete against other creators to achieve their dreams.
18. Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata
Although it comes from the authors of Bakuman, Death Note is a series that primarily focuses on the psychological thriller, mystery, and paranormal genres. It is also considered a must-read for most manga enthusiasts, so I would absolutely recommend you give it a try!
Moreover, this title is a completed manga series, so you can read it to its conclusion without waiting for the next chapter!
Death Note is the story of a young man, Light Yagami, who’s a genius. One day, however, this genius finds a mysterious notebook on the floor titled “Death Note.” After touching the note, Light becomes capable of seeing Ryuk, a death god and owner of the book, and he tells him that the note has the power to kill anyone whose name is written on it.
Instead of being intimidated by it, Light takes this as an opportunity to eliminate criminals and make the world a “better” place by killing them. This act of violence eventually catches the government’s eye, and an exceptional detective known as L swears to capture Light!
19. Naruto Series by Masashi Kishimoto
Naruto is one of the best manga for beginners. It belongs to the group frequently called the Big Three, including Bleach and One Piece. It might be a little intimidating for beginners due to its length, but it is a great read!
There’s a certain appeal to starting a long series that others won’t provide—character and plot development. The Naruto series takes its time to deliver its plot, showcasing the main character’s growth in the process. Of course, changes also affect many other characters, including Sakura and Sasuke, his team members.
Initially, though, the series follows the story of Naruto as a marginalized young ninja who tries to prove to himself and others that he can hold the title of Hokage. He eventually ends up on a team with Sakura, Sasuke, and their teacher, Kakashi, and they slowly but steadily become better ninjas, facing many challenges and enemies in the process.
20. Orange by Ichigo Takano
Orange could be simply described as a romance manga. Still, it is much more than just that, which is why I heavily recommend it if you are interested in reading a compelling story about friendship, love, and enough sadness to bring someone to the verge of death.
It starts with our female lead, Naho Takamiya, as she receives letters from her “future” self asking her to do specific things to avoid several of her future regrets. And most of these things involve a new transfer student named Kakeru Naruse.
At first, Naho is reluctant to follow the instructions, but noticing that not following them results in bad things, she starts to follow her future self’s advice to the best of her ability.
By reading the letters, Naho eventually learns that Kakeru will commit suicide in the future and that it’s up to her to save him from his sadness.
21. Haikyuu!! by Haruichi Furudate
This manga series is a sports manga on the list, and I believe it is the easiest to enjoy among the many sports titles you can read as a beginner.
Haikyuu!! revolves around volleyball. More specifically, it follows the story of a very short volleyball player named Shoyo Hinata, who dreams of becoming as good as the player who inspired him, the one they call “The Little Giant.”
Because of his stature, though, Hinata is often judged by others, but he showcases incredible athleticism and jumping capabilities.
He eventually joins Karasuno High School’s volleyball team, having to work beside the guy who humiliated him before this event, the genius Tobio Kageyama, whom people call “the King of the Court.”
22. Berserk by Kentarou Miura
Berserk is the title that most people consider a masterpiece of the manga world. If you enjoy seinen manga in general, I believe it is the one series you will eventually have to read, even more, if you enjoy dark fantasy, adventure, and a combination of grotesque and wholesome developments.
The manga series first introduces Guts, the black swordsman, as he saves an elf from being tortured by a gang of bandits. Guts is shown as a ruthless and apathetic man willing to do everything to hunt down demons, even sacrificing his own kind to achieve his revenge.
The series then introduces his backstory in an arc called the Golden Age, a story about when he was a much younger, lonesome mercenary.
The young Guts finds himself in front of Griffith, an intriguing character who appears to be the leader of the Band of the Falcon, a mercenary band renowned as one of the most capable in the kingdom. Guts would join the band after losing a duel against Griffith, greatly intertwining their fates.
23. Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori
Ouran High School Host Club focuses primarily on comedy and romance and evolves around the “host” culture. Just so you know, a host is a male entertainer who uses his charisma and intellect to attract and entertain female customers as they spend money in the store.
Ouran High School, famous for being a school for the rich, has a host club where female customers can attend and meet its members. Perhaps due to bad luck, our main character visits it and accidentally breaks a vase valued at 8 million Yen.
Because of her silhouette and appearance, the club members think Haruhi is a man. They make her join the club to pay off her debt. Later, they realize that she’s a girl. But she turns out to be a pretty good host, so they decide to continue the facade.
24. Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro & Yuusuke Nomura
If you like sports manga, consider reading Blue Lock because it is one of the best sports titles in recent years! It’s a story featuring insane soccer matches, unique individuals who train to become the best, and a plot unlike any you’ve seen.
This manga starts with the main character, Yoichi Isagi, a soccer player who doubts his skills after failing to make his team win a match.
He receives an invitation to join the Blue Lock project, which aims to create the best striker in the world. However, there’s a catch: if you fail to survive in the project and are eliminated, your career as a soccer player will effectively end.
Yoichi finds the proposal risky, but he joins anyway. There, he meets several like-minded individuals who are there to become the best strikers in the world!
25. Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura
Vinland Saga is a complex story about vengeance that revolves around Thorfin, who travels alongside the man who killed his father, Askeladd, and his group of mercenaries, who become involved in different Bellic events.
However, the manga series takes a fascinating approach to the struggles and fights depicted at the time, making it a pretty good choice for those who love historical plots, tales of adventure, and one of the best character development plots you will ever witness.
If you love Vikings and medieval tales and would like to read a series with a ton of action but also an insane plot and character development, this one is definitely for you!
26. Nichijou by Keiichi Arawi
Nichijou is a four-panel comedy manga that showcases the story of a group of different characters. It mainly revolves around six of them as they interact with themselves and their surroundings.
We have Yuko, the girl who aspires to lead an interesting life at the cost of her grades. Mio is pretty studious and smart and also likes to draw BL, which is her biggest and most embarrassing secret. Mai barely talks and is often perceived as an oddball person, and of course, Nano, a cyborg who wants to live a normal life, constantly struggles to keep her secret and composure.
On the other side of the spectrum, we also have a tiny little girl known as “the professor,” who created Nano, and a talking cat named Sakamoto, who can talk because of one of the professor’s inventions.
I admit it when I say that Nichijou is my favorite comedy series and is one of the best manga for beginners because of its 4-Koma nature. If you can, try it and see if you fancy it!
27. Made in Abyss by Akihito Tsukushi
Although the series appears cutesy at first, Made in Abyss often portrays scenes that are pretty hard to handle, even for people who have consumed similar series before. This, of course, adds to its personality but can put off some people, so beware of that!
The series’ plot follows an orphan who lives in Orth, a town that surrounds a giant hole known as the Abyss. The orphan’s name is Riko, and she dreams of becoming one of the best Cave Raiders and obtaining a White Whistle, just like her mother.
But this involves great dangers as she will have to explore even the deepest parts of the Abyss, which afflicts a curse upon its visitors that only gets worse the deeper they go. However, she finds a robot during one of her adventures and names it Reg.
Riko and Reg eventually decide to traverse the Abyss to find out more about Reg and meet Riko’s mother, who is waiting for her at the bottom of the pit.
Conclusion
Finding a good manga to read as a beginner is a matter of choosing the right genre and the right length. It is also true that some series are more difficult to consume than others, so I showcased the ones I believe are the best for newcomers.
If one of the series catches your interest, I recommend trying it and reading ten chapters at the very least. If those ten chapters are enough to keep you hooked, you know you’ve found something worth reading!
So, let me know what you think of this list featuring the best manga for beginners. If you agree with my choices, share the article with your friends and introduce them to the world of manga!
Also Read: Best Isekai Manga Series of 2025