8 Manga that I like

Like the anime lists, but different.

I'll start with a disclaimer: these are manga that I like. This isn't an end-all, be-all list of good manga. I just created a list of manga that I read and liked (although I tried to keep a variety of genres, length, and popularity so that people could discover new series to read), listed in no particular order. Summaries are adapted from manga websites/reviews or Wikipedia.

Why manga instead of anime? I personally prefer this medium - easier to manage your time around, and if you read quickly, typically shorter than watching an entire anime.

Boku no Hero Academia

Summary: The story is set in the modern day, except people with special powers have become commonplace throughout the world. A boy named Izuku Midoriya has no powers, but All Might, the world's greatest Hero, bestows upon him his own quirk, "One For All". The story follows Izuku's entrance into Yūei High School, a school that cultivates the next generation of Heroes.

Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, School Life, Shounen

This is one of the new Shounen Jump series, so it's probably the most popular one I'll suggest (although it's still not Bleach/Nardo tier). The main selling point, imo, is the characters - you really get attached to all of them. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad; the author really plays with your feelins.

Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer

Summary: The world is in mortal peril. Sir Noi Crezant, the Lizard Knight, has been sent to gain the aid of the great warrior Amamiya Yuuhi in hopes of finding the Princess Samidare and protecting the planet from the incredible 'Biscuit Hammer' poised to crack the Earth in two. Unfortunately Yuuhi wants no part of it, and the Princess doesn't prove to be the shining "hero of justice" role model that Noi had hoped for.

Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Seinen, Supernatural
Completed series

It's one of those magic realism series. Featuring a ridiculous setup, Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer faces the question of what it truly means to be an adult. The art is sometimes dodgy, but the plot more than makes up for it.

Chouka Kou

Summary: The demon star is passing through the sky, calamity is about to befall the Tang Dynasty - because of a woman.
Li Change is the daughter of the emperor and is raised in a way to cultivate her intelligence rather than her beauty. When her family is assassinated in a political coup by another family member, she escapes and disappears while allowing her death to be faked so that she can plan revenge.

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Historical, Seinen

Featuring a badass strategist warrior princess (who still manages to be multifaceted and have flaws?), this series has fantastic art and a cool main character. It's based on a real story, so if you're into historical adaptations, check it out. Or don't. I'm not your dad.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi

Summary: Struggling manga author Satoru Fujinuma has a supernatural ability of being forced to prevent deaths and catastrophes by being sent back in time before the incident occurred, repeating time until the accident is prevented. One day, he gets involved in an accident that has him framed as a murderer. Desperate to save the victim, he sends himself back in time only to find himself as a grade-schooler one month before fellow classmate Kayo Hinazuki went missing. Satoru now embarks on a new quest: to save Kayo and solve the mystery behind her disappearance.

Genres: Mystery, Psychological, Seinen, Supernatural, Tragedy

This is a fantastic murder mystery and thriller(?) series. It starts slowly, then picks up the pace. Almost every chapter ends with an awful suspenseful cliffhanger, which makes the infrequent updates unbearable.

Tomodachi no Hanashi

Summary: Eiko is something of a plain Jane and a doormat, while her best friend Moe is a head-turning beauty. Despite their differences, their friendship is as strong as ever.Guys are always asking Moe out, but her answer is invariably “Only if you promise to put Eiko before me.”

Genres: Romance, School Life, Shoujo

This is a charming short story about genuine friendship between two very different girls. The art is pretty, the characters are sincere, and there's real arguments. In a shojo manga!

Koe no Katachi

Summary: The story revolves around Shōko Nishimiya, an elementary school student who has impaired hearing. She transfers into a new school, where she is bullied by her classmates. Shouya Ishida, one of the bullies, goes to the point that she transfers to another school. As a result, he is ostracized and bullied himself, with no friends to speak of and no plans for the future. Years later, he sets himself on a path to redemption.

Genres: Drama, School Life, Shounen, Slice Of Life

Prepare yourself for so many feels. Uncomfortable feels in the beginning, during the bullying, and sad ones during the redemption. Just warning you, I got physically uncomfortable during some of the worse bullying scenes. This manga really doesn't hold back.

Bokura no Kiseki

Summary: From a young age, Minami Harusumi has had recurring dreams of Veronica, a princess whose kingdom is on the verge of destruction. He believes them to be recollections of his past life, and that he is her reincarnation. Because of this, he is ridiculed by his classmates. One day, when the mockery escalates into bullying, he rediscovers magic—something Veronica had studied and used - and finds others reincarnated. Reassured his past life is not merely a fantasy, Minami tries to learn more about his past memories and the reason behind them.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, School Life, Supernatural

An interesting series about reincarnation. It poses the question of whether it's better to know about your past self, and how much it should affect your current self. A good mixture of slice of life, action, and romance.

Tokyo ESP

Summary: Urushiba Rinka was a fairly normal high school girl. Then one day, she saw a penguin and some glowing fish swimming through the sky. Contact with a fish caused her to pass out, and when she awoke, she had developed the power to move through inanimate objects... such as the floor of her apartment! Later, a call from her father showed her that she was not the only one the flying fish bestowed with hard-to-control superpowers! What exactly is going on here?

Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, Martial Arts, Shounen, Supernatural

And we end with one of my personal favorites. This series starts out as one of those typical, a few people have developed superpowers and I'm one of those special people - time to be a HERO. It goes further, delving into morality, governmental interference, corruption, and terrorism.

Cat tax

So I guess this is it. Feel free to leave any series recommendations in the comments - I love finding new series to read. I hope at least one person finds a new series that they like from this list.

First and last images are from Bakuman and Barakamon, respectively.