Manga Influence: Rankings - Favorite Manga In 2022
Hello everyone,
Welcome to Manga Influence, similar to Gaming Influence, but mainly giving my thoughts on certain manga and manga series with some fun mix of manga-related content here.
For this edition of Manga Influence, I'll be ranking my favorite manga in 2022.
Before I start, my rankings will only be based on the manga that was either released in 2022 or chapters that were released in 2022. Also, my rankings will not include light novels, manhwa, and manhua. In addition, if your favorite manga in 2022 doesn't make it on my rankings, that doesn't mean I dislike the manga, it just means that I haven't read it or aren't interested in it so keep that in mind.
Anyway, let's get started!
Before I start the actual rankings, here are some honorable mentions that I enjoyed, but didn't make it on the list:
Honorable Mentions: Black Clover, Detective Conan, World Trigger, The Apotechary Diaries, Akane-Banashii, Takopi's Original Sin, Oshi no Ko, Children of the Whales, Mission: Yozakura Family, Undead Unluck, Ranger Reject, Witch Watch, Edens Zero, Blue Box, Sakamoto Days, Dandadan, Four Knights of the Apocalypse, A Sign of Affection
Okay, time for the opening. Starting off my favorite manga in 2022 with #20:
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #18:
Golden Kamuy is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Satoru Noda as it was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump from August 2014 to April 2022.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #17:
Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken or That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime in the West is a Japanese manga series that is based on the Japanese fantasy light novel series written by Fuse and illustrated by Mitz Vah of the same name. The manga is being serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius since March 2015 and it is still ongoing.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #16:
Boku no Hero Academia or My Hero Academia in the West is a Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi as it was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 2014, and it is still ongoing.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #13:
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #12:
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #11:
Beserk is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura as it was serialized in Hakusensha's Monthly Animal House from 1988 to 1992 before switching to Young Animal Comics in 1992 and it is still ongoing.
Tongari Bōshi no Atorie or Witch Hat Atelier in the West is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kamone Shirahama as it's currently serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Morning Two magazine since July 2016 and is still ongoing.
I was recommended this manga series by a friend of mine and it’s pretty good. The manga is about a girl named Coco who dreamed of being a witch, but in her world, only people born with magical powers can become witches. It was until she met another witch named Qifrey that Coco’s life changed. With the chapters that were released in 2022, despite having a slow story progression, the manga has a beautiful art style and they have very well-written characters that people can get behind. If you’re into fantasy manga, this might be a manga for you to read.
Next, here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #19:
Sousou no Frieren or Frieren Beyond Journey End in the West is a Japanese manga series written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe as it's currently serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday since April 2020 and is still ongoing.
This manga was recommended by a friend of mine and it has the potential to be something big down the line with the direction that it’s going. The manga is about an elven mage named Frieren who worked with her comrades that are different races from hers as they defeated the demon king and went home afterward. As time went on, with Frieren being an elf as they have a long lifespan, she continues to live while her friends are slowly dying with age. I really enjoyed this manga as it has a really intriguing story, the evolution of Frieren’s character has been well-written, and the art style is beautiful to look at. With the chapters in 2022, I really love the direction that the manga is going and I hope it continues from here.
Just like with the anime, the actual manga itself is quite good. The manga is about a former soldier named Saichi Sugimoto who participated in the Russo-Japanese war as he was let go due to almost killing a superior officer. Saichi Sugimoto then has to search for gold to make a promise for his fallen brother-in-arms, but having trouble doing so before a mysterious traveler tells him of an urban legend that will get rid of his troubles for good. 2022 was the year that Golden Kamuy officially ended and everything that happened towards the end was well written as I feel like the ending was satisfying and a good end to the series. Looking forward to seeing how the final season of the anime will turn out if you will be the same as the manga or not. Only time will tell.
This manga is quite interesting to me as this story is about a salaryman who got murdered and was reincarnated in a fantasy world as a slime where he got unique powers and gathered allies to build his army of monsters. This may sound like a stupid and crazy idea at first, but after reading it, it's actually not bad and quite good. It has some pretty good comedy in there that goes well in its narrative, but also gets good when being serious and the characters are well written too. This manga may not be for everyone due to its wickedness, but if you like that type of stuff, then this manga would be an enjoyable read for you as the chapters for 2022 were quite fun.
Sono Bisuku Dōru wa Koi o Suru or My Dress-Up Darling in the West is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shinichi Fukuda as it was serialized in Square Enix's Young Gangan in January 2018 and is still ongoing.
To me, this manga is one of the more intriguing romance manga out there as it's about a high school student named Wakana Gojo who secretly creates hina dolls and loves doing it, but doesn't share that secret with anyone as he doesn't talk to anyone about it as he's non-sociable. One day, another high school student named Marin Kitagawa met Wakana Gojo when he was using a sewer machine for a doll's costume where seeing the passion of his work made Marin Kitagawa ask Wakana Gojo to make cosplay costumes for her. Despite having no experience making cosplay costumes, he decided to help Marin Kitagawa with her passion. The reason why I think this is one of the more intriguing romance manga is due to the main characters themselves as they're pretty likable and the dynamic between them is incredible. Sure, it does contain fanservice in here, but it's manga and anime, you would kind of expect this, unfortunately. Despite that, they made it up with really well-written characters and you really want the protagonists to be together which I think they have done well so far with the chapters that came out in 2022. If you're interested in romance manga, this might be one to check out on.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #15:
One Punch-Man is a Japanese superhero manga series created by One that was originally a webcomic in 2009 before it was serialized in Tonari no Young Jump in June 2012 and is still ongoing.
One Punch-Man is one of the more unique superhero manga out there as it's about a man named Saitama who became a superhero who can defeat any opponent with one punch, but over time, he becomes bored and looks for a challenge. At first, you might think the concept of this manga sounds quite boring, but it's actually quite entertaining with some good comedy and have some excellent serious moments when necessary. 2022 was the end of the Monster Association Arc for One Punch-Man after five years as there was continued development for Saitama as a character as time went on. After the end of the Monster Association Arc, I'm curious to see which direction One Punch-Man is heading toward in 2023.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #14:
This is another superhero manga series it's about a boy named Izuku Midoriya, he was born with no Quirk (superpower), but always wanted to become a superhero until one day, he met a superhero named All Might, as he bestows his quirk to Izuku Midoriya after recognizing his potential and helps Izuku Midoriya to enroll in a prestigious high school for superhero training. My Hero Academia was going well in my opinion until last year when the story progression didn't proceed much and didn't like the direction it was going in especially with the Raid arc which felt off to me. However, 2022 was the year that it changed around for the series with the new arc and the villains finally coming out to fight against the heroes where the story seems to be at its end with the current direction they're going in. We'll see if 2023 will be the final year of My Hero Academia, but regardless, I feel like the end for My Hero Academia is ending soon with the current direction it's going in.
Vinland Saga is a Japanese historical manga series written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura, it was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from April 2005 to October 2005 before switching to Monthly Afternoon in December 2005 and it is still ongoing.
Vinland Saga is one of the historical manga that involves Norse mythology as it's about a man named Thorfinn, the son of one of the Vikings' greatest warriors where he caused his family great tragedy as he planned to kill Askeladd, a leader of Viking mercenaries. Thorfinn then began training in order to defeat Askeladd to get his vengeance on him. To me, this is one of the more underrated manga series out there since not a lot of people are talking about it compared to other manga. It has a very intriguing story with some well-written characters, and the action and fights in the manga were well drawn letting the readers feel the world that Vinland Saga is in which is incredible. The chapters for Vinland Saga in 2022 have been great as they're continuing the story with Thorfinn to continue to evolve as a character. I'm very interested to see how Vinland Saga will turn out in 2023.
Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen or Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a Japanese romantic comedy manga series written and illustrated by Aka Akasaka as it was serialized in Shueisha's Miracle Jump from May 2015 to January 2016 before switching to Weekly Young Jump from March 2016 to November 2022.
To me, Kaguya-sama: Love is War is probably one of the best romantic comedy manga series out there as it's about two high school students, Miyuki Shirogane, the student council president of their school, and Kaguya Shinomiya, the vice president of their school, where they liked each other, but are too proud to confess their love as they believe whoever confesses first will lose in their relationship. They then began schemes on each other to have the other confess or show signs of affection which makes it very funny. This manga series officially ended in 2022 and I have to say that the ending was well done and satisfying so I cannot really complain too much about it. If you have any interest in romance manga with some really good comedy, would recommend checking out Kaguya-sama: Love is War, you won't be disappointed.
Yes, one of the classics that are still ongoing as the manga is centered about two characters, Guts, a lone swordsman, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called, "Band of the Hawk". These two characters have been well written and the story progression of how these two characters evolved over time is great to see. For those who aren't aware, the author of Beserk, Kentaro Miura, passed away on May 6, 2021, but his closest friend, Kouji Mori, is continuing the manga for him in his stead. There were chapters released for Berserk in 2022 and for those chapters without Kentaro Miura actually doing his work, his ideas are still there which is great to see, but definitely not the same. Despite that, glad to see that Berserk is continuing, but it's quite a shame that we might never get the true vision that Kentaro Miura had in mind for Berserk, but who knows, he may left Kouji Mori footprints on what to do moving forward. Only time will tell.
Now, we're on at the top ten. Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #10:
This manga is one I'm surprised that still hasn't had an official localization in the West as the story of Kingdom is a fictional adaption of the history of China in the Warring States period and the way they did it is very well told. Due to this manga never having an official localization in the West, it doesn't get talked about a lot, but it's a really great series with a great story, intriguing characters, and a beautiful art style to look at. I am loving the current direction that Kingdom is heading toward in 2022 and I can't wait to see what 2023 has in store for Kingdom moving forward.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #9:
Blue Lock is a Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura as it was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine in August 2018 and is still ongoing.
Yep, a sports manga, but this one involves soccer. Sports manga aren't for everyone, but I feel Blue Lock does its job well as they have very unique characters that readers can get behind, and the way the characters progress as the story moves forward is quite interesting. If you're into sports manga, would recommend checking out Blue Lock as it's a fun read.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #8:
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One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda as it was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 1997 and is still ongoing.
Oh yes, one of the Big Three in Shōnen manga, is on here and still ongoing. As for how I feel about the chapters for One Piece in 2022, it has been good with some questionable decisions here and there, but not enough to hinder my overall experience with the series as I still enjoyed it. They finally ended the Wano Country Arc after four years and with the current arc they're going in, it might be the final arc of the One Piece manga. Granted, it's going to be a few years until that end, but with the direction they're going in, I'm optimistic, and I'm interested to see how Eiichiro Oda will end this almost three-decade manga series.
This is another manga that has not been officially localized in the West, but for me, I love my mysteries and this manga definitely succeeded in giving me that mystery and psychological thriller that I love which I appreciate. The story is very intriguing, the characters are well-written, and the art style is very unique compared to other manga out there. If you're into mystery or psychological thrillers, this is the manga for you.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #6:
Hunter x Hunter is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi as it was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in March 1998 and is still ongoing.
Ah yes! One of my favorite shōnen manga is back baby! I adore Hunter x Hunter and I'm glad that after four years, new chapters for the manga are finally back. Despite only a few chapters being released in 2022, those chapters were incredible as Yoshihiro Togashi despite being out for a while, he still has it in him. Really hope that Yoshihiro Togashi takes care of himself because I don't want another Kentaro Miura situation so please take care, Yoshihiro Togashi. Either way, Hunter x Hunter is back and I can't wait to see how the manga will turn out in 2023.
Now, we're in the top five, and here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #5:
Kaijuu 8-gou or Kaiju No. 8 in the West is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto as it was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ in July 2020 and it is still ongoing.
This manga has been on the rise of popularity as of late due to it being free to read on Shōnen Jump+ as it's about kaijuu (monsters) roaming around Japan for years destroying. An elite military unit that is known as the Defense Corps risked their lives in order to protect the civilians of their city. This manga has intense action with a very well-drawn art style that looks amazing. I am currently liking the direction that Kaiju No. 8 is doing in 2022 and I hope they continue that momentum heading into 2023 as it has a chance to be really popular than it is right now in the future.
Tokyo Revengers is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Wakui as it was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from March 2017 to November 2022.
This is one of the manga that also has been rising up in popularity as of late as it's about a boy named Takemichi Hanagaki who has lost everything including his ex-girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, being murdered by a group of vicious criminals known as the Tokyo Manji Group. Takemichi Hanagaki then suddenly found himself traveling through time and went back twelve years still being with Hinata Tachibana as he used this opportunity to right the wrong and save her from being murdered. Despite having issues with the manga, especially how everything was written towards the end in terms of story, I still feel like this manga has a good impact overall and people should give this series a shot if they're interested.
Chainsaw Man is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto as it was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2018 to December 2020 before switching to Shōnen Jump+ for the second part starting in July 2022 and it is still ongoing.
Oh yeah, this manga has been on a rise in 2022 and for a good reason as this manga is intense with not only its art style but pretty well-written characters in an interesting story as this manga definitely has a lot of blood and gore. If you're not into that, I wouldn't recommend this to you, but if you don't mind that, I would say give the series a try. The direction it had in 2022 was great and I can't wait to see what the direction Chainsaw Man has in 2023.
Here's my favorite manga of 2022 at #2:
Spy x Family is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo as it was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ in March 2019 and is still ongoing.
This is another manga that has been on the rise as of late as it's about a spy who has to "build a family" to execute a mission, but the spy didn't realize that the girl he adopted as his daughter is a telepath, and the woman he agreed to marry with is a skilled assassin. This manga has a great mixture of action and comedy where the action is well drawn and the comedy is actually well written with likable characters. The chapters in 2022 for Spy x Family were great and I can't wait to see how this manga will progress in 2023.
Finally, here's my favorite manga in 2022 at #1:
Jujutsu Kaisen is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami as it was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in March 2018 and is still ongoing.
Oh yes, another manga that has been on the rise as of late where it's about a high school student named Yuji Itadori, he joins a secret organization of Jujutsu Sorcerers to eliminate a powerful Curse named Ryomen Sakuna. I personally love this manga as this manga is an excellent example of what shōnen manga should be like with an intriguing story, well-written characters, and intense action with the art style. I am loving the direction that this manga is taking in 2022 and I have a feeling that 2023 is going to be even better for this series. If you're looking for a new shōnen manga to read, would recommend Jujutsu Kaisen, you won't be disappointed.
Those are my favorite manga in 2022.
What is your favorite manga in 2022?
Let me know in the comments below and thank you for reading.
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