Top Five Favorite Current Manga (August 2024)

Hey gang! I’m thinking from time to time, I’ll put out a list of favorite manga (and maybe anime as well). Yeah, it is cheap content. But it is also a way to track the ebbs and flows of manga series I’m following. This will be for current manga. At some point, I may do something for “all time”.

5. Henjo – Strange High School Girl AMAGURI Senko

I did a first-look at Henjo earlier this year. The series centers around a high school girl named AMAGURI Senko. She is completely unfazed about anything, and has no shame in her bluntness. The male lead is TAKAMURA Ryou, who takes a job at the Amaguri Handyman business, where Senko also works for her father. There are quite a few supporting characters, but the central focus is on Senko’s actions and Ryou’s reactions to that.

What makes this manga so fun to me is Senko’s “No F’s given” (if you’ll pardon the expression) attitude about things. She is totally dedicated to the Amaguri Handyman business and works hard. But she also has this weird ability to detect sexual arousal in people, primarily men. As such, she has no problems bluntly pointing this out to the offender.

At the same time, it is fun watching Senko and Ryou’s relationship as it grows over time. Further, the supporting cast are allowed to grow as well. Combine this with some nice artwork, humor, interesting stories, and interesting characters, and one has the making of a fine, if a bit perverted (subject-wise) at times manga.

I’m actually surprised the manga isn’t licensed. But now that it is up to volume 19, I’m guessing publishers are too scared of the commitment.

4. Frieren – Beyond Journey’s End

Back in January of 2024, I did a first look at the Frieren series, since the anime adaptation got so much buzz. (I still plan to watch the anime.) The story centers around a female, elf mage named Frieren. She has lived for over a thousand years, yet remains young. As such, time has little meaning to her. To that end, when she went on a 10-year adventure with a couple of humans and a dwarf, culminating in their killing the demon lord.

Fifty years later, she reunites with her companions, who are now elderly. When Himmel the Hero dies, Frieren decides she needs get to know humans better, as she doesn’t feel she knew her party mates at all. To that end, she ends up taking on an orphaned, human mage named Fern, and a human warrior named Stark. Together, they go on new adventures, often visiting places Frieren traveled with the Hero’s party.

What makes this manga so good is its unique take on the fantasy genre. Ever since Mr. Tolkien’s works, elves are usually depicted as near immortal. So it is interesting seeing how this basically immortal being deals with life amongst other races with vastly shorter life spans. As such, her journey with Fern and Stark has her much more involved with them on a personal level. At the same time, Fern and Stark keep Frieren from frittering years away, reading tomes.

Some of the more current chapters have shifted away to do more purely adventure stuff and feature other characters. But the stories are interesting, so I don’t mind.

Viz has the official license.

3. Ascendance of a Bookworm

I’m currently blogging about Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 2.  A Japanese college girl named URANO Motosu dies in a library during an earthquake. She then finds herself in the body of a sickly, five year old girl named Myne. As Myne, she has access to her memories as Motosu and as Myne. However, her reincarnation happened in another world with a medieval, fantasy European setting. Not only that, there are no books available to her, and she loves to read.

To that end, Myne sets out to make books. Due to her knowledge of modern day Earth and how things are made, Myne is able to connect with a powerful merchant named Benno. Thus she is able to earn a decent amount of money for herself. However, her disease, the Devouring, threatens to take her life. When the local temple learns of this, they get her in to help supply them with mana. In return, Myne finally gets to read books. But she also has to deal with life at the temple.

What I really enjoy about this manga series is this new kind of fantasy world. There is magic and such, but no elves, dwarves, or other demi-humans. Myne is adorable on her own. Add to this her knowledge of modern day Earth, and it is fun seeing how she manages to introduce things we take for granted, such as shampoo or paper. As such, she comes off as precocious and weird to her (new) family and others around her.

It is also interesting and fun to see how Myne works to gain her goal of making books and reading them. For the most part, this series is a very wholesome, refreshing read. Sometimes, you just need that.

J-Novel club has the official license.

2. D-Frag!

I’ve been reading D-Frag! for years now. The story centers around KAZAMA Kenji. He is with his two best friends, hoping to “take over” his high school. He decides to target the Game Creation Club (Temp) and steal some games. Inside, he finds SHIBASAKI Roka, MIZUKAMI Sakura, and OSAWA Minami (unbeknownst to Kenji, she’s the teaching adviser) playing a game. Roka accidentally starts a fire, so Kenji helps put it out in an uncharacteristic act of kindness.

The girls quickly knock out Kenji’s friends. Further, KARASUYAMA Chitose (the student council president) enters and does an “earth punch” attack on Kenji. He tries to flee from these freakishly strong women. However, when Roka reveals her true “power” of “darkness” and slams a bag on Kenji’s head, they force him to join the club. Thus Kenji gets involved in various adventures with a group of strange, strong women, including the president of the REAL Game Creation Club, Takao.

What I love most about this manga are the crazy, comedic hijinks. Despite his protests to the contrary, Kenji fits in quite well with all of these insanely strong girls in his orbit. And yet Kenji cannot help but rage-retort at the stupidity he sees around him. But, despite his desire to be a thug, he always helps in whatever crazy thing that comes up. So as a character, he is pretty enjoyable.

Further, this series is a harem title. I have a weakness for harem titles. All of the girls in Kenji’s orbit like him to one degree or other. The girls don’t fight over Kenji, though some conflict can arise. For his part, Kenji just finds most of them pretty annoying, which leads to other humor.

The series is licensed by Seven Seas.

1. Spy x Family

Finally, at number 1  is Spy x Family. This is another series I’m blogging. The story takes place in a fictional European world (East/West Germany) of the 1960s. The manga centers around a spy with the codename Twilight. His cover job is a psychiatrist named Loid. For his newest mission, Twilight needs to get close to a prominent, eastern figure to prevent a third (world) war.

In order to accomplish this, Twilight goes to a sketchy orphanage and adopts a young girl named Anya. Unbeknownst to him, Anya is a telepath who escaped from a lab. She is desperate to be adopted. To accomplish this, she also has to keep her powers a secret. Twilight then happens upon an elite assassin named Yor. She needs a husband to help provide her cover. Since Anya knows both their secrets, she arranges for them to get together. Thus Anya gets the family she’s always wanted and more.

What makes this manga so great is how wholesome it is. Anya is a typical child. As such, it is easy to relate to her way of thinking. On the other hand, her supernatural powers allow her to do things she wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do. Once it meant saving a boy from drowning. Another time, it was standing up to terrorist after discovering they were bluffing. Anya is quite the lovable, scene stealing character.

As to Loid and Yor, both are amazing individuals. We get to see both on secret missions. At the same time, both are learning to become parents to Anya. And whoa be to anyone who threatens Anya ’cause Yor will go mama bear on them. 😂 Add to the mix the slowly budding romance between Yor and Loid. This is my favorite manga, bar none.

Viz has the license here.

Wrap Up

And there you have it, my top five current favorite manga titles. What are yours? Let me know in the comments below.