Top Five Favorite Current Manga (October 2024)

I’m insanely busy, so it is time for some cheap content. Plus it is also a way to track the ebbs and flows of manga series I’m following. This will be for current manga. And yeah, I am repurposing old text where possible. 😜

5. Frieren – Beyond Journey’s End

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.

At present, the story has finally returned to Frieren’s party, and even brings back an old character.

Viz has the official license.

4. Ascendance of a Bookworm

I’m currently caught up with the book releases for 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.

For the most part, this series is a very wholesome, refreshing read. Sometimes, you just need that. The frustrating part is that Part 3 is getting printed before Part 2 is done.

J-Novel club has the official license.

3. A Certain Scientific Railgun

I’m currently blogging A Certain Scientific Railgun manga.The story centers around MISAKA Mikoto, a 14 year old rich girl who’s also one of the most powerful espers, known as the Railgun. Her roommate and good friend Kuroko is a fairly powerful teleporter who also works for a law enforcement division named Judgement. Together with their friends Saten and Uiharu (from a public school), these four end up getting caught up in the dark, underworld of Academy City in Japan.

What I like about this series is…well, MISAKA Mikoto. 😂 She was the more interesting character in A Certain Magical Index, so it makes sense that she’d get her own, spinoff manga series that links to Index. That aside, over the first sixteen volumes of the manga, I’ve enjoyed watching Mikoto grow from a naive, “ojousama” to an actual hero. She is what I’d classify as a good girl boss. What do I mean by that?

Well, for a start, she’s not trying to be a man. Heck, she’s not even trying to be a hero. She wants to be a girl who is powerful as an esper, but who gets to read manga, and spend time with her friends. However, circumstances get in the way. As such, in addition to becoming a more experienced combat veteran, she’s not naive any more. And yet, she’s not jaded…yet.

Recently, the manga switched to prequel mode. While it is interesting to see Mikoto as a weaker, more naive character, there’s a retcon danger. We’ll see how it goes.

The series is licensed by Seven Seas.

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 code name 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 and interesting 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. 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.