Are you looking for a manga that has a serious and intelligent plot? Are you tired of the slapstick comedies and boy-meets-girl romantic stories? Are you one of those who think manga/anime is for kids? If so, let me introduce you to my list of top five titles written for mature readers. These will change your perception of manga as an art form.
All the titles listed below have dark, complex plots with elements of horror and shock that will shake your very core.
Monster
Critically acclaimed and arguably the best manga ever written, this is a riveting psychological crime thriller about a genius doctor, Kenzo Tenma. He saves a child’s life putting his reputation and promising career on the line, only to discover nine years later the terrible fate that awaits the boy. The story explores disturbing topics like human depravity, child abuse, mass murder, human experimentation. This is not your regular manga — that’s obvious when Naoki Urasawa is the author. The story deals with mature topics and has realistic characters. The artwork is pretty impressive. Urasawa spends ample time fleshing out his characters and weaving a mystery that has all the twists at the right places. Only a writer of Urasawa’s calibre can manage a story so complex without any plot holes. This is the closest one can get to writing a perfect thriller in any form of literature. Don’t believe me? Go read it, now!
Volumes: 18
Episodes: 74
Status: Completed
Death Note
If you have heard of manga, you must have heard of Death Note. This was my first anime — a personal favourite and a true masterpiece. Before this, I used to think anime were for kids. But boy! I was wrong; it’s a psychological thriller that might give you a nervous breakdown. The dark and tense atmosphere will keep you at the edge of your seat and make you burn through the pages/episodes. It was so good I read the manga after watching the anime. One drawback with the manga is the quality of English translation. It might put you off sometimes. That is why I would recommend watching the anime first. The story is a battle of wits between two of the most intelligent characters in the history of sequential art. The story will make you think and you will often find yourself in dilemma over whom to root for, and where to draw a line between justice and crime. The anime has amazing artwork and soundtrack. The characters are memorable. Not flawless, but almost perfect. Do not miss this one.
Volumes: 12
Episodes: 37
Status: Completed
20th Century Boys
Another gem from the mangaka legend, this happens to be Naoki Urasawa’s most popular work to date. As is characteristic of all his works, there is a dense and multi-layered story with strong realistic characters. It is a sci-fi thriller with a post-apocalyptic theme and an enthralling plot that keeps you guessing right up to the end. The story is about a group of regular people who are childhood friends and are leading a normal life but end up trying to save the world from a cult leader who calls himself ‘Friend’. This might sound ordinary but there is much more to the story — conspiracies, bio weapons, secret identities, collective brainwashing, doomsday. The story spans six centuries and is told in multiple timelines but the transition between timelines is executed deftly with well-placed pop culture references, to help readers keep their bearings. The characters grow from teenage to their fifties and the artwork handles the ageing brilliantly. It’s not surprising that it is considered Urasawa’s best work by many. Highly recommended.
Volumes: 22
Status: Completed
Berserk
If you love action, bloodshed, gore, sex, violence, monsters and magic in your comics, you are in for a treat. This story is about the tragedy (or should I say tragedies) that befalls the protagonist, Guts, and his search for the man who marked him for eternal suffering, to exact vengeance. Guts, aka the Black Swordsman, with his gigantic sword, is the epitome of ‘badassery’. For the first three volumes, Guts’ journey might seem nothing extraordinary, but if you give this series some time, you will get to experience a story of struggle, friendship, love, rage, rivalry, heart-wrenching sacrifices, countless bloody battles and Guts kicking some serious ass of whoever and whatever comes in his path. The battles, though, do take a toll on him and people close to him. The manga has well-built and multi-dimensional characters and a strong storyline. The art is visually stunning and the level of attention paid to the minutest of details is insane. It is a long series that has been going on for 26 years; but believe me, its worth reading and has all qualities of a true epic.
Volumes: 38
Episodes: 25
Status: Ongoing
Note: A second TV adaptation was premiered in 2016. 12 episodes have been telecast so far.
Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)
What happens when the hunters become the hunted? What happens if human beings have to live under a constant fear of predators, whose sole purpose is to feed on humans? Will they fight and win or will they cower and perish? Attack on titan is a recently released manga that has had a huge commercial success. Obviously, it is full of gore, blood, dead bodies and brutal scenes that will make you cringe. But it also has a unique concept, great animation and pretty awesome action. Again, I would advise you to watch the anime because of the poor quality of English translation of the manga. This story does have its flaws but it is overall a must-watch.
Volumes: 21
Episodes: 25
Status: On going
Other notable ones that couldn’t make the cut:
Code Geass: Might replace Attack on Titan in future.
Pluto: Another strong competitor but couldn’t make it to the list as I haven’t completed it yet.
Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria: Well, this is not exactly a Manga but a light novel worth mentioning. The translation quality is pretty bad. I hope someone comes up with a better English version in future.
Note: The list given here is completely my own opinion; you might agree or disagree with it. Also, there is a lot of manga that I am yet to read. So, please let me know your thoughts and if you have your own list of top five manga/anime with a serious and intelligent plot, do share it with me in the comments section below. I would love to read them.