10 Best Seinen Manga, Ranked

For most, the world of anime and manga is dominated by shonen series, typically action-focused storyies aimed primarily at a young male demographic (famed hits like Dragon Ball Z and even Death Note included). However, there are also anime and manga aimed at an older demographic, and that category is known as seinen.

So, what is seinen? “Seinen” is media aimed at older males in their late teens and 20s, with impressive series like Berserk and Vinland Saga embodying the more mature narratives. In general, these series tend to star older protagonists, feature more explicit content, and deal with darker subject matter (though not all have to). While that male audience is the only real requirement to be seinen, the series can be enjoyed by anyone, and contains the variety to do exactly that. Below are ten of the absolute best seinen series available, offering great entry points into this diverse and underappreciated genre.

10 Land Of The Lustrous

Haruko Ichikawa’s Land of the Lustrous is a visually beautiful and creative fantasy seinen manga. As eye-catching as Ichikawa’s emotionally expressive art style is, the series doesn’t slack on depth in the story department, either. The story follows Phos, a member of a humanoid jewel-like species of beings who are deemed weak by their peers in their war against the Lunaris, who want to hunt them down for their value as jewels.

As the story goes on, Phos discovers that their powers come with a brutally steep cost. These revelations gradually unwind in a shocking fashion, and Land of the Lustrous‘ CG anime adaptation garnered special praise for accomplishing the rare feat of creating exceptional 3D animation that does justice to one of the best seinen manga out there.

9 20th Century Boys

Though he’s more well-known for his work on Monster (also on this list), Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys is another excellent seinen effort by the writer/artist. Urasawa has made himself known for stringing together mysteries that are equal parts intricate and engrossing at the core of his stories, and 20th Century Boys works that in with a sci-fi twist. The plot follows an average convenience store manager, named Kenji Endo, who starts to feel suspicious of the suicide of a childhood friend and a dangerous new cult on the rise. From there, 20th Century Boys spirals into a tense psychological and conspiracy thriller that easily ranks among the best seinen series.

8 Kingdom

With a somewhat similar genre appeal to Vinland Saga, writer Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom is an equally acclaimed historical fiction and sweeping seinen drama. Kingdom‘s length and success make it rival One Piece, but in a very different setting. Its story is a fictionalized version of the Warring States period of China, during the fifth century BCE.

Kingdom uses this setting to follow a war orphan named Xin, who is on a grand quest to become the world’s greatest general, and plans to unify China in the process. The seinen manga series has been ongoing since 2006, and it’s been acclaimed for maintaining a thrilling narrative throughout that thanks to its compelling characters and strikingly expressive artwork across 64 volumes and counting.

7 Vinland Saga

Despite 2019 being a stacked year for anime with the likes of Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan season 3, and more, Vinland Saga still managed to be one of the best series of the year. Makoto Yukimura’s original manga is a sweeping Viking epic, with its story evolving into a philosophically and emotionally resonating journey of self-discovery for Thorfinn that explores themes of redemption, the aftermath of war, and growing past vengeance.

This seinen manga series is a consistently enthralling tale of historical fiction, able to tell immersive, character-driven stories without a fantasy wrapping. The strong reception to Vinland Saga‘s first anime season made sure that a second one debuted in 2023, and it gained a spot among the best anime of the recent past.

6 Grand Blue

Fantasy and high-octane action will always attract plenty of attention, but Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka’s Grand Blue is a welcome change of pace. It’s a grounded seinen slice-of-life/coming-of-age comedy revolving around college student Iori Kitahara. He’s looking forward to starting this new phase in his life, staying in a room above his uncle’s diving shop.

Iori tries to steer clear of the antics of the diving club there, who are more interested in partying than actually diving, but eventually gets roped into the group’s exploits and learns more about diving through his cousins. It’s become a fan favorite when it comes to seinen manga in the slice-of-life genre, with an anime adaptation by studio Zero-G earning a strong reception as well.

5 Goodnight Punpun

Inio Asano’s Goodnight Punpun follows the life of an 11-year-old boy named Punpun Onodera as he navigates the complications of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This is another grounded slice-of-life seinen manga, but it’s one that takes a darker and more dramatic approach. Punpun is initially a naive romantic with preconceived notions of what romance is like, and he ends up discovering the complications of not only keeping a relationship together, but the bleaker aspects of those he once looked up to.

Punpun realizes this after witnessing his father assault his mother, sending him into a spiraling state of fearful reclusiveness. Goodnight Punpun has been praised for being a compelling, coming-of-age drama that explores dark psychological themes and social commentary, ensuring its place among the best seinen manga.

4 Monster

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is one of the few acclaimed seinen manga that could justify a live-action adaptation, should the likes of HBO take interest in it. It’s one of the best and most grounded seinen manga series out there, telling a grim and riveting crime drama story that could arguably serve as a premise for a series like True Detective. Monster tells the story of Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese doctor working and living in Germany. His life first begins to crumble when he refuses to operate on a political official in favor of a child in critical condition. Years later, things begin to unravel further, as that same boy returns as an elusive, psychopathic serial killer. A gripping crime-thriller, Monster‘s anime adaptation still stands as one of the greatest seinen anime ever produced.

3 Vagabond

Vagabond is one of those manga series that arguably can’t be adapted in a way that’s worthy of writer/artist Takehiko Inoue’s work. In addition to telling a deeply intimate and character-driven story, Inoue could be put on the same pedestal as the late, great Kentaro Miura of Berserk when it comes to his artwork.

Vagabond chronicles a fictionalized account of ronin Musashi Miyamoto on his journey to become the “strongest under the Sun.” He gains a daunting reputation as such, but he begins to discover that such a title isn’t the key to feeling whole. Unfortunately, Vagabond remains unfinished, but Inoue’s storyboards for the ending have been released online, which should provide some closure to one of the best seinen manga ever written.

2 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run

When it comes to popularity, Hirohiko Araki’s colorfully chaotic and stylish JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has to take first place. It’s one of the most vibrant and inventive manga ever, with the series getting even more mainstream with the ingenious and iconic invention of Stands. As esteemed as the sprawling generational adventures of the Joestar bloodline have been, however, Steel Ball Run still sits at the top for many veteran fans. This seventh part of the long-running manga rebooted the series, aiming at older fans in the seinen demographic for the first time.

Steel Ball Run takes things back to the American Old West, where Gyro Zeppeli and Johnny Joestar take part in the titular grand race for a shot at winning $50 million. The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime has excellent adaptations of the story’s arcs, but longtime fans are surely salivating at the thought of a Steel Ball Run anime.

1 Berserk

While it may sound cliché, there’s some merit in hearing Berserk touted as the seinen manga equivalent of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels and HBO’s Game of Thrones adaptation. Series creator Kentaro Miura passed away in 2021, unfortunately, but the series has been picked up by his longtime friend and fellow mangaka Kouji Mori. Miura will be sorely missed, but the late, great writer/artist leaves behind a revered legacy as having put one of the greatest dark fantasy manga ever put to pen and paper. It’s filled with stunningly detailed art, cathartic fights, and dense fantasy worldbuilding.

It must also be said that the grueling and horrific scenes in the series are understandably not for everyone, but several of Berserk‘s powerful themes of healing from trauma, letting go of the past, and the power of sheer human will at its best are timeless. Guts, Casca, and co.’s personal journeys have been punishing ones, but the story of Berserk evolves past revenge and into one of inspiring perseverance and indomitable hope, ensuring a top spot among the best seinen manga ever.