While dozens of manga ran alongside Dragon Ball during the eighties, the reign of Goku and company was far from over. Dragon Ball ran for a decade in Weekly Shonen Jump before its final chapter was published in 1995. While some manga were serialized alongside it for the bulk of its run, others came and went almost too quickly in comparison.
Celebrating Dragon Ball is a no-brainer for most anime fans, for whom the series remains a major gateway and inspiration. But among those series that shared pages with the iconic manga, there were certainly some gems that also deserve the nostalgia treatment.
50 Kochikame (1976-2016)
Kochikame may not be familiar to an average otaku in America, but this series has long since achieved legendary status in Japan. This comedy manga about a cop was serialized for 40 years, from 1976 until 2016, and has sold more than 150 million volumes.
49 City Hunter (1985 - 1991)
City Hunter proved remarkably successful not just in Japan but on an international scale. It has received several anime adaptations over the years and was even adapted into a Hong Kong feature film starring Jackie Chan. Notably, the series has been especially popular in France.
48 Otokojuku (1985-1991)
Otokojuku was a huge success and ran for six years, capitalizing on the constant popularity of martial arts stories and the budding success of high school delinquent dramas. Toei produced an anime adaptation in 1988.
47 Saint Seiya (1986-1990)
Still relatively well-known by anime fans today, Saint Seiya has proven to have longevity on its side. A story that borrows heavily from mythology, the series has received no fewer than thirteen anime adaptions on the big and small screens. The most recent adaptation, Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya, aired in 2019.
46 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (1987-2004 In Shonen Jump, 2005-Present In Ultra Jump)
Some things are eternal, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure seems to be among them.
Arguably more popular now than ever before, the series has sold more than 100 million copies and spawned several cult-hit anime series.
45 Jungle King Tar-Chan (1988-1990)
Tar-Chan has a lot in common with Tarzan and features a lead who's been raised by a chimpanzee. While the manga was primarily a gag series, it also indulged in occasional fighting arcs that carried more emotional weight.
44 Kami-Sama Wa Southpaw (1988-1990)
The first God of the Southpaw manga began publication in the late eighties until 1990. Since that time, a sequel series has been published in Manga Goraku in 2009.
43 Rokudenashi Blues (1988-1997)
Another series that capitalized on the popularity of gritty delinquent stories, Rokudenashi Blues ran in Weekly Shonen Jump for almost the same duration of time as Dragon Ball.
42 Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (1989-1996)
A long-running franchise that began life as a series of RPGs, Dragon Quest also became a successful manga series in the late eighties. Almost every game since has also merited a parallel adaptation.
41 Ace! (1990-1991)
Ace! was a successful baseball manga written by Yoichi Takahashi, creator of Captain Tsubasa. The series was one of many examples of Takahashi trying his hand at illustrating other sports.
40 Keiji (1990-1993)
A historical manga that serves as a retelling of the life of famed samurai Keiji Maeda, Keiji wasn't quite non-fiction.
While Keiji Maeda was a real general, this manga was inspired by a novel by Keiichiro Ryu.
39 Hikaru! Chachacha!! (1990-1991)
In Hikaru! Chachacha!!, the son of a deceased judo master aims to contribute to his father's legacy. The series never received an anime adaptation but ran long enough to be compiled into seven volumes.
38 Kickboxer Mamoru (1990-1991)
Written by iconic Kinnikuman mangaka-team Yudetamago, Kickboxer Mamoru ran for 32 chapters. The authors wanted to write a story that would introduce audiences to Muay Thai.
37 Metal Finish (1990-1991)
Written by Masaru Miyazaki and Nobutoshi Ejinara, Metal Finish featured players who didn't wear protective helmets and only lasted a few chapters. Still, it beat The Mighty Ducks to the punch when it came to helping hockey go mainstream.
36 Slam Dunk (1990-1996)
Even today, Slam Dunk is arguably one of the most famous sports manga, though the anime was canceled prematurely. The story chronicled Hanamichi Sakuragi's transformation from delinquent to basketball star.
With more than 150 million volumes sold, Slam Dunk is one of the bestselling series of all time and is credited for popularizing basketball in Japan.
35 Chin'yuki: Taro To Yukai Na Nakama-Tachi (1990-1992)
A monk and a kabuki player team up in this comedic retelling of Journey to the West. In this highly irreverent story, the kabuki player is also a violent assassin, and the monk has been transformed into a monkey due to a curse.
34 Yu Yu Hakusho (1990-1994)
Yu Yu Hakusho needs no introduction, as it is still widely considered among the best shonen series of all time. Yoshihiro Togashi was inspired by his love for occult and horror films and wanted to create a series that incorporated some supernatural elements. Even so, the shift from a detective story to martial arts epic was always intended, and few series blend genres so well.
33 Takeda The Libero (1991-1992)
In this soccer manga by Majima-Kun Suttobasu!! author Makoto Niwano, Takeda longs to be a striker but takes on a libero position instead.
32 Outer Zone (1991-1994)
With a title that deliberately refers The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, Outer Zone and its iconic host, a strange elfin creature called Misery, introduced readers to peculiar happenings in an alternate universe. Fans of the occult will still find much to admire here.
31 Pennant Race: Yamada Taichi No Kiseki (1991-1994)
Pennant Race is a baseball manga about the career of Yamada Taichi, who dreams of one day joining the Astros team.