Over the past few decades, manga series have become quite popular outside of Japan with many volumes now being published in a variety of languages with record-breaking sales. As with any other medium, there are many different genres and tropes that can appear in manga.

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While some tropes and genres are more popular than others, a few time-tested archetypes have proven consistently been popular, especially since the rise of novels like Harry Potter. Magic schools are quite prevalent within the shonen genre and there are some incredible stories set in such schools that everyone should read.

10 Cid Is Reincarnated As Head Of A Powerful Organization (The Eminence In Shadow)

Cid Kagerou from the manga The Eminence in Shadow, with his allies.

The Eminence In Shadow is a shonen isekai manga that borrows elements from magic school stories. It's about a boy named Cid who's reincarnated into a new world after being killed in a traffic accident. Upon being reincarnated, Cid finds himself the head of a secret organization doing battle with beings from the shadows.

He's very excited about this development, since he spent his life in his old world training for the moment when he'd be able to take on evildoers and level up to escape from a boring and quiet life.

9 A Brother And Sister Are Each Overpowered In Their Own Ways (The Irregular At Magic High School)

Irregular at magic high school manga

The Irregular At Magic High School is a shonen manga adapted from a light novel. In this series, brother-sister duo Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba enter a prestigious magic school. Unfortunately for them, they're separated into different classes due to their magic capabilities, even though Tatsuya is incredibly intelligent, has extensive battle knowledge, and wields a unique form of magic.

It's an exciting supernatural manga that's funny and filled with magic, action, school life experiences, and a bit of romance.

8 Atsuko Dreams Of Being A Witch And Her Rival Is The Smartest Girl In School (Little Witch Academia)

little witch academia manga

Little Witch Academia is an adorable slice-of-life anime about Atsuko "Akko" Kagari and her dreams of becoming a witch. Much to her delight, she, along with her childhood hero Shiny Chariot, are accepted into the prestigious Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy. The only catch is they're accepted as non-magical students.

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In spite of this, Atsuko plans on making her dream of being a witch a reality and proving everyone who doubts her wrong. She even decides to make a rival out of the prettiest and smartest girl in school.

7 Ikki Kurogane Is Known As The Worst Magic Knight At His School (Chivalry Of A Failed Knight)

Chivalry Of A Failed Knight manga

Chivalry of a Failed Knight is a manga adapted from a light novel about people known as Magic Knights, who can create weapons converted from their souls. The protagonist is a boy named Ikki Kurogane, who enrolls in a school for Magic Knights, but he's dubbed the "Worst One" or the "Failed Knight."

It's here at this school that he's challenged by Stella, a Princess from a foreign land who's conversely known as the Number One student. The loser of this challenge must be the lifetime servant of the winner, and the loser isn't someone that readers expected.

6 Rihido Transforms Into A Teenager To Attend A Magic School And Get Out In The World (Legendary Wizard)

legendary wizard manga

Legendary Wizard is an incredibly interesting shonen manga about magic schools and those studying to become witches and wizards. Rihido may look young, but he's actually very old and has spent the last few hundred years all by himself.

By chance, he stumbles across Mycenae, who was being chased in the woods, and decides to help her. This leads to the two becoming friends and is where he discovers that there's a school for magic. He enrolls himself as a way to get back out in the world after his isolation.

5 Makia Will Do Anything, Even Be The Very Best Student, To See Her Childhood Friend Again (Tales Of Reincarnation In Maydare: The World's Worst Witch)

Tales of Reincarnation in Maydare: The World's Worst Witch Manga

Tales of Reincarnation in Maydare: The World's Worst Witch is another manga based on a light novel. In this manga, Makia is born of a noble family descended from an infamous witch. One of the interesting elements in this story is that it borrows tropes from the isekai genre.

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Thor, a boy that she grew up with, is from another world. However, the two are separated, and in order to see him again, Makia's goal is to become the best student at the magic school that she's attending.

4 An Officer Is Given A Second Chance At Saving His Family And Friends (Hiraheishi Wa Kako Wo Yumemiru)

Hiraheishi Wa Kako Wo Yumemiru Manga

Hiraheishi Wa Kako Wo Yumemiru is a very interesting manga in that it's a shonen manga about magic schools, but it also has a reincarnation-powered second chance element...with a dark twist. This isn't something that common in this type of manga.

This manga follows the story of a mid-ranked officer who perished in a war against a demon army. However, he awakens to find that he's a baby. Not just that, but his mother is his real mom from his previous life. In order to prevent the deaths of his friends and family, he sets out to become even stronger in preparation for the demon war.

3 A Magicless Boy Receives An Unusual And Troublesome Ability (I Don't Know If It's Love Or Magic!)

I Don't Know If It's Love Or Magic!

I Don’t Know if it’s Love or Magic! is a more risque shonen manga, but still quite enjoyable. In this manga, Kaito Miyamae is unable to use magic. Unfortunately for him, he promised his childhood friend that they would attend a prestigious magic school together. But as he has no powers, this is next to impossible.

When almost all hope is lost, something extraordinary happens: he feels a stirring of magic power. The catch, however, is that his magic is the power of love. If anyone were to meet his eyes, they would fall instantly in love with him.

2 Roy Enters A School For The Rich Even Though He Is Shunned For Being A Commoner (The Iceblade Magician Rules Over the World)

The Iceblade Magician Rules Over the World manga 1 and 2

The Iceblade Magician Rules Over the World is a really interesting shonen manga set at a magic school. The Arnold Magic Academy is a prestigious institution that has produced some of the strongest and best wizards, and normally, it's filled with the rich, influential, and wealthy.

But Roy White, a boy from a common family, decides to attend. Here, he's surrounded by people who aren't like him and they keep their distance. Roy, however, has many achievements to his name; it's even said that he's the strongest of the seven great wizards in the world.

1 Two Students Enter A School With A Dark Secret That Could Cost Them Their Lives (Reign Of The Seven Spellblades)

Reign Of The Seven Spellblades Manga Color Insert

Reign of the Seven Spellblades is a magical shonen manga that was also based on a light novel. There are a few differences between the two, but the manga is still enjoyable. Reign of the Seven Spellblades is a manga about a boy and a girl who meet at a prestigious magic academy known as the Kimberley Magic School.

The first-year students arrive at the school to see cherry blossoms in full bloom and a parade of magical creatures. This school has a dark secret that these first-year students know nothing about: it's a living demon shrine where no one's safety is guaranteed.

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