The term "seinen" literally means youth, but when it comes to seinen manga the term means the exact opposite. This genre of manga is typically aimed at men who range in age from their 20s to their 50s and tends to explore more adult themes than would be covered in shonen works.
Over the past decade a ton of seinen series have been released, many of which have garnered critical acclaim and commercial success. Goodreads users have ranked these titles countless times over the years, establishing some clear seinen favorites.
Updated by Leah Thomas on July 22nd, 2021: This list was in sore need of revision. Many of the titles previously included did not have enough ratings to be measured fairly alongside more popular seinen entries, and it didn't make sense to rank titles based on first volumes alone. Because Goodreads is an international site that's skewed toward Western readers, often the manga ranked "best" on Goodreads are also those that are most widely distributed and critically acclaimed in the West. Given this, the list has been adjusted.
14 Golden Kamuy (4.30 Series Average)
Golden Kamuy may be eccentric at times, but it's never anything short of entertaining. Set in Hokkaido shortly after the Russo-Japanese war, Golden Kamuy chronicles the adventures of two unlikely comrades. Former soldier Saichi Sugimoto is determined to find gold in order to help support a deceased friend's family, while Ainu huntress Asirpa is determined to reclaim the gold stolen from her people.
Known for its extremely offbeat sense of humor and unusual historical references, Golden Kamuy has enjoyed a steady readership in the years since its debut, boosted by a successful anime adaptation by Geno Studio.
13 A Bride's Story (4.30 Series Average)
Historical manga continues to provide ample territory for seinen authors to explore, as A Bride's Story can attest. Set in the 1800sin a town where the Caspian Sea meets the Silk Road, the story follows the unlikely partnership of Amir Halgal, a skilled archer and huntress, who has been asked to marry a boy named Karluk Eihon. An uncomfortable age difference means a successful marriage isn't immediately plausible, but the story carefully avoids problematic tropes, attempting to tell a true story about the bonds between two strangers.
Beautifully illustrated and rife with intricate details, A Bride's Story successfully captures a setting too rarely explored. The lives of these characters, the traditions of their cultures, their journeys across Asia: all of these are handled with grace.
12 Innocent Rouge (4.31 Series Average)
Innocent Rouge builds off the world of the original Innocent, which starred protagonist Charles-Henri Sanson as he faced the brutality of the French Revolution. In this sequel, readers follow his sister Marie-Joseph who lives in Versailles. When her beloved Alain is killed by aristocrats, Marie-Joseph sets off on a quest for revenge and redemption.
This strongly feminist tale empowers the main character and also acts as a great historical drama, one that captures the nuances and intricacies of a France wracked by revolutionary pains. This is all supported by a unique art style and writing that both help to capture a pervasive gothic-baroque atmosphere.
11 The Way of The House Husband (4.33 Series Average)
The Way of The House Husband has forged itself a unique niche online. While many manga don't find a widespread fandom until anime adaptations bring them into public awareness, memes and screenshots from Gokushufudou permeated the internet for months before Netflix produced a mediocre anime ONA.
While the anime adaptation leaves much to be desired, the manga deserves its status as a cult hit. Tatsu, a former yakuza mafioso, changes his ways upon marrying a career woman. Tatsu gives up his life of crime, but the yakuza aura doesn't easily fade, and the juxtaposition of a gangster attempting to complete mundane tasks like grocery shopping and cooking makes for fine entertainment.
10 The Apothecary Diaries (2011 - Present, 4.35 Series Average)
This historical drama takes place in ancient China, beginning months after the main character Maomao's kidnapping and forced enlistment into the role of a servant at the emperor's palace. Pragmatic and knowledgeable, she originally plans to work until she is freed. But things change when her medical skills become apparent - starting with a display of her knowledge regarding the health of the emperor's two infants.
Gradually, Maomao finds herself pulled into the inner ranks of the emperor's court, where she is tasked with solving a variety of medical problems. The charm of the strong main character combined with an unconventional plot makes for an enthralling read.
9 Gangsta. (4.37 Series Average)
Gangsta is an action drama that takes place in the city of Ergastulum, a sketchy urban environment filled with criminals and corruption. The two main characters, Nic and Worick, are known as the Handymen and together are willing to take on the jobs that no one else is willing to.
Things sour when what seems like an average job ends up spiraling out into a lot more than the protagonists expected. The manga features a dazzling cast of interesting characters, intertwined dramas, and enough fight scenes to keep the average reader invested. Notably, Nic, who is deaf, provides a refreshing dose of disability representation.
8 Your Name (2016-2017, 4.43 Average)
Your Name is an adaptation of the Makoto Shinkai film of the same name. Country girl Mitsuha Miyamizu and city boy Taki Tachibana find themselves switching bodies on a periodic basis. As the story unfolds, the pair attempt to get to the bottom of this body-swapping mystery and eventually embark on a romantic quest to find each other.
In many ways this manga is essentially the same as the movie, barring a few extra scenes. For those who were fans of the original, this solid adaptation is sure to satisfy.
7 Goodnight Punpun (2008 -2013, 4.40 Series Average)
Oyasumi Punpun is a work that haunts all those who read it. Incomparable to almost any other manga, the story about a boy being raised in an abusive home would hardly feel like manga at all if it weren't for the surreal elements added by author Inio Asano. Instead of drawing Punpun and his family as human beings, Asano draws this family alone as birdlike cartoons. This choice proves pivotal to the series, allowing Asano to address deeply troubling topics from a slight distance.
Punpun goes through a truly harrowing upbringing, but the audience is encouraged to keep looking, compelled by the surreality of the art. Darker than almost any coming-of-age saga, Punpun isn't an easy read, but its popularity is more than warranted.
6 Tokyo Ghoul & Tokyo Ghoul: Re (2011 - 2018, 4.40 Series Average)
Tokyo Ghoul has spawned sequels and several anime hits. The original manga centers around menacing beings known as ghouls, supernatural creatures who satisfy their thirst by feeding on humans. University freshman Ken Kaneki finds himself pulled into this murky underworld when he finds himself turned into a half-ghoul.
From here he is introduced to a cast of supposedly friendly ghouls and less-friendly antagonists. The story leaves lots of space for its important characters to develop and change. This is further buoyed by an array of interesting moral considerations, but most fans agree that the series gets worse and worse as it progresses, and the sequel, Tokyo Ghoul: Re, resulted in a subpar anime adaptation.
5 Vinland Saga (2005 - Present, 4.41 Series Average)
Vinland Saga has recently been greenlit for a second season, and fans of the anime could not be happier. But as great as the first season, created by Wit Studio, turned out to be, the manga remains a magnum opus in its own right. A fictionalized historical telling set primarily in Europe shortly after Iceland's settlement, Vinland Saga details the fraught upbringing of Thorfinn, a young Icelandic boy whose father left behind a violent past as a viking.
After his father's death, Thorfinn's thirst for revenge leads him to enlist in a monstrous band of mercenaries led by the very man who killed his father. And yet violence is never glorified in Vinland Saga. A plea for pacifism and greener pastures, Vinland Saga is a masterpiece, and author Makoto Yukimura has crafted it with care over two decades.
4 Blue Period (2017 - Present, 4.42 Series Average)
Blue Period centers around high school student Yataro Yaguchi. Bored with his normal life, everything changes when he discovers the magic of drawing. After seeing a painting and becoming fascinated with the colors used in it, he attempts to convey his own message through art.
He quickly discovers that he loves the act of drawing and embarks on a journey to ultimately make a living doing it. It's not quite as simple as one, two, three as Yataro faces numerous roadblocks on the way, from his parents to the unexpected depth of the craft. This inspiring manga is a treat for art lovers and ordinary readers alike.
3 Vagabond (1998 - Present, 4.44 Series Average)
Just because a manga has been running for decades doesn't mean it loses its impact. Though a new chapter hasn't been published since 2015, s several volumes of author Vagabond found publication in the 2010s and the series isn't yet canceled.
Vagabond is inspired by the true story of Musashi Miyamoto, though the manga is highly fictionalized. Set in 16th century Japan, Vagabond follows the life of an unruly young man named Shinmen Takezou, who enlists in the army only to suffer a terrible defeat. Shinmen is then accused of his friend's murder and forced to live on the lam. During his journeys, Shinmen changes his name and tries to change his destiny as well.
2 Kingdom (2006 - Present, 4.47 Series Average)
Yet another acclaimed historical seinen manga, Kingdom is set in China during the Warring States period. The story chronicles the lives of Li Xin and Piao two young friends who become generals. When Piao is killed during a coup, Li Xin resolves to avenge him, determined to become the general above all other generals. He works alongside a young prince who seeks to unite all the states under his own rule.
As of 2020, Kingdom had more than 70 million copies in circulation, and its popularity is still growing fifteen years after its debut.
1 Berserk (1988 - Present?, 4.51 Series Average)
Berserk is a series that's been serialized for so long that it's hard to fathom that the most recent volumes are only a few years old. Given the story's longevity and the recent demise of its beloved creator, the manga's fate remains uncertain. Even so, Berserk continues to shape generations of manga fans.
When the violent swordsman known as Guts meets his match in Griffith, the ethereal leader of a mercenary band, he joins the band. Though initially friends, Guts and Griffith are morally very different, and soon become enemies, pitted against each other in a demonic, violent battle that may decide the fate of the entire world. Epic, violent, and hugely influential, Berserk will continue to make waves.