One Punch Man is by far one of the biggest manga series to come out of Japan to this day. The superhero-themed, action-comedy adventure is popular with foreign fans worldwide, and of course, it’s just as beloved in its home country of Japan.
Unlike much of the manga and anime that Japan produces, One Punch Man has strong American pop culture themes woven into the story, making it accessible to Western audiences and a great jumping-off point into the world of Japanese manga.
If you’ve read One Punch Man and loved it as much as I did, then you might be wondering what to read next. The following eight manga all share similar elements to the smash-hit series and are guaranteed to have you hooked.
8 Best Manga (Like One Punch Man)
1. Gintama by Hideaki Sorachi
Gintama, meaning “Silver Soul,” was written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi for the weekly Japanese manga anthology, Shounen Jump. Its huge fan following has rippled across the globe. The series has been adapted into a long-running anime TV series with 367 episodes. It shares many of the same humor styles as One Punch Man while also incorporating more serious and dramatic storytelling that fans of the series loved.
The story is set in the Edo period and features historically accurate details intertwined with elements of science fiction. An alien race named Amanto has taken over Japan and its government to reinvent it into a more civilized society.
The story’s protagonist, Gintoki Sakata, is a former samurai who, like the rest of society’s samurai, now finds himself without a purpose. With the help of his friends Shinpachi Shimura and Kagura, he manages to pay his rent and make a measly living working as an odd job man. But rather than split his earnings with his assistants, he has them work for free while he reaps the rewards.
2. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K by Shūichi Asō
Written and illustrated by Shūichi Asō, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is a collection of one-shot chapters that were originally published between 2010 and 2011. From 2012 to 2018, the manga was serialized for Shōnen Jump. It has since been adapted into a successful anime television series and a live-action movie.
This modern comedy manga stars high school student Kusuo Saiki, a pink-haired misfit who has an array of powerful psychic abilities, from x-ray vision to telepathy and more.
But Saiki is desperate to conceal his special powers from his classmates and live a normal, everyday teenage life. Unfortunately, his attempts to hide the truth lead him into some hilarious predicaments, and he finds himself attracting the attention of many bizarre and downright annoying characters that refuse to let him live the quiet life.
3. One Piece by Eiichiro Oda
Written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece has appeared as a serialized feature in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since 1997. This super-successful manga gave birth to a media franchise that includes an anime television series, fourteen animated feature films, and numerous video games.
The story follows a young boy named Monkey D. Luffy, who unintentionally eats a magical Devil Fruit. The fruit’s powerful properties see his body transform from flesh into rubber.
Now, Luffy has one goal in life; to find “One Piece,” the world’s ultimate treasure. This legendary treasure was left behind by the strongest and most powerful pirate in history, the famous Gol D.Roger, and it’s hidden at the end of the treacherous Grand Line sea.
And so the spirited yet dimwitted Luffy with his rubber-like body and grand ideas gathers a motley crew of pirates. Together, they set out on an epic adventure full of mayhem and mishaps into the unpredictable open ocean, searching for an impossible dream.
4. My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi
Written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi, this superhero-themed manga has been serialized in Shōnen Jump magazine since 2014. It’s also spawned several spin-off series, such as My Hero Academia Smash!, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes and My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions, alongside a successful anime TV series.
The series’ protagonist is middle school student Izuku Midoriya, who lives in a world where superheroes, with their powers known as Quirks, are commonplace. But unfortunately for Midoriya, he wasn’t born with any Quirks. He’s just a regular old human being who dreams of becoming something special. He’d love to get accepted into the prestigious UA High School for budding heroes. Still, deep down, he knows it’s never going to happen. His future looks bleak and uninteresting, and he’s grown to accept his dim reality.
But when Japan’s greatest hero, All Might, sees potential in him that no one else has, his fortunes begin to change. All Might shares his Quirk with Midoriya and helps him to enroll at UA High School. Suddenly, his once bleak future looks full of hope, adventure, and promise.
5. Assassination Classroom by Yūsei Matsui
This sci-fi comedy manga series is written and illustrated by Yūsei Matsui. It was serialized in Shōnen Jump magazine from 2012 to 2016 and adapted into an original video animation (OVA) in 2013. More recently, it’s been transformed into an anime television series and two live-action movies.
The story is set in a junior high school full of delinquent kids who have no chance of getting anywhere in life. One class, known as 3-E, is especially challenging. These misfit kids are taught in a separate building away from the rest of the school. Every teacher they’ve ever had has quit, but now, a yellow octopus-like create called Korosensei appears on the scene as their new professor, and things begin to change.
Korosensei is a mighty and powerful being with various supernatural abilities. He assigns his new class a unique task; they must kill him before he destroys the entire planet.
6. Mashable: Magic and Muscles by Hajime Kōmoto
Written and illustrated by Hajime Kōmoto, Mashable: Magic and Muscles is a relatively new manga that has been serialized in Shōnen Jump magazine since January 2020.
It follows a young man called Mash Burnedead, who is born into a magical where supernatural power means everything. In order to be respected and successful in society, one must hone their magic skills, but unfortunately for Mash, he was born without any magical powers at all.
No one knows Mash’s shameful secret. He lives deep in the dense forest, far away from the rest of the world. Every day, without fail, Mash trains his body, building his muscles to become a fitness machine. What he lacks in magical ability, he makes up for in his strength and endurance.
But when Mash’s secret is finally exposed, instead of being cast out of society forever, he’s surprised to find himself enrolled in a prestigious magic school. Here, he is to train as a Divine Visionary, an exceptional student said to be chosen by god. But without magic, Mash must use his brute strength and rippling muscles to punch his way to the top.
7. Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
Written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi, this classic story was originally serialized between 1991 and 1997 in Japan’s Nakayoshi manga magazine. It’s been adapted to all kinds of media over the years, including a long-running anime TV series and three animated feature films, as well as a live-action TV adaptation.
Unlike the rest of the masculine manga on this list, the protagonist in Sailor Moon is a girl named Usagi Tsukino who is just as, if not more powerful than her male counterparts. In her search for the Legendary Silver Crystal, Tsukino transforms into the magical Sailor Moon, a crime-fighting, villain defeating superhero.
Using her unique powers, she leads her group of comrades, known as the Sailor Soldiers, in a battle to protect the Silver Crystal and save the entire solar system from destruction.
8. Mob Psycho 100 by ONE
Mob Psycho 100 is written and illustrated by the original One Punch Man creator, who goes by the pseudonym ONE. It was serialized on Shogakukan’s Ura Sunday website from 2012 to 2017 and later adapted into an anime television series produced by Bones.
The story follows a young middle school kid named Shigeo Kageyama, nicknamed “Mob” by his classmates. Mob lives in Seasoning City, and just like One Punch Man’s Saitama, he looks like an average everyday guy. But under the surface, he’s hiding extraordinary abilities. Mob has astonishing psychic powers that allow him to move objects using only his mind. He can break things apart at a molecular level without lifting a finger, and his mind alone can effortlessly uproot an entire building.
But as mighty as his powers maybe, they won’t get him what he really wants; to live a normal, everyday life and become friends with his middle school crush.
Conclusion
If you loved One-Punch Man, then you’ll adore these action-packed, hilarious, and downright addictive manga series from some of Japan’s most revered manga writers and illustrators.
For an extra manga fix, check out my guide to the best sites and apps to read manga. Also, do you have any other recommendations for great manga like One Punch Man? Let me know in the comments!