In the last 10 years, anime has become a monster in the cultural landscape. People all over the world are familiar with the most popular anime and a significant portion of them have one or two favorite shows. But anime has been around for many decades before its migration to the West and the medium has a long history of great success within Japan.
Although many fans think they know which anime franchises are the most popular, a glance at the list of the best-selling manga of all time indicates more than a couple of series that may surprise people. Many of these series are loved by people all over the world, but a couple of them are unknown to global audiences despite their dominance in the Japanese market.
10 Crayon Shin-Chan Is A Children’s Story For Adults
crayon shin chan may seem like a children’s cartoon at first glance, but its publication history in Weekly Manga Action magazine (which later dropped “Weekly” from its name) indicates that its target audience is Seinen. Seinen stories are aimed at an audience between 18 and 40 years old.
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With 148 million manga sales, crayon shin chan follows a boy and his adventures with his parents, his sister, his friends, and his neighbors in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The series is known for its crude humor, which explains why, despite its accessibility for children, it is still primarily a story for adults.
9 The Demon Slayer Is A Rising Star
Demonslayer is the latest addition to the list of best-selling manga, but has quickly risen to the top with the highest average volume sales of any manga franchise in history. With 150 million manga sales in just 23 volumes, demon slayer has shown the breadth of its fan base.
While the manga was completed in 2020, the anime is currently ongoing. Its most recent film adaptation broke many anime film records and cemented its place in demon slayer in anime history.
8 KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops Is The Hidden Gem Of Shonen Jump
When Western fans think of popular manga, they think of Weekly Shonen Jump. Shonen Jump has produced some of the most popular stories in the entire anime/manga industry featuring titans like The Big Three. Although fans could name many of the most popular Shonen Jump titles, Kochi Kame: Tokyo Beat Cops it is one of those that has slipped under the western radar.
With more than 156 million manga sales, Kochi Kame: Tokyo Beat Cops It is the eighth best-selling franchise in the entire history of manga. Furthermore, the series ran from 1976 to 2016, making it one of the longest-running manga series of all time.
7 Slam Dunk Popularized Basketball In Japan
slamdunk is one of the all-time classic manga that is recommended to many when they are introduced to the medium. Following Hanamichi Sakuragi, Slam dunk is the story of Shohoku High School basketball’s journey to become one of the best teams in Japan.
With over 170 million sales of the manga, it is often attributed to slam Dunk is credited with revitalizing interest in the sport of basketball throughout Japan. Many modern athletes in the country mention the manga Slam dunk as their main inspiration to start in the sport when they were children.
6 Doraemon Is A Japanese Icon
Doraemon it’s a franchise that many western fans don’t know about. Being one of the most popular children’s shows in Japan, the anime does not have a significant following in the West due to the slightly older demographic. However, Doraemon is a monster for the youth of Japan.
With 250 million sleeves sold, Doraemon is one of the most popular franchises around the world. Follow a time-traveling cat with his companion Nobita Nobi. The success of Doraemon it caused the titular cat to be named Japan’s first “anime ambassador”.
5 Naruto Is One Of The Big Three
For many Western fans, Naruto It was one of the first anime they knew. Naruto aired on the Toonami block of Cartoon Network and changed the way many young viewers viewed the medium of animation. Its grungy aesthetic and intense battles were a breath of fresh air compared to the children’s cartoons they were used to.
TOThroughout its 15 years of publication, Naruto became one of the biggest franchises in the world and continues to hold its place in the cultural zeitgeist with its sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generation.
4 Detective Conan Is A Murder Mystery For Kids
Detective Conan is one of the longest running franchises in Japanese entertainment. With over 100 collected volumes, it is more than twice as long as dragon ball and just less than one piece. Detective Conan follows Shinichi Kudo, a teenager, who transforms into a boy and is forced to attend elementary school and live his life as a young detective.
The series has become a classic for Japanese audiences, with each new episode focusing on a new case for Shinichi Kudo to solve. Although the story is not massive in the West, it has managed to reach a small sector of the world market despite the fact that children are the target audience for anime/manga.
3 Dragon Ball Defined Modern Shonen
When people think of modern shonen anime, they think of the narrative tropes that were introduced and defined by the franchiseDragon Ball. Dragon Ball It started out as a simple gag manga with the occasional fight, but over time, the story evolved into a more battle-focused shonen.
Its sequel series, Dragon Ball Z, became one of the most popular anime in the West and was a cultural touchstone for many adults since their childhood. With only 42 collected volumes, Dragon Ball has managed to amass an impressive 250 million in manga sales.
2 Golgo 13 is the second best selling manga of all time
golgo13 It has more than 200 collected volumes, making it one of the largest series in manga history. Premiered in 1968, Golgo 13 continues to be published in the Seinen magazine, Big Comic. With over 300 million manga sales, it is one of the most popular manga of all time.
The series follows a professional assassin whose code name is Golgo 13. Despite its enormous popularity in the Japanese market and the numerous awards the manga has received, Golgo 13 has managed to elude the interest of the Western public.
1 One Piece is the king of shonen
Premiered in 1997, One Piece is the most popular manga of all time. With over 101 volumes and 490 million manga sales, One piece it is a cultural monster of indescribable proportions. Although the series has not been very successful in the West compared to Naruto or dragon ballthe extent of One’s appeal piece makes it remain a household name among Western audiences.
Onepiece it continues to be published to this day with very little indication that it will end. Following the adventures of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, One piece is a manga that has captivated fans from all walks of life.