Summary
Some people got their first taste of manga and anime in the 1980s, where it was new but very niche. Others got into it during the 1990s, where its biggest entries became smash hits, but it still felt rather underground. Then, for the past decade and change, manga and anime have been a click away on apps like Crunchyroll or Bookwalker where even the odd celebrity has suggested their favorites.
While neither manga nor anime have turned people into the coolest kids in school, the 2000s saw them become more commonplace as media in their own right. Fans could gradually find more officially published manga in bookstores in their own sections as the decade wore on. That is, if they didn’t find the decade’s best manga “scanslated” online by fans.
102000 - Nana
Broken Dreams and Broken Hearts
Granted, fan translations aren’t exactly the best, as they’re prone to performing faux pas like translating passages too literally and adding notes to words like ‘nakama’ (‘friend’) instead of translating them properly. But it took way longer for the best manga to reach the West back then. For example,Nanahit the presses in Japan back in 2000, but wouldn’t be officially translated into English until 2005.
Ai Yazawa’s classic trip about two friends chasing their dreams in Tokyo became a shojo classic. It’s touching, shocking, and engaging, while offering some of the best art the medium can offer. 2000 offered some stiff competition with the likes ofGantz,Dorohedoro, andChobits. But,Nana’s human drama hits harder in the long run, as the two Nanas get involved in situations that are all too relatable for most people.
92001 - Fullmetal Alchemist
Humble Beginnings for a Shōnen Staple
2001 was whenFullmetal Alchemistbegan being published in (then) Enix’sMonthly Shōnen Gangan. It set Edward Elric off on his journey to restore his brother Alphonse to his real body, and redeem himself for sealing his soul in a suit of armor in the first place. In the process of doing so, they would turn the Kingdom of Amestris on its head and drive the manga to the top of the sales charts.
The strip’s success rivaled Square-Enix’s IPs inFinal FantasyandDragon Questand earned critical acclaim for its world building and character development. It even managed to geta well-received finalethat tied up everyone’s plot lines quite well, without feeling rushed or undercooked, which is a prettyrare feat for a shōnen series. So, even with stiff competition from the likes ofBleachandNodame Cantabile, it’s a clear win forFMA.
82002 - Skip Beat!
Skipping Past the Competition
2002 is a little busier, though it’s more of a level playing ground by comparison.Elfen Liedhas the edge,Genshikenthe human, slice-of-life angle, andKenichi: The Mightiest Discipledelivers action and fanservice in equal measure.Hotarubi no Mori Eis tender and bittersweet, andEyeshield 21is as smash-mouth as an American football manga can be.
But figuring out the best manga of 2002 came down to a split betweenSkip BeatandBlack Lagoon. Ultimately, Kyoko’s journey of overcoming spite to become a star just about wins out over Rokuro’spress-ganging by Revy and co. Mainly because many readers feelBlack Lagoonand its wealth of action scenes work better in motion. Conversely, whileSkip Beatreceived a good but brief anime adaptation, it holds up better in print, where it’s still going strong to this day.
72003 - Death Note
When the Best Laid Keikaku* Goes Astray
It’d be easy to be contrarian for 2003 and pick the underrated likes ofBokurano: Ours, the mecha that takes its child pilots’ lives, orYotsuba&!, the humble, slice-of-life manga that managed to become a household name in Japan.Me and the Devil Bluesalso deserves more attention with its stunning artwork and unique premise, adapting the urban legend that blues legend Robert Johnson got his talent from a deal with the Devil.
ButDeath Notecame out this year and thrilled readers with a story that essentially followed its villain, as Light Yagami uses the titular notebook to decide who lives and who dies. With its dark themes, gothic artwork, and intricate twists, it’s arguably the best manga of the decade, let alone of 2003. It’s certainly the one that’s had the most impact, with its multiple adaptations, spin-off stories, and winking references in shows likeThe Simpsons,among others.
62004 - Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run
When the West Truly Was Wild
2004 was a good year for cult classics, as the likes ofD. Gray-man,Soul Eater,Rosario+Vampire, andHayate the Combat Butlerdidn’t become household names, but they still have keen fans to this day. Likewise,All You Need is Killbecame a sci-fi hit, but it was a light novel that wouldn’t receivea manga adaptationuntil 2014, so it doesn’t really count for this list. However,Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Rundoes count, and it’s perhaps the best part in the series.
It’s a cowboy story, where the paraplegic rider Johnny Joestar and the Neapolitan master of Spin, a mysterious power based on throwing steel balls, try to win a cross-country race, only to discover a conspiracy that involves the US President and a certain ‘saint’. It offers the best art and character arcs in the series, while still being as bugnuts crazy as its predecessors. The people behind its upcoming anime adaptation have their work cut out for them.
52005 - Vinland Saga
How a Search for Retribution Became a Search for America
Thorfinn’s quest to follow Leif Erikson’s route to the New World inVinland Sagatook years, as he contested with his yearning for revenge on Askeladd and got involved in Sweyn Forkbeard and Canute’s plans to take over England. It also took a while to reach the West, as its first volume wasn’t officially translated and released until 2013. But for Japanese readers, and readers who found its scanslations online, it all began in 2005.
It earned acclaim and comparison toBerserk, as its detailed art, unique setting, and gradual shift from vengeance-seeking adventure to something more complex caught on. The manga had blood and guts, but also offered food for thought, which has kept readers thinking for years. It’s since been adapted into an anime, though only time will tell if it’ll continue long enough to catch up to its printed pages.
42006 - Kingdom
Bringing China’s States Together One Chapter at a Time
IfVinland Sagawasn’t enough of an historical epic for some, 2006 sawKingdommake its debut. It’s about Xin’s quest to become ‘the Great General of the Heavens,’ while aiding Ying Zheng of Qin against the other Warring States in pre-unification China. The strip became such a hit in Japan that legions of fans (including famous mangaka likeOne Piece’s Eiichiro Oda) took part in its ‘Social Kingdom’ campaign, where they got to redraw its 26th volume.
Outside Japan, its fame was more limited, as its first official English translation won’t be due out until November 2025. That’s 13 years after its anime adaptation, and just short of 20 years before it first appeared inWeekly Young Jump. Even with decades' worth of scanslations out there, readers can be forgiven if they were more into other 2006 hits likeHighschool of the Dead,Baccano,orSaint Young Menin the following years.
32007 - Oyasumi Punpun
Love, Loss and Bitterness in the Form of a Bird
2007 offered readers romcom fun inToradora, dystopian prisons inDeadman Wonderland, and a certain manga adaptation ofA Certain Magical Index. But it was also a good year for readers who wanted something introspective, like the lost dreams inSpace Brothers, the found family inMarch Comes in Like a Lion, and the depressive psychology inThe Climber.
The most affecting of the bunch wasOyasumi Punpun, where the doodly, bird-like Punpun is torn between his dysfunctional family, his friends, and his desires. It’s a bitter tale that hits harder thanks to its contrasting visual storytelling. The mix of literally sketchy characters and rich artwork, bordering on photorealistic in places, make it all the more engaging, showing how Punpun develops as he gets older.
22008 - A Bride’s Story
Love and Marriage Across the Steppes
Not that manga strips have to be heavy to get the top spots here.Bakumanwas much lighter thanDeath Notebut still caught on by giving readers a look behind the curtain at the manga industry.The World God Only Knowsspoofed otome games before they became commonplace in comics, and all without needing a villainess as its lead. WhileD-Fragcombined harem comedy antics with I.T. Still, there aren’t many manga out there that are likeA Bride’s Story.
It’s simply about a young woman traveling cross-country to marry her betrothed. They just happen to be members of the different tribes living in Central Asia during the 19th century. The manga’s sumptuous artwork and historical accuracy bring the era, its people, and their cultures to life. It really lives up to the term ‘graphic novel,’ as it feels more like a novel told through imagery than an average manga strip.
12009 - Yona of the Dawn
Grand Fantasy for the Shojo Crowd
If this list included light novels as well as manga,Sword Art Onlinewould be a contender, if only forthe impact it left. Thanks to it, there are still isekai based around VR games or twisting fantasy/RPG tropes being made today. Even then, it’s hard to argue that its writing is above that ofRin-ne,Blue Exorcist,One-Punch Man, orYona of the Dawn.
Shojo strips are no strangers to fantasy, as the likes ofFushigi YugiandMagic Knight Rayearth,among others, show.Yonajust managed to be more epic in scope, as it starts off with a simple ‘reunite the warriors and reclaim the throne’ premise, then gets more intriguing as readers learn more about the Kingdom of Kouka, its different tribes, shared history, and internecine conflicts.
