Recs if you like Berserk, Vol. 1...

Manga isn't just for kids! These are titles intended for more mature audiences, including my personal recs and influential, well-known and bestselling titles that are available in English. Whether it's frank discussions of mental illness, abuse, LGBTQIA+ issues, violence, sexuality, horror or dark fantasy, these are manga that either originally ran in seinen (young adult men) or josei (young adult women) magazines, or I've otherwise broadly categorized through research as "not for for kids."

an extremely unserious list of manga featuring the dark-haired boys (usually more normal) with white haired boyfriends (scary, inhuman, or otherwise unnerving), will include series with manga where the boys are "just friends" but have boyfriend esque chemistry. the pairing may not feature in the first issue as listed but that is what i'll include. dark haired boys with blonde boyfriends will be added if felt to suitably fit the trope.

Going back to the Dark Ages with all the horror and death they experienced. A comprehensive list including popular selections along with lesser known works to evoke the Olde Age scares.

(I try to update this list all any time I run across new ones!)

Cultural phenomenon mangas that have become global household names over the years. All of these series have defined or impacted the animanga culture globally, in one way or another. From international movie releases, live-action adaptations, and instantly recognisable titles, these are the mangas to read if you want to sound like you know what you're talking about. Mainstream? Starter pack? Maybe, but they're pop culture icons for a reason. Believe it!

Suggestions and discussions welcome!!

it happens to the best of us, you start reading a series that sounds so good and then at some point it just…stops, there’s no final book, no satisfying conclusion, nothing. sometimes this is a deliberate choice an author is making (cough, cough George!) or simply they could not complete the series due to life-altering circumstances.

as always, please drop any suggestions in the comments!!!

includes the Big Three and other influential works; non-exhaustive;

if you like tma, some are just vibes, some actual entities

Manga (and novels) that had disappointing anime adaptations (according to me). Series that only had piecemeal "greatest hits" OVAs will also be included. Series that fell off after a promising debut are also included. Series with one good adaptation but some bad ones are also included.

The top 100 fantasy novels according to the r/fantasy list as voted on by the community - this includes series (represented by the first book in the series) and standalones.

The list is in order with Middle Earth ( represented by Lord of the rings) being number 1 going down to the 100th.

(Note: Mistborn is position 8 while Cosmere is position 35 - as Mistborn is within the Cosmere I lumped it in with the 35th position so it is lower down than on the original list)

Manga that was adapted to anime in the 90s that defined a decade.

Delicious bone-chilling or depressing works from ingenious Japanese Mangaka featuring me trying not to fill this list with my king, Junji Ito 🫦

inspired by me watching youtube videos about literary analysis of villains, here is a list full of books in which i believe their villains to be absolutely ghastly and horrifying; bloody and abusive, terrorizing and killing. if you have any to recommend, please put them in the comments! i'd love to make this list large!

Notable comics, graphic novels and mangas to get into the genre. This format of books is so underrated, so I wanted to create a diverse list of notable works across the history of 'comics'! I tried to highlight nonfiction and fiction works that are recognizable to the widest variety of people (mostly because of their adaptation), while also adding less widely known books. The goal of the list is to help find at least one 'comic' you want read, if you don't really read 'comics'! (inspired by Les 1001 BDs by Trécarré)

Manga that have anime adaptations.

Grimdark is about the dirt, the blood, and the crushing weight of reality in a world where "might is right." The genre takes its name from the tagline of 'Warhammer 40,000': "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war." Here is a list of 100 essential Grimdark works including standalone novels, series starters, and graphic novels.

There’s a lot of Japanese manga for every type of reader to pick up if you love fantasy 🪄, sports ⚽️, romance 💘, cats 🐱, fanservice 💋, action 💥 or horror 😱. Look here and explore!

Mangas where the main characters partake in their own epic journeys, where they travel far and wide. Whether it's to battle for the kingdom or forging their own path through their fantastical world, they take us along for the ride! ☆ "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

• J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Ah, manga. Enjoyed by the old and young alike!

Let's look back over the years, from classic titles like "Sazae-san", to current reads such as "Kimetsu no Yaiba" (Demon Slayer).

I'm hitting up the oldies first, so feel free to leave suggestions in the comments as I slowly add titles!

Some listed here may be for a language other than English, so these will be placeholders. If you dont see some here, then it may not be on GR or I just added interesting one due to space.

Space for 16 more!

manga with darker themes. only included the first volume of each series.

I have come to realise I am driven to stories which have a big focus on trauma. Here is a list of what I have already finished and enjoyed with a big focus on trauma either directly or indirectly through metaphors. Some of these will be more intense than others, please do read the description of each one for content warnings. I will try to keep this updated as I read more, you can mention recommendations in the comments but I won't add anything unless I have read it myself xD