The past few years have been pretty good for anime fans. Adaptations of manga series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Tokyo Revengers premiered to very positive reviews, and more recently, the very popular Chainsaw Man received one as well. Even Bleach, a series from almost a decade ago, finally got a new anime set to fix some of the earlier problems as well as adapt the final arc of the manga.
With all these great new anime series, it’s very easy to forget about all the manga that have yet to receive any anime adaptation. While some manga are already set to get their own anime, such as Undead Unluck next year, there are many more whose fates are uncertain but are still very much deserving of attention.
Mission: Yozakura Family is a manga currently being released by Viz Media. Following high schooler Taiyo Asano, the story is about his introduction and engagement to his childhood best friend Mutsumi Yozakura, who just so happens to be from a family of master assassins and spies. Due to her overprotective older brother, Kyochiro’s, obsession with her, he refuses to let any boy get near her, usually through the use of excessive violence. With his eyes then set on Taiyo, the only way that Mutsumi is able to protect him is for them to become engaged.
While Taiyo does have romantic feelings for Mutsumi, he unfortunately does not have the physical abilities required to become the next head of the household, let alone survive in their family, forcing him to train to become a master assassin himself. This leads to many adventures in which Taiyo is repeatedly forced to defend his right to marry Mutsumi, as well as defend the honor and lives of his new family.
As a combination of romantic comedy and action, the series manages to scratch a lot of different itches at once. Tonally, it’s a lot like One Piece in the way it mixes the comedy perfectly with the action, yet at the same time knows when it needs to take itself seriously. The romantic aspect is also well done and provides something different from most shonen manga. While many romantic subplots in anime or manga feel rather unnecessary or tacked on, because it’s so central to the plot and premise here, it actually helps make the series feel better and more original. With great action, a fun story and cool ideas, this manga deserves everyone’s attention as well as an anime adaptation
With Halloween only just gone, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is the perfect manga to pick up. The story is centered around Akira Tendo, an overworked and underappreciated office worker in Japan. His job was so soul-crushing that after three years of working there, he had pretty much given up on his life ever getting better or becoming at all enjoyable.
One day, he wakes up to find that the zombie apocalypse had begun while he was asleep, but instead of being terrified, he is delighted. Now that the world is ending, he never has to worry about work or societal limitations ever again, and he sets out to accomplish all the things he never did before the apocalypse started. In a world of the undead, Akira has never felt more alive, and he and his friends set out on an adventure to fulfill all their dreams.
The series is a horror comedy, leaning much more heavily into the latter while also being a biting commentary on how both corporations and society can metaphorically suck the life out of people. Seeing the main cast enjoy themselves and find more fulfilling lives in one of the worst circumstances possible is incredibly uplifting. Also, while the series has not been given an anime adaptation yet, a live-action project is currently in the works over at Netflix and is set to premiere in 2023. For those that want to enjoy this spooky season in a way that’s more funny than it is scary, Zom 100 cannot be recommended enough.
One of the biggest manga releases over the past couple of years, Kaiju No. 8 has managed to attract fans all over the world. Putting a shonen twist on the kaiju subgenre, the series is about a man known as Kafka Hibino, who gains the ability to transform into an ultra-powerful kaiju/human hybrid. Set in a world where kaiju attacks are a semi-frequent occurrence, Kafka starts out as a man whose job it is to clean up after them. Dreaming of joining the Japan Defense Force since he was a child, he was never able to due to lack of ability. However, after a seed-like creature forces its way into Kafka’s body, he gains the ability to transform into a kaiju. With his newfound abilities, he makes it into the JDF, dreaming of one day fighting alongside his childhood friend as equals.