But sometimes, you’ll finish reading a story and be so sure that there’s an anime for it… and find out there’s not. Maybe you were reading a hidden gem. Maybe the author never allowed its creation to be adapted into a different form. Or maybe it wasn’t as famous when it was released. Regardless of the reason, here are some amazing manga that deserve their own anime adaptation.
15. I Am a Hero
We’ve all seen our share of zombie stories where the world turns upside down, and a small group of people tries to survive the apocalypse. While the premise is tired, most times we get a skip ahead on how society failed to prevent this tragedy. Not on this manga. Together with Hideo, a man who’s as average as someone can get (which is a kind way to say he’s not good at anything), we get to watch how society collapses. Slowly, stupidly, and pointlessly. It’s honestly terrifying. The manga is pretty good – but being able to hear the zombies, the screams, and the destruction of everything, as well as see everything animated… it would surely make the experience even better.
14. Onani Master Kurosawa (Masturbation Master Kurosawa)
I know the title is weird, and the synopsis will be even weirder, but please stick with me. This manga accompanies 14-year-old Kakeru Kurosawa, a boy who has a superiority complex and a masturbation addiction. One day after witnessing a classmate being bullied, he steals the bullies’ uniforms and brings some, well, “white justice” all over them. However, the girl that was bullied before finds out he was responsible for the incident and blackmails him to continue dispensing punishment onto other people in class. Despite what you might think, it’s not an erotic story in any way, shape, or form. It’s a coming-of-age story (no pun intended I swear) that deals with loneliness, bullying, and how we (and others) perceive ourselves. And it does all this while trying to answer a question that many of us have asked at least once: Can people really change?
13. A Man & His Cat
An elderly widower adopts a rejected cat, and wholesomeness ensues. There’s not much more to say about this manga since the story revolves 100% around the relationship of these two. It’s sweet, melancholic, happy, and adorable. And if the manga can already get the tears flowing, I can only imagine how much I’d weep with an anime.
12. GE: Good Ending
A romance manga with believable teenage characters and relationships? Is that even possible? Sure it is, and Good Ending is here to prove it. Seiji is our main guy here, who happens to have a massive crush on Shou from the tennis club. Yuki, another member from the same club, finds out about his feelings – and after seeing how serious he is about it, Yuki decides to help him confess his love. The character development of these three main characters is amazing, seeing they mature and understand better not only each other but also themselves was outstanding. Add some colors, music, and voice acting, and it would be an instant classic, I’m sure of it!
11. Liar Game
Imagine a game based entirely on betraying and deceiving your opponents. If you win you receive a lot of cash. On the other hand, if you lose, the only thing you’re gaining is a lifetime of debt. Ready to risk it all? This is an exciting psychological thriller, filled to the brim with twists, diverse characters, well-thought plans, and moments that will have you at the edge of your seat. It got some drama adaptations, but never an anime – which it honestly deserved.
10. Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer
The powerful mage Animus aims to destroy the world, but the princess Samidare and her loyal knights are up to defend it. The princess’s motivation to protect the Earth? Very simple, she wants to destroy it herself. The premise is absurd, and the author knows it very well, making good use of comedy to note how ridiculous some situations are. Still, a mix of genres can be seen here – from drama and romance to adventure and action. Characters here also deserve a mention, be it on their motivations or development, it’s all done wonderfully. Why this series never got an anime adaptation is beyond me.
9. Cage of Eden
When a school trip goes very wrong, an entire classroom of students finds themselves stranded on an island that’s not visible on any map. To make matters worse, animals that supposedly went extinct millions of years ago inhabit the island. It’s a survival-type manga reminiscent of Lost, filled with mysteries, and constantly making you turn pages to find out what’s gonna happen next. Unfortunately, it never got the following it deserved – something an anime would be sure to fix, or at the very least help.
8. All You Need is Kill
Stuck in a time loop, soldier Keiji has a unique opportunity to turn the tides in the war of humanity against the strange “Mimics”. This is a sci-fi story full of action, that uses the tools provided by the setting masterfully. The art here is also great, breathing life into the pages and into our minds. While we did get a movie adaptation starring none less than Tom Cruise, but I still believe an anime should be in order for this beauty.
7. Fire Punch
An immortal man burning with an unextinguishable flame, a frozen world, revenge, and lots of violence. Fire punch is a psychedelic trip with a lot of social commentaries – some subtle, some not. But the art is beautiful, building scenes in an amazing fashion. And the cast of characters ranges from cool and badass (Agnis) to funny and relatable (looking at you Togata). I 100% think an anime of this would be gruesomely epic.
6. As The God’s Will (I and II)
Death games, death games, death games. That is a way to sum up this manga. Imagine if god himself shows up and decides that a high school kid will be the next god – but first, they must go through a series of tests alongside other classmates and later on among other schools. The test? A series of kid’s games amped to the extreme with a punishment of death. It’s thrilling, shocking, dramatic, funny, and violent, in all the right ways. When I first found out there was no anime I didn’t believe it. This seemed like the type of manga that would be adapted right away. But at least it got a cool live-action movie.
5. Real
Even though sports mangas are not as predominant as other genres, there are still quite a lot out there. But a manga about sports for people with physical disabilities? That’s quite unique. Real follows 3 young men in their lives, 2 of which have disabilities. Takahashi who’s paralyzed from the waist down, and Togawa, who had his right leg amputated below the knee. Both of them participate in wheelchair basketball. It’s a very mature story that deals with a ton of complicated issues in an interesting and beautiful (although sometimes sad) way. And it’s a masterpiece that never got an anime, but deserves to be seen anyway.
4. Eden: It’s an Endless World!
Eden shares an interesting premise that may hit a little too close to home: In a worldwide pandemic that’s killing 15% of the population and crippling many more, a secret organization seizes the chance to take control of much of the world. Eden honestly feels like one of those hidden gems we come across from time to time. This manga just has it all: an amazing story of epic proportions, beautiful art, great characters, mature themes, and even the way the panels are used feels like eye candy. However, for this entry I might have an idea of why it wasn’t adapted… It’s quite explicit, and I mean this in every sense of the word… Still, a great manga!
3. Yotsuba to!
This manga is about Yotsuba, a 5-year-old girl who’s excitedly learning about the world. It’s a very easy-going manga, full of adorable moments that will warm your heart, and funny scenes that can make you cry laughing. Yotsuba captivates the heart of every character she comes in contact with – and I feel it’s the same with her readers. Sadly enough, the author himself has said he doesn’t believe an anime adaptation is needed. But hey, we can always agree to disagree, am I right?
2. Undead Unluck
Undead Unluck follows an unlikely duo. Andy, an immortal man who wants to die, and Fuuko, a girl who brings death (through sheer bad luck) to anyone who makes physical contact with her. It’s insanely creative, has a beautiful yet unique art style. Not to mention this manga has awesome action sequences along the way. Seeing all this in anime form would just be glorious.
1. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Usually, fantasy mangas follow the same plotline of defeating the Demon King/Lord… but what happens after? What becomes of our heroes? And if one of them is an elf, whose lifespan is much longer than the others? Frieren came to answer these questions – and make you cry in the process. Seriously, I think every chapter tugs at least one heartstring and gives you goosebumps. Accompanying the point-of-view from an “immortal” character is always fascinating, and this is done wonderfully here. Life, death, and memories are opened for us to see and feel, and it’s honestly amazing. Since this one is fairly recent and still ongoing (as of writing this article), I feel like the announcement for an anime could be coming any day now. Or at least I really hope so.
