Highlights
- "Sakamoto Days" is an action comedy manga about a retired hitman who must defend himself from his dangerous past.
- "Hinamatsuri" combines comedy and supernatural elements as a yakuza member forms a bond with a telekinetic girl.
- "Golden Kamuy" follows a powerful warrior's search for legendary gold while fulfilling a promise to his friend's family.
Sakamoto Days is an action comedy manga that focuses on legendary hitman Tarou Sakamoto after his retirement. He was known as the greatest hitman of all time, but after falling in love and settling down, he opened a convenience store and abandoned his dangerous line of work. Despite his honest intentions, he is still pursued by people connected to his past and has to constantly defend himself from dangerous threats.
These, more often than not, pose little or no challenge to Sakamoto, however, as he still possesses astounding skill and can overwhelm almost any opponent. He is hardly ever fazed, meaning his expressions don’t change often, and his stoic demeanor amidst chaos becomes something of a running gag.
10 Hinamatsuri
Just as Sakamoto Days captivates its audience with a unique blend of comedy and action, Hinamatsuri does the same but with a supernatural element to it. The main character Yoshifumi Nitta is a regular yakuza member whose life changes forever after he encounters Hina, a telekinetic that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
The two form an interesting pair, and their relationship develops into something of a father-and-daughter bond. Hina also helps Yoshifumi rise through the ranks of the Yakuza, and many of their adventures are downright hilarious.
9 Golden Kamuy
Golden Kamuy tells the story of a powerful warrior named Saichi Suguimoto. Known as Immortal Sugimoto during his war days, he was a massive asset on the battlefield and could survive even the most perilous situations. Unfortunately, however, he was released from the army after gravely wounding a superior officer and was forced into finding a new purpose.
While in the army, he made a promise to his deceased friend, which involved taking care of his wife and child. This serves as motivation for Sugimoto as he devotes himself to finding a legendary batch of gold that would solve many of their problems.
8 Assassination Classroom
As the title suggests, Assassination Classroom is a manga about young assassins in training, but with a twist. The fledgling pupils are actually being mentored by the target they are meant to kill: a large yellow creature with superhuman abilities. This being claimed responsibility for destroying a significant portion of the moon and has threatened to do the same to Earth.
The creature, referred to as Koro-sensei, specifically requested this setup as a chance for humans to fight back and defend their planet. However, his motives seem more complex. While the students grapple with their task of assassination, Koro-sensei wholeheartedly commits to their academic and personal growth, illustrating that his true intentions might lie beyond just the premise of destruction.
7 Mob Psycho 100
Featuring a young eighth-grader with extraordinary psychic powers, Mob Psycho 100 is a story that goes deeper than just glorifying its overpowered protagonist through battle. The main character, Shigeo Kageyama, is one of the strongest espers in the series, but despite this, he prefers to keep his powers hidden. This is mostly because of an unfortunate event that occurred in his past, where he lost control and harmed a loved one.
As a result, Shigeo tries his best to keep his emotions in check and help as many people around him as he can. Unfortunately, though, Shigeo still faces physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles in his daily life, making it harder to keep his emotions in check.
6 Kiruru Kill Me
Kiruru Kill Me is another manga about killing that doesn’t really take itself seriously. Talented businessman and medical professional Aoi Nemo has fallen in love but has no way of approaching the girl of his dreams. That all changes when he finds out she operates in the underworld as an assassin, giving him the bright idea to employ her to conduct his own assassination.
To the madly in love businessman, this was a foolproof way to spend more time with her, and in a way, he turns out to be right. Taking necessary precautions to avoid fatal injuries, Aoi treasures every moment he and the femme fatale spend together, even if she’s constantly brimming with killing intent.
5 Beelzebub
Beelzebub is a manga that also mixes large amounts of violence and comedy. It is centered around delinquent Tatsumi Oga and a demon baby sent to destroy humanity. The demon baby, known as Baby Beel, was picked up and cared for by Oga as it was seemingly abandoned. Soon after, however, a maid assigned to Beel arrives and explains the true situation to him, also telling him he would die if he and Beel are ever more than 15 meters apart.
This results in a scenario where Oga has to raise Beel and conduct his daily activities with it by his side. It creates an uncanny dynamic and paints a funny picture as the notorious delinquent is tethered to a temperamental demon baby at all times.
4 The Fable
The Fable also features a legendary hitman who is forced to lay low, though the protagonist has different reasons compared to Tarou Sakamoto. Satou Akira, also known as Fable, is told by his employer to take a year off and hold off killing during that period. This is due to his kill count becoming too high, and the belief that offering him a change of scenery would do him some good in the long run.
This unsurprisingly proves to be a difficult task for Akira, as he has an unpredictable temper he is used to enabling it through violence. The story follows his misadventures as he tries to navigate a normal life despite being used to something completely different.
3 One Punch Man
One Punch Man is another action comedy that is known for parodying many shonen tropes and cliches. Its main protagonist, Saitama, is a member of the Hero Association whose rank vastly undermines his capabilities, leading to him being constantly underestimated and ridiculed. In reality, he has been shown to be the strongest character in the series and claims to have gained his superhuman strength through a strict workout routine.
As the title implies, he is capable of ending most battles with one punch, and this, more often than not, leaves him dissatisfied as he wishes for greater challenges. He is accompanied by an apprentice and many other companions who engage in more competitive battles that add layers of tension and intrigue to the story.
2 Spy X Family
Spy X Family is a manga featuring an unconventional family with secrets that go beyond the typical household. The story focuses on the three members of the “Forger” family, brought together by unique circumstances. The father, Loid, is a spy, the mother, Yor, is an assassin, and the lone child, Anya, is an esper. Both parents are extremely skilled at what they do, and Loid has an overarching objective that made the formation of this make-believe family necessary.
Though they may just be playing house, each passing day sees their bonds grow deeper and stronger. Despite not possessing any blood relations, they gradually figure out that they might have what it takes to become a real family.
1 The Way Of The Househusband
The Way of the Househusband is yet another manga featuring a legendary figure who has decided to take a step back from the violent atmosphere of the underworld. Here, the main protagonist Tatsu is famed for having solely defeated an entire gang with a lead pipe, instilling fear and respect into both his comrades and enemies.
He suddenly disappears for a while, however, and is next seen in an apron acting as a run-of-the-mill househusband. Despite his outstanding skill in his last profession, being a househusband doesn’t come very easy for Tatsu, as he has to adapt to different challenges particular to a standard household and society.