Monthly Shonen Magazine was established in 1964 and has risen to become one of the biggest manga magazines in Japan. They launched a digital-only supplement magazine in February 2023 called Monthly Magazine Base to cater to their worldwide demand, revealing just how diverse and expansive the magazine is.
The magazine served as a source for exhilarating stories, epic adventures, heartfelt dramas, and adrenaline-fueled battles. Its monthly releases have provided a platform for talented manga artists to showcase their creative prowess and excite readers with a host of genres and unforgettable characters. Here are some of the best manga published in Monthly Shonen Magazine that have made the magazine an enduring force in the industry.
10 Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition
Written by Kouji Kumeta, Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition revolves around the life of Kakushi Gotou, a famous manga artist, and his daughter, Hime Gotou. Kakushi is well known for his comedic and slightly perverted manga, and he strives to keep his job a secret from Hime to protect her innocence.
The series is filled with many humorous and heartwarming moments between Kakushi and Hime as they navigate their everyday lives while Kakushi actively tries to make sure Hime remains oblivious to his true profession.
9 Alive: The Final Evolution
The series centers around Taisuke Kanou, a high school student, and his involvement with Akuro, an alien who is composed of souls who want to experience death but do not have a physical body to do so. The souls possessed humans and drove them to commit suicide as they looked to quench their thirst for death.
People who were able to resist the souls gained powers from being in their possession and are known as Comrades. The series explores friendship and the struggle between life and death in a world touched by supernatural forces.
8 Capeta
This manga series was written by Masahito Soda and won the Kodansha Manga Award for the Shonen category in 2005. Capeta discovered his love for racing cars from a young age, most especially Formula One. His father who
The series follows Capeta as he chases his drama of becoming a professional Formula One driver. Capeta learns the intricacies of racing, hones his skills, learns what it feels like to have a rival, and works tirelessly to improve to surpass said rival. The karting and racing references add to the realism of the series.
7 The Memorandum Of Kyoko Okitegami
The story of this manga series is centered around Kyoko Okitegami, a private detective with a unique condition that causes her to forget everything as soon as she falls asleep at night. Her memory is reset each day, so she has to solve her cases before the day is over.
Despite her daily memory reset, her deductive skills and sharp instincts are unparalleled. Yakusuke Kakushidate is a man who has a crush on her, but sadly no matter how close they get during the day, she always forgets him by the next.
6 Love After World Domination
This romantic comedy manga series was written by Hiroshi Noda and portrays a world of fantasy and magic. The hero group Freezing Sentai Gelato Five are the last line of defense against the forces of the evil Secret Society Gekko, who have succeeded in burning half of the world and plan to burn the rest.
Things get a bit more complicated when Gekko recruits a new member known as the Reaper Princess Desumi Magahara. The leader of the Freezing Sentai Fudo falls in love with her despite her being a skilled fighter and their organizations being at each other’s throats. They begin dating in secret while trying to hide their relationship from the world.
5 Beck
Beck is a coming-of-age manga series written by Harold Sakuishi. The story follows Yukio Tanaka, otherwise known as Koyuki, a young high school student who discovers a passion for Western Rock music after he saves the dog of a charismatic guitarist named Ryusuke Minami.
He influences Koyuki to start playing the guitar and invites him to join their band named Beck. The story takes the readers on an emotional and exhilarating journey through the trials and triumphs of a young rock band, Koyuki’s relationship with Ryusuke and his sister Maho.
4 Welcome To The Ballroom
The story revolves around Tatara Fujita, a shy and directionless middle school student who yearns for a purpose in life. Due to his lack of self-esteem, he was often the subject of bullying. When he is saved from bullies by a badass dance instructor, he is introduced to the world of dancing.
Tatara is partnered with his Shizuku Hanaoka, his schoolmate, when he agrees to a trial lesson in an attempt to change his image. He discovers the elegance and beauty of dancing as he looks to transform himself and grow.
3 Seraph Of The End
This dark fantasy manga series written by Takaya Kagami is set in a world that is ravaged by a man-made virus leaving only children under the age of thirteen virus free. Vampires and other creatures of the night take over the earth and subjugate the remaining humans, promising to protect them at the cost of their blood.
Yuichiro Hyakuya, a young orphaned boy joins the Moon Demon Company, a military organization aiming to overthrow the vampires. Driven by his thirst for revenge against the vampires who killed his adopted family, Yuichiro embarks on a journey to become stronger.
2 Your Lie In April
This musical and heartwarming manga series was written by Naoshi Arikawa. The story revolves around Kosei Arima, a former child-prodigy pianist who loses his ability to hear his music after the death of his mother.
Kosei meets a talented violinist named Kaori Miyazono, whose free-spiritedness and passion for music reignite the old flame inside his heart. As Kosei struggles to overcome his past and find his voice again, Koari encourages him to express himself. Together they explore friendship, love, and self-discovery through the world of music.
1 Noragami
Hiyori Iki, a high school student, gets into a bus accident while trying to save a stranger. This near-death experience causes her soul to slip out of her body at intervals, and she becomes aware of a world beyond the human eye. Later on, she meets the stranger who she risked her life for.
It turned out to be Yato, a minor god, who offers his services to solve various supernatural problems for a five yen fee. Despite his ambitions to become a deity, Yato struggles to gain followers. Hiyori decides to be his friend, and together with Yato and his Regalia, Yukine, they go on many adventures together while facing their past and challenging their identities.