Mangaka.online

Manga: What to Read, Who Creates It and How to Start a Story

Discover series and their creators, explore genres and find guides to reading, history and making manga. Find a title, investigate a work or start your own script.

66 series · 47 creator profiles · Guides in English and Spanish

One Piece characters in an adventure scene

Where would you like to start?

Discover series

Browse the catalogue, find a title or compare three starting points.

Explore 66 series →

Choose by genre

Action, romance, fantasy, sports, horror and other kinds of story.

Explore genres →

Create your own manga

Try a short script and explore drawing, tools and publishing.

Start creating →

Compare, buy or give a gift

Find comparisons, beginner reading guidance and drawing resources.

Explore resources →

Manga and Mangaka: Two Ideas to Get Your Bearings

Outside Japan, manga usually refers to Japanese comics. It is not a single genre: it can tell a mystery, an adventure or an everyday story. Anime is animation; an adaptation can change the pace or content of its source manga.

A mangaka is a manga creator. In some works, one person writes and draws; in others, those credits are shared. Separating medium, genre and authorship helps you choose without assuming every series offers the same experience.

Understand the terms and practise reading order →

Discover Manga Series and Find Your Next Read

Death Note offers suspense and questions about power. Naruto is a long, completed adventure. One Piece offers an expanding pirate world. Try chapter one before buying a collection.

Compare the story, its length and what to know before starting.
Series and experienceStatus and lengthWhen it might suit you
Death Note

Suspense, investigation and choices about power.

 Completed: 12 volumes in the original edition.For a finished story shorter than the other two. It includes death and violence; check the edition’s age guidance.
Naruto

Ninja adventure, rivalry and a search for recognition.

 Completed: 72 volumes in the original edition.For a long adventure with an expanding cast. Boruto is a sequel, rather than the starting point.
One Piece

A pirate journey, humour and discovering a world.

 Ongoing; begin with chapter one.For readers who enjoy exploring a world over many arcs. You can try volume one without committing to catching up.

Counts refer to original volumes: an omnibus can collect them in fewer books. Length and format references: Norma Editorial · Death Note, Planeta · Naruto 1/72, Planeta · One Piece 3 in 1.

Twelve Ways into the Catalogue

One Piece manga — Adventure

One Piece

Follow Luffy’s pirate adventure from chapter 1. Learn how to start One Piece, compare editions and decide whether its long-form journey suits you.

Adventure Action +2
Read One Piece Series Guide
Naruto manga — Action

Naruto

Read Naruto’s original ninja story from the beginning. Understand the 72-volume order and how it relates to Shippuden, Boruto and collected editions.

Action Adventure +2
Read Naruto Series Guide
Death Note manga — Psychological Thriller

Death Note

Start Death Note’s psychological conflict without ending spoilers. Follow the 12-volume main story and distinguish it from guides and other editions.

Psychological Thriller Supernatural +2
Read Death Note Series Guide
Dragon Ball manga — Shonen

Dragon Ball

Explore the series page for Dragon Ball.

Shonen Action +2
Read Dragon Ball Series Guide
Fullmetal Alchemist manga — Action

Fullmetal Alchemist

Explore the series page for Fullmetal Alchemist.

Action Adventure +2
Read Fullmetal Alchemist Series Guide
Berserk manga — Seinen

Berserk

Explore the series page for Berserk.

Seinen Dark Fantasy +6
Read Berserk Series Guide
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon manga — Shojo

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Explore the series page for Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon.

Shojo Magical Girl +1
Read Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Series Guide
Spy × Family manga — Action

Spy × Family

Explore the series page for Spy × Family.

Action Comedy +2
Read Spy × Family Series Guide
Haikyu!! manga — Shonen

Haikyu!!

Explore the series page for Haikyu!!.

Shonen Sports +2
Read Haikyu!! Series Guide
Monster manga — Psychological Thriller

Monster

Explore the series page for Monster.

Psychological Thriller Mystery +2
Read Monster Series Guide
Nana manga — Josei

Nana

Explore the series page for Nana.

Josei Shojo +2
Read Nana Series Guide
Dandadan manga — Shonen

Dandadan

Explore the series page for Dandadan.

Shonen Action +2
Read Dandadan Series Guide
Browse Every Series by Name (66)

66 / 66

Open the series catalogue →

How to Start Without Buying the Whole Collection

  1. 01

    Choose the feeling you want

    Look for suspense, adventure or humour before popularity. An official first-chapter sample lets you check whether the conflict and characters interest you.

  2. 02

    Check the format

    A chapter is one instalment of the story; a volume collects several chapters. An omnibus or a 3-in-1 edition can combine original volumes, so compare the contents rather than just the number on the spine.

  3. 03

    Try reading, then decide

    Follow the edition’s instructions: many retain a right-to-left reading order. After chapter one, ask whether you understand what the protagonist wants and whether you want to discover what stands in their way.

Each series guide links publishers and official platforms. Sample, chapter and language availability depends on your country; check the catalogue available to you.

Mangaka: Biographies, Careers and Works

A mangaka may write and draw or collaborate with other people. Explore these eight profiles or search every creator in the catalogue by name or work. What a mangaka does →

Eiichiro Oda — manga artist, One Piece

Eiichiro Oda

Meet Eiichiro Oda, creator of One Piece. Follow verified career milestones and learn what to look for when reading his work.

Notable Works:

  • • One Piece
  • • Wanted!
View Eiichiro Oda's Biography
Akira Toriyama — manga artist, Dragon Ball

Akira Toriyama

Explore Akira Toriyama’s manga and character design. Distinguish Dragon Ball from its adaptations and find a starting point for his work.

Notable Works:

  • • Dragon Ball
  • • Dr. Slump
  • + 2 more
View Akira Toriyama's Biography
Masashi Kishimoto — manga artist, Naruto

Masashi Kishimoto

Explore the career and works of Masashi Kishimoto.

Notable Works:

  • • Naruto
  • • Samurai 8
  • + 1 more
View Masashi Kishimoto's Biography
Naoko Takeuchi — manga artist, Sailor Moon

Naoko Takeuchi

Explore the career and works of Naoko Takeuchi.

Notable Works:

  • • Sailor Moon
  • • Codename: Sailor V
  • + 2 more
View Naoko Takeuchi's Biography
Rumiko Takahashi — manga artist, Inuyasha

Rumiko Takahashi

Explore the career and works of Rumiko Takahashi.

Notable Works:

  • • Inuyasha
  • • Ranma 1/2
  • + 4 more
View Rumiko Takahashi's Biography
Hiromu Arakawa — manga artist, Fullmetal Alchemist

Hiromu Arakawa

Explore the career and works of Hiromu Arakawa.

Notable Works:

  • • Fullmetal Alchemist
  • • Silver Spoon
  • + 2 more
View Hiromu Arakawa's Biography
Junji Ito — manga artist, Uzumaki

Junji Ito

Explore the career and works of Junji Ito.

Notable Works:

  • • Uzumaki
  • • Tomie
  • + 2 more
View Junji Ito's Biography
Osamu Tezuka — manga artist, Astro Boy

Osamu Tezuka

Explore the career and works of Osamu Tezuka.

Notable Works:

  • • Astro Boy
  • • Kimba the White Lion
  • + 3 more
View Osamu Tezuka's Biography
Browse Every Mangaka (47)

47 / 47

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Read a Scene with Its Construction in Mind

Rather than trying to copy an artist’s style, choose a page and notice three things: where the goal appears, which panel changes the situation and what information is held back. Try summarising its function in one sentence. This is a reading exercise; it does not attribute an intention to the creator without a source.

Explore writing, artwork, editing and collaboration →

Browse Manga by Genre and Story Type

Choose a label to explore associated series. A work can combine several: action with comedy, romance with sport or fantasy with mystery. Audience labels such as shōnen describe another dimension and are not age ratings.

Explore a Series’ World

If you already know the title, continue with its characters, arcs or adaptations. For a first read without spoilers, start with the series overview.

Manga Guides and Practical Exercises

Definitions, history, figures in context and a writing exercise. Each guide identifies its sources and review date.

What Is Manga? Reading Order and Choosing a First Series
guides

What Is Manga? Reading Order and Choosing a First Series

Understand manga, practise reading order with a diagram and choose a first series based on your interests and its edition.

• 5 min read
Read Article
What Is a Mangaka? Meaning, Roles and a First Practice
guides

What Is a Mangaka? Meaning, Roles and a First Practice

Learn what a mangaka does, how writers and artists can share the work, and how to turn a short idea into your first comic.

• 4 min read
Read Article
History of Manga: A Timeline from Hokusai to Digital Publishing
guides

History of Manga: A Timeline from Hokusai to Digital Publishing

Follow manga history through dated examples. Distinguish Hokusai’s sketchbooks, Tezuka’s postwar works and today’s digital publishing.

• 4 min read
Read Article
Manga Industry Statistics 2026: Sources, Forecasts and What the Numbers Mean
industry

Manga Industry Statistics 2026: Sources, Forecasts and What the Numbers Mean

Compare three named manga market forecasts, distinguish circulation from sales, and interpret publisher pay figures without mixing incompatible measures.

• 5 min read
Read Article
How to Write a Manga Story: A Four-Page Exercise with a Panel Script
tutorials

How to Write a Manga Story: A Four-Page Exercise with a Panel Script

Build a short manga from a premise to a five-panel page. Follow an original worked example, compare dialogue revisions and use a self-review checklist.

• 6 min read
Read Article
Explore all articles: reading, drawing and the industry →

From Reading Manga to Trying Your Own Story

Start with a conflict you can resolve. For this exercise, we suggest four pages, one goal and one choice with consequences. It is a practice constraint, rather than a publishing rule.

The Last Delivery is our original example: a trainee courier must return a borrowed sketchbook before the last ferry leaves. A child loses a drawing in the water; helping means missing the boat. You can change the object and setting while keeping the relationship between desire, obstacle and choice.

Five-panel example: a courier protects a sketchbook and hesitates between helping a child whose drawing falls into the water and boarding the ferry
One page of the example, with five panels. AI-generated illustration for script practice; it is not a page from a commercial manga.

  1. Page 1 · Goal and obstacle

    A trainee courier must return a sketchbook before the last ferry leaves. At the dock, a child’s drawing falls into the water.

  2. Page 2 · Choice

    Helping means missing the ferry. She looks at the child and the boat, puts down her bag and climbs down. Show the choice through action.

  3. Page 3 · Consequence

    She retrieves the drawing as the ferry departs. The child thanks her: she meets one need but loses her route back.

  4. Page 4 · Resolution

    She calls the sketchbook’s owner, who asks her to bring it tomorrow. She starts a sketch of her own. Resolve the opening promise without introducing a new conflict.

Sketch the panels with simple figures. If someone can follow the action without your explanation, you have a basis for revising dialogue and pacing.

Follow the complete exercise: premise, script and revision →

Continue with Drawing, Materials and Publishing

After testing the script, you can work on panels, explore tools and learn about different publishing paths. The guide to becoming a mangaka brings these topics together so you can choose what to learn next.

How to become a mangaka →Tools and software →

Resources for Choosing, Gifting and Drawing Manga

Continue with the decision you want to make: understand a term, compare reads, choose a gift or explore materials. Before buying, check the edition, language, availability and price with the seller.

Drawing tools →

Explore materials and software for practising on paper or digitally.

Frequently Asked Questions for Getting Started

Who Reviews These Guides

Doni Hernandez edits Mangaka.online. The guides link identifiable sources, explain the limits of figures and label original examples and AI-generated illustrations.

Editor profile Sources and corrections