Kingdom

A historical manga by Yasuhisa Hara. Set in China's Warring States period, it follows the boy Shin aspiring to become a great general alongside the future First Emperor Ying Zheng. Its powerful battle scenes and passionate human drama made it a defining hit of seinen manga since the 2010s.

Written by Tsugumi Ohba, illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The intellectual battle over a death-dealing notebook became a worldwide hit. Multiple live-action adaptations were produced.

A historical manga by Makoto Yukimura set in the Viking Age of Northern Europe, widely regarded as one of the finest historical manga ever created. It follows Thorfinn's transformative journey from a revenge-driven boy warrior to a man seeking to create Vinland, a land without war or slavery. The series explores profound themes about violence, pacifism, and what it means to be a true warrior. Praised for its meticulous historical research on Viking-era Scandinavia and Britain, and its deeply compelling character development, it won the Kodansha Manga Award. The anime adaptations by WIT Studio (Season 1) and MAPPA (Season 2) gained significant global acclaim, with Season 2's exploration of pacifism earning particular praise.

A landmark historical manga by Riyoko Ikeda set in pre-revolutionary France at the Palace of Versailles. It follows Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, a woman raised as a man to serve as commander of the Royal Guard, alongside the tragic Marie Antoinette. Since its 1972 serialization, it revolutionized the shojo manga genre by introducing complex political narratives, gender fluidity themes, and historical drama to a female readership. The Takarazuka Revue's stage adaptation became one of their most legendary and frequently revived productions, running for decades. The series achieved enormous popularity in France, Italy, and across Europe, making it one of the earliest Japanese manga to gain significant international recognition outside Asia.

A biographical seinen manga by Takehiko Inoue about swordmaster Musashi Miyamoto. It depicts the Edo-period swordsman's life through superior artistic expression. Regarded as among the finest seinen manga. Through international film adaptation, it became a cultural medium transmitting Japanese aesthetics and historical figures globally.

An ultra-long-running manga by Takao Saito. This hard-boiled series follows top sniper 'Duke Togo' and holds records as one of the world's longest-running manga since its 1968 debut. It represents the mature manga culture of Japan.