"Manga" wasn't a popular term a few years back, but today, even if you aren't much into anime, you still have heard about these Japanese comics, which sell like crazy all over the world. Millions and millions of people enjoy reading manga in different languages, and each coming year notices a surge in sales.
Among the thousands of ongoing mangas, a few were able to outshine others in sales with their unique concepts. The list of the best-selling manga series of 2022 was released by Oricon, a Japanese-based statistics-related company. Here's the list of the mangas that stole the heart of fans in 2022.
10 Kaiju No.8
Kaiju No. 8, also known as Monster #8 in English, is ranked tenth by selling a total of 3,139,803 copies in 2022. The series is written by Naoya Matsumoto and releases its weekly chapters in Shueisha. Most of the mangas get immensely popular after receiving an anime adaptation, but Kaiju No.8 is yet to get an anime adaptation. But, it still managed to mark its place on the list.
The series is set in Japan, which faces the destruction of humanity at the hands of monsters known as Kaiju. An organization known as Defense Force was created to battle these monsters, which was also joined by Kafka Hibino and Mina Ashiro. But, after a strange incident, Kafka turns into a Kaiju while still retaining his human consciousness. Using his newly gained powers, he battles Kaiju and saves humanity.
9 Do Not Say Mystery
Do Not Say Mystery gains the ninth spot by selling 3,140,861 copies. The series also won the 67th Shogakukan Manga Award this year. There's no anime adaptation to the series yet, and one doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon. But, a twelve-episode television drama was released in January this year.
Do Not Say Mystery is your best bet if you love reading mystery and crime-related manga. The main protagonist of the series, Totonou Kunou, is arrested by the police as a suspect in the murder of his classmate. The evidence against him continues to pile up, and Totonou needs to solve the mystery to clear his name.
8 Chainsaw Man
Who would have thought that a simple tool like a chainsaw could become such a huge part of the anime world? The manga of Chainsaw Man started serializing in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2018, and in no time, it became one of the most renowned works by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Chainsaw Man sold a total of 3,438,930 copies this year, managing to roll itself in the list of best-selling mangas of 2022.
Chainsaw Man is set in a bizarre world where humans can form contracts with Devils in exchange for something. Denji lives with his Devil pet Pochita, who merges with him when the boy is on the verge of dying. This gives Denji the powers of Chainsaw Devil, which helps him enroll into the Devil Hunters organization and saves humanity by fighting other Devils.
7 Blue Lock
The sports genre isn't the most loved genre of anime, but surprisingly, Blue Lock outranked several mangas to rank seventh on the list by selling 3,548,238 copies. Blue Lock is a soccer-based anime that has also won the 45th Kodansha Manga Award, and the anime adaptation of the series is receiving equal love from the fans.
After ranking 16th in the FIFA World Cup in 2018, the Japanese Football Union hired Ego JInpachi, who came up with Blue Lock, a regime designed to create the world's best egotist striker. Three hundred players, including Yoichi Isagi, are selected to be part of the regime.
6 Kingdom
Kingdom is one of the biggest names in the history and military genre. With 92 million copies in circulation as of September 2022, it is already one of the most selling mangas of all time, and with 3,832,688 copies being sold this year, it has proved that the fans still love it after so many years.
Xin is an orphan boy in the Kingdom of Qin who trains hard with his best friend Piao and other friends to fulfill his dream of becoming the Great General of the heavens. By becoming the general, they look forward to unifying China for the first time in 500 years.
5 My Hero Academia
Shonen is considered the most popular category of anime, with the biggest names in the anime world falling into this category. One such shonen anime is My Hero Academia, which has been entertaining fans since 2014. This year, the series sold 5,353,782 copies and reserved the fifth spot in the list of most-selling mangas.
After the appearance of the superpower known as Quirks, most of humanity gains supernatural abilities, and only a selected few are deprived of this power; Izuku Midoriya is one such person. But his fate gets him close to his idol, All Might, who passes on his Quirk to Izuku.
4 One Piece
Even if you haven't watched a single anime in your life and don't consider manga as your cup of tea, still it's hard to believe that you haven't heard about One Piece. With a whopping 516.5 million copies in circulation as of August 2022, it's the best-selling manga in the world. And this year, the franchise added 10,364,102 more copies to its enormous circulation.
Monkey D. Luffy is the main protagonist of the series, going on an adventure with his pirate crew to find the greatest treasure known as "One Piece," left by the well-known pirate Gold Roger. But finding the treasure isn't a piece of cake. Powerful pirates from around the world are on a quest to find it.
3 Spy X Family
Spy X Family is a special case in the espionage genre. Unlike most shows which follow an intense theme with the detective following a trail of murder and solving a mystery, Spy X Family brings the concept of spy and detective in a comical way. The anime adaptation of Spy X Family is also currently running, and it is equally loved by the fans as its manga. This year, Spy X Family sold 10,600,571 copies in total.
Loid is an undercover agent who goes by the name Twilight. He is tasked to maintain peace between two nations: Westalis and Ostania. To complete his mission, Loid makes up a fake family by adopting a young girl named Anya and fake marrying a woman named Yor. Every person in the house has a little secret, which makes the show more entertaining.
2 Tokyo Revengers
By selling 11,048,067 copies in 2022, Tokyo Revengers bagged the second spot in the list of best-selling mangas. The series finally came to an end with its 30th volume in November 2022. The second season of Tokyo Revengers will release on January 8th, 2023 and will adopt the Christmas Showdown Arc of the series. So, if you haven't watched the series yet, the timing couldn't be better.
Hanagaki Takemichi used to live a happening life. He had a girlfriend and a few friends and enjoyed his life to the fullest. But, today, he is considered a loser. The second before he is about to die by a moving train, he gets the opportunity to live a day 12 years back. He uses the chance to tell his girlfriend's brother to save his sister, and the present is now surprisingly altered.
1 Jujutsu Kaisen
Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen started its serialization in 2018, and in no time, it became a fan favorite, leaving behind every single manga running for years. Jujutsu Kaisen sold 12,282,260 copies in 2022, far more than Tokyo Revengers and other entries on the list, showing how insanely the fans are in love with Gege's work.
Yuji Itadori's life takes a sudden flip when he swallows a cursed item that makes him cursed as well. To everyone's surprise, the curse is not able to take full control over Yuji's body, which makes him a special case. He is then enrolled in Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, where he will learn to hone his powers alongside other Jujutsu Sorcerers.