Best Adventure Manga of 2012

The Abyss, a hole of unprecedented depth—one young girl and a robot brave its dangers to find the truth. The town of Orth is a special one, as it is built around the edges of the massive Abyss, a wonder which has never been fully explored. Those who venture too far down never return, but those brave enough to traverse its territories are known as "Cave Raiders" and are heralded as legends. Within this town lives a young girl called Riko, the child of one of the most famous Cave Raiders of all time who disappeared on an expedition many years ago. One day, Riko's life changes when she meets a strange robot called Reg, who seems to appear from within the Abyss. Believing this to be a sign from her mother stuck at the bottom of the Abyss, Riko descends into its depths with Reg, ready to confront all the dangers within it.

Fuuta Okeya, a 14-year-old student, can see ghosts and wears a bandage on his left cheek to hide his striking birthmark. One day, a girl with a scar on her forehead named Kouko Ishigami, accompanied by a ghost of a tall and friendly man, transfers into his class. Fuuta quickly takes a liking to Kouko, wondering if it might be love at first sight. After waking up crying from a strange dream involving her, he feels a nostalgic connection to Kouko and becomes determined to befriend her. However, a chain of events forces Fuuta to reveal his birthmark to Kouko, to which she declares him to be the enemy of her life. A furious Kouko explains that the two are bound by reincarnation, and that Fuuta's birthmark is a curse she engraved on him in one of their past lives to recognize and eventually defeat him. Kouko brings out a circular object made of flames known as the "spirit circle" and attacks Fuuta, pushing him off a flight of stairs. As he falls, Fuuta is thrown back into the insight of one of his previous lives. Spirit Circle chronicles Fuuta's journey back and forth his several past lives as he gradually unravels the mysteries behind his apparent bad blood with Kouko.

The Great Continent of Combat Qi is a place where the strong rule over the weak. Xiao Yan, a once up and coming genius of the Xiao Sect, suddenly lost all his talent at the tender age of 11. Now a 15-year-old boy, Xiao Yan is scorned by the very people who previously looked up to him, and is on the verge of being kicked out of his clan. To make matters worse, his fiancee, Na Lan Yan Ran, asks for an annulment of their engagement. Xiao Yan makes a solemn vow to himself, a vow to be "trash" no more and to obtain the strength to become the master of his own fate. An intricate tale of hope and despair, Doupo Cangqiong chronicles the story of a fallen prodigy who sets off on a perilous journey to obtain power, and ascend to the peak of Cultivation.

One month has passed since Akihiko Kayaba's deadly game began, and the body count continues to rise. Two thousand players are already dead. Kirito and Asuna are two very different people, but they both desire to fight alone. Nonetheless, they find themselves drawn together to face challenges from both within and without. Given that the entire virtual world they now live in has been created as a deathtrap, the surviving players of Sword Art Online are starting to get desperate, and desperation makes them dangerous to loners like Kirito and Asuna. As it becomes clear that solitude equals suicide, will the two be able to overcome their differences to find the strength to believe in each other, and in so doing survive?

The people of the Kurta Clan live deep in the forest, far from the presence of outsiders. Susceptible to prejudice and discrimination because of their scarlet eyes, they remain hidden from the general public, letting only a distinct few clan members venture outside. But after helping Sheila—a woman who found herself stranded in the forest—Kurapika and his best friend Pyro become fascinated with the outside world. In order to achieve his dreams of exploring life beyond the forest, Kurapika must pass the clan elder's three tests in order to be granted permission.

At war with the adjacent Kioka Republic, the Katjvarna Empire. In that region, due to certain circumstances, there was a certain youth unwillingly preparing to take the High Grade Military Officer Exam. His name, Ikta. Disliker of war, lazy, admirer of women. No one predicted that that kind of Ikta would later on become a soldier referred to even as a great commander... He who survived a world embroiled in war with his superior genius, Ikta. Illustrating his dynamic, dramatic life, a splendid fantasy military history, the curtain is raised at last!

Satan Rchimedes returns to the earth after being sealed for one thousand years by a hero. The King tries to seal Satan once again by dispatching descendants of the hero. However, it's troublesome to find the genuine descendant, so the king chooses 75 hero-like people. This is the adventure of Alba, hero no.45, and his monitoring fighter Ross.

A drama CD adaptation of Steins;Gate: Aishin Meizu no Babel, an alternate take on the original Steins;Gate story, told from Makise Kurisu's point of view, being illustrated by Shinichirou Nariie. After meeting Okabe Rintarou and the rest of the Lab Members, Kurisu reflects on her past with her estranged father and seeks to set things right with him, not knowing of the fate that awaits her.

Inept with a sword, unable to ride a horse, and apathetic toward the empire he serves, Regis Aurick is a hopeless soldier who spends his days buried in books. Banished to the borderlands, he encounters a stirring young woman with red hair and ruby eyes. She is Fourth Princess Marie Quatre Argentina de Belgaria, known simply to Regis as Altina. "...Do you want to become my tactician or not?" Having sought him for his rumored strategic prowess, she aspires to reform an empire led by self-seeking nobles and driven to pointless wars, the legendary blade of an emperor, the Grand Tonnerre Quatre, at her hip. Continuously underestimated by her regiment, including her would-be tactician, the princess resolves to prove her worth beyond a shadow of a doubt—no matter the risk. Here is a tale of war, love, and politics, woven by the bookworm and the sword princess.

While the demons were rising, mankind was about to become extinct. Six temples rose, and protected the last of mankind. A young boy joins the temple as a knight to save his mother. During his journey of wonders and mischief in the world of temples and demons, will he be able to ascend to become the strongest knight and inherit the throne?

A mysterious man suddenly appears in the desert separating the East and West Continents. A young boy, Yulian Provoke from the Pareia tribe finds this man, and brings him to his village. Turns out the man is an incredibly strong and amazing individual, and he begins to teach the young boy fighting skills.

After finally defeating Dr. Hell, Kabuto Kouji has to battle the forces of the Mikene Empire. Against an enemy unknown even to Minerva X, who has seen countless alternate timelines, Mazinger Z faces his most desperate moments!

An adaption of the Sword Girls online game.

The story begins to unfold in 900-960 AD, Later Zhou dynasty when Chi Wu is being imprisoned after purposely losing to the emperor. His true goal lies within the prison itself, a clue to the whereabouts of world’s greatest lost treasure - Qi Lin Treasure. The words of his capture quickly spread to the ear of his senior and a former officer of the imperial court. Tie Zong Heng (Lawless), decides to be re-enlisted to the imperial services just to hunt down Chi Wu.

The year is 2199. The once blue and green planet Earth has been reduced to a radioactive desert wasteland by constant attacks by the hostile aliens from the planet Gamilus which force the remaining population underground. However, a friendly alien race from the planet Iscandar contacts the humans and gives them the blueprints to build a powerful space battleship capable of retrieving a device to clean the planet before humanity disappears. The United Nations Cosmo Navy - whose space fleets have been decimated by Gamilas forces - resurrects the long-sunken battleship Yamato and applies the alien technology to its interior, transforming it into the vessel for which the series is named: Space Battleship Yamato.

The pure of heart Ah Dai was born into a live of thievery. One day, he was taken away by Gliss, a powerful alchemist to make a god instrument. His new fate leads him to save the life of the country's top assassin “King of Hell”. To repay him, Ah Dai is taken away by the assassin to receive intensive training. What will become of Ah Dai? Ah Dai is a very kind and soft-hearted kid. His favourite thing is steamed bun and his favourite girl is Ya Tou. But steamed buns are always in shortage and Ya Tou left him, never coming back. "What is wrong and what is right", even someone as silly as Ah Dai sometimes asks this question, especially when he was forced by a gangster to pickpocket others on the street. One day, he got a money bag full of amethyst coins from a passerby, and the coins started to talk and shine with mysterious light. "Do you want to go with me?" That rather strange handsome passerby asked him. "Can I have steamed buns everyday." "Yes, you can." And our Ah Dai joined this mysterious magician to start his fantasy cultivation journey...and eat steamed buns everyday...

Manga adaption retelling the events of the anime adding more information and characters backgrounds and past.

A modern retelling of the Transformers Generation 1 cartoon.

Five competitors for the throne of a Kingdom. Three men and two women. Only one can be King. For that competition is held the Festival GLORIOUS. Will Princess Eleanor be able to win? Or will the handsome half-breed Elf named Luca win the throne...and her heart?!