Best Drama Manga of 2024

Stowing himself away on a slave ship, Julian sets sail for the great continent with a hundred slaves, all yearning for freedom, until...?! Embark on a groundbreaking journey through this action-packed dark fantasy saga!!

A hero should never kill anyone, not even the worst of villains. Gangyu could never understand why his team of heroes lived by those words, but he tried his best to do the same… until the villain who wiped out his squad killed his brother in prison. Gangyu breaks his vow and enters Ruculus with permission to kill as the prison’s executioner. Now, he must fight his way through the villains to kill the worst of them all.

With a passion for richly textured Japanese rock, first-year high school student Chihiro Hatono steps into the world of the light music club, new guitar in tow. But what awaits her behind those doors...? A drama of unfiltered youth and musical ambition takes the stage!

*“When the apocalypse comes, the world will be ridden with bloodshed and screams of anguish. In the end, none but ashes will remain.”* He has been locked up in an underground prison his whole life. He does not know his name. He does not know when the world will end, nor if the world really even will end. The only thing he knows is that he has been imprisoned... by his own father.

Hatori is an ordinary teacher leading an ordinary life at an ordinary high school. One day, he notices that one of his students, Spica Tsumugi, is being bullied. On his way home from school, he ends up alone with Tsumugi in the rain. Hatori calls out to her, “Sensei will help you!" But Tsumugi gently takes his hand and says with a smile, “Hatori-sensei is such a liar." Teacher and student… two people who should not get too close. The seductive girl that will turn Hatori's ordinary life upside down…

Kang Ujin is an ordinary nobody—until one day, he gains a strange ability. Whenever he reads a script or screenplay, he's pulled into a mysterious dimension where he can relive the character's experiences. When he ends up showcasing a performance born from that dimension, his acting is so overwhelming that it leads to a massive misunderstanding. Mistaken for a once-in-a-generation acting prodigy, Ujin is suddenly thrust into a world of media and celebrities far beyond his quiet, insignificant life.

Hyeondo and Yumin, an ordinary man and woman in their 30s, break up with their respective partners for different reasons despite still being in love with them. Selfishly hoping to get their old flames back, the two form a plan. They pretend to date each other in hopes of provoking their former lovers. Will their selfish and foolish plan really work?

A single human Earthling arrives on an isolated planet inhabited by beastkin known as "Kemo," who are shaken to their cores at the sight of their first "Hito." Thus does their society begin to transform, spurred on by this interspecies exchange…

When the king offers Aerik Cladinae his own sister's hand in marriage for his meritorious deeds in battle, he didn't expect to get saddled with a limping, drooling woman like Miesa Esquillre. Driven insane by her brother's physical and psychological torture, Miesa rolls around on the ground, spills food all over herself, and screams unintelligibly as a way of communicating. But sometimes, Aerik catches a flash of shrewd understanding behind those vacant eyes. Is Miesa truly as mad as everyone thinks... or is she hiding something?

Searching for motherly affection, I found myself with a mysterious sugar-mommy… The beginning of a twisted parent-child relationship between two people unrelated by blood but both starved for love.

"I'll die with you. Promise." In her second year since she started working, Kaede Yoshino has hit her limit, feeling completely burned out from working every day. Then, on the worst day of her life, under a beautiful moonlit sky, a totally wasted Kaede picks up a warm, black haired, fluffy...boy who's like a cat?! As "Hana-kun" claims he has no home to go back to, they end up living together on a temporary basis. However, in doing so, Kaede starts to realize how it warms her heart to live with someone. Then, a certain event leads to a shocking revelation of who Hana-kun really is...?! A clingy, good-for-nothing boy meets a tender-hearted overworked girl in this deadly romance?!

Juyeong is in a juvenile detention center for the attempted murder of his father, Gang-ryong. He clings to hope, dreaming of a future in Seoul with his childhood friend, Dayeon. But everything shatters when Dayeon is tragically killed by a rogue truck, and the devastation deepens when Juyeong learns that his father was behind the wheel. In a cruel twist, Gang-ryong regains consciousness and offers Juyeong an ultimatum: “If you want revenge, become the king of this detention center!” Now, Juyeong must navigate the treacherous world of prison politics, determined to rise to power and avenge his friend.

I've never had a girlfriend. The app installed on my phone was a hypnosis app that could control anyone. After testing it, the app's power was real. With this, a harem life isn't just a dream. "Why do all the girls I target have troubles?" A beautiful gal, a plain girl with hidden beauty, a cool ojou-sama junior—by the power of the hypnosis app, their secrets that they couldn't tell anyone are revealed! (I just wanted to do erotic things.) The self-proclaimed loser, but fundamentally a good-guy protagonist, ends up running around helping people!

The long-awaited series by the up-and-coming writer of the Jump+ one-shots “O no Utsuwa” (under the pen name Kyo Oribe) and “Kuga Masamune no Junan.” A mystical epic drawn with stunning penmanship is about to unfold… *Source: MANGA Plus*

Shintaro Ojiro, 39 years old. Low education, low income - what you'd call a bottom-tier citizen. A man who has continually lost and been deprived, cut off from society, at the end of his loneliness and despair, decides to assassinate a politician...

Gi-Ju is highly competent, but when it comes to love, she always seems to choose the wrong guy. This time, she thought things would be different. But again her faith is betrayed, and during a heated argument, she ends up falling down a flight of stairs. When she awakens in the hospital, she starts seeing suspicious ‘relationship reviews’ of others! ‘Love reviews written by their former exes…?’ Could this strange phenomenon be able to save Gi-Ju’s love life? *Note: Part of YLAB's Red String Universe.*

After her parents died, Sami gave up her life of fortune to live independently, doing odd jobs to make ends meet. When she starts to get involved with two of the most popular boys at her high school, Sami faces twists and turns—Chan is her neighbor, and Pyojun makes her have conflicted feelings. Things get more complicated when she finds out that Chan has feelings for Pyojun as well! With her mom's only keepsake in hand to keep her feet on the ground, Sami navigates obstacles that she wasn't prepared for—and aren't even in her budget!

Kang Jin-hoo gains an extraordinary ability to foresee the future after a life-changing accident during his military service. Armed with this unique power, he dives into the world of investments, targeting companies and financial markets to amass wealth and become the world’s top investor. But his vision extends beyond just making money. Kang Jin-hoo’s foresight begins to influence the global economy, political systems, major corporations, and even the course of globalization itself. Now, with his sights set on reshaping the world of finance and beyond, he is about to rewrite the rules of the future.

Nicknamed "Belle Poupee"--the Beautiful Doll--duke's daughter Lady Leticia is admired for her elegance and delicate beauty. But behind her porcelain mask lies her true self: a bold and compassionate soul, more knight than damsel. She ends up engaged to the infamous second prince, Gilbert, whose cursed crimson eyes and icy demeanor have made him the subject of troubling rumors. Fate binds together an infallible Princess Charming and a lonely, awkward prince as they search for their happily ever after in this ultimate role-reversal love story.

DJ, drop the beat! When 18-year-old K-pop stan Suhyeon gets his heart broken, he turns to his actual true love, girl group sensation MainTainA—especially his bias, the group's main dancer, Hailey. Leaving his bittersweet first relationship behind to transfer to Seoul, Suhyeon finds not only a spitting image of his bias in the school dance club member Hye-eun, who is supposedly Hailey's younger sister, but also a new love in the most unexpected of places: the art of street dance! While helping Hye-eun overcome her stage fright, Suhyeon finds there may be more to life than love!

As a young boy, Tae-Ha Jin’s life is turned upside down when an attack during a family yacht trip robs him of his parents and future as heir to the Cheon-Gu Group–Korea’s leading conglomerate. Uncovering the dark truths behind the accident–one of vicious power struggles and family betrayals–he escapes to Italy, vowing revenge. Seventeen years later, Tae-Ha is finally back in Korea. A man driven by vengeance, he can’t wait for the sweetest revenge as he makes those who robbed everything from him pay dearly. The stakes are high, and the battle with Cheon-Gu begins!

A man who has everything and yet nothing. The only thing successful corporate executive Jin-Hyeok Son ever really wanted was an ordinary life with a beloved family, a desire arising from the tragic death of his parents when he was a child. This all changes after he finds himself back in his nine-year-old body after an accident -- to a time when his parents are still alive, to the very life he had longed to return to! Can Jin-Hyeok change the past and finally fulfill his dream of an ordinary life?

Edele Lancaster is the perfect noble lady who has been groomed for the job. But when her husband whom she married reluctantly commits treason, she is branded a traitor and becomes a slave. Distraught, she tries to kill herself to preserve honor as a noble lady, but her new master, Count Laslo Krissus prevents her from doing so. Will Edele be able to find freedom and happiness in her new life as Count Krissus’ maid?

First-year Gil-Su Lee transfers schools to run from the bullying and violence. And the new place seems almost perfect. Everyone in his class is friendly and kind, and no one is bullying anybody. Violence? No, we don’t do anything like that in this school. That’s what the “Arena” is for. Don’t forget, Gil-Su. What happens in the ring stays in the ring!

Mu-Hyeok Kim, grandson of the legendary "Loan Shark King," has done all of the family's dirty work for 30 years, only to be betrayed and killed by his uncle's orders. Mysteriously, he wakes up in 1990, in his first year of high school, just in time to save his grandmother on his father's side from a heart attack. Now in need of money to pay for her hospital bills, Mu-Hyeok goes to his mother's family to ingratiate himself with the Loan Shark King, but this time, he plans to take his money and get revenge.

A surprise pregnancy sends Jeong-o, a college junior, into a panic. Her supportive boyfriend Jiheon plans a loving proposal, but a car accident erases his recent memories, including their romance. Seven years later, they reunite unexpectedly—but Jiheon has no recollection of Jeong-o or the fact that they share a precious daughter between them.

Manga artist Takei Hiroto, after failing to get serialized, decides to give up on his dreams and goes on a trip to Brazil to get over everything. When he accidentally wanders into a favela, Hiroto meets Joao, a poor boy with a sharp gaze. Joao lives on the other side of the world, but he also dreams of becoming a manga artist...!! No matter who you are or where you live, you don't have to give up. The beginning of a story about two manga artists chasing their dreams from the slums!!

Due to her terminal illness, Princess Juliet has spent her entire life inside the Rozenta Kingdom's palace without any peers to talk to. So she's delighted to meet a kind young servant named Lete who provides her with much-needed company. However, their pleasant strolls end abruptly when Juliet is suddenly told to marry the archduke of Herventel, Enoch Letrachi. What comes as a greater shock is that Lete is actually Enoch, and that he has refused to see Juliet until she signs the marriage papers! Can Juliet find happiness when her trust in her husband-to-be has already been shattered?

The 5th arc of the Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu manga. Subaru and Emilia receive an invitation to a party from Anastasia and decide to go to Priestella, the city of the watergates.

Niike, a high school first year prone to forgetfulness and doing too many favors, is asked to drop in on her classmate Nemoto who’s been absent from school. Supposedly, it’s just him living in his house alone, yet the presence of “something” seems to linger…? *Source: MANGA Plus*

Ever since childhood, Hiroki struggled to express his feelings. Only his beloved dog Karo truly understood him. But one day in high school, Karo passes away...

Maruo, failed to make his debut in high school and dropped out. He makes pocket money by taking photos of girls at school and selling them to boys. Recently, Maruo has become concerned about Tabe, a girl who is always scarred and bullied. He wants to help her, but is afraid of being bullied himself. What's more, Tabe is also the target of voyeurism, causing Maruo to feel a sense of self-loathing.

On an April night in Tokyo, still too early for fireworks, university student Kakeru Sorano meets a woman named Koharu Fuyutsuki. She is a beautiful girl who stands out from the crowd, laughs a lot, and exudes a warmth that contrasts sharply with Kakeru's own introversion. But there was something Kakeru didn't know at first—she can't see. Unlike Kakeru, Koharu hasn't given up on anything, even with her blindness. She attends university daily, shows interest in clubs, makes friends—and dreams of launching fireworks one day. Kakeru wonders why, when she can't see them...but maybe it doesn't matter. And maybe he can start moving forward, too, for the girl who's always been by his side

Aini Miccola, the illegitimate child of a countryside baron, is the talk of the Royal Academy. The boys can’t get enough of her cuteness, and the girls seethe at her blatant ignorance of noble conduct…but as she makes a name for herself, three others are gaining notoriety as the “villainesses” of the academy: Serafina, daughter of a powerful marquess and fiancée to the crown prince; Sandra, a viscount’s high-minded daughter with a once-in-a-generation talent for business; and Bernardetta, cunning attendant to the prime minister and heiress to a house with close ties to the royal family. When the three villainesses go toe-to-toe with Aini the apprentice saint, what paths will each of them choose? *Source: Yen Press, License Announcement*

In the heart of Shinjuku, there are a variety of host and hostess nightclubs open to customers seeking a night of indulgence with a gorgeous companion. Yamada is one of those companions. She balances university and work, but finds herself more interested in becoming a model hostess than a star pupil. The pay is too tempting to resist, which is why so many girls come and go in the industry. But in 2012, she meets someone completely different. Mii-chan is a petite young woman who seems to be rather useless at most things—barely able to read or write and, unfortunately, clumsy—earning her ridicule from staff and customers alike. However, her bright energy and endless motivation proves hard to ignore, and Yamada finds herself drawn in by Mii-chan’s charm. A beautiful and tragic story about an unlikely friendship and the unfortunate end that separated them forever.

Yayano, a junior high school girl, moves to Atami from Tokyo with her mother. A somewhat rustic hotel is her mother's new workplace. Yayano is anxious about her new home, but there she witnesses a surprising sight of her mother...! For Yayano, this is a turning point! A simple pole will change a girl's life in a miraculous way!

Cheongha Kim, a legendary swordswoman from the Joseon era, awakens centuries later in the body of Dajin Park, a quiet high school student. Armed with deadly combat skills, Cheongha must face school bullies, navigate the chaos of modern-day life, and find her place in a world far different from her own. The halls of Juwon High are about to meet a warrior unlike any they’ve seen before.

Called a failure by his adoptive parents, bullied at school, ignored by teachers, high school boy Kurogane Rikuto has nowhere to belong neither at home nor at school. "Life is shit. I guess I'll die." After saying this, he was about to commit suicide by jumping off the school’s roof when suddenly all sorts of monsters started appearing from students' smartphones, transforming the school into a hellscape of screaming agony. Goblins, orcs, slimes… Everybody has seen them in games: "small fry monsters". However, humans in the real world, where there is no magic, no special abilities, and no leveling up, are devoured by those "small fries" without any means to retaliate. Rikuto, spared from the incident due to his bullies destroying his phone, seeing the students who bullied him and the teachers dying unsightly deaths and the collapse of order, realizes he does have a desire to survive. Just then, a goblin wielding a club attacks him from behind Thus begins the survival action tale of one insignificant human driven into extreme circumstances.

"In the face of justice, there are no taboos that should not be violated." In the near future, humanity is in the depths of fear due to the onslaught of monsters. To protect world peace, the united Cross Rangers will enforce justice today! ...Or so it was supposed to be. Cross Red, also known as Akama Retsuo, is a man who is passionate about justice. With an overflowing sense of justice, he commits a taboo one night with Cross Pink. And so begins the days of muddy, terrifying, immoral and ruinous...! A suspenseful story of justice and immorality!

Eliano, the daughter of a powerful duke, marries the seventh prince of Jakador, and they fall in love. But their happiness is short-lived when the prince ascends to the throne. After suffering a miscarriage, she is cruelly poisoned by her husband and dies. Eliano miraculously wakes up to find herself 21 years old and is now determined to avoid the tragic future she once lived. Will she be able to find happiness in this new life?

Losing one match after another, shogi prodigy Yuhi Ninomiya became a shadow of his former glorious self. It was then that he faced his old rival Kanata Kuji in an official match. However, the record-setting match ended with Kanata winning his 27th consecutive game, and Yuhi losing his 17th consecutive game. Feeling frustrated and depressed, Yuhi stops by a bar, when he has a fateful encounter with a certain girl! Her name is Tsuki Kayamori. Although she is overbearing, self-centered, and eccentric, her sharp and unorthodox playstyle is as if she was chosen by the shogi God!

In the reality dating show "Our Season," stunning high school students come together for what seems like the ultimate dream—a perfect youth filled with romance and adventure. But behind the glamorous facade lies a more complicated reality: a false school life where they barter their youth for a chance at stardom in the entertainment world. Aoishi thought he’d follow the script for a picture-perfect experience. But when he meets Karen, eager to fulfill her first love, and Emma, his scripted girlfriend, everything shifts. Add to that his secret relationship with Asuka, and Aoishi finds himself tangled in a web of desire and deception. As they go through their lives on camera, the lines between real feelings and fake romances start to blur, pulling them into a storm of complicated relationships and strong emotions. Can Aoishi find a way to untangle the mess before it takes over their lives? The most dangerous part of their youth is just about to begin! Adapted from a popular light novel, now in manga form!

They called him the Devil’s Violinist in another life, but now he’s just a student trying to blend in. As a reincarnation of Paganini, Juwon has spent years suppressing his extraordinary talent to live as an ordinary teenager. But when a twist of fate lands him in an arts high school, his silent strings begin to scream for attention. Surrounded by rivals and expectations, the genius who was once forced into silence must decide if he is ready to reclaim his throne. The legend has returned, and the world isn't ready for his encore.

There was a prophet who declared, “A hero who will defeat the Demon King will appear from this village.” The village believed in the prophecy because there was a boy who was skilled in swordsmanship and magic. Eight years later, the boy became a hero and defeated the Demon King. However, at the same time, he became a person who would never return. Why did the hero die? Four years after his death, as his achievements were being compiled into literature, the truth behind his death was about to be revealed.

Halo, the best musician of the time, suffers a traffic accident on the way to the Grammy ceremony. And when he regains consciousness, he finds himself in the body of a little Korean boy named No Hae-il. He finds himself in a completely different place and time. He confirms that No Hae-il's English name is Halo and feels a strong destiny. Halo, who entered Hae-il, proves to be a musical genius at this time as well.

From ANN: A band story following a young man who sets off on a music journey when his soul is set aflame after discovering a guitar.

K-pop idol Yoon Eden has wasted away for years under a mediocre label with an incompetent CEO. He is disillusioned and on the verge of quitting when he's sent back in time to the day of his debut. Now, Eden is determined to use his songwriting talent to rewrite his career and gain some well-deserved fame. Despite his CEO still pushing cheesy songs and tacky concepts, can Eden, with the help of his group members, truly reignite his spark and become a sincerely dazzling idol?

When gifted fortune teller Park Do-A dies, she transmigrates into the body of Bunnie, a curse absorber for the daughter of an archduke. As the new Bunnie, she befriends Demian, a boy prophesied to bring ruin to the empire. But when Bunnie reads Demian's fortune, she learns that, actually, he has the potential for greatness and prosperity, so she decides to shape him into the next emperor instead. Will these two be able to defy destiny and rewrite their futures? Or will the curse of fate prevail?

The long-awaited manga adaptation of the forbidden "idol x otaku" romance novel by Wakana Abe of NMB48! Keita, an ordinary college boy, has a crush on Mimika, the leader of the idol group Tetra. Even though he's aware that it's a love that will never happen, he continues to do everything he can to support his idol. On the other hand, even as her group's popularity continues to rise, and she appreciates Keita's fervent affection, Mimika still feels anxious about the future. One day, Mimika falls into despair after her mother gets into a traffic accident. With help from social media, she finds Keita's part-time workplace and seeks him out…

Every day, after school, that's when the secret talk between girls start. The popular girl, Nanba Rinon, confides to the introvert Furutsuji about the abuse she suffers daily at the hands of her father... to indulge herself in the pleasure of self-pity. While Furutsuji comforts Rinon with deep compassion, there is malice lurking behind that smile... She realizes Rinon's XX.

Mu-Yeong spent his childhood under his stepfather’s oppressive rule, a life that felt like living in hell. A mysterious voice in the living hell showed him the way to survive. *“Live someone else’s life instead of yours.”* That’s how his acting journey began… Was it a survival instinct? Even when he did well, he excelled too much. Through acting, Mu-Yeong gained a new life. This is the story of Mu-Yeong, the overwhelming acting genius, embarking on a challenge in the entertainment industry!

Ye-Seul’s arrival at her new school is anything but perfect. Not only does she make a terrible first impression, but she immediately becomes a target for bullying when the most popular girl in school, So-Hui, notices their strikingly similar appearance. Despite being bullied and harassed every single day, Ye-Seul is determined not to back down. She knows that she’s just as attractive as So-Hui… and that it’ll be a breeze to steal everything from her.

Servaine Noxirel grew up hearing stories from her great-grandfather—tales of the grandeur their noble house once enjoyed and the madness and obsession that ran through their bloodline. The strangest story of all, however, was about his sickly young niece and the merman she owned—a boy whose beauty and allure inspired a possessiveness that kept him locked away in a tank. Despite bearing a striking resemblance to her namesake, Servaine dismisses everything as just a fairy tale. That is, until Servaine’s return to her ancestral manor dredges up Mel, the merman—who believes his Servaine has finally come back for him. But has he been waiting all this time out of love? Or for revenge…?

Hui-Ran used to be the disgrace of House Namgung, shunned by all, including her siblings. But after political intrigue destroys her family, Hui-Ran dies trying to avenge them. All seems lost until she reawakens in the past... as an adorable baby! But how can she help anyone in a baby’s body? And why are her siblings being so nice to her? Time has been reset—using her knowledge of the future, Hui-Ran must rewrite history and thwart the sinister dissidents who seek Namgung’s downfall.

After a painful breakup with her first love, Eunpyeong returns to campus still haunted by the past and burdened by a secret fantasy she’s afraid to reveal. When Nyeok, a younger guy, discovers her secret by chance, he responds with unexpected acceptance. Their bond deepens, but complications arise when another girl enters the picture, and Eunpyeong learns Nyeok has been denying their relationship. What will become of their romance, trust, and life on campus?

In the distant future, a terrifying vampire has become the ruling species of Earth. Only the beautiful black-robed swordsman “D” can compete! 40th Anniversary Project of the Series! Saiko Takaki adapted the ninth novel in Hideyuki Kikuchi and Yoshitaka Amano's Vampire Hunter D novels, "The Rose Princess," into a manga. (Sources: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc, translated)

Ten years of relationship go down the drain when Haeru discovers that her loving boyfriend, Se-o, spent the night with another woman. What begins as a series of small misunderstandings snowballs into something much bigger as the college sweethearts wade through love, temptation, and workplace drama. Well, what better way to get back at her cheating boyfriend than to take the most rotten revenge ever?

Anzu, a high school girl, lives in a household where her mother has created a "perfectly controlled environment." Defying her mother’s wishes isn’t even an option. She has no smartphone, no allowance, and her only small escape is sneaking off to the listening booths at a CD shop, hidden from her mother’s watchful gaze. One fateful night, at the station’s roundabout, she encounters someone unforgettable— A “dangerous guy” with a devilish face but an angel’s touch on the guitar. Feel the chills as you dive into this deeply moving story by a 22-year-old rising star.

*“You’ll get hurt if you’re close to him.” “I don’t know why he’s so unlucky.” “Yeonjae, I’m scared of you…”* Lee Yeonjae, avoided by everyone as if just being near him beings misfortune. Even he thinks it’s weird. Why do bad things only happen around me? I wonder how it feels to live a life of being loved and not hurting those around me. But, was even wishing for that too much? —Bam!! After an accident, I woke up in a strange place facing a mysterious entity. *“Strange. You should’ve died according to your fate, so why are you still alive?”* One truth I learned after meeting that entity is, I can avoid misfortune if I act like someone else. To survive, I have to become an actor.

In a cynical world where love has lost its luster, 37-year-old Ha-Yeong Kim is merely a shell of her former self. But in a twist of fate, she’s catapulted back in time, inhabiting the body and vibrant spirit of her 17-year-old self, Seon Kim, and reliving an era of passionate love and limitless potential. Empowered by her knowledge of what’s to come, Seon embarks on a mission to reshape her friends’ destinies. Bouncing between past and present, orchestrating grand changes, Seon begins to discover that altering others’ lives might be the key to rediscovering love, purpose, and the courage to dream again.