Manga Like Heavy Object

High school student Kei Kurono has grown distant and cynical, alienated from others due to the cruelty he sees in the world. One day, while waiting for the subway to school, his classmate Masaru Katou jumps onto the tracks to save a drunk man who has fallen. Acting on a rare impulse to help someone, Kei follows Katou into danger. Though they manage to rescue the man, both boys are struck and killed by the oncoming train. Kei awakens beside Katou in a strange apartment filled with unfamiliar people, dominated by a large black sphere with a glassy surface. He learns that everyone in the room has also recently died. Words appear on the black ball, ordering them to eliminate a bizarre creature. The sphere provides Kei and the others with powered suits and strange guns before sending them out to complete this deadly task. Though the mission proves far more dangerous than he anticipated, Kei survives. He and the other survivors are teleported back to the apartment, where the black sphere—named "Gantz" by a fellow survivor—awards them points based on their actions in combat. Despite having died earlier that day, Kei is allowed to resume his normal life, but with a condition: he can be pulled away at any moment and summoned back to the apartment, where Gantz will assign him and other recently deceased individuals new assassination targets. Katou dreads the inevitable call back to Gantz, but Kei finds purpose in carrying out these missions. Thriving in the heat of battle and gradually learning to value himself and his comrades, Kei faces increasingly dangerous monsters that start to spill over into his everyday life beyond Gantz.

A devastating earthquake once left Tokyo in ruins, and from its remnants emerged Deadman Wonderland—a prison that operates publicly as a theme park. It houses inmates from across Japan, turning them into attractions for visitors. The true, horrifying nature of this "theme park" remains hidden from the public. Ganta Igarashi, an ordinary middle school student, has led a typical life since the earthquake. That changes when a masked killer known as the Red Man appears, slaughtering his entire class. Ganta is knocked unconscious, leaving him the sole survivor. Upon waking, he is framed for the massacre and sentenced to Deadman Wonderland. His survival now depends on the prison's bizarre "games." Meanwhile, Shiro, a girl who claims to be Ganta's childhood friend and waits for him inside, may hold the key to the Red Man's identity.

Monstrous, Godzilla-like creatures known as "kaijuu" have plagued Japan for years. To fight them, an elite military force called the Defense Corps risks their lives daily to protect civilians. After a kaijuu is slain, "sweepers" from the Professional Kaijuu Cleaner Corporation handle the disposal of its remains. Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old man, feels unfulfilled as a sweeper. Since childhood, he dreamed of joining the Defense Corps and killing kaijuu for a living. But after several failed attempts, he abandoned that ambition and settled for a stable paycheck. Then Reno Ichikawa, an 18-year-old recruit with drive, joins his cleaning crew—reminding Kafka of his old aspiration. A series of misfortunes and an encounter with the junior sweeper lead Kafka to a parasite-type kaijuu that forces its way through his mouth, transforming him into a humanoid monster. With his newfound abilities, Kafka decides to give his lifelong dream one more shot.

In a vast steel maze filled with terrifying monsters, humanity has retreated into small, isolated communities, living in constant dread of extinction. This dystopian setting is traversed only by a mysterious young man named Killy. Armed with superhuman abilities and a rare Graviton Beam Emitter, Killy battles savage creatures and other malevolent forces as he desperately hunts for a human possessing the Net Terminal Gene—genetic code that could fix the broken world. The grim tale of Blame! follows Killy through encounters with new people, more violence, and his gradual approach to finding the Net Terminal Gene. Along the way, the true nature of this world is slowly revealed.

In 1988, World War III erupts, and a mysterious black explosion of unprecedented scale levels Tokyo. Thirty-one years later, in 2019, Neo-Tokyo rises from the wreckage of the old city—a neon-drenched sprawl of towering skyscrapers and advanced technology, rife with biker gangs, poverty, and revolutionaries locked in explosive, hyper-violent conflict. Amid this decaying urban landscape live Tetsuo Shima and Shoutarou Kaneda, two bikers who are both closest friends and bitter rivals, even though they belong to the same gang. Desperate to prove he is Kaneda's equal, Tetsuo recklessly pulls off a stunt that triggers the awakening of a mysterious force—a government secret known only as Akira—which threatens to transform Neo-Tokyo and the lives of everyone within it.

The celebrated Swiss robot Montblanc, renowned for his service in the 39th Asian War, is brutally killed. Humans and robots across the globe grieve the loss of the beloved figure, whose popularity only increased after the war due to his devotion to nature conservation and his warm character. Gesicht, a robotic Europol detective and fellow war veteran, is assigned to probe Montblanc's tragic death. During his investigation, Gesicht finds clues pointing to a mysterious entity called "Pluto" and uncovers a conspiracy aimed at eliminating the eight specialized robots from around the world who fought in the war. With time running out to protect those still alive, Gesicht struggles with his memories, his sense of right and wrong, and a world filled with hatred, desperately trying to uphold the fragile balance between humans and machines.

Still haunted by the childhood tragedy of losing his family to a fire, Shinra Kusakabe carries both the gift and the burden of being a third-generation pyrokinetic—a person able to freely manipulate flames. At the same time, the Infernals, first-generation pyrokinetics who spontaneously burst into fire and become demonic creatures, terrorize the streets of Tokyo. After his abilities are noticed, Shinra joins Special Fire Force Company 8, one of several fire brigades formed to fight these Infernals. Though becoming part of the Fire Force seems to fulfill his purpose, Shinra realizes that being a hero is far from simple. Infernal encounters are increasing across the nation, and even his own fellow brigade members struggle to band together against these threats. Compounding the difficulty, Shinra’s past resurfaces when he confronts a mysterious cult. As he searches for the truth, Shinra soon becomes caught in a conspiracy that seeks to set the entire world ablaze.

In 1999, a meteorite struck Antarctica, causing the continent's ice sheet to melt and global sea levels to rise dramatically. This event altered the world's climate and wiped out more than half of humanity. By 2015, mysterious beings known as Angels—monsters of unknown origin—are laying waste to the remnants of civilization. In the fortress city of Tokyo-3, 14-year-old Shinji Ikari is fated to stop the Angels' attacks. Summoned by his father's covert group NERV, Shinji becomes the pilot of an Evangelion, a gigantic bio-organic robot built specifically to fight the Angels. Burdened with the fate of the world, Shinji must find the bravery and will to defend the future—and himself. Yet as battles between Evangelions and Angels grow frequent, the terrible reality of the world gradually comes to light.

Creatures the size of tennis balls, known as Parasites, appear with unknown numbers and origins, invading human minds to ensure their survival. Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi lives quietly with his parents when one such Parasite tries to take over his body. The takeover fails, and the creature ends up inhabiting only Shinichi's right arm. As a result, both Shinichi and the Parasite—who calls himself Migi—keep their separate consciousnesses. Stuck in an unusual human-alien partnership, Migi suggests they work together to stay alive. Shinichi has no choice but to accept, and he must hold onto his morality while he and Migi confront other bloodthirsty Parasites.

Japan's Edo period takes an unexpected turn when alien beings called the Amanto invade the country. Samurai attempt to fight back, but the Shogun eventually recognizes the hopelessness of the situation and capitulates. In the aftermath, an uneasy truce is forged between the Shogunate and the Amanto, leading to a nationwide prohibition on swords and the gradual loss of the samurai spirit. Yet one eccentric individual stubbornly clings to his samurai identity, wielding only a wooden blade. With his kind no longer needed, Gintoki Sakata scrapes by by taking on miscellaneous jobs across the city. Together with his self-proclaimed disciple Shinpachi Shimura, the formidable alien girl Kagura, and a giant dog named Sadaharu, they operate a business called the Yorozuya, frequently stumbling into all sorts of bizarre and comedic chaos. Included one-shots: Volume 1: Dandelion Volume 2: Shirokuro (Black and White) Volume 24: 13 Volume 38: Bankara-san ga Tooru

Ageha Yoshina is a self-assured high school student who takes on paid tasks to help people. While heading home from a job, he spots a strange calling card left behind in a phone booth, bearing the word "Psyren" printed on it. He picks it up, unaware of its true purpose. The following day, Ageha notices that his classmate Sakurako Amamiya has the exact same calling card. When he confronts her about it, she pleads with him to rescue her, marking the beginning of his ordeal. Confused by the situation, Ageha senses trouble when Sakurako vanishes. Trying to make sense of events, he calls the number on the card and is interrogated by an enigmatic voice, which ends with a final, ominous question: "Would you like to go to Psyren?" Thus starts a life-or-death game for the two teenagers in a strange world inhabited by monsters known as Taboo. Given the power to wield psychic abilities called PSI, the pair fights to return to their own world.

High above the polluted landscape floats the gleaming city of Zalem, a utopia that casts its shadow over the wasteland below. That lower realm is the Scrapyard, a toxic dump where Zalem discards all its refuse, and where humans and cyborgs struggle to survive amidst the mountains of junk. While sifting through a heap of discarded android parts, Daisuke Ido—a doctor who specializes in repairing cyborgs—discovers the head of a young female cyborg. He constructs a new body for her and names her Gally. When she is activated, Gally has no recollection of her past life, yet she is content as long as she remains by Ido’s side. But Gally soon learns that Ido secretly works as a hunter-warrior—a bounty hunter employed by the Scrapyard’s government. Despite his attempts to dissuade her, she chooses to follow the same path, unlocking dormant combat techniques from her forgotten past. Armed with this newfound power, Gally resolves to battle through the Scrapyard’s back alleys and beyond, piecing together fragments of her lost memories to uncover her true identity.

During a global pandemic that kills 15% of the population and leaves many others debilitated, a secret faction called Propater overthrows the UN and takes control over most of the world. A boy and a girl, raised in an abandoned virology research center and immune to the virus, are attacked by Propater and manage to flee. Two decades later, the boy has become the most powerful drug lord in South America. He covertly supports his son as the son avoids Propater and eventually, with aid from Nomad mercenaries—some of whom are former Propater agents—fights back against the organization. As the story unfolds, focus shifts from the main protagonist to numerous subplots involving terrorism, human enhancement, the struggles of developing nations, and the power struggles between drug cartels and Propater. Heavily inspired by Gnostic mythology, all major characters are named after Gnostic deities and fill analogous roles.

Kind-hearted Akira Fudou has always been easily taken advantage of. When he meets his childhood friend Ryou Asuka again by chance, Ryou reveals the terrifying truth behind his father's research: demons are real and intend to reclaim the earth. Wanting to help his friend protect humanity, Akira agrees to go to the Black Sabbath, a debauched and corrupt party, in order to attempt fusion with a demon. A brush with death leads him to merge with Amon, a demon feared even among his own kind. This union creates Devilman, a being that combines Amon's raw power with Akira's compassionate soul. After fusing with Amon, Akira uses his newfound abilities to battle the demons, desperate to prevent the collapse of all human civilization.

Nine years ago, the Empire of Giad unleashed an autonomous drone army known as the Legion to wage war on its neighbors. Facing these soulless machines, the Republic of San Magnolia—home to the silver-haired Alba race—evacuated its people into 85 districts and countered with supposedly unmanned Juggernaut drones. Despite years of conflict, the Republic claims zero casualties. Yet the blood-soaked battlefield tells a different story. The Colorata, a minority forced into the "nonexistent" 86th district, are treated as filth and ordered to pilot the Juggernauts as Processors under Republican Handlers. Vladilena Milizé, a republican soldier with a strong sense of justice, despises how her countrymen treat the 86. Assigned as handler for the Spearhead Squadron, she bonds with its eccentric members—especially their captain, Shinei Nouzen, a boy driven by pure purpose and resolve. But their path is strewn with death, and growing close to an 86 may lead Vladilena into despair.

Mikado City, a normally quiet town, gets thrown into chaos when a gate from another dimension opens without warning. Creatures from beyond, known as Neighbors, launch an assault, and conventional weapons prove useless against them, leading to rapid destruction. Just as all seems lost, a mysterious organization called the Border Defense Agency fights back using advanced technology called Triggers and manages to stop the invasion. Four years later, Border continues protecting the people of Mikado City and is celebrated as heroes. Yuuma Kuga transfers to First Mikado City High School—a school with ties to Border—which raises eyebrows, since moving into such hazardous zones is considered suspicious. He quickly becomes a target for bullies, but Osamu Mikumo, a trainee member of Border, steps in to defend Yuuma, even though he has doubts about the newcomer. Their situation takes a dangerous turn when a Neighbor emerges from a gate that suddenly opens in the restricted area. Osamu struggles to fight it off with his Trigger, but Yuuma defeats the creature effortlessly. When Osamu asks about Yuuma's standing with Border, it becomes clear that Yuuma is not an agent—he is a Neighbor himself.

A lone traveler emerges from the wasteland one day, bringing justice to the wicked and hope to the innocent—a warrior called Ken, who carries seven scars on his chest and guards the secret of a mysterious fighting style: Hokuto Shinken, the Divine Fist of the North Star.

Jin Kanzaki appears to be a common homeless child, but he harbors superhuman strength that he puts to use for the benefit of others—at least, that is what his grandfather hopes. To his grandfather's annoyance, Jin demands 10,000 yen for each good deed he performs. Yet Jin's quiet existence is abruptly upended when he comes across a player, a lethal being likely connected to a string of unexplained killings. As Jin tries to deal with the situation by forcing his way through every challenge, a band of enigmatic men desperately search for someone bearing a ring-shaped mark on their hand. While they pursue their inquiry, hidden truths about the world begin to surface—and it appears that Jin himself may hold the key to the mystery.

The story takes place in 2029. After four global conflicts, humanity has entered an era of unprecedented technological progress, fundamentally reshaping society. Cybernetic implants, artificial intelligences, and cyborgs have become commonplace in a world where people are more machine than human. Yet this modern transformation has also spurred new forms of crime—hackers, corrupt officials, and other profiteers exploit advanced systems to serve their own ends. In Japan, where such offenses are widespread, the government creates Section 9: a covert unit of elite operatives tasked with combating these dangers. Major Motoko Kusanagi—a woman of unmatched skill and resolve—leads Section 9 in its mission to neutralize cyberterrorism and preserve the nation's stability amid the relentless march of the future.

Most of the destruction blamed on "Vash" actually results from the actions of bounty hunters pursuing the sixty-billion "double dollar" reward placed on his head for obliterating the city of July. Vash himself has only a vague recollection of July's annihilation and claims to desire nothing but "love and peace"; despite possessing superhuman marksmanship, he fires his guns solely to protect lives whenever possible. As the narrative unfolds, more details emerge about Vash's mysterious past and the history of human society on Gunsmoke, the arid world where the story takes place. The show frequently adopts a lighthearted atmosphere, yet it also features profound character growth and, especially in later episodes, becomes deeply emotional. A priest named Nicholas D. Wolfwood occasionally accompanies Vash; Wolfwood is nearly as skilled a gunman as Vash. Later, Vash finds himself pursued by a group of killers known as the Gung-Ho Guns, for reasons that remain unclear at first. Trigun gradually transforms into a heavy meditation on the nature of morality, raising questions such as: What is the essence of right and wrong? Can we evaluate different ethical systems? If someone is forced to break their own moral code, does that breach render the code invalid, and can that person still strive to uphold it? Can a person atone for their misdeeds, and if so, how?

Somewhere in Vladivostok, Russia, a transaction has been executed without issue. A looming threat emerges: a lethal virus that can kill within three hours of exposure has been acquired by a mysterious woman named Maya. At Mishiro Academy in Japan, Fujimaru Takagi appears to be an ordinary student. In reality, he was once renowned for exposing the crimes and corruption of powerful figures through his extraordinary hacking skills—the legendary "Falcon" who suddenly disappeared from cyberspace. Only the members of Third-I, a top-secret division of the Public Security Intelligence Agency led by Fujimaru's father, Ryunosuke, and his friend Otoya Kujou, are aware of his past. After a KGB agent is killed in Japan, the only lead is a memory chip discovered at the crime scene. Third-I enlists Fujimaru to decrypt the chip, which reveals a video of an event referred to as the "Christmas Massacre." As Fujimaru's father investigates the murder further, he uncovers details about the homicide and a cryptic code named "Bloody Monday"—only to be framed for the murder of his own superior. Now, the hacker Fujimaru must use his skills to assist Third-I in stopping the spread of terror and devastation across Japan, all while striving to prove his father's innocence.

At Mashin Academy, nanotechnology and martial arts converge. Though Yeo-un's mother is not among the High Priest's six official wives, his paternal lineage still grants him eligibility to compete for the position of Minor Priest. Will an enigmatic nanomachine injection from a future descendant give Yeo-un an edge in the intense rivalry against his formidable half-siblings?

The young and innocent Nai is searching for a person who is very important to him, armed only with an old bracelet and the name "Karoku" as leads. During his journey, he gets caught by a monstrous woman who intends to keep him as a pet. However, he is rescued by Gareki, a sharp and cunning thief who broke into the woman's house to rob it. The two are soon branded as wanted criminals and become caught up in the affairs of "Circus"—the nation's most elite defense organization. Circus's duty is to protect citizens from beings called "varuga," flesh-eating monsters, and to investigate the operations of a mysterious group known as Kafka. Circus becomes interested in Nai when they learn that the bracelet he carries is actually an old Circus ID. While Nai chooses to remain under Circus's protection, Gareki struggles to find his own place aboard their ship. As their search for Karoku continues, the pair encounters increasingly dangerous varuga, all of whom seem to be drawn toward Nai.

A millennium in the future, the Gauna, a powerful alien race, have wiped out Earth. Humanity escaped into space, but the enormous starships they now inhabit remain under constant assault from these bizarre creatures. To fight back, they deploy mobile weapon units called Gardes, which can destroy the Gauna's cores and prevent the monsters from regenerating their protective placental shell. On the vessel Sidonia, a boy named Nagate Tanikaze emerges from its depths for the first time in his life. Having spent countless hours on pilot simulators during his isolation deep within the ship, he quickly proves invaluable to humanity's defense forces. When granted the chance to pilot the legendary Garde Tsugumori, he battles to save Sidonia from a grim fate.