Best Manga of the 1990s

Gol D. Roger, a man referred to as the King of the Pirates, is set to be executed by the World Government. But just before his demise, he confirms the existence of a great treasure, One Piece, located somewhere within the vast ocean known as the Grand Line. Announcing that One Piece can be claimed by anyone worthy enough to reach it, the King of the Pirates is executed and the Great Age of Pirates begins. Twenty-two years later, a young man by the name of Monkey D. Luffy is ready to embark on his own adventure, searching for One Piece and striving to become the new King of the Pirates. Armed with just a straw hat, a small boat, and an elastic body, he sets out on a fantastic journey to gather his own crew and a worthy ship that will take them across the Grand Line to claim the greatest status on the high seas.

In 16th-century Japan, Shinmen Takezou is a wild, rough young man in both his appearance and his actions. His aggressive nature has won him the collective reproach and fear of his village, leading him and his best friend, Matahachi Honiden, to run away in search of something grander than provincial life. The pair enlist in the Toyotomi army, yearning for glory—but when the Toyotomi suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tokugawa Clan at the Battle of Sekigahara, the friends barely make it out alive. After the two are separated, Shinmen returns home on a self-appointed mission to notify the Hon'iden family of Matahachi's survival. He instead finds himself a wanted criminal, framed for his friend's supposed murder based on his history of violence. Upon being captured, he is strung up on a tree and left to die. An itinerant monk, the distinguished Takuan Soho, takes pity on the "devil child," secretly freeing Shinmen and christening him with a new name to avoid pursuit by the authorities: Musashi Miyamoto. Vagabond is the fictitious retelling of the life of one of Japan's most renowned swordsmen, the "Sword Saint" Musashi Miyamoto—his rise from a swordsman with no desire other than to become "Invincible Under the Heavens" to an enlightened warrior who slowly learns of the importance of close friends, self-reflection, and life itself.

Whenever Naruto Uzumaki proclaims that he will someday become the Hokage—a title bestowed upon the best ninja in the Village Hidden in the Leaves—no one takes him seriously. Since birth, Naruto has been shunned and ridiculed by his fellow villagers. But their contempt isn't because Naruto is loud-mouthed, mischievous, or because of his ineptitude in the ninja arts, but because there is a demon inside him. Prior to Naruto's birth, the powerful and deadly Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village. In order to stop the rampage, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to seal the demon inside the body of the newborn Naruto. And so when he is assigned to Team 7—along with his new teammates Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, under the mentorship of veteran ninja Kakashi Hatake—Naruto is forced to work together with other people for the first time in his life. Through undergoing vigorous training and taking on challenging missions, Naruto must learn what it means to work in a team and carve his own route toward becoming a full-fledged ninja recognized by his village.

"Secret treasure hoards, undiscovered wealth... mystical places, unexplored frontiers... 'The mysterious unknown.' There's magic in such words for those captivated by its spell. They are called 'Hunters'!" Gon Freecss wants to become a Hunter so he can find his father, a man who abandoned him to pursue a life of adventure. But it's not that simple: only one in one hundred thousand can pass the Hunter Exam, and that is just the first obstacle on his journey. During the Hunter Exam, Gon befriends many other potential Hunters, such as the mysterious Killua; the revenge-driven Kurapika; and Leorio, who aims to become a doctor. There's a world of adventure and peril awaiting, and those who embrace it with open arms can become the greatest Hunters of them all!

As the 20th century approaches its end, people all over the world are anxious that the world is changing. And probably not for the better. Kenji Endou is a normal convenience store manager who is just trying to get by. But when he learns that one of his old friends going by the name "Donkey" has suddenly committed suicide and that a new cult led by a figure known as "Friend" is becoming more notorious, Kenji starts to feel that something is not right. With a few key clues left behind by his deceased friend, Kenji realizes that this cult is much more than he ever thought it would be—not only is this mysterious organization directly targeting him and his childhood friends, but the whole world also faces a grave danger that only the friends have the key to stop. Kenji's simple life of barely making ends meet is flipped upside down when he reunites with his childhood friends, and together they must figure out the truth of how their past is connected to the cult, as the turn of the century could mean the possible end of the world.

Kenzou Tenma, a renowned Japanese neurosurgeon working in post-war Germany, faces a difficult choice: to operate on Johan Liebert, an orphan boy on the verge of death, or on the mayor of Düsseldorf. In the end, Tenma decides to gamble his reputation by saving Johan, effectively leaving the mayor for dead. As a consequence of his actions, hospital director Heinemann strips Tenma of his position, and Heinemann's daughter Eva breaks off their engagement. Disgraced and shunned by his colleagues, Tenma loses all hope of a successful career—that is, until the mysterious killing of Heinemann gives him another chance. Nine years later, Tenma is the head of the surgical department and close to becoming the director himself. Although all seems well for him at first, he soon becomes entangled in a chain of gruesome murders that have taken place throughout Germany. The culprit is a monster—the same one that Tenma saved on that fateful day nine years ago.

In the town of Kurouzu-cho, Kirie Goshima lives a fairly normal life with her family. As she walks to the train station one day to meet her boyfriend, Shuuichi Saito, she sees his father staring at a snail shell in an alley. Thinking nothing of it, she mentions the incident to Shuuichi, who says that his father has been acting weird lately. Shuuichi reveals his rising desire to leave the town with Kirie, saying that the town is infected with spirals. But his father's obsession with the shape soon proves deadly, beginning a chain of horrific and unexplainable events that causes the residents of Kurouzu-cho to spiral into madness.

In Florida, 2011, Jolyne Kuujou sits in a jail cell like her father, Joutarou, once did; yet this situation is not of her own choice. Framed for a crime she did not commit and manipulated into serving a longer sentence, Jolyne is ready to resign to a dire fate as a prisoner of Green Dolphin Street Jail. Though all hope seems lost, a gift from Joutarou ends up awakening her latent abilities, manifesting into her Stand, Stone Free. Now armed with the power to change her fate, Jolyne sets out to find an escape from the stone ocean that holds her. However, Jolyne soon discovers that her incarceration is merely a small part of a grand plot: one that not only takes aim at her family, but has additional far-reaching consequences. What is more, the mastermind is lurking within the very same prison, and is under the protection of a lineup of menacing Stand users. Finding unlikely allies to help her cause, Jolyne sets course to stop their plot, clear her name, and take back her life.

Hanamichi Sakuragi, a tall, boisterous teenager with flame-red hair and physical strength beyond his years, is eager to put an end to his rejection streak of 50 and finally score a girlfriend as he begins his first year of Shohoku High. However, his reputation for delinquency and destructiveness precedes him, and most of his fellow students subsequently avoid him like the plague. As his first day of school ends, he is left with two strong thoughts: "I hate basketball" and "I need a girlfriend." Haruko Akagi, ignorant of Hanamichi's history of misbehavior, notices his immense height and unwittingly approaches him, asking whether or not he likes basketball. Overcome by the fact that a girl is speaking to him, the red-haired giant blurts out a yes despite his true feelings. At the gym, Haruko asks if he can do a slam dunk. Though a complete novice, Hanamachi palms the ball and makes the leap...but overshoots, slamming his head into the backboard. Amazed by his near-inhuman physical abilities, Haruko quickly notifies the school's basketball captain of his feat. With this, Hanamichi is unexpectedly thrust into a world of competition for a girl he barely knows, but he soon discovers that there is perhaps more to basketball than he once thought.

22-year-old Eikichi Onizuka: pervert, former gang member... and teacher? Great Teacher Onizuka follows the incredible, though often ridiculous, antics of the titular teacher as he attempts to outwit and win over the cunning Class 3-4 that is determined to have him removed from the school. However, other obstacles present themselves throughout—including the frustrated, balding vice principal, Hiroshi Uchiyamada; old enemies from his biker days; and his own idiotic teaching methods. But Eikichi fights it all whilst trying to help his students, romance fellow teacher Azusa Fuyutsuki, and earn his self-proclaimed title.Also contains the gaiden "GTO: Great Toroko Oppai♡" (Tomoko's Big Adventures).

In an enormous steel labyrinth riddled with horrifying creatures, humanity is forced to isolate itself in small enclaves while living in constant fear of its annihilation. In this dystopia, only a strange young man known as Killy is brave enough to traverse its unforgiving territories. Possessing superhuman strength and a rare Graviton Beam Emitter, Killy fights off bloodthirsty beasts and other fiendish forces in his desperate search for a human with the Net Terminal Gene—genetic information that holds the potential to restore the corrupt world. The dark world of Blame! follows Killy as he meets new people, sheds more blood, and draws closer to finding the Net Terminal Gene. Through these exploits, the true nature of the world is slowly pieced together.

Tooru Honda is an orphan with nowhere to go but a tent in the woods, until the Souma family takes her in. However, the Souma family is no ordinary family, and they hide a grave secret: when they are hugged by someone of the opposite gender, they turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac! Now, Tooru must help Kyou and Yuki Souma hide their curse from their classmates, as well as her friends Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima. As she is drawn further into the mysterious world of the Soumas, she meets more of the family, forging friendships along the way. But this curse has caused much suffering; it has broken many Soumas. Despite this, Tooru may just be able to heal their hearts and soothe their souls.

In 1999, a meteorite crashed into Antarctica. The impact melted the continental ice mass and drastically raised sea levels, damaging the world's climate and causing the deaths of over half its population. Now in 2015, devastating creatures of unknown origin—referred to as Angels—ravage what remains of the planet. In the heavily fortified city of Tokyo-3, 14-year-old Shinji Ikari is destined to halt the Angels' onslaught. Recruited by his father's secret organization, NERV, Shinji is enlisted as a pilot of an Evangelion, a massive bioorganic android created solely to defeat the Angels. Suddenly with the weight of the world upon his shoulders, Shinji must find the courage and drive to stand up for the future—and himself. But as skirmishes between the Evangelions and Angels become recurrent, the horrifying truth of the world is slowly revealed.

Naples, 2001. Giorno Giovanna is a small-time crook with one big dream—to become a "Gang-Star." No ordinary thief, Giorno has a connection to the remarkable Joestar bloodline, and possesses a Stand named Gold Experience. His dream starts to become reality when he meets Bruno Bucciarati, a mobster from the gang Passione and a fellow Stand user himself. Realizing that they share similar ideals, and both disagree with the gang's harmful affairs, Giorno reveals his goal to Bruno: with Bruno's help, he will reform Passione by overthrowing the boss. As Giorno becomes a member of Passione, and is inducted into Bruno's squad, he discovers that it is no simple gang; its numbers are teeming with Stand users. Now confronted by other squads of differing loyalties and unpredictable caliber, their goal to change the gang from the inside out will be a tough one. Taking on these adversaries, Giorno attempts to rise through the ranks and inch closer to the boss, a man who is shrouded in mystery.

In 1999, Joutarou Kuujou arrives at the Japanese town of Morioh for two reasons: to meet his illegitimate uncle Jousuke Higashikata and investigate a potentially dangerous Stand user. Only minutes after he arrives does he accomplish his first goal; however, Joutarou finds that Jousuke is not only a much younger high school student, but he possesses a Stand of his own called Crazy Diamond. Not long after their meeting, the two make a startling discovery: someone is using a supernatural bow and arrow to create Stand users around Morioh. When Jousuke witnesses the threat that this poses, he resolves to protect his town and stop the spread of lethal Stand users. Finding both allies and enemies among these users, Jousuke learns just how much one's personal interests and ambitions can be reflected in their Stands, and the resulting harm or virtue it brings. As they continue to investigate, they begin to unearth the shocking history of Morioh, bringing forth hidden dangers and a mystery from years past.

Tomomi Nomiya, former captain of his high school's basketball team turned delinquent, decides to drop out of school after he is crushed by the guilt of ruining a young girl's life in a traffic accident. As he dedicates his free time to helping her, he stumbles upon Kiyoharu Togawa, a former sprinter who has lost the use of his right leg and now plays wheelchair basketball as an alternate outlet. After challenging Kiyoharu to a one-on-one game, Tomomi is completely defeated. Inspired by this encounter, he realizes that he can't let his love for basketball die so easily and decides that he will do what he can to help others while striving to become a professional player. Meanwhile, Hisanobu Takahashi, Tomomi's replacement as the high school's team captain, gets into an accident and finds himself permanently paralyzed below the waist. Real tells the touching tale of these three young men as they struggle to overcome their disabilities and inner conflicts in order to achieve their dreams while igniting a passion that will bring them together.

For centuries, many secret organizations have taken part in exterminating various types of dangerous monsters. One of them is the England-based Hellsing, run by its cunning leader, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. Her greatest hunter, and trump card, is Alucard, an unbeatable vampire genetically modified by her father. Despite him being one of "them," he swore to be her protector and servant. A new crisis begins and with the help of Seras Victoria, his recently turned vampire partner, Alucard has to uncover the truth behind the mysterious vampire attacks. Not every human is bound to be his ally in this battle, and he will not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in his way.

Ten years have passed since the end of Bakumatsu, an era of war that saw the uprising of citizens against the Tokugawa shogunate. The revolutionaries wanted to create a time of peace, and a thriving country free from oppression. The new age of Meiji has come, but peace has not yet been achieved. Swords are banned but people are still murdered in the streets. Orphans of war veterans are left with nowhere to go, while the government seems content to just line their pockets with money. One wandering samurai, Kenshin Himura, still works to make sure the values he fought for are worth the lives spent to bring about the new era. Once known as Hitokiri Battousai, he was feared as the most ruthless killer of all the revolutionaries. Now haunted by guilt, Kenshin has sworn never to kill again in atonement for the lives he took, and he may never know peace until killing is a thing of the past. Now in the 11th year of Meiji, Kenshin stumbles upon Kaoru Kamiya, owner and head instructor of a small dojo being threatened to close its doors. The police force is powerless to stop the string of murders done in the name of her dojo by a man claiming to be the famous Battousai. Kenshin's wanderings pause for now as he joins Kaoru to clear both their names. But how long can he stay before his past catches up to him?Included one-shot: Volume 28: Meteor Strike

Mushi: the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words good and evil. Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows. This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence. So what are mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a Mushishi, Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world's hierarchy of life. Ginko relentlessly chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer. It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself.

The utopian metropolis of Zalem soars high in the skies, its presence dominating the horizon. Beneath it is the noxious underbelly known as The Scrapyard, where the city stockpiles all of its waste. Living amongst the vast heaps of garbage are humans and cyborgs, surviving by any means necessary. Daisuke Ido, a doctor specializing in cyborg repairs, finds the head of a young female cyborg while scavenging a pile of old android parts. Proceeding to build her a new body, he names her Gally. Upon activation, Gally does not seem to remember anything about her past life. Nonetheless, she does not seem to mind as long as she stays by Ido’s side. However, she soon discovers that Ido has a side job as a hunter-warrior, a bounty hunter working for The Scrapyard’s government. Despite Ido’s warning, she decides to become one herself, awakening her forgotten knowledge of fighting techniques. Equipped with newfound strength, Gally is determined to fight through the alleys of The Scrapyard and beyond, retrieving fragments from her past to rediscover her true identity.

Manji is an infamous swordsman in feudal Japan who is known as the "Hundred Man Killer," as he has killed one hundred innocent men. However, there is something far more frightening than his ominous reputation: the fact that he is immortal. This is the handiwork of eight-hundred-year-old nun Yaobikuni, who placed bloodworms capable of healing almost any wound in Manji's body. To atone for his crimes, Manji resolves to kill one thousand evil men. Yaobikuni agrees to this proposal, saying that if he succeeds, she will undo his curse of immortality. Soon after this promise, Manji meets Rin Asano, a 16-year-old girl who requests Manji's assistance in killing those who slaughtered her parents. Initially reluctant, Manji refuses Rin's desperate plea. However, owing to her evident lack of strength, Manji changes his mind and agrees to protect Rin for four years. With this partnership set in stone, the two embark on a perilous journey of bloodshed, vengeance, and redemption, each to fulfill their own life's cause.

In a post-apocalyptic world where an environmental disaster led to the eruption of Mt. Fuji and the inundation of Yokohama, the age of humans is in its twilight. Alpha Hatsuseno is an android and the namesake of a small cafe outside Yokohama. As her owner is away on a trip indefinitely, she has been left responsible for running the cafe. Although she rarely gets any customers, Alpha remains outgoing and cheerful. While Alpha awaits her owner's homecoming, she explores the vicinity with her scooter and camera. Throughout her journeys, she meets new people and other androids, making memories along the way. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a beautiful, laid-back story centered around Alpha's daily activities, emphasizing the passing of time in everyday life.

Fourteen-year-old thug Yuusuke Urameshi spends his days skipping school and causing trouble for the adults in his life. Yuusuke regularly engages in street brawls against rival Kazuma Kuwabara and ridicules his childhood friend Keiko Yukimura. Filled with self-loathing and the burden of an alcoholic mother, Yuusuke sacrifices it all in a split-second decision—he tackles a small child out of the way of an oncoming car, losing his life in the process. Spirit guide Botan intervenes, allowing Yuusuke to see how the people in his life react to his death; he is moved by the emotional ruin his loss causes his mother, Keiko, and even Kuwabara. Additionally, due to his death's heroic nature, he receives an opportunity to return to life from the Spirit World ruler's son, Koenma. Koenma hires Yuusuke as a "Spirit Detective" and tasks him with solving a series of increasingly challenging paranormal mysteries. Battling and befriending demons such as the beautiful Kurama and hostile Hiei, Yuusuke further develops and utilizes his skills as a fighter. But as dark forces move in the Underworld, Yuusuke struggles alongside his companions to defend everything he took for granted.

Shamans are extraordinary individuals with the ability to communicate with ghosts, spirits, and gods, which are invisible to ordinary people. The Shaman Fight—a prestigious tournament pitting shamans from all over the world against each other—is held every five hundred years, where the winner is crowned Shaman King. This title allows the current incumbent to call upon the Great Spirit and shape the world as they see fit. Finding himself late for class one night, Manta Oyamada, an ordinary middle school student, decides to take a shortcut through the local cemetery. Noticing him, a lone boy sitting on a gravestone invites Manta to stargaze with "them." Realizing that "them" refers to the boy and his ghostly friends, Manta flees in terror. Later, the boy introduces himself as You Asakura, a Shaman-in-training, and demonstrates his powers by teaming up with the ghost of six-hundred-year-old samurai Amidamaru to save Manta from a group of thugs. You befriends Manta due to his ability to see spirits, and with the help of Amidamaru, they set out to accomplish You's goal of becoming the next Shaman King.Note: This entry is for the original printing of Shaman King. Please see Shaman King (Kanzenban Edition) for the chapters not included in this edition.

Kagome Higurashi's ordinary life comes to an abrupt halt when a demon drags her deep into a well, transporting her five hundred years into the past. In this era, Kagome quickly learns two things: demons walk amongst humans and she has unknowingly brought a dangerous object from her world—a marble-sized sphere known as the Shikon Jewel. This unusual orb brings tremendous power to any demon who has it in their possession, and Kagome is an easy target for anyone determined enough to steal it. While in a fight with a demon, a hasty attempt to fend it off causes Kagome to accidentally shatter the jewel, sending countless pieces of it all over feudal Japan. She soon learns the grave consequences of her actions when she must work with the half-demon Inuyasha to collect all the pieces of the jewel before they fall into the wrong hands.

It is said that if a couple gets into the University of Tokyo together, they will live happily ever after. However, for Keitarou Urashima, UTokyo is a distant dream. After failing the entrance exams twice already, he decides to stay at his grandmother's inn in Tokyo in order to prepare for his third attempt. He is, therefore, surprised when he finds out that not only has his grandmother gone on a long vacation, but the inn has also become the Hinata House, an all-girls dormitory! Unfortunately for Keitarou, a series of misunderstandings during his first visit leave him with five untrusting tenants. But when Haruka Urashima, his aunt who works at the dorm, brings up that he is supposedly a UTokyo student, the girls' impressions of him quickly change, and they reluctantly allow him to stay. Feeling guilty about the lie, he slowly gets to know his new neighbors: the cute yet violent Naru Narusegawa, the cheeky and opportunistic Mitsune Konno, the soft-spoken Shinobu Maehara, the straight-laced Motoko Aoyama, and the mischievous Kaolla Su. Thus continues the unpopular Keitarou's difficult journey to get into UTokyo, all for the chance to fulfill his childhood promise to the only girl who has ever shown any interest in him and maybe, just maybe, meet her again.

"Herein lie the Clow Cards—if their seal is broken, disaster shall befall this world..." Sakura Kinomoto is an energetic and sweet 10-year-old girl attending Tomoeda Elementary School. One day not long after entering the fourth grade, Sakura finds a mysterious book titled The Clow hidden within her father's bookshelves. Upon opening it, a small, winged creature with an Osakan accent comes out of the book and introduces itself as Keroberos, the Creature of the Seal who guards magical cards known as the Clow Cards and keeps them from escaping the book. Unfortunately for the plushy guardian, it seems that the Clow Cards have already escaped—and now Sakura is tasked with capturing them before the cards unleash their powers and cause havoc all over Tomoeda! With the support of the tiny guardian who she nicknames "Kero" and her best friend, Tomoyo Daidouji, Sakura must wield a magical bird-shaped key and use her new powers as the Cardcaptor to maintain peace and ensure that everything is alright.

In the panic surrounding a worldwide pandemic which kills 15 percent of the population and cripples many more, a secret organization, the Propater, topples the UN and seizes control of much of the world. A boy and a girl, raised in an abandoned virology research center, immune to the virus, are attacked by the Propater and escape. Twenty years later, the boy is the most powerful drug lord in South America. He aids his son from behind the scenes as he evades and eventually with the help of mercenaries from Nomad (some of them former Propater operatives) fights the Propater. As the plot develops focus shifts away from the main character and develops many sub-plots dedicated to terrorism, Human-improvement, the struggle of the developing countries and the power battles between the drug cartels and Propater. Based strongly on Gnostic mythology, all major characters are named after gnostic deities, and have analogous roles.

Hailed as the savior of the Japanese Police Department, high school detective Shinichi Kudou uses a combination of observational skills, critical thinking, and all-around knowledge to solve cases that leave the police stumped. One day, while at an outing with childhood friend Ran Mouri, Shinichi bears witness to a suspicious transaction between two men and is caught. As a result, he is forced to ingest a poison that is supposed to kill him, but unexpectedly shrinks his body to the size of a grade-schooler instead. Now believed to be dead, Shinichi takes up the alias of Conan Edogawa (a compound of the names of the famous mystery authors Arthur Conan Doyle and Ranpo Edogawa) in order to hide his identity and begins his new life as a seven-year-old living with Ran and her private detective father. Meitantei Conan follows Conan as he continues to solve murder cases, all while slowly working toward exposing the men who shrunk him and eventually restoring his body.

Haunted by a space flight accident that claimed the life of his beloved wife, Yuri finds himself six years later as part of a team of debris cleaners on a vessel called the Toy Box charged with clearing space junk from space flight paths. The team consists of Hachimaki, a hot shot debris-man with a sailor's affinity for the orbital ocean; Fee, a chain-smoking tomboy beauty with an abrasive edge; and Pops, a veteran orbital mechanic whose avuncular presence soothes the stress of the job.

Whispering the name Seiichirou Kitano is enough to send shivers down the spine of any student at Hekikuu High. His fearsome looks make even the toughest of men scream, and if his appearance isn't off-putting enough, he is also known to be extremely brutal in fights. In a single day, he took out the school's top thug and became the new guardian. Now, the entire school is at his mercy, and anyone who dares to challenge him better be ready to meet their maker... or so the stories go. The truth is that all of the terrible rumors surrounding Seiichirou are misunderstandings, many assuming the worst about him because of his demon-like features. In reality, he is a kindhearted boy who goes out of his way to help others, but his attempts to do good deeds always get hilariously skewed and miscommunicated—which was the case when he became the new guardian. Time and time again, Seiichirou tries and fails to prove that he is not the demon that rumors make him out to be. He hopes to one day be able to have friends who look beyond his scary disposition and see him for what he truly is—an angel.

After two eccentrically dressed individuals ambush her, high school student Yukari Hayasaka promptly passes out due to shock. She soon awakens to find herself surrounded by even more strangely dressed people in the basement studio of Paradise Kiss—a fashion design club composed of four students from Yazawa School for the Arts. Although it seems like Yukari has been kidnapped, the older students explain that they only approached her to see if she would model their collection for an upcoming fashion show. Being a senior with a busy schedule, Yukari furiously rejects the group's offer. But when she drops her student passbook in her haste to leave, the ringleader of the group, George Koizumi, picks it up and uses it as a means to coerce Yukari into considering their request. After hearing about the other members' unbridled ambition, Yukari is inspired to reevaluate her own circumstances and eventually agrees to help them out. Now as Paradise Kiss' model, Yukari must learn to balance her new responsibilities with her hectic personal life. However, the more time she spends with George and the rest of the team, the harder it becomes for her to avoid getting swept up in the glitz and glamor of the fashion world.

Chiyo Mihama is a child prodigy who has skipped several grades to end up in high school. On her first day, she discovers that her class is full of eccentric individuals. Sakaki, who towers over Chiyo, is aloof and intimidating; Tomo Takino is loud and annoying; Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga is absentminded but great at solving riddles; Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara is obsessed with diets and loves karaoke despite her awful singing; and Kagura, who is a competitive tomboy. As the classmates become good friends over time, they experience their everyday lives together—things like school, studying, going on summer trips, and engaging in all kinds of shenanigans!

"In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!" Usagi Tsukino is a cheerful 14-year-old who attends Juuban Municipal Junior High School. She prefers eating and playing video games to studying, which results in her notably poor grades. She also gets easily upset, whether by baseless insults or reasonable reprimands. It is very unlikely that she could be known as anything but a bad influence and a crybaby, but that begins to change when she meets a black cat. Given a special brooch from the black cat named Luna, Usagi can use it to transform into a guardian of justice named Sailor Moon! She is now tasked to protect the Earth from all that is evil and to find both a missing princess and a sacred jewel known as the Mystical Silver Crystal. Whether she likes it or not, Usagi's beautiful transformation marks the start of meeting the mysterious Tuxedo Mask, fighting alongside new comrades, and learning to take responsibility in this acclaimed magical girl classic.

Red is just a normal kid living in the rural Pallet Town, when he decides to go out on his own adventure, along with his rival, Green. In this world of Pokémon, he makes many friends, humans and Pokémon alike. However, all is not well. Team Rocket is trying to capture Mew, a very rare Pokémon, and is performing experiments on other Pokémon, trying to increase their power. Red and his friends must battle against Team Rocket to stop their cruel experiments and unlock the secrets of Pokémon.

Fifty years ago, the wielders of the sacred Rave stones fought against an onslaught caused by demon stones called Dark Bring. This war resulted in an explosion known as "Overdrive"—a blast so powerful that it sent the Dark Bring into a deep slumber and scattered the pieces of Rave across the world. In the present, Haru Glory lives a peaceful life on Garage Island until one day, he catches the creature Plue while fishing. Plue is later recognized by Shiba Roses, an old man who happens to be the original Rave Master. Shiba explains that the Dark Bring has resurfaced, and that to stop it, assembling the scattered parts of Rave is of utmost urgency. However, before Shiba can leave on this mission, he is attacked by a soldier from the evil organization Demon Card, forcing him to transfer the power of Rave to Haru. With the fate of humankind resting on his shoulders, the new Rave Master begins his quest to find the scattered Rave fragments.

When Hikaru Shindou discovers an old go board in his grandfather's attic, he is greeted by the spirit of an ancient go master, Fujiwara no Sai. Sai spent his life teaching the techniques of the board game to an emperor during the Heian era, and now in his ghostly state, he is eager to share his passion with the unsuspecting Hikaru. The only problem is that Hikaru is not all that interested in board games. But Sai is not easily dissuaded. Pressured by Sai's unrelenting desire to pursue something he refers to as the "Divine Move," Hikaru begrudgingly consents to playing the game, executing moves as dictated by Sai. But slowly, intrigued by the dedication of his peers, he begins to learn the basics of the game. As Hikaru enters into the world of go, guided by his intangible tutor and inspired by his rival, Akira Touya, he cannot help but be drawn into the complex game as he grows determined to prove his own abilities.

Much of the damage attributed to "Vash" is caused by the activities of bounty hunters who are after the 60,000,000,000$$ (sixty billion "double dollars") reward on Vash's head for the destruction of a city called July. Vash does not clearly remember the destruction of July, and only wants "love and peace," as he puts it; though he is a gunfighter of inhuman skill, he uses his weapons only to save lives wherever he can. As the series progresses, more is gradually learned about Vash's mysterious history and the history of the human civilization on Gunsmoke, the desert planet the series is set on. The series is often humorous in tone, but at the same time it involves very serious character development and especially in later episodes it becomes quite emotionally intense. Vash is occasionally joined by a priest, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, who is almost as good a gunfighter as Vash himself, and later is targeted by a band of assassins known as the Gung-Ho Guns for reasons which are mysterious at first. Trigun evolves into a very serious discussion of the nature of morality, posing questions such as: What is the nature of morality? Can we judge different moral codes? If a person is forced to betray their moral code, does that betrayal invalidate that moral code, and can the person still try to live up to that moral code? Can the person find redemption from their wrongs, and if so, how?Included one-shot: Volume 2: Trigun (pilot)

High school student Yuugi Mutou spends his days being bullied between classes and his nights playing board games and solving puzzles in his bedroom. Yuugi's penchant for gameplay comes from his grandfather, whose game shop also serves as a house for the two. One night, Yuugi manages to solve the Millennium Puzzle, a seemingly impossible challenge that awakens his inner darkness and converts it into an alternate persona: Yami Yuugi. Transforming into the more bold and dangerous persona against his will in moments of great distress, Yuugi begins to moonlight as a vengeful vigilante, challenging bullies and evil-doers to risky games where failure results in fates worse than death. Yuugi and his alter ego befriend some of the very students who once bullied him, forming unbreakable companionships with them. But the group must contend with villains far deadlier than the high school punks they originally rallied against, enemies who use games for nefarious purposes and threaten Yuugi and his friends' very lives.

Yukino Miyazawa is the perfect model student. Pretty, kind, good at sports, always at the top of her class. But she's not all that she seems. It's all an act of deception; she is really the self-confessed 'queen of vanity,' and her only goal in life is winning the praise and admiration of everyone around her. When she enters high school, she finally meets her match: Souichirou Arima, a handsome, athletic, popular, and very intelligent young boy. Ever since he stole the top seat in the class from her, Yukino has hated him, and has been plotting on how to take back her former place as the object of all other students' admiration. What she wasn't expecting, however, was that Souichirou, the very boy she hated, would confess his love for her. Or that he would find out about her deception—and use it to blackmail her! Together, they discover that they have more in common than they knew, and they slowly begin to bring out each other's inner selves.Included one-shots: Volume 1: Tora to Chameleon: Yakusoku wa Isshukan (The Tiger and the Chameleon: A Promise for One Week) Volume 4: Ashita Mata Mori de Aou ne (Meet Me Again Tomorrow in the Forest) Volume 8: Abareru Ousama (The Raging King)

At the age of sixteen Ryo Narushima was a genius and looked to have no trouble of getting into Tokyo University and joining the elite of society. However, that summer something cracked inside Ryo's head. With a small knife he brutally murdered both of his parents only leaving his sister alive and cowering in a corner. It is at this grotesque incident that our story begins.

Toua Tokuchi, a master of gambling and mind games, holds the remarkable record of 499 wins and zero losses in "One Outs," a simplified form of baseball that consists of only a batter and a pitcher. Visiting Okinawa, Tokuchi's hometown, is Hiromichi Kojima, the star batter of the Saikyou Saitama Lycaons, the weakest team in the Japanese baseball league. Dreaming of leading the Lycaons to winning the championship, and in dire need of a replacement for their injured pitcher during a training camp, Kojima involves himself in a game of One Outs, only to lose to a normal fastball from the seemingly invincible Tokuchi. Mesmerized by his prowess, Kojima recruits Tokuchi to the team after narrowly avoiding defeat in a rematch, believing he might just be their key to victory. However, the greedy owner of the Lycaons refuses to give him a decent salary, leading Tokuchi to suggest an unusual contract: every out he pitches will gain him five million yen, but every run he gives up will lose him fifty million yen. With his fate now tied to that of the team, Tokuchi's fight to bring the Lycaons to victory becomes yet another gamble—the very thing that he does best.

After seeing Izumi Sano at a high jump competition, Mizuki Ashiya became completely enamored by him—even moving from the United States to Japan and enrolling in the same institute as him. However, Sano's academy is an all-boys school! Due to her bright personality, Mizuki quickly befriends her class without drawing suspension to her gender. To her surprise, she ends up being not only Sano's classmate but also his roommate. Though she is now able to admire Sano in close proximity, she learns that Sano has quit high jumping and refuses to pick up the sport ever again for unknown reasons. Moreover, the academy's doctor, Hokuto Umeda, might be onto Mizuki's facade. Now, Mizuki has to find a way to reignite Sano's passion—all without revealing her secret.Included one-shots: Volume 1: Natsu no Ori (The Cage of Summer) Volume 4: Kawaki no Tsuki (The Thirsty Moon)

Timid 16-year-old Kira Asou prefers to be alone drawing than stand out. At a park, she is approached by her schoolmate Rei Kashino—notorious for being a womanizer—who asks for directions. Distrustful of Rei's intentions, Kira quickly chalks a map for him and runs away. Little does she know that Rei finds one of her sketches on the back of the map and becomes captivated by her artistic skills. Much to Kira's chagrin, Rei immediately recognizes her at school, but she ignores his attempts at striking up a conversation. However, Rei's sincere praise about her drawing leads Kira to see the violent rebel in a better light. After watching him kiss a statue of the god Mars, Kira feels so moved that she instantly requests him to model for her. As Kira and Rei's chance encounter begins to develop into a flourishing relationship, what is to become of these two polar personalities?

Akira Houjou and Chiaki Asami are childhood friends who have experienced hell and lived to tell about it. They arrive in Japan to attend school, and soon witness the corruption and apathy of the country's population. Enraged, Akira and Asami vow to create a new Japan; a sanctuary with a new form of politics, devoid of corruption, where people are empowered to participate in the politics and future of their country. To accomplish this, Houjou and Asami aim to conquer Japan through two dramatically different routes: the Japanese Diet and the Yakuza. Decided by a game of rock-paper-scissors, Houjou ventures to seize control of the underworld while Asami pursues the position of Prime Minister. Sanctuary is a dark, political thriller that tells the story of these two friends as they attempt to change Japan from the inside out and create their sanctuary.

Beyond the mist-filled alleyways in the concrete crevices of Los Angeles' Chinatown hides a mysterious pet shop, home to many bizarre yet friendly creatures. The store's proprietor is an enigmatic young man who goes by the name of Count D. Count D welcomes those who feel lonely and wounded through the doors of his shop, claiming to sell "love, dreams, and hope" in the form of the fantastic beasts that lie within. Each creature comes with a special contract accompanied by a set of rules. However, he warns customers that he cannot be held accountable for any consequences of breaking the rules. Short-tempered detective Leon Orcot traces the source of several crimes back to Count D and what the former considers to be a pet shop of horrors. Determined to find proof that the Count is a criminal, he begins to pay regular visits to the shop.

Ichi may seem like a spineless weakling—but when the tears start flowing, a terrifying transformation takes place. Driven to his mental breaking point, Ichi becomes an unstoppable force of carnage, unleashing a torrent of violence on his next target. When his destructive path collides with Kakihara, a sadomasochistic yakuza boss with a penchant for pain, it ignites a bloody spiral of chaos, depravity, and unimaginable brutality.

There is said to be a legendary "Ghost of Akina" that holds the fastest time to descend the Akina Pass. No one has ever come close to beating the record, nor has the mysterious driver of the white Toyota AE86 ever revealed themselves. Nowadays, the same AE86 can be seen every morning driving up and down the pass, making trips to a hotel residing at the top of the mountain. Unlike his classmates and coworkers, Takumi Fujiwara did not like cars. Any conversation about them would remind him of his early morning routine of delivering tofu for his father. He did not see the appeal in street racing and knew nothing about its rules or its culture. However, when tagging along to a nighttime meetup, the appearance of a rival racing team at the Akina Pass compels Takumi to hop behind the wheel of his father's AE86 and race them down the familiar mountain. This spur-of-the-moment decision marks the beginning of Takumi's high-octane journey, shifting from his daily deliveries to becoming the greatest drift racer ever. Along the way, he slowly finds and kindles his love for street racing as he comes face-to-face with a plethora of opponents, each ready to take on the renowned Ghost of Akina.

Much of the damage attributed to "Vash" is caused by the activities of bounty hunters who are after the 60,000,000,000$$ (sixty billion "double dollars") reward on Vash's head for the destruction of a city called July. Vash does not clearly remember the destruction of July, and only wants "love and peace", as he puts it; though he is a gunfighter of inhuman skill, he uses his weapons only to save lives wherever he can. As the series progresses, more is gradually learned about Vash's mysterious history and the history of the human civilization on Gunsmoke, the desert planet the series is set on. The series is often humorous in tone, but at the same time it involves very serious character development and especially in later episodes it becomes quite emotionally intense. Vash is occasionally joined by a priest, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, who is almost as good a gunfighter as Vash himself, and later is targeted by a band of assassins known as the Gung-Ho Guns for reasons which are mysterious at first. Trigun evolves into a very serious discussion of the nature of morality, posing questions such as: What is the nature of morality? Can we judge different moral codes? If a person is forced to betray their moral code, does that betrayal invalidate that moral code, and can the person still try to live up to that moral code? Can the person find redemption from their wrongs, and if so, how?

Ichitaka Seto is a 16-year-old high school student who is hopelessly in love. He is smitten with Iori Yoshizuki, a classmate who recently became famous after featuring in a magazine. However, Ichitaka has been unable to convey his affection, hung-up on a brutal rejection in the past. As luck would have it, Ichitaka finds himself paired up with Iori in the Freshman Welcoming Ceremony. Despite some mishaps, things go well between the two. But when Ichitaka's childhood friend, Itsuki Akiba, comes crashing into his place, things take a drastic turn, and the three individuals' relationship gets off to a complicated start.

The main character is a detective, Kazuhiko Amamiya, suffering from multiple personality disorder. Starting out as a violent detective series with a twist (the twist being the variant personalities that take over Detective Amamiya at various intervals), the series evolves into an exceptionally complex and involved sci-fi conspiracy story.

Beneath the legendary Tokyo Dome lies an underground fighting arena known as Kourakuen. Here, warriors display their prowess in all manner of martial art disciplines, from the quiet control of kenpo to the heavy hits of boxing. There are only two real rules in this arena: no weapons allowed, and no rewards will be obtained. Fighters here live and die for only their honor and the chance to make their name live on forever. Teenage grappler Baki Hanma strives to earn a place among Kourakuen's fiercest combatants, utilizing a unique fighting style created through years of harsh training and suffering. Baki is the only known son of the infamous terror Yuujirou Hanma, a violent man known and feared worldwide as the "Ogre." Yuujirou's brutal parenting and savage international crimes have filled Baki with trauma and hatred, fueling him to become as powerful as possible. In a quest for revenge against his father, Baki battles the most fearsome men the world has ever birthed. Through bloody victory and crushing loss, will Baki ever be strong enough to stand his ground against Yuujirou?

America in the Roaring 20s. On the surface, it's a positive, peaceful time after the violence of the Great War. But lurking in the shadows is a dark element ready to snatch that peace away. Sister Rosette Christopher, an exorcist working as a part of the Magdala Order, has a duty to fight the demons which appear and cause destruction. But along with her companion Chrno, she usually ends up causing more destruction than the demons themselves! On one particular mission, they meet a young girl with a beautiful voice named Azmaria, who is being targeted by her own stepfather. As Rosette and Chrno work to save her, more is revealed about the relationship between them. There is more to these two than meets the eye.

Suzuran is a school where the misfits of society congregate. Known as Crows, the students lack a promising future; they establish their place in the world only by using their fists. In this violent culture, physical strength remains the be-all and end-all amongst teenagers with nothing else to live for. Suzuran maintains its set hierarchy, but such a system fails to unite all involved in a common goal. While there are those at the top, Suzuran has no single leader. Enter Harumichi Bouya, an unethical teenager with little intellectual capability. As a typical delinquent, Harumichi loves to fight and takes on any adversity with his physical prowess. Now at Suzuran, Harumichi aims to prove himself and reach the very top of the vicious society he has been thrust into.

Six years ago, Kamui Shirou and siblings Fuuma and Kotori Monou were inseparable childhood friends. After the sudden, gruesome death of the Monou siblings' mother, Kamui was taken away from Tokyo by his own mother. In the years that passed, the two lived peacefully while Kamui strengthened his innate telekinetic abilities. When his mother passes away in 1999, her dying wish prompts him to return to Tokyo to face his "destiny." When Kamui reappears in the city, his attitude has taken a drastic turn, and he displays the growth of his powers through violent confrontations in the streets. Various opponents come after him asking if he is "Kamui," but they seem to be demanding something far more significant than his name. These fighters represent two opposite factions—the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth—who each wish to recruit him to their cause. Piecing together clues about the apocalyptic "promised day," Kamui realizes that he holds the fate of the world in his hands. Depending on which group of Dragons he allies himself with, he can either choose to save the world—or end it.

Five powerful death row inmates break free from their respective prisons in America, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Russia. Each convict flees to Tokyo to achieve his one goal: to suffer defeat at the hands of the world's strongest fighters. Seventeen-year-old fighting champion Baki Hanma continues to train his body beyond its limits in order to one day challenge his monstrous father, Yuujirou Hanma, to a battle. Baki grows bored with his obligatory high school studies but finds comfort and strength in his budding relationship with Kozue Matsumoto. The quiet stasis of his life is disrupted by the arrival of the death row convicts as each criminal proves his might in displays of lethal force across Tokyo. To combat this growing threat, Baki bands together with yakuza Kaoru Hanayama, rival Retsu Kaiou, mentor Doppo Orochi, and elderly jujitsu master Gouki Shibukawa. Together the five warriors agree to seek out and defeat their criminal opponents. But Baki faces the added burden of protecting Kozue from his evil new enemies, and he must fight to prove himself worthy under the watchful eye of his father, Yuujirou.

At the end of the 21st century, a great catastrophe devastates Japan, leaving its land unrecognizable and halting civilization's progress. In the present day, the emperor and his four sons reign over the country with an iron fist. It is said that only the prophesied "Child of Destiny" can free Japan from the royal family's shackles. Sarasa is the twin sister of Tatara, the Child of Destiny. Despite having to live in her brother's shadow, Sarasa supports him in any way she can. However, tragedy strikes when the Red King, the emperor's youngest son, and his army attack her village, leading to Tatara's brutal death. To protect the townspeople, Sarasa takes on her brother's name and becomes the Child of Destiny, vowing revenge on the Red King. With the sudden turn of events taking a toll on her health, Sarasa visits a hot spring to recuperate. During her stay, she meets Shuri, a charming yet mysterious young man. Shuri is fascinated by Sarasa as she treats him differently from other girls; meanwhile, Sarasa is unable to stop thinking about him. This casual encounter between the two seals their fate—destined to be bound by war, hatred, and love.

Seishun Academy is home to one of the best middle school tennis teams in all of Japan. Freshman tennis prodigy Ryouma Echizen enrolls in the prestigious institution with his eyes set on claiming a regular position on the Boys' Tennis Team. As the son of legendary tennis player Samurai Nanjirou, Ryouma is sick of living in his shadow and wishes to surpass him someday. He is confident in his skills and has the cocky attitude to match. His teammates, however, are reluctant to accept him into their starting lineup, as he hasn't proven himself worthy of the spot. Seishun's ultimate goal is to make it to the National Tournament by the end of the year, but they first have to make it through the Kanto Regionals to even qualify for a spot in it. With their new "super rookie" on the team, Seishun is ready to take on anything that comes their way. With a varied assortment of rivals and opponents that can threaten their chance at the title, the Seishun team needs to give it their all in order to rise to the top.Included one-shot: Volume 5: Tennis no Oujisama (pilot)

The angel Alexiel loved God, but she rebelled against Heaven when she saw how disgracefully the other angels were behaving. She was finally captured, and as punishment sent to Earth to live an endless series of tragic lives. She now inhabits the body of Setsuna Mudo, a troubled teen in love with his sister Sara. Setsuna's misery mirrors the chaos among the angels, and their combined passions threaten to destroy both Heaven and Earth.

Professor Kawato is the new Japanese teacher in the ill-famed Futagotamaga high shool, whose baseball club is composed by thugs and bullies who have been suspended for a year from all school competitions for causing a brawl during an official match. Now that the suspension is over, the only club's members left are interested only in women, smoking and doing nothing until, under professor Kawato's guidance, they discover a new dream called Koushien. The road to Koushien is far from easy, as they have to get back in shape, to learn how to play baseball and to win everyone else mistrust, including the principal's and other professor's one, with only a few months available. Sweating and fighting, the baseball club will find his determination and strength, as they proceed towards their dreams, while Kawato's enthusiastic and non-conventional ways slowly change the attitude of everyone near them.