Best Fantasy Manga of 2014

Two years have passed since the CCG's raid on Anteiku. Although the atmosphere in Tokyo has changed drastically due to the increased influence of the CCG, ghouls continue to pose a problem as they have begun taking caution, especially the terrorist organization Aogiri Tree, who acknowledge the CCG's growing threat to their existence. The creation of a special team, known as the Quinx Squad, may provide the CCG with the push they need to exterminate Tokyo's unwanted residents. As humans who have undergone surgery in order to make use of the special abilities of ghouls, they participate in operations to eradicate the dangerous creatures. The leader of this group, Haise Sasaki, is a half-ghoul, half-human who has been trained by famed special class investigator, Kishou Arima. However, there's more to this young man than meets the eye, as unknown memories claw at his mind, slowly reminding him of the person he used to be.

After the Golden Kingdom is sunk underground by an insane magician, its king emerges, promising all of his treasure to any who defeat the magician, before crumbling to dust. Guilds are spurred on by this promise, traversing the labyrinthine dungeon in search of the magician. Laios Touden, the leader of one such guild, encounters a dragon that wipes out his party and devours his sister, Falin. Despite having lost the entirety of their supplies and belongings, Laios along with Marcille Donato, an elven healer, and Chilchuck Tims, a halfling thief, immediately reenter the dungeon, determined to save Falin. Time being of the essence, Laios suggests the taboo of eating the monsters of the dungeon as a means of gathering supplies. Upon the preparation of their first meal in the dungeon, they are stopped by an on-looking dwarf named Senshi. An enthusiast of monster cooking, he helps them prepare their monster ingredients for safe consumption. After learning of Laios' circumstances, Senshi expresses his desire to cook a dragon and joins their guild, thus beginning their food-filled foray into the dungeon together.

Killed while saving a stranger from a traffic collision, a 34-year-old NEET is reincarnated into a world of magic as Rudeus Greyrat, a newborn baby. With knowledge, experience, and regrets from his previous life retained, Rudeus vows to lead a fulfilling life and not repeat his past mistakes. Now gifted with a tremendous amount of magical power as well as the mind of a grown adult, Rudeus is seen as a genius in the making by his new parents. Soon, he finds himself studying under powerful warriors, such as his swordsman father and a mage named Roxy Migurdia—all in order to hone his apparent talents. But despite his innocent exterior, Rudeus is still a perverted otaku, who uses his wealth of knowledge to make moves on women whom he could never make in his previous life.

Exiting the convenience store, Subaru Natsuki emerges to a busy town inhabited by humans and demi-humans. Using dragons and carriages as transportation, the town is clearly not the modern-day Japan that he is familiar with. However, as someone who spends his days engrossed in comics and games, Subaru assumes that he is a protagonist in this new fantasy world, harnessing supreme magical powers. Much to his dismay, that is not the case and things quickly go awry as he bumps into a group of thugs. Fortunately, a silver-haired beauty named Satella comes to his rescue, while looking for her stolen insignia. In return for her kindness, Subaru offers to help with the search, which eventually leads them to a loot shop. Assuming that the insignia was traded for money, Subaru enters the shop hoping to negotiate with the owner regarding the stolen item. However, much to his surprise, what awaits them is not the insignia but a brutal assassin that leads the two to their demise. But instead of waking up in the afterlife, Subaru is shocked to find himself standing alone in the midst of daytime, as if he never left the town in the first place. Thus, his life in another world mysteriously begins a second time.

Long before she would found Fairy Tail, first master Mavis Vermillion is left under the care of the Red Lizard guild. Abused and belittled at every opportunity, she is forced to complete difficult chores. Despite this horrific treatment, Mavis refuses to cry, for if she did, she would not be able to meet the fairies. However, her life of servitude comes to an abrupt end when the Blue Skull guild raids her home, leaving only Mavis and the guild master's daughter, Zera, alive. For many years, Mavis and Zera live alone, taking care of each other. But this all changes when a band of treasure hunters comes to the island in search of the Tenrou Jade—a precious gem that is sacred to the island. With the arrival of new faces, her life begins to change again. Mavis has never stopped wishing to meet the fairies, and now she may finally have the chance to find them.

While humanity celebrates the defeat of the Demon King by the hands of a lone hero, the denizens of the demon world prepare for the contest of a lifetime—a tournament to decide who would inherit the title of Demon King. Now, three months later, the tournament has been proceeding smoothly—well, other than the fact that the favorite to come out on top is the human hero Helck! With a smile and a wave, he easily bests his demonic competition, all while loudly proclaiming his hatred for humans. Though he calls for the destruction of humanity, the truth of what lies behind his cheery façade remains a mystery. Doubtful of Helck's intentions, Red Vamirio—one of the "Four Heavenly Kings," who oversee the realm of the demons together—seeks to uncover what the hero is truly after. With the title of "Demon King" at stake, the fate of the demon world rests on her shoulders.

Lonely thirty-seven-year-old Satoru Mikami is stuck in a dead-end job, unhappy with his mundane life, but after dying at the hands of a robber, he awakens to a fresh start in a fantasy realm...as a slime monster! As he acclimates to his goopy new existence, his exploits with the other monsters set off a chain of events that will change his new world forever!

Succubus, Dullahan and Vampire. They are known as Ajin, or "demi"s and are slightly different than the average human. They have lived alongside humans for ages under persecution. However, in recent years, they have become accepted as members of society. This manga follows a high school biology teacher who has a great interest in demis and his interaction with the various demis in his school, each with their own cute problems.

Willem Kmetsch wakes up from his icy slumber as the last surviving Emnetwiht, a race of humans that populated the planet’s surface until they met their untimely demise five centuries ago at the hands of "Beasts." Currently, he lives among the hundred odd floating islands that make up civilization—otherwise inhabited by various other species, all of whom possess distinct animal-like features such as horns, fangs, wings, and scales. Because he lacks any such feature, Willem is referred to as a "markless." One day, Willem encounters another markless named Ctholly Nota Seniorious. He thinks nothing of the meeting, and continues to spend his days working odd jobs until he runs into her again, this time after accepting a military posting. Willem soon learns that the group of bubbly young Leprechauns he is tasked to look after are pivotal in the ongoing battle against the Beasts. These girls, who have had little exposure outside a world where they are treated as weapons, are willing to die if it means defeating the Beasts. Determined to nurture a life of normalcy for them, Willem soon becomes a father figure to the girls. Just like how he once went off to battle, he must now come to terms with watching these children go off to war.

While returning home from the convenience store, Subaru Natsuki suddenly finds himself standing in an unfamiliar city, surrounded by unfamiliar people speaking unfamiliar words. Subaru quickly connects the dots and realizes that he's been transported to another world. After being chased off by a shop owner for being penniless, Subaru finds himself surrounded by a group of thugs. Just when Subaru thinks all hope is lost, a mysterious girl named Satella comes to his rescue. She's after a thief who Subaru had previously seen in town. After Satella scares off the thugs, Subaru decides to repay her by helping her look for the thief. Through a series of events, the pair finds themselves at a cellar known for housing stolen goods. Shortly after entering the house, Subaru and Satella are ambushed by a dark figure and neither survives the encounter. Subaru opens his eyes to find that he has gone back in time to earlier that day, beginning a confusing series of loops in which he relives past occurrences.

The unaware Subaru Natsuki wakes to see two figures standing in a completely unfamiliar room. The two girls, who turn out to be the sisters Rem and Ram, are immediately teased by Subaru for their synchronistic way of speaking. Before he can go too far, he is interrupted by Emilia—the charming girl he saved at the cost of losing his life thrice using "Return By Death," an ability that allows him to return to a certain "savepoint" each time he dies. Emilia informs him that due to the injury he received while protecting her from Elsa Granhiert, she brought him to the mansion she lives in. There, Subaru meets Roswaal L. Mathers, the clownlike count who owns the residence. While everyone is having breakfast, Subaru requests a reward: to let him be hired as a butler alongside Rem and Ram, which Roswaal quickly grants. Everything seems to be going well for Subaru. However, after a few days inside the mansion, he mysteriously wakes up at the beginning again, reminding him an awful lot of his ability. Can Subaru unravel the mystery behind his death, or will his spirit break first?

The Hero has defeated the Demon King, but the Princess he meant to save turned out to be a Prince. NEETdom, here he comes, but a life of relaxation surrounded by anime is a pretty sweet deal. Unfortunately, he gets caught up in millennia old legends, curses, and a twisted plot involving multiple Kingdoms and many dragons. Through and through, though, he'll follow a path of whimsy, even if that involves him palling it up with "villains".

A few thousand years has passed since an alchemist created Winter. He is now living with Jane learning what it means to be alive as a human.

Sisti attends a magical academy to hone her skills in the magical arts, and hopes to solve the mystery of the enigmatic Sky Castle. After the retirement of her favorite teacher, the replacement, Glen, turns out to be a tardy, lazy, seemingly incompetent bastard of an instructor. How was it that Glen was hand-picked by the best magician in the academy!?

My name is... One year before a certain useless goddess and NEET extraordinaire hit the scene, Megumin, the "Greatest Genius of the Crimson Magic Clan," is hard at work. Ever since a life-changing encounter in her youth, the young wizard has dedicated her every waking moment to the pursuit of the ultimate offensive magic, Explosion! (Well...every moment not spent hustling food from her self-proclaimed rival.) And while the big sister's away, the little one will play. On a routine trip into the woods, Megumin's little sister, Komekko, finds a strange black kitten. Little does she know that this cat plays a key role in unsealing a Dark God's tomb...

"Three years ago, he had the same posture. Three years ago, he had stood behind Miyuki. Yes.... Compared to three years ago, it had changed." Set 3 years prior to the present time, Tsuioku-hen tells the events that would change Miyuki's world drastically, as well as the events that led Tatsuya to become what he is now.

Syaoran and his friends were successful in collecting Sakura's memories and defeating Fei Wang. However, in order to release Fei Wang's last spell, Syaoran had to pay the price of "continuing his journey." He parted with Sakura and once more, accompanied by Kurogane, Fai, and Mokona, travelled to a parallel universe!

Rookie teacher Haruaki Abe is as cowardly as they come. It's hard enough for him to handle human students without whimpering-and now he's going to be teaching at a school full of monsters?! It's a classroom of horrors for Haruaki, as his mischievous students use every means at their disposal to prank him! Will this poor teacher be able to get his group of ghouls under control, or is this class destined for failure?

Aiz Wallenstein is the Sword Princess, one of the best fighters from the most powerful group in all of Orario, Loki Familia. She's consumed by one goal: become stronger. Together with her familia, Aiz departs on quests to some of the deepest floors of the dungeon, exploring and fighting the dangerous monsters born below. But when one expedition goes terribly wrong, will Aiz be strong enough to save her familia, or has all her work been for naught...?

A year after Kazuto and Asuna escaped from Aincrad, the deadly setting of Sword Art Online, they're still coping with the aftermath as they try to recover from the harrowing experience. Meanwhile, there's a new VRMMO game sweeping the world's gamers—Gun Gale Online. When a mysterious player who calls himself "Death Gun" claims to be responsible for real-world deaths, Kazuto (aka Kirito) is recruited to enter the game to investigate, bringing an end to his hard-won peace!

Kirito and Sinon's battle with Death Gun is over, but mere weeks later, something strange is afoot in the next-generation VRMMO ALfheim Online. A new duelist with a custom sword skill is defeating all comers—including Kirito! But when Asuna goes to face this duelist, she receives something she never expected: an invitation to an exclusive guild! But what is their aim? The Mother's Rosario arc begins!

Aiz Wallenstein, the Sword Princess, is known as one of the most powerful warriors from one of the most powerful groups in the city of Orario: Loki Familia. With them, she ventures into the deepest parts of the labyrinthine Dungeon beneath the city, stalking the monstrous denizens that lurk there and vanquishing them with the blazing light of her sword. But when she meets a certain white-haired boy, the encounter will change both of them forever...

Labyrinth Town is a legendary city composed of ten districts, home to witches and diviners alike. In the outermost district of this maze, many young girls begin training to join the ranks of the "Urara," a group of women known far and wide for their ability to divine the answers to the world's most difficult questions. Chiya, a wild girl raised amongst the animals in the mountains, is invited to take her rightful place as a first rank urara. By joining them, she hopes to divine the location of her long-lost mother. Chiya quickly makes three friends: studious Kon Tatsumi, aspiring witch Koume Yukimi, and reticent Nono Natsume. Armed with only their own ingenuity and a vague connection to the gods, they begin their journey in the way of the urara.

Okamura Hiiro is introverted and loves books. To him, books are his raison d'etre. His story starts with usual gimmick of summoning of heroes. Five people summoned, but one of them is just an outsider dragged in accidentally, that person is Hiiro. The four others are his classmates, but it's not like they are friends. Unlike him, they are riajuus. Hiiro decided not to help the country, his reason? "I don't believe you. I'm not friends with them. It's not my business, and I'm an ordinary person who cares for my own life, so bye," and he sets for his own journey. Little does others know, that this ordinary person, Hiiro, actually hides a power which could change the world!

The moon is beginning to fall, and at the rate it's going, it is doomed to fall on the Earth. The countdown for the survival of the planet begins. Among the havoc, Hinata's younger sister Hanabi is captured by the mysterious enemy, Toneri Ootsutsuki. Naruto must overcome great danger on a mission to save Hanabi and the world along with Hinata, Sai, Shikamaru, and Sakura in their final story.

Konohana Kitan is the heartwarming story of a new apprentice named Yuzu, and the other fox girls who work at a hot spring hotel called Konohatei. The staff at Konohatei live by one belief: no matter who one may truly be, no matter what, anyone who is a guest is a god. Of course, that includes you. Let the hospitality of Yuzu and the Konohatei heal your tired soul.

When Lord El-Melloi II, the later Waver Velvet, gets asked to claim his inheritance over Adra Castle, he travels there with his apprentice Gray to do so. But they are not the only ones called that way. The will of the previous owner states that the assembled contestants—including Luviagelita Edelfelt—must compete in a game of wits to win the castle.

Deep in Scotland Yard in London sits an evidence room, where artifacts of the greatest mysteries in London history are kept. In this "Black Museum" sits two bullets, fused together after a head-on collision. This was the key piece of evidence in a case that brought together a supernatural Man in Gray and the famous nurse and activist Florence Nightingale—the only person who can see him. Surrounded by war and suffering, the lady enters into a desperate pact with this ghostlike man...

Summoning ceremonies can freely call forth even "those which lurk in the depths beyond the gods." One boy has top-level abilities even among the cutting-edge summoners who can use those ceremonies. He is "Alice (with) Rabbit" aka Shiroyama Kyousuke. But this strongest boy summoner has a single fatal weakness. Certain "cursed words" spoken by girls: "Help me." When Kyousuke hears those words from Meinokawa Higan, a girl brought to the verge of death, he throws himself into a city where three great summoner forces clash!

Utilizing a system called "Sense," each player aims to create their unique character in the VRMMORPG "Only Sense Online." Joining this realm is Yun, an absolute beginner in the world of gaming, equipped with some of the worst customized "Sense" ever. While his two sisters, both veterans in this world, criticize his choices of equipment, he continues to delve into the skill sets he has acquired. Along his way, he meets the art of "production" and people that have mastered this art. Watch as a total novice creates a revolution in the gaming world and create the "ultimate" support class.

In the year 298 from the era of the gods, elementary school girls Sumi Washio, Sonoko Nogi, and Gin Minowa are tasked with an important mission. They are to become heroes and fight Vertex, a mysterious enemy that is attacking Shinju-sama, the god tree that protects Shikoku, the only area in the world that is still habitable. What they don't know, is that this fight will cost them more than they could have ever imagined.

The world of Re:Zero continues to grow with every new tale and this collection of short stories is the perfect place to learn more about everyone's favorite characters! What will Rem and Ram have to deal with today? Where will Emilia's new adventures take her? And how will Subaru land himself in yet another scrape?

Short stories about the past of the girls from the manga Trinity Seven.