Best Fantasy Manga of 2019

After his high school graduation, Yuuki Wakura realizes it has been five years since his sister's disappearance during a "Mato disaster." Throughout Japan, mysterious entrances have opened to a dimension called "Mato"—a demonic metropolis filled with disastrous monsters known as the "Shuuki" that threaten the safety of humans. However, a new hope arose, as the discovery of a Mato fruit that grants supernatural abilities exclusively to women allowed them to fight against the Shuuki. Due to this, a new matriarchal government was formed, establishing a female organization called the Demon Defense Force, which caused men to fall to the bottom of society. When Yuuki suddenly finds himself in Mato, he is unable to escape on his own. But just as he anticipates a gruesome end by the Shuuki, a girl in a militia outfit appears and protects him. As the chief of the Seventh Unit of the Demon Defense Force, Kyouka Uzen is ambitious yet devalued by her own peers due to her power being deemed unusual. Now in a life-or-death situation, Kyouka takes the opportunity to find out the true potential of her superpower by using Yuuki: in order to defeat the Shuuki, he has to become her slave.

For decades, the brave warriors of the Northern Heavenly Sect fought to keep the world safe from the evil Silent Night. But when the fourth generation leader is accused of colluding with the enemy, he is forced to disband the sect and commit suicide to protect his son, Moowon. With no family and allies left, Moowon leads a dreary life under close surveillance... until a surprise attack from the Silent Night gives him a chance to escape to the mountains. There, the young warrior trains to master the fighting techniques of his predecessors, before the mysterious disappearance of a loved one brings him back to the mainland. Follow Moowon as he embarks on a journey to avenge his father's death and take down the villains who threaten to plunge the world into darkness!

Himuro is an office worker who belongs to a race of supernatural beings with strange powers. Whenever he is deep in concentration, he subconsciously plunges his poor coworkers into a close rendition of the Arctic. Even so, contrary to his icy powers, Himuro is a warm and kind person. He likes flowers and cats, but alas, he cannot get too close to either. Himuro has a soft spot for his colleague Fuyutsuki, a calm woman who has a knack for providing simple solutions to his unconventional problems. Whenever Fuyutsuki does something for him, a snowstorm of emotions builds inside Himuro's heart, and he fails to notice the raging snowstorm he causes on the office floor. Thanks to his snowy tantrums, Himuro's feelings are apparent to everyone but Fuyutsuki. However, fueled by immense adoration and desire, Himuro is prepared to do whatever it takes to capture her heart.

Empress of the Eastern Nation Navier Ellie Trovi stands at the pinnacle of noblewomen with dignity and grace. Although she and her husband, Emperor Sovieshu, are not as intimate as other couples, their trust in each other has been built over years of friendship. But then, wanting something more, he brings in a concubine—a former slave named Rashta—and that is when everything begins to fall apart. Months later, the fateful day arrives; Sovieshu declares his intentions to divorce Navier and give her throne to Rashta. However, against all expectations, Navier is not backed against a wall, and she declares her intention to marry another man—Heinrey—whose noble appearance shocks all in the room. Just who is Heinrey, and how did Navier come to this new marriage arrangement? The Eastern Nation stands at a precipice, being torn apart by conspiracies, lies, and—above all—love.

After being recently discharged from military service and just drifting through life, Hanbin Ryu is suddenly transported to another world. However, his "guide line," the system bestowed upon him to help with his survival and growth, was filled with errors, causing him to be stuck in the tutorial stage for over 20 years. When he is finally released from this personal hell, he finds everyone has turned against otherworlders like him. Just how will this low-level, super-tutorial newbie survive?

1-2. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tomioka Giyuu Gaiden 3-4. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Rengoku Kyoujurou Gaiden 5. Kimetsu no Aima!

It is a mystery why the late Marquess Johannes von Neuschwanstein decided to marry a 16-year-old girl barely older than his eldest child. Whatever the reason, Shuli is left to shoulder heavy responsibilities as marchioness after his death. On top of the responsibility to manage a prestigious household with close ties to the empire's royal family, she becomes stepmother to four children who deeply mistrust her. For seven years, Shuli dedicates herself to raising the children well and safeguarding the family fortune. She believes she only has to wait until her son Jeremy will take over as head of the family—then she can live freely. However, on the long-awaited day of his wedding, she is caught up in a tragic accident. When Shuli next opens her eyes, she finds herself in the past, hours before Johannes' funeral. Although uncertain why she has been granted a second chance at life, this time she is determined to build relationships with the children as well as allow for her own happiness.

800 years ago, Xie Lian was a pure-blooded and noble Crown Prince, a well-regarded child of Heaven with unlimited potential. But who knew that, after he ascended and became a god with tens of thousands of worshippers, his fate would take such a sharp downhill turn? He was demoted again and again, and fell to rock bottom. 800 years later, Xie Lian ascended again, but this time, without worshippers and without incense. One day, after returning from collecting scraps, he took a mysterious young man home. And this young man was the Ghost King that made others pale in fear whenever discussed—Hua Cheng.

A remake of the comedy spin-off manga Koha-Ace GO: Teito Seihai Kitan.

Ryu may be getting on in his years, but the aging gangster is still hellbent on defending his turf when some young toughs ambush him and he wakes up in a fantasy world! Not only that, he's in the body of this world's princess! Is he the one that the ancient prophecy spoke of? Ryu might be out of place in this fantasy realm, but he may also be the only one who can save it!

The web manga centers around Bojji, a deaf, powerless prince who cannot even wield a children's sword. As the firstborn son, he strives hard and dreams of becoming the world's greatest king. However, people mutter about him behind his back as "a good-for-nothing prince" and "no way he can be king." Bojji is able to make his first ever friend, "Kage" (shadow)—a literal shadow on the ground who somehow understands Bojji well. (Kage is a survivor of the Kage assassin clan that was all but wiped out. No longer a killer, Kage now makes ends meet by stealing.) The story follows Bojji's coming-of-age as he meets various people in his life, starting with his fateful encounter with Kage.

Yoshio is a thirty-year-old shut-in with no job and no prospects, still living at home after all these years. His mundane life is suddenly interrupted when he receives a copy of "The Village of Fate," an experimental game with graphics and A.I. like nothing he's ever seen before. In the game, he takes on the role of a guardian deity who watches over the people of a new village...but he finds that the game characters are so intelligent, so reactive, so human that he starts to wonder if they might somehow be real people. Through his connection to their strangely vivid lives, Yoshio begins to discover the brightness that had been missing from his own existence.

With her sole hobbies being reading and cooking, Tsukina Mizumori is a lonesome woman in her 30s who keeps to herself. As such, she unsurprisingly rejects the offer of becoming a savior for another world after being summoned by an orb that calls itself God. Despite growing out of bothersome adventures, Tsukina has no choice but to do what It says—though not before being given a few benefits to make her life easier. With the help of a magic pendant, Tsukina is able to start her own book cafe on the outskirts of town. Her first customer ends up being Il Soeil—captain of the Knights of Othel and a fellow bookworm. Exhausted from dealing with the other savior, who prefers to spend her time with the prince instead of learning spells, Il comes to appreciate the charming business and soon takes a liking to the owner. For three months, Tsukina is content with her peaceful life and her status as an anonymous savior. However, when God grants her a visit to warn her about the other savior, the otherwise self-assured bibliophile might not be able to hide her secret any longer.

Five years ago, a plague wiped out a great part of the land of Fortna's population. Nina, a girl with unique, deep-blue eyes, counts her parents among the casualties of the pandemic. In order to survive, she teams up with a pair of fellow orphans and begins to steal from the wealthy. Unfortunately, Nina's life is struck by tragedy again as she finds herself being abducted by a group of mysterious men. Her main captor turns out to be none other than Azure Seth Fortna, the second-born prince of the royal family. His half-sister Alisha—a reclusive priestess-princess—perished in an accident before she was to be married off to the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom of Galgada. Although Nina does not resemble the late princess in the slightest, they do share one characteristic: their one-of-a-kind eye color. With the intention of preventing a war between the two kingdoms, Azure plans to use Nina under the false pretense that she is the real Alisha. With nothing else to lose, Nina reluctantly accepts the prince's proposition to replace his late sister. Pretending to be royalty is not an easy feat, but Azure aids Nina until her departure. The fate of two nations rests on Nina's shoulders—and she will make sure the stars are on her side.

On the outside, otome villainess Lieselotte Riefenstahl seems foul in every way, a purely evil character. However, as revealed in her diary, she was always hiding both her pain and her true feelings for Prince Siegwald Fitzenhagen. While she keeps this locked away, an evil witch ultimately possesses her, leading to her demise—a tragic end for the tsundere villainess. This is how the story always goes, an end coded into the game MagiKoi. Broadcasting club members Aoto Endou and Shihono Kobayashi decide to play this game. In another universe, Prince Siegwald hears their voices, believing it to be a divine revelation from a god and goddess. These voices clue him into something he never noticed before: Lieselotte is actually overwhelmingly adorable! There are no resets in this game, and just one chance to change the future for the ill-fated villainess. In years to come, these two entities, who would guide the country to prosperity and greatness, would be known as play-by-play Endou and color commentator Kobayashi!

Yunifer Magnolia already knows how her life ends, as she is actually a modern-day woman who transmigrated into a love story. When Grand Duke Ishid Lucrenze falls in love with her best friend, Raelle Carnia, Yunifer grows into a jealous villainess and is eventually killed for relentlessly tormenting Raelle. Thankfully, Yunifer lands at a point in the story before these events unfold and swears to prevent her grim fate. Despite Yunifer's best efforts to avoid Raelle and Ishid entirely, her plan is thrown into disarray when she wakes up in bed with Ishid by her side. Caught in an awkward situation, Yunifer decides to play along with the suddenly smitten Ishid and become his lover with the intention to step aside once he meets his destined Raelle. But Ishid's genuine affection stirs something inside Yunifer, and she finds herself falling for the handsome hero, ready to turn her ill-fated future into a romantic happy ending.

Aijin are beast-like beings that, despite their extraordinary abilities, are subjugated by humankind due to their smaller population. While male Aijin are required to serve in the military, their female counterparts are forced to work lowly jobs. Born as Aijin, Rangetsu Ko and her younger twin brother, Sougetsu, fend for themselves. Rangetsu is soon devastated when Sougetsu's powers are awakened and he is taken away to become the prince Tenyou's beast-servant.. Not long after, she hears rumors that her brother has been killed by Prince Tenyou himself. Brimming with anger, Rangetsu disguises herself as a man and enlists in the military, eventually becoming Prince Tenyou's next beast-servant. Although her opportunity to exact her revenge is within reach, Prince Tenyou defies Rangetsu's expectations, and she begins questioning the circumstances surrounding Sougetsu's death. Pursuing the truth leads Rangetsu into a political game far more dangerous than she could imagine.Included one-shot: Volume 1: Suijin no Hanayome Tokubetsu-hen (The Water Dragon's Bride Bonus Chapter)

On to the next stage: the witch's tomb known as the Sanctuary-Determined to release Rem from a mysterious slumber, Subaru and Emilia return to Roswaal's manor in search of clues on how to reach the Sanctuary, the secret location to which Ram and Roswaal escaped. But the way there is fraught with the unexpected-especially for Subaru, who finds himself in the company of a curious figure. A new chapter begins, and with it, a new adventure...

During the day, teachers spend all of their time helping their apprentices. But when the children are asleep, the night is theirs to do as they please. Qifrey and his friend Olruggio especially look forward to when this time arrives; for them, the witching hours are meant to create unique and delicious meals for everyone in the atelier to enjoy.

"My wish as champion is for you to descend the tower and be my wife." Climbing a deadly tower, Oscar seeks the power of its master, the Witch of the Azure Moon. He hopes her incredible magic can break a curse that will kill any woman he takes for a wife. When the prince sees how beautiful Tinasha is, though, he has a better idea—since she's surely strong enough to survive his curse, she should just marry him instead! Tinasha isn't keen on the idea, but agrees to live with Oscar in the royal castle for a year while researching the spell placed on the prince. The witch's pretty face hides several lifetimes of dark secrets, however—secrets that begin resurfacing...

A new reign has begun. Wolfgang Goldenleonard, formerly an illegitimate prince, has now become the emperor of his kingdom. In addition, he has obtained both the throne's power and the heart of Shin Soohyuk, the person who shaped him into the man he is today. However, there is still a long way ahead before the entire kingdom grows accustomed to its new monarch. Between uncertainty regarding Wolfgang's authority and the lingering threat of a possible coup, Wolfgang and Shin must keep an eye on the throne to ensure the safety of His Majesty at all costs. Yet soon, their tumultuous relationship may become an obstacle for their plans and Shin's future goals.

Shinobu and Kanae ask Himejima to teach them how to slay demons. After he refuses, they must complete the impossible task of moving a giant rock to convince him to introduce them to trainers. In other tales, Zenitsu tricks Inosuke into helping him dig a hot spring under Uzui's training, Mitsuri grapples with her reason for becoming a Demon Slayer, Genya discusses his family with Sumi, the Hashiras try to make Tomioka smile, and Kimetsu Academy forms a rock band—much to Shinobu's chagrin!

Branded as an incompetent ruler, the life of Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon ends at the guillotine. But to her surprise, Mia reawakens in her own body eight years before her execution. Freed from the torment of being imprisoned, Mia assumes it had all been a bad nightmare until she finds her old diary detailing the future ahead. Determined to change her fate, Mia tries to correct the mistakes she made in her previous life. Not only does she earn the trust of her allies that she had previously reprimanded, but she also reluctantly makes sacrifices to help the people around her. Despite being the same selfish and self-centered girl she has always been, Mia strives to save her kingdom from its approaching demise and thus herself from facing the guillotine.

In Gensokyo's human village, a rumor of a youkai allegedly kidnapping drunk people suddenly spread like wildfire, causing fear and worry within the populace. Meanwhile, at the center of this rumor—the Geidontei tavern—there is nothing out of place regarding its food and drinks, or even its owner. When the shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei gets wind of the situation, she tries to fulfill her sworn duty to investigate the rumored establishment. However, the case leads her to someone else entirely: Geidontei's poster girl Miyoi Okunoda, whose existence seems to be as fleeting as a bubble.

Ritsuka, a Master from Chaldea, suddenly loses consciousness and finds herself whisked away to Shimousa Province in Edo-era Japan. But it soon becomes clear she’s not in her own timeline…and neither is her companion, a woman called Miyamoto Musashi. Together, they must defeat the Seven Heroic Spirit Swordmasters, a group of fearsome cursed warriors who will stop at nothing until every living thing on the planet is dead.

The world's greatest exposition of the pirates, by the pirates, for the pirates—the Pirates Festival. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Crew receive an invitation from its host Buena Festa who is known as the Master of Festivities. They arrive to find a venue packed with glamorous pavilions and many pirates including the ones from the Worst Generation. The place is electric.

A world stretching down from the heavens: the Vertical World. There lives a boy named Ruska, who finds himself fascinated by the world below. One day he sees a girl falling from the sky above, straight towards the bottom... And so begins his adventure surrounding the mystery of the Fallen Maiden!

Longing to escape his island home, a boy named Hodaka runs away during his first summer of high school to find a new life in Tokyo. As rain falls for days on end and Hodaka struggles to adjust, he meets a girl named Hina who holds a mysterious power: With a single prayer, she can part the clouds and bring back the sun. But her power comes at a price, and as the weather spirals further and further out of control, they must choose what future they truly want for themselves.

High school student and video game-lover Makoto Takatsuki dies in an accident and awakens in another world beside his classmates. However, he gains no cheat-like abilities, so he decides to become a "Magic Apprentice." Then Noa, a minor goddess, appears before him. After she pleads and begs him, he decides to become her first believer. The weakest boy in the class becomes the strongest alongside the minor goddess in this another world fantasy!

In Ivy's world, stars are everything. She's a Tamer, born to subdue monsters and animals, but she was also born starless! With her life in danger, Ivy flees into the forest where she befriends a weak little slime named Sora—the one creature she can tame. Together, the unlikely pair set off on a journey, salvaging rubbish to survive. Along the way they'll win hearts, evade danger, and discover there's more to starless Ivy than meets the eye!

In the Naruto Retsuden series: 1. Kakashi Retsuden: Rokudaime Hokage to Ochikobore no Shounen (Kakashi's Story: The Sixth Hokage and the Failed Prince) 2. Sasuke Retsuden: Uchiha no Matsuei to Tenkyuu no Hoshikuzu (Sasuke's Story: The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust) 3. Naruto Retsuden: Uzumaki Naruto to Rasen no Tenmei (Naruto's Story: Uzumaki Naruto and the Spiral Destiny)

In a world where the Demon King has died, a host of demigods capable of felling him have inherited the world. A master fencer who can figure out how to take out their opponents with a single glance; a lancer so swift they can break the sound barrier; a wyvern rogue who fights with three legendary weapons at once; an all-powerful wizard who can speak thoughts into being; an angelic assassin who deals instant death. Eager to attain the title of "True Hero," these champions each pursue challenges against formidable foes and spark conflicts among themselves. The battle to determine the mightiest of the mighty begins.

Six years have passed since Urano began her new life as Myne, and so much has happened. She went from being a simple commoner to an apprentice shrine maiden, then she was thrown into the world of nobles as Rozemyne, the adopted daughter of an archduke! "But I'm not the only person with a lot going on! You can say the same for everyone else! Though, uh... I guess that's mainly because of me."

The manga is an anthology story centering on the Crypters, the betrayer agents of Chaldea that are the center of the Fate/Grand Order smartphone game's "Lostbelt" story line.

An alternative version of the Overlord series, based on a short story Kugane Maruyama released on their Twitter account.

Lillia Aspley - A young girl and Legitimate Brave chosen by the great holy sword Seniorious. "You really are, after all, extremely bad at living, you know?" She said, while feeling complex emotions, to her senior apprentice who doesn't give up on standing beside her on the mission she is burdened with of protecting the human race. On the surface where monstrous creatures prevail, the days she spends are intense and at the same time endearing. This is the story of the heroes and the people who are living now in a land that will eventually perish. (Source: Japanese Publisher, translated)

"You know what, you are more of an unpleasant fellow than I imagined." "Your opinion that comes from your poor imagination lacks any cogency in any standard." The smoke from the steam engine covers the city in 1873. A request from a certain novelist happens to reach a mercenary who has lost his place of employment. It is an escort request to "the mountain that was not recorded on the map" in order to collect information. The mercenary who has to protect his belly with his back and the novelist who has no choice but to hire him after the process of elimination. The journey of the two people, who are constantly swearing at each other, eventually gets caught up in a plot involving the nation... The era of rapid economic growth when the transcontinental railroads were completed, but the era of twilight when the illuminations from electricity were not yet born. A story about a world that "somehow" feels like 19th century America. (Source: Shousetsuka ni Narou, translated)