Best Fantasy Manga of 2023

Eighteen years ago, during the Seitei War, Kunishige Rokuhira was the most renowned man in Japan. As a master swordsmith, he forged six enchanted blades, each imbued with a special power that secured the nation's victory. After the war, Kunishige retired to the mountains with his son, Chihiro, who began diligently learning the craft. Nearing his 15th birthday, the level-headed Chihiro resolved to one day succeed his father. However, his plans were derailed when he witnessed a group of powerful sorcerers kill his father and steal the sacred blades. Three years after the incident, Chihiro lives on with hatred in his heart and an intense desire for revenge. Wielding the Enten, the seventh and final enchanted blade Kunishige created in secret, Chihiro cuts down evildoers associated with the Hishaku—the organization he believes to be responsible for his father's death. Chihiro has yet to unlock the Enten's full potential or perfect his swordsmanship, but he will stop at nothing to retrieve the stolen katanas, avenge his father, and honor the legacy he left behind.

In a cruel twist of fate, Boruto's and Kawaki's lives have been switched due to a powerful jutsu. Now branded a traitor, Boruto is on the run from his village and training with Sasuke. But when Konoha comes under attack, it's time for a grown-up Boruto to return home and show how powerful he's become!

Raised to kill like a pack of loyal hounds, the Baskerville children took countless lives as a band of fearsome assassins. Despite being the shunned illegitimate son of the brood, Bikir served his family faithfully, only to meet his untimely demise at his father's hands. But when he is inexplicably reborn with a second chance at life, Bikir, armed with the memories and knowledge of his past, swears to rise above the pack and take his revenge. This time, he's ready to bite the hand that feeds.

Ed Rothstaylor is a third-rate villain in a game, disowned by his family and kicked out of the dormitory for his misdeeds. One day, our main character wakes up as this very Ed, and realizes he must earn a scholarship so he can graduate and be set for life. Now living in the woods, he resolves to keep away from the protagonists, but four of the female leads just won't leave him alone. Not only that, his presence starts to change the timeline and events of the game! Can Ed help the story progress while staying out of the limelight?

The so-called "Lighthouse of the North," the prosperous trading town of Schoarra, hides a dark underbelly: seedy slums ruled by five ruthless crime bosses. When streetwise orphan Vlad finds the brothel he works for decimated by a disgraced knight, he turns to the path of the blade, pledging himself to the pursuit of power by sword. Blessed with the ability to seek wisdom from his sentient sword, Vlad embarks upon a journey of growth and peril as swordsman in service to the powerful House Vayezid.

An evil sorcerer slays the king and takes over his body, kidnapping the princess and spiriting her away to the legendary Dragon Tower. The Royal Guard is rebuffed in their attempt to rescue her, and to replace the wounded, a young farmhand named Yuva is called up into service. With only a pot lid for a shield and a strong back to carry supplies, Yuva joins the soldiers on the perilous quest to climb the tower and rescue the princess. But the Dragon Tower houses untold horrors...!

After meeting Tsumiki on his first day of school, Yutaka decides he wants to be as self-assured as she is. But when Tsumiki invites him into her werewolf world, vowing to help him come out of his shell, Yutaka puts on the brakes. Tsumiki spends her days jumping out of windows, climbing mountains, and burying sandwiches to snack on later. Yutaka isn't used to any of that. Can he overcome his anxieties and learn to howl at the moon?

After playing the game "Dungeon and Stone" for nine years, Hansoo Lee finally reached the boss stage which had never been cleared by anyone before. However, upon entering the boss room, he received a notification that he had completed the tutorial and was now inhabiting the body of a playable character named Bjorn Jandel, who was a barbarian. In the world of "Dungeon and Stone," only one city remained standing following the world's destruction. Every month, a labyrinth would appear, offering explorers a chance to clear it and earn rewards. Barbarians were viewed as useless in all but combat, and those who didn't fight were unable to survive. If someone couldn't pay the exorbitant taxes imposed by the city, they faced the death penalty for tax evasion. If it's discovered that a player possesses the character they're playing, they're labelled an "evil spirit" and killed. The only way for Hansoo to survive is to venture into the labyrinth and risk his life in battle. Armed with his accumulated skills from nine years of gameplay and a stupidly strong barbarian physique, he strives to survive in this game.

The world was embroiled in a death game involving individuals from ages 15 to 29. Thrown into a game devoid of empathy and compassion, Min Ryu had no choice but to fight for his survival. For the 99th time, he finally made it to the end of the game. Standing alone in front of the final boss's chamber, Min Ryu was greeted with betrayal as the system killed him for not having four more players with him. On his 100th and final attempt, can Min Ryu find the help he needs to end this ruthless game?

Sejun, your average Seoul underdog, didn't expect to grow tomatoes full-time when he stumbled into the mysterious dungeon full of monster quests and extravagant rewards. Yet, there he was, as a farmer growing and selling cash crops while clearing numerous quests that came his way. Will Sejun make it out of the dungeon with the plush rewards he hoped for? At least he has what it takes: optimism, resourcefulness, and a group of loyal furry friends.

Choi Suna once enjoyed the familiar plot of a novel following Rhyse Sinclair—the virtuous ward of the prominent Rudwick family—who is entangled in a love triangle with the Rudwick sons. The elder Cliff becomes her main love interest, while the younger Killian remains lovelorn forevermore, trapped in a loveless marriage with the vile Edith Rigelhof from an opposing family. Seductive and cunning, Edith is a textbook villainess destined to die at Killian's hands after relentlessly tormenting Rhyse and serving as a spy for the Rigelhofs. When Suna unexpectedly reincarnates as Edith, she finds her new life all too similar to her own abusive past. Determined to change Edith's fate and live, Suna swears off villainy and refuses to let Killian and his family mistreat her by showing them she is nothing like the other Rigelhofs. As she plans her escape while occasionally flirting with the endearingly distrustful Killian, she vows that her reincarnation story will be anything but typical.

Long before Naruto Uzumaki mastered the formidable Rasengan, Minato Namikaze trains to develop the ninjutsu under the tutelage of his mentor Jiraiya. Minato strives to create his own powerful technique to protect Kushina Uzumaki, the strong-willed woman he loves. Honoring Uzumaki clan tradition, Kushina's body hosts the nine-tailed fox spirit, Kurama. The demon seeks to break free from his confines and wreak havoc on the world. As Kushina struggles against Kurama's power and her own inner turmoil, Minato hurries to complete the Rasengan and save her from herself.

Seong-un Choi is the top-ranked player in the game "Lost World," being the only player to have completed all its achievements. However, his triumph is short-lived as a mysterious message transports him to the real "Lost World," transforming him from a mere gamer to a contender for godhood. Amidst others vying for divinity, will Seong-un be able to achieve true godhood and reign supreme in this new realm?

A man who was reincarnated in another world as a 9th class wizard and retired after saving the continent from a dragon war. He decides to open a small restaurant in the countryside, but his routine is anything but ordinary. On the second floor of his restaurant, there lives a black dragon who has transformed into a woman, named Rurin. She is greedy, cute and loyal to him, but also ignorant and clueless about the human world. They live a fun and warm life, serving customers, solving problems and growing violets in the garden.

As the final years of the Sengoku period dwindle away, Ginko, the strongest swordsman of the era, has yet to find a worthy opponent to slake her thirst for a fight to the death. Just when she's finally lost hope that anyone stronger than her exists, she gets transported to another world! And the first thing Ginko sees there is—a dragon?!

Baengri Yeon knows her role well: she is a minor villain in a martial arts novel, scorned even for mourning the loss of her benevolent father, Euigang. But some villains possess the power to impact the story. The hero's archnemesis, Yayul, suddenly appears before Yeon and kills her, deviating from the original plot. However, Yeon awakens in her six-year-old body, traveling back in time to just after an accident that stops her from becoming a martial artist—a disgrace for a member of the esteemed Baengri clan. She is already used to the family's bullying and abuse, but now she wishes to at least improve her relationship with Euigang. By opening her heart to her father and striving to prevent his senseless death, Yeon realizes the true extent of Euigang's love for her—and even the family patriarch seems to soften at the sight of his adorable granddaughter.

Rudeus Greyrat has finally emerged victorious from the showdown at Biheiril Kingdom. With his hard-fought battle over, he can finally rest easy and put his adventuring days behind him. Yeah right! The epic fight may be done, but the story of the Jobless Reincarnation cast is far from over. There's still Norn's wedding, Lucie's first day at school, hunting down marriage partners for Dohga and Isolde, and then...is that Ghislaine?! Get ready for a bounty of antics and action from the Mushoku Tensei universe as the story continues!

In this brand-new spinoff of the runaway hit series, Iruma is a dirt-poor but unfailingly cheerful young boy who grows up in a ruthless city slum. One day, Iruma gives an injured old man his last loaf of bread and nurses the stranger back to health—only to find out that the elder gent is none other than Don Sullivan, head of the Babyl Mafia! Soon after, Don Sullivan comes back, whisks Iruma away, and begs the boy to become his grandson. And just like that, Iruma begins his new life as the next in line to lead a gigantic gang of—dare we say—demonic mafiosos!

Top actress Lee Sia has the ability to see ghosts. After an accident, she wakes up in the body of "Camilla Sorfel." The problem is that—"Oh, father! Help me!"—she is fated to die no matter what! Prolonging her life is the priority, so she might as well converse with the ghosts first, right? Hey, why are all these people who should want to kill me suddenly so interested in me?!

"All I need from you...is to stay alive." In a remote mountain village, the legend of the Snowy Mountain Dragon in sacred—and so is the ritual that names Rita the dragon's bride. Chosen by tradition and bound by duty, Rita ascends the mountain to confront his fate...only to find himself stranded in a blizzard. Rita is rescued from the snow by Ignat—a breathtaking dragon in human form. Yet the dragon of legend declares he no longer needs a bride. Determined not to be cast aside, Rita searches for meaning in his sacrifice... With Ignat's help, he begins to piece together the dragons' long-lost history, and discovers something far more dangerous than rejection: the ancient power that turns humans into dragons...

I'm... back! After a comet collides on Earth, a gaming world filled with monsters and dungeons becomes a reality. Amidst the chaos, Ethan wakes up as Hardcore Leveling Warrior, an almighty game character with exceptional luck and power. Once again, he will embark on a journey to become the strongest... but this time, on Earth!

Despite the war raging between the North and South, Margaret is a northerner who holds an unwavering love for her southern lover, Squall... until he cruelly betrays her and pushes her off a seaside cliff. Just when she's about to drown, the voice of a mysterious witch offers her a second chance at life. However, this chance only comes to her seven years later, when she rises from the ocean in a new body without a voice. Although Margaret receives help from a local apothecary named Jack, the other southern villagers aren't as eager to let an outsider into their fold...

In Blalock City, every criminal fears the mysterious vigilante Witch Raven. When night falls, even the shadiest wrongdoers all fall victim to the witch's curse, which leaves them with physical alterations they cannot conceal nor cure. However, during the day, Witch Raven is just an ordinary pharmacist named Vanna Spalding. Vanna proudly runs her humble little herbs and potions shop, but beneath her innocent store actually lies a hidden basement full of illegal potions and evidence of her nighttime identity. Vanna is confident no one will ever discover her secret, until one day when she finds a police officer, Sion Crawford, standing in the middle of her hideout. The police are after Witch Raven, but Sion seems disinterested in arresting her. Instead, when one of Vanna's experimental potions causes a small accident, Sion enlists her help in investigating a case that may soon prove to be far more serious than either of them are prepared for.

Orchestrated by genius scientist Akihiko Kayaba, the SAO Incident created a game you couldn't leave until you beat it. One where death in the game meant death in the real world... Kirito is a survivor of SAO who now spends his time playing the new VRMMORPG Alfheim Online with his old SAO friends, Asuna and Alice. But Kirito soon finds himself caught up in a mysterious game he never expected...

After getting fired from his adventuring clan for his lack of combat ability, Tori wanders around and runs into the city’s strongest adventurer—the White Witch! Since he has nowhere else to go, she hires Tori for his exceptional skill in...handling chores?! With his talent for cooking, cleaning, running errands, and other domestic odd jobs, he’s the perfect fit for taking care of the extremely lazy White Witch and the garbage dump she calls her house. Follow Tori as he grapples with his new job as the caretaker of the beautiful White Witch and her three familiars. Perhaps once he has cleaned up the place, he can finally live a cozy life in the woods with his new employer!

As someone “blessed” with the rare potential for recovery magic, Tory Noelle is drafted as a combat medic at the tender age of fifteen. Fighting as a teen soldier won’t shake her confidence, though—not when she can recall carefree days of playing first-person-shooter games in a previous life. But a world full of magic isn’t as fun as it once seemed. Now living the nightmare that was once her playground, Tory faces a serious question: can she build her skills fast enough to buffer against the brutality of war, or is she doomed to become another bloody stain on the battlefield? (Source: J-Novel Club)

The third son of a viscount, Allen Rovene has hated studying since the day he was born. And no wonder—after suddenly regaining the memories of his past life at the age of twelve, he realizes he spent the entirety of his previous life hunched over a desk, studying like a studyholic! Reborn into his dream world of swords and magic, he’s determined to make the most of his second chance by ditching the books and living a carefree, unburdened life—until he realizes the path to freedom has a detour in the form of the most renowned school in the kingdom: the Royal Knight and Mage Academy of Yugria. To become the magic-wielding, sword-swinging adventurer of his dreams, Allen’s going to have to repurpose his well-honed study skills toward one goal—passing the hellish entrance exams and heading to the Royal Academy! (Source: J-Novel Club)

After her sister’s engagement to the crown prince is broken off suddenly, tragedy strikes, and Lady Francette and her family lose all of their wealth and status. Left with nothing but her name and determination, Francette moves to the slums and ekes out a living selling homemade pastries. That’s when she meets an unlikely new friend named Wibble, a talking slime who introduces her to the one and only slime duke himself: Gabriel! To her surprise, the unusually stoic Gabriel soon asks for Francette’s hand in marriage—and she accepts. Now she must adapt to Triste and its eccentric people, and she soon finds herself breathing life into the strange but endearing backwater. What was once a marriage of convenience becomes something much more in time…and—of course—expect lots of slime! *Source: J-Novel Club, Vol. 1*

Estellise, the First Princess, is skilled in a variety of magic spells. One of her worries is her fiancé, Theodore, who keeps whispering words of love to her. He uses his mind-reading magic to see into her heart, saying things like, *"Estell, I love you (even though I don't really love you)."* But then, her desperate feelings start to seem serious—could it be that her inner voice is wrong? (Correct) Is there a reason why she can't read his mind properly...? A love comedy about a mistaken princess and her unfortunate fiancé! (Source: Kadokawa, translated)

A new spin-off about the Kuroba twins.

Become a disciple of the beautiful genius sword-master, and aim to become the strongest holy sword wielder!

In a corner of the royal capital, there's Sophie, a young girl running a small moving service. She's known as the kingdom's top-notch magician, effortlessly handling all sorts of requests from special clients, just like today. Then, one day, a 'retired hero' shows up, looking to step back from the limelight. Sophie takes on the challenge – packing up an entire mansion, securing treasures in mimics, sealing a cursed sword, and even neatly unraveling complicated ties with those trying to hold him back. It's a fantasy tale spun in a world of swords and magic, weaving together encounters and farewells. (Source: Kadokawa, translated)