Image By Joshua Fox
Published May 9, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master's degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk.
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After three years of taking the manga community by storm, Kagurabachi is finally getting an anime adaptation, and it already looks to be a guaranteed hit. Not only will Kagurabachi’s anime adaptation be handled by Cypic of Umamusume and The Summer Hikaru Died fame, but legendary Naruto director Tetsuya Takeuchi will direct, and sure enough, the teaser trailer is nothing short of amazing.
Kagurabachi’s anime is a long time coming, and ideally, it won’t be alone in that regard, as there are plenty of amazing new-gen manga just as good as Kagurabachi, if not better, that are more than primed for high-quality anime adaptations to take them into the mainstream. A few manga like that especially stand out, as they’re so good that it would be crazy if they didn’t get anime somewhere down the line.
Dream Jumbo Girl
In Hiroyuki’s Dream Jumbo Girl, when the dimwitted slacker Kana wins the lottery and splits the winnings with her studious best friend Chie, Chie is so overwhelmed that she botches her lifelong dream of getting into an elite university. Rather than dwell on it, though, Chie decides to use her fortune to give herself a life of luxury, although she has her work cut out for her keeping Kana from losing all their money.
Dream Jumbo Girl might be fairly new, but with its penchant for hilariously absurdist comedy and a lovable cast of morons, it’s already become a standout comedy that always delivers. Series creator Hiroyuki is famous for that writing style, with works like Aho-Girl and Girlfriend, Girlfriend, and Dream Jumbo Girl might be his best showing to date.
Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi
After losing his parents to demons, Kiyoshi Harai, the eponymous hero of Shoichi Usui’s Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi, vowed to become an exorcist, and he eventually becomes known as a young prodigy. That level of fame certainly attracts a fair share of demons to Kiyoshi, but as far as he’s concerned, the bigger issue is dealing with his crippling shyness and making friends.
Shoichi Usui used to work as an assistant on One Piece, and sure enough, Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi is also a manga that excels through great action, clean and stylish artwork, and a cast of heroes and villains that are equal parts goofy and intimidating. It’s an underrated gem among Shonen Jump’s current lineup, and hopefully, it lasts long enough to get an anime.
War Of The Adults
In Kappy and Masaaki Tsuzuki’s War of the Adults, Yutaro Urashima fell into a coma after saving a cat from a truck, and he awakens 15 years later to discover Japan now operates under a surveillance state called Garden. The politician responsible says he was inspired by Yutaro’s heroism, and as such, Yutaro has taken it upon himself to take it down.
War of the Adults is a story that’s equal parts political commentary and satire, resulting in a manga that always gets the most out of its cast in both serious moments and scenes of absurdist comedy. It’s one of the most unique manga currently running under the Shonen Jump label, and surprisingly, it always finds new ways to top itself.
Idolatry
In Shin Ootaka and Homare’s Idolatry, after the idol unit of small-time idol Fuwari Tsukishiro suddenly disbands, Fuwari joins the reality show Project Raw Stone to earn a spot in an elite new unit. Doing so might be surprisingly easy, as unbeknownst to Fuwari, she’s getting help from Junna Harumi, an obsessive fan who will cross every line if it means Fuwari can be the best.
In addition to having great artwork and panelling, Idolatry is an immensely fun read for how much mileage it gets out of making so many characters, especially Junna, act as deranged and over-the-top as possible. The series has a similar energy to its writing as Blue Lock from the same magazine, and overall, that’s nothing but a compliment.
Someone Hertz
Ei Yamano’s Someone Hertz is centered on Mon-Mid, a late-night radio show where people can send in jokes in hopes of having them read on air. Mimei Fukumori, despite his best efforts, can never get his jokes read, but after learning that the eccentric Kurage Mizuo is a frequent contributor, the two become something of a duo, but not just when it comes to comedy.
While a lot of Someone Hertz’s comedy doesn’t translate well into English, between how well Mimei and Mizuo play off one another and the fun, low-key nature of the romance and slice-of-life elements, it’s still an incredibly fun read at every turn. Shonen Jump is mostly known for action stories, but it’s safe to say that Someone Hertz is still becoming a major hit in its own right.
Albus Changes The World
With the revival of the demon lord in Akihisa Maki and Miki Yatsubo’s Albus Changes the World, the hero Albus is supposed to begin his journey to save the world, but he foregoes forming a party outside of the priestess Fiona and skips everything else that was expected of him. As it turns out, Albus has been using magic to turn back time again and again to not only defeat the demon lord, but to do it as quickly as possible to cut down on casualties, although his reasons might not be as noble as his friends think.
While it had a fine-enough start as a parody of JRPGs and speedrunning culture, it isn’t long before Albus Changes the World becomes a surprisingly dramatic and sincere fantasy story centered around overcoming grief, and the shift works amazingly well without abandoning any of its heart. Straightforward fantasy anime are on the rise lately, and hopefully, Albus Changes the World will join their ranks soon enough.
Shinobi Undercover
In Ippon Takegushi and Santa Mitarashi’s Shinobi Undercover, special ninja squad 9 must protect ordinary high school student Aoi Mukai from fugitive ninja targeting her for unknown reasons. The ace of squad 9, Yodaka, wasn’t supposed to be involved due to his crippling social anxiety, but somehow, Aoi befriends him over the ninja who were supposed to get close to her, and it isn’t long before things spiral from there.
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While Ippon Takegushi and Santa Mitarashi’s first work, Candy Flurry, was a forgettable failure, Shinobi Undercover has done wonders to stand out with its great artwork, creative action, and a perfect sense of comedic timing in every chapter. Shinobi Undercover is a modern-day Naruto in the best of ways, and it only gets better with every passing arc.
Parashoppers
Tsubasa Fukuchi’s Parashoppers stars Mitsusada Amaragi, a perpetual optimist who accidentally joins Parashop, a mysterious mobile game that grants the user superpowers to compete in deadly games. Amaragi is only armed with the power to control straw, but with his quick wit and his friends by his side, he’ll survive long enough to shut the game down for good.
Much like Hunter x Hunter or JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Parashoppers thrives as an action story with creative superpowers and a cast with vibrant and unique personalities, and it only gets crazier with each arc in the best of ways. Series creator Tsubasa Fukuichi was already known for that with The Law of Ueki, and it’s safe to say he’s mastered that art with Parashoppers.
Tower Dungeon
In Tsutomu Nihei’s Tower Dungeon, the evil necromancer kidnaps Princess Ignelia and sparks a race to the dragon tower to save her. Everyone has their own motivations for doing so, but the motivation for the Royal Guard is undeniably that of duty, and the key to their victory might lie in Yuva, a new recruit of common birth with a surprising amount of strength and skill.
Tsutomu Nihei is famous for works like Blame! and Knights of Sidonia, and sure enough, Tower Dungeon is another masterpiece of his with great action, horrifying monster designs, and a cast that perfectly complements its dark storytelling. It’s rare for a dark fantasy story to be as engaging as Tower Dungeon, and fortunately, it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
Ichi The Witch
In the world of Osamu Nishi and Shiro Usazaki’s Ichi the Witch, witches obtain magic by taming powerful, inhuman creatures called Majiks, and in the latest Majik trial, the powerful King Uroro is unwittingly obtained by a young hunter named Ichi. The entire act was unprecedented because Ichi is a boy and only women are known to use magic, but nevertheless, Ichi becomes a witch to protect the innocent and take his love of hunting to heights unseen.
With a lovably eccentric cast, stellar action, and gorgeous artwork to convey it at every turn, Ichi the Witch is a fantasy manga unlike any other, and just like Kagurabachi, it’s been quick to take the world by storm for those reasons and more. Ichi the Witch is the closest thing Kagurabachi has to a contemporary, and if Kagurabachi is getting an anime, then Ichi the Witch can’t be too far behind.
Created by Takeru Hokazono
Character(s) Chihiro Rokuhira, Kunishige Rokuhira, Togo Shiba, Gaku Ichimonji, Ayame (Kagurabachi), Hikobe (Kagurabachi), Hifumi (Kagurabachi), Shinnosuke (Kagurabachi)
English (US) ·