Recently the 10th annual Nationwide Bookstore Staff Recommended Comics tallied votes from over 2,250 bookstore workers across Japan to decide which manga titles came most highly endorsed.
So if you’re looking for a new title to get into this year, why not scroll through the top 15 below and see what Japanese manga dealers can’t get enough of. There seems to be a good blend of genres this year, but which one came out on top?
Here are the top 15 manga for 2015 as chosen by Japanese bookstore staff.
15
Dagashikashi
by Kotoyama
Shogakukan
Image: Amazon
14
Hinomaru Zumou
by Kawada
Shuesha
Image: Amazon
13
Watashi ga Motete Dousunda / Boys, Please Kiss Him Instead of Me
by Junko
Kodansha
Image: Amazon
12
Hatarakanai Futari
by Satoru Yoshida
Shinchosha
Image: Amazon
11
Kodaika no Hitobito
by Kozueko Morimoto
Shuesha
Image: Amazon
10
Ama-Ama to Inazuma
by Gido Amagakure
Kodansha
Image: Amazon
9
Kasane
by Daruma Matsuura
Kodansha
Image: Amazon
8
Arslan Senki / The Heroic Legend of Arslan
by Yoshiki Tanaka (writer) & Hiromu Arakawa (illustrator)
Kodansha
Image: Amazon
7
Handaku (Barakamon spinoff)
by Satsuki Yoshino
Square Enix
Image: Amazon
6
ReLife
by Yayoiso
Earth Star Entertainment
Image: Amazon
5
orange
by Ichigo Takano
Futabasha
Image: Amazon
4
Tanakakun wa Itsumo Kedaruge
by Nozomi Uda
Square Enix
Image: Amazon
3
Niiche Sensei ~Konbini ni, Satori Sedai no Shinjin ga Maiorita~ / Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store
by Matsukoma (writer) & Hashimoto (illustrator)
Kadokawa Media Factory
Image: Amazon
2
Boku no Hiro Academia / My Hero Academia
by Kohei Horikoshi
Shueisha
Image: Amazon
And, finally, the most-recommended manga title for this year is…
1
Mahotsukai no Yome / The Ancient Magus’ Bride
by Kore Yamazaki
Mag Garden
Image: Amazon
The Ancient Magus’ Bride is a fantasy story about a 15-year-old girl named Chise who doesn’t have any family and has lost the point of life. She then is bought by an inhuman sorcerer named Elias.
Although it’s in many ways a fantasy story, the reader is kept grounded by the personalities of Chise and Elias which is revealed bit by bit. Although it’s a slowly progressing journey, the story is also full of other charming characters and beautifully crafted backgrounds to enchant you into reading more and more.
With the results of the Nationwide Bookstore Staff Recommended Comics 2015 announced many manga readers took to twitter to show support for The Ancient Magus’ Bride and agree with the results. Of course, there were occasional dissenting opinions too but that’s impossible to avoid when ranking art.
Original article by Anji Tabata
Source: NIPPAN, Comic Natalie, Online Bookstore Honya Club, Comic Natalie Official Twitter Feed (Japanese)
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