10 best ongoing shonen manga not from Shueisha, ranked by length
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company behind most of the popular shonen mangas ever made. One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, and Bleach are all classics from Shueisha—even new-wave juggernauts like Jujutsu Kaisen, Kaiju No. 8, Spy X Family, and Sakamoto Days are still under Shueisha’s banner. And with the popularity of the publishing house’s manga, it is easy to forget about other major publishers.
Kodansha, Shogakukan, Kadokawa, and Square Enix have created popular and critically acclaimed shonen manga. The likes of Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, Black Butler, Bungo Stray Dogs, Fate/Stay Night, and Dorohedoro are popular shonen mangas not from Shueisha. Here are the ten best ongoing shonen manga that are not from Shueisha and are ranked from longest to shortest.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
Ten Best Ongoing Manga not from Shueisha, from longest to Shortest
1) Hajime No Ippo (140 Volumes)
Hajime No Ippo was first published in 1989 by Kodansha and follows Ippo Makanouchi as he becomes a professional boxer. The beauty of Hajime No Ippo lies in its simplicity and easy-to-get-behind themes of discipline and self-reliance. Ippo is a classical shonen protagonist who overcomes everything through the power of will. Similar to Naruto from Shueisha’s Shonen Jump.
Hajime No Ippo has over 100 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. The anime has also been listed as one of the greatest anime of the 2010s by IGN and has been subject to multiple video essays on YouTube and Tiktok.
2) Ahiru No Sora (51 Volumes)
Ahiru No Sora is another long-running manga from Kodansha. It has similarities to Shueisha’s Haikyuu, with the two main characters playing sports that do not suit them physically. Sora in Basketball and Hinata in Volleyball. Ahiru No Sora’s differences lie in its gloomy tone as the story is packed with tragic occurrences which isn’t the norm in Shonen.
Sora Kurumatani wants to dominate the high school tournament in Japan due to a promise he made to his sick mother, but the high school he joined is filled with members who have no interest in his dream. Ahiru No Sora is a tale of youth and what it means to fight for a dream.
3) Space Brothers (44 Volumes)
Space Brothers is a science fiction/comedy manga published by Kodansha. It was first published in 2007 and has been running since then. It follows two brothers, Mutta Nanba and Hibito, who make a promise to each other that they will go to space. Hibito later becomes an Astronaut, while Mutta Nanba doesn’t. The duo is later reconciled as Mutta Nanba joins the training program to become an astronaut.
Space Brothers rivals many Shonen Mangas from Shueisha in terms of popularity and sales, as it has over 20 million manga copies in circulation, an anime adaptation, and a film called Space Brothers 0. The manga is heartfelt, warm, relatable, and hilarious.
4) Ao Ashi (37 Volumes)
Ao Ashi is a sports shonen manga published by Shogakukan and has been running since January 2015. It follows Ashito, a small-town boy as he progresses towards his dreams of being a professional footballer. Unlike most sports mangas that are centered on high school, Ao Ashi takes a different path. It shines its light on Football Academies and the pathway from academy player to professional footballer.
Ao Ashi is praised for its gritty realism and its penchant for not shying away from the grim realities of being a player. It had a 24-episode-long anime adaptation, and a spinoff centered on Ashito’s brother called Ao Ashi Brotherfoot. Apart from Captain Tsubasa, Shueisha has yet to have a football manga as popular as Ao Ashi.
5) Blue Lock (31 Volumes)
Blue Lock is published by Kodansha and is the Baki of football mangas. It is unlike anything anything ever made from Shogakukan, Shueisha, and Kodansha. The story starts in the aftermath of Japan’s falling out of the 2018 World Cup. Due to this, the Japanese Football Association created Blue Lock, a training regime designed to produce the best striker.
High School prodigies are recruited from all around Japan to participate in this program with the losers never allowed to represent the Japanese National Team. This leads to a cutthroat training camp where the end justifies the means.
Blue Lock has a film, an anime adaptation, and a stage play. A prologue novel has also been published on July 2024. The manga has over 40 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.
6) Record of Ragnarok (27 Volumes)
Record of Ragnarok is published by Coamix and has a similar story to Kengan Ashura and Baki but with a new twist. It features a fighting tournament between Gods from different mythologies and humans. The likes of Poseidon, Thor, Heracles, and Hades face off against Adam, Kojiro Sasaki, Jack The Ripper, and Buddha.
Each character comes with their motivations and reasons for fighting, and as the manga progresses, the line between hero and villain becomes more blurry. The Record of Ragnarok is funny, action-packed, and simple to follow. Its anime adaptation is 27 episodes long and runs from June 2021 to July 2023.
7) Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (13 Volumes)
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is published by Shogakukan and is a fantasy drama in a fantasy world. It follows Frieren, an Elven Mage, as she journeys to meet her formal comrades who once slew the Demon King. The past and the present are told equally, which helps readers understand Frieren and empathize with her.
The dialogue is natural with each word helping to drive the plot forward. It is also full of warm tear-jerking scenes where each character is thoroughly explained and expanded on. As the manga progresses, readers are reminded of how fleeting time is. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has over 20 million copies in circulation and has an anime adaptation that is ongoing with 28 episodes.
8) Red Blue (11 Volumes)
Red Blue is a Sports Manga published by Shogakukan. It is centered around MMA and follows the life of Aoba, a high school student who wants to beat up his classmate and future MMA pro, Kenshin. The premise of this manga is hilarious as it puts a spotlight on Aoba learning MMA.
Red Blue is similar to Shueisha’s Martial Master Asumi, with the two mangas having a heavy focus on Mixed Martial Arts. The dialogue is witty and there is an underlying theme of self-realization that Aoba tries to come into.
9) Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You (5 Volumes)
Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You is a relatable manga about yearning. The plot focuses on a middle-aged salary man, Sasaki, and his relationship with two women—Yamada and Tayama. It is Slice of Life and filled with comedic moments and a gentle reminder of the importance of time.
Every character wants something more, but they are in a position where they have to accept the bare minimum. Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You turns the most mundane of acts into something much grander, and interesting. Not many Shueisha mangas have as much depth as Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You.
10) Versus (4 Volumes)
Versus is another manga from the creator of One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100. The plot revolves around a fantasy world where Demons have oppressed Humanity for hundreds of years. Versus is humanity resisting demon oppression, but there is a twist here—multiverses.
In usual One fashion, Versus is hilarious and a subversion of the overused multiverse trope. The characters are three-dimensional, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the worldbuilding is remarkable. It continues One’s remarkable run from his Shueisha’s One Punch Man to Shogakukan’s Mob Psycho 100.
Final thoughts
These are the top ten ongoing shonen mangas that are not from Shueisha. Some of these are considered modern-day classics and have shaped manga discourse heavily. Even the completed ones, like Attack on Titan and Pluto, still spark debate all over social media.
While the most popular shonen stories currently belong to Shueisha, Kodansha, Shogakukan, Square Enix, and other rivals are not too far behind. Every month new stories are being birthed and at the pace they are going, the new Big 3 of Manga won't be from Shueisha's Jump.
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