While manga are very similar to comic books, their American analogue, there are a few differences that set them apart.One such difference is the style of publication: instead of releasing new chapters as single books, serialized manga chapters are collected into an anthology magazine, which each carry multiple series at once.
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These manga magazines are the main way that mangaka get published, with popular series having their chapters collected into a volume called a tankobon. There have been a lot of manga publications released and circulated since the 20th century, and while many have ceased circulation, some are still running to this day. These are some of the longest-running.
10Young Comic
Young Comicis a monthlyseinen(young adult men’s) magazine published byShonen Gahosha. It was created as a sister publication to their other magazine,Young King. During its heyday, it generally competed with manga magazines likeManga ActionandBig Comic. It wasfirst published in 1967,and has been going since then.
The manga series inYoung Comicgenerally revolve around mature content, particularly those with gratuitous fanservice and nudity. Despite its longevity, hardly any of its works are well-known, most likely because of their content.
9Manga Action
Manga Actionis a monthlyseinenmagazine published byFutabasha. It wasfirst published in 1967asWeekly Manga Action. It is generally considered to be the first real seinen magazine, coming out a short time beforeYoung Comic.
AsWeekly Manga Action, it was published weekly. In 2003, the decision was made to change to a monthly publication instead, prompting the change in name.Manga Actionwas home to several famous manga titles,includingLupin III,Lone Wolf and Cub, andCrayon Shin-chan.
8Monthly Shonen Magazine
Monthly Shonen Magazineis, as the name suggests, ashonen(teenage boys') magazine published byKodansha. It wasfirst published in1964as a monthly version of Kodansha’sWeekly Shonen Magazine. It was initially titledBessatsu Shonen Magazine, thenMonthly Bessatsu Shonen Magazinebefore obtaining its current name.
WhileMonthly Shonen Magazineis not as big as its sister publicationWeekly Shonen Magazine, it’s still host to a number of notable stories. Such manga include classics likeBeck, while more recent titles includeYour Lie in April,Noragami, andWelcome to the Ballroom.
7Bessatsu Margaret
Bessatsu Margaret(often shorted toBetsuma) is a monthlyshojomagazine published byShueisha, the same company that publishesWeekly Shonen Jump. It wasfirst published in1964. The “Bessatsu” in its name translates to “extra issue,” suggesting that this is a spin-of publication of Shueisha’sMargaret.
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Just like its sister issueMargaret,Bessatsu Margarethas published many significant shojo series over its many years of publication, a genre targeted towards teenage girls. Some notable titles includeAo Haru Ride,My Love Story!!, andOrange.
6Margaret
Margaretis ashojomagazine published byShueisha, and the predecessor of its sister magazineBessatsu Margaret. It wasfirst issued in 1963as a weekly publication, but it became a biweekly publication starting in 1988.
Compared toBessatsu Margaret,Margaret’s audience skews slightly younger, aimed generally at preteen girls. It has been home to several iconic shojo titles likeThe Rose of Versailles, as well as other notable series likeBoys Over FlowersandDaytime Shooting Star.
5Weekly Shonen Sunday
Weekly Shonen Sundayis ashonenmagazine published byShogakukan. It wasfirst published inMarch 1959, around the same time asWeekly Shonen Magazine. It is the fourth best-selling manga magazine of all time.
As one of the biggest manga magazines in Japan,Weekly Shonen Sundayis home to several famous works and authors. Rumiko Takahashi, Gosho Aoyama, and Mitsuru Adachi are just a few extremely well-known mangaka who have had several of their works published in the magazine. Some famous titles featured in the magazine includethe long-runningDetective Conan,Urusei Yatsura,Touch, andHayate the Combat Butler.
4Weekly Shonen Magazine
Weekly Shonen Magazine is ashonenmagazine published byKodansha. It wasfirst published inMarch 1959, and it is one of the most successful manga magazines of its time. It is currently the second best-selling manga of all time, right behindWeekly Shonen Jump.
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Weekly Shonen Magazineis an extremely prolific manga anthology that has featured several famous authors like Hiro Mashima, Ken Akamatsu, Koji Seo, and CLAMP. It has produced classic series likeHajime no IppoandFairy Tail, as well as some more recent titles include theextremely popularTokyo RevengersandRent-A-Girlfriend.
3Weekly Manga Times
Weekly Manga Times(often calledShuman) is aseinenmagazine published byHoubunsha. It wasfirst published inNovember 1956, and it was Japan’s first weekly manga magazine. Its slogan is “Live Happily Once a Week!”
During its heyday,Weekly Manga Timeswas one of the most popular weekly manga magazines, to the point where it was advertised outside the Meiji Jingu Stadium for several years. Along with its usual serialized works, the magazine also features a series calledThe Smiling Million People University, a one-panel comic that showcases suggestions from readers.
2Ribon
Ribonis a monthlyshojomagazine published byShueisha, the same publisher behindMargaretandBessatsu Margaret. It wasfirst published inAugust 1955, and its issues are often huge, with more than 400 pages an issue. It is the best-selling shojo magazine of all time, and the sixth best-selling overall.
Of the many shojo publications owned by Shueisha,Ribonis the most successful, and has had several spin-offs, many of them now discontinued. It has released several popular shojo series, such asSally the WitchandMarmalade Boy.
1Nakayoshi
Nakayoshiis a monthlyshojomagazine published byKodansha, and it is the oldest manga publication still in circulation. It wasfirst issued inDecember 1954, and it is one of the best-selling shojo magazines of all time, right behindRibon.
Initially,Nakayoshioften dealt in the romance stories often seen in shojo titles, but in the 90s, it started to focus more on fantasy titles, particularly thosethose focused on magical girls. The magazine has released the iconic titlePretty Guardian Sailor Moon,as well as other well-known series likeCardcaptor Sakura.
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