The manga industry has produced a lot of amazing stories in the past few years, and many of them have yet to receive an anime adaptation, or any adaptation at all. However, that is not to say that they won’t get adapted either.
Let’s rank the top ten manga from recent years that haven’t been adapted by any studio, based on their overall quality. Let’s dive in.
10. Choujin X Is a Psychological Manga Hidden Behind Action
Azuma and Tokio from Choujin X | Credit: Viz Media
This manga is from the creator of Tokyo Ghoul himself. The story follows Tokio Kurohara, a high school student who fights monsters with his friend Azuma. Together, when they are cornered and have no way to run, they take the Choujin Drug, literally translating to Superhuman Drug. However, only Tokio turns into a Choujin. Now he must hide this fact, while also avoiding the angry people after him.
The art of Sui Ishida is amazing, and it has only gotten better in this manga. This power system is not that unique, but it has an amazing potential. An anime adaptation of this manga would be amazing, considering how the previous manga of the author couldn’t get an anime adaptation that did justice.
9. Gokurakugai Is the Best Modern Urban Fantasy Manga
Credit: Shueisha
Credit: Shueisha
Credit: Shueisha
This manga takes place in a bright district, which has a hidden dark side. The protagonists, Tao and Alma, work as troubleshooters for hire. They take missions involving various things like finding missing people or solving strange day-to-day problems. However, in reality, they have a goal of eradicating all the monsters called Maga that reside in the world.
One of the best things about this manga is the visual and character design, which looks like something straight out of a video game developed by some big corporation instead. While the premise is simple, it is a visual spectacle that deserves to be animated.
8. After God Is a Dark Fantasy Abandoning Tropes
Waka Kamikura from After God | Credit: Shogakukan
Earth has been invaded by god-like entities, who are just called gods in this manga. The protagonist is a girl named Waka Kamikura, who has decided that she would kill the gods themselves. This manga is heavy; there are many dark scenes, but they don’t exist solely for the shock value. Furthermore, you’d be reading a chapter, and the author will surprise you with some of the best art you’d see in your life.
One of the best things about this manga is the pacing. Many manga authors create mysteries that are solved many chapters later, when you’ve already forgotten the core problem. However, this manga delivers answers without stretching the subplots.
7. Ichi the Witch Is the New Fantasy You’ve Been Looking For
Ichi from Ichi the Witch | Credit: Shueisha
The story follows Ichi, who lives in a world where only women become witches. He is someone totally unrelated to magic who hunts for fun and living. One day, he interrupts a major fight between a great witch and a monster, and ends up acquiring magic by accident. This makes him the only male witch in the entire world, and he becomes a massive problem for the witch whose fight he interrupted.
This manga stands out by reversing normal gender roles in its magic system. It features large-scale, destructive battles. Seemingly, the only flaw this manga has is its fast pacing, but it’s refreshing to see a fantasy story moving as fast as well. This manga has been praised for diverse representation since its beginning.
6. Haimiya Senpai Is Scary but Cute: The Modern High School Romance
Haimiya from Haimiya Senpai Is Scary but Cute | Credit: Square Enix!
This manga is a very generic romance manga; however, it delivers a romance story that is near perfect, with an art style that you cannot get enough of. The story follows Haimiya, who is very intimidating to others. Everyone in school thinks that she is a problem student. However, in reality, she is extremely shy and can’t express it well. This trope is often used with male protagonists, so it is refreshing here.
While everyone avoids her, a younger made student interacts with her regularly. They slowly develop a romantic relationship through everyday school situations and misunderstandings. One of the best things about this manga is that teenagers feel like teenagers, rather than adults. That is a real problem with many high school romance stories. Furthermore, the character development this manga has to offer is amazing.
5. Fire Punch Is Tatsuki Fujimoto at His Best
Agni from Fire Punch | Credit: Shueisha
Written by the author of Chainsaw Man, Fire Punch is set in a frozen, post-apocalyptic world. We follow Agni, who is a young man with strong regenerative powers, almost like Deadpool. One day, a soldier named Doma burns Agni’s village, which kills everyone, including Agni’s sister. However, Agni keeps living, enduring the pain.
Agni vows to one day kill Doma and goes on a journey with revenge in mind. This manga is finished with eight volumes, and is the masterpiece of Tatsuki Fujimoto that somehow never received an anime. The art in this manga is also objectively better than the author’s other works. Since Look Back and Chainsaw Man already have anime adaptations, we can hope that this manga will also get one in the future.
4. The Color of the End Is the Most Beautiful Post-Apocalyptic Manga
Saya from The Color of the End | Credit: KADOKAWA
The plot follows a young girl wandering alone. The world has been completely destroyed. She is a cleaner, whose job is to travel through the ruined cities and clear out strange, dangerous anomalies. We look at her day-to-day life as she searches for other humans who may have survived.
The author of this manga does an amazing job at environmental storytelling. Sometimes there would be a lot of panels without any dialogue, as she is alone. Yet, the plot has somehow moved forward.
3. Love Bullet: What if Cupids Had Guns?
Koharu from Love Bullet | Credit: Kadokawa
This manga follows a girl named Koharu, who is already dead. However, instead of passing off, she becomes a cupid with a gun. Of course, the guns have special bullets that can make people fall in love. This is a Girl’s Love manga where Koharu is fighting others for the love of one human girl.
What makes this manga stand out is the unique plot it has. You rarely get to see the concept of Cupids being used in modern media. Furthermore, the art of this manga is really amazing, perfectly showing the tone of the story being both violent and romantic at the same time.
2. Three Days of Happiness Is the Perfect Short Tear-Jerker
Miyagi and Kusunoki from Three Days of Happiness | Credit: Shueisha
Kusunoki is a 20-year-old man who is broke and unhappy. He finds a strange shop that buys human lifespan, where sells the next thirty years of his life for a very low price. He has only three months left to live, in which he plans to do everything he couldn’t do before, such as making amends with the girl he loved. However, an observer has been assigned to him to make sure he doesn’t do anything illegal just because he has little time to live.
This manga stands out for its well-written philosophical themes. Originally, it was a novel that was adapted into a manga. The story is raw and focuses on depression and regret in life. Furthermore, it’s a small manga that can be read in a single day, making it perfect for an anime movie.
1. Veil Is a Fashion Statement Disguised as Romance
Emma and Aleksander from Veil | Credit: Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha!
This manga, which is a pure art, centers on two people. A male police officer named Aleksander and a blind woman named Emma. They meet by pure accident, and soon fall in love with each other. The manga is also very episodic, with chapters not being that big to begin with. Every chapter features an isolated moment in their life.
The manga stands out entirely because of its visual aesthetic. It focuses a lot on fashion art as well, detailing European architecture and subtle romance. This manga feels like a love letter to fashion and romance itself.
RankManga NameOriginal CreatorsMAL Rating (as of May 17, 2026)Release Date10Choujin XSui Ishida7.64 / 10May 10, 20219GokurakugaiYuto Sano7.68 / 10July 4, 20228After GodSumi Eno7.82 / 10August 10, 20217Ichi the WitchOsamu Nishi, Shiro Usazaki7.96 / 10September 9, 20246Haimiya Senpai Is Scary but CuteSumu Kamiyama7.89 / 10November 6, 20255Fire PunchTatsuki Fujimoto7.96 / 10April 18, 20164The Color of the EndHaruo Iwamune8.19 / 10March 15, 20223Love Bulletinee8.52 / 10October 5, 20232Three Days of HappinessSugaru Miaki, Shoichi Taguchi8.78 / 10August 10, 20161VeilKotteri8.83 / 10November 15, 2019
In the manga community, all these manga mentioned have a lot of followers. However, outside, they are not well-known. If these manga ever get an anime adaptation, they would blow up in the anime community as well for how good they are. However, as of 2026, we can only hope that these manga get anime someday.
Are any of the manga on this list confirmed for an anime adaptation in the near future?
As of May 2026, there are no official anime production announcements for any of the ten titles listed in this ranking.
Which animation studio is best for handling the visual requirements of Fire Punch?
Studio MAPPA is the best candidate. Their staff is experienced with Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work, having already produced Chainsaw Man.
Are there any differences in manga and light novel of Three Days of Happiness?
No, there are no story differences.
Which manga do you want to see being adapted the most? Let us know in the comments.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
