Summary
Comedy is one of the most popular genres in manga.That’s why there are dozens of new comedy manga getting published every year. But just like everything else in life, some manage to shine brighter than the others. And that is the purpose of this list: to highlight some of the best titles that this medium has to offer.
Although this list is all about comedy, these titles also incorporate other genres into the mix, such as action, romance, and slice of life. That being said, comedy is still front and center. Needless to say, this list barely scratches the surface of the iceberg known as Comedy manga. But if you are new to manga and you are in the mood for a laugh, then you should check out any of the following manga series. So here it is, the 16 best comedy manga of all time, ranked based on their MyAnimeList score.
16Prison School
The Story of Naughty Boys Imprisoned in Paradise
Let’s start with the most polarizing ones on this list.Prison School.This is a story about a group of male students who enroll in an all-girls boarding school that recently turned into a coed high school. The boys think that this is their best chance to get girlfriends. Unfortunately for them,they end up in a gilded prison instead.
Prison school is vulgar, over-the-top, unhinged, and incredibly hilarious. From the intriguing premise to the absurd situations the boys find themselves in, this series has done a great job of ensuring the readers are having a great laugh in every chapter. Unfortunately, there’s a noticeable decline in quality towards the sudden end of the series. But those early arcs present some of the best comedic moments in the world of manga.
15Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto
A Charming Boy and His Unique Problem-Solving Ability
Sakamoto is an effortlessly cool guy.His classmate tries to bully himby hiding his desk, so he decides to simply sit by the window and enjoy the breeze. They then try to beat him up in the empty laboratory room, only for Sakamoto to end up saving them from an accidental fire instead by doing high-speed side shuffles.
Sakamoto always goes above and beyond in everything he does, no matter how mundane it may seem. And that usually leads to hilarious situations. It’s not easy to build a comedy around a single character, but this series pulls it off effortlessly, all thanks to a protagonist who’s both irresistibly charismatic and unintentionally hilarious.
14Saint☆Young Men
When Two Divine Beings Try to Navigate the Chaos of Modern Life
What would divine beings like Buddha and Jesus do if they could live among the regular people in modern-day Japan? This manga is the answer to that question that nobody ever asked before, yet all of us are intrigued to find out the answer.
This is an incredibly chill and wholesome manga. We see these two divine figures strolling around different popular places in Tokyo, eating delicious foods, and enjoying the simple life in their tiny apartment. Watching these two navigate the chaos of 21st-century life isguaranteed to put a smile on your face.
13The Way of the Househusband
A Ruthless Yakuza Who Becomes a Loving Househusband
One of the most potent ways to cause laughter is to bring two contrasting things together. This concept is the building block of this series. InThe Way of the Househusband,a former Yakuza resigned from his old group to dedicate his time to his wife.
In other words, this fearsome man, covered in scars and Yakuza tattoos andonce feared as “The Immortal Dragon,”gave it all up to become a househusband. The sight of a Yakuza in a cute pink apron, hunting for the best deal on fresh vegetables, is absolutely hilarious, to say the least.
12Angel Densetsu
The Tale of an Honest Boy with a Scary Face
BeforeHaven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamotocomes along,Angel Densetsuwas one of the first to explore a comedy story that revolves around the day-to-day life of a high school boy. But if Sakamoto entertains the viewers with his irresistible charm and unique way to solve a problem, Kitano fromAngel Densetsuscares every onlooker with his terrifying face. He’s a kind and intelligent boy, but his scary face constantly gets him caught inone hilarious misunderstanding after another.
Angel Densetsugives the same vibes asHaven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto.Both utilize the charm of the main characters, or the lack thereof, really well to produce lots of comedic situations.
11The Disastrous Life of Saiki K
The Annoying Life of the Most Powerful Psychic in the World
Saiki Kusuo was born with multiple psychic powers. Hearing other people’s thoughts, moving objects with his mind, seeing through solid objects, instant teleportation, and manipulating temperature, just to name a few. If he unleashes his full power, it is said that Saiki can destroy the entire world in just three days.That’s how powerful Saiki Kusuo actually is.
Interestingly enough, Saiki doesn’t really like his powers. That’s why he prefers not to use it and simply live his daily life like a regular person. Unfortunately for him, there have always been situations that require him to use his powers. From his dad getting locked out of the house to his friend faking an illness to skip a school assembly, Saiki often finds himself using his powers for the most trivial tasks.
10SKET Dance
Handymen × Mini Detective Club
Bossun and two of his friends starteda club called the Sket Dancein their high school with the intention of it being a place where people could find solutions to their problems, sort of like a mini detective agency. But most people in the school consider them as handymen instead. That’s why they get lots of trivial requests, such as helping fix things around the school or keeping a student’s pet during school time.
However, Sket Dance does occasionally take on bigger cases, like uncovering who’s behind the gym room graffiti or tracking down a serial prankster. As the series progresses, the cases also get more complicated. One thing that never changes, though, is their unconventional approach to investigations, and the hilarious situations they often end up in.
9Nichijou
A Surreal Yet Charming Slice-of-Life Story
Nichijouis a story of everyday life in a tiny town in Japan. It mainly focuses ona school where lots of bizarre things happen,like a principal who wrestles a deer outside while students are in class, or a narcissistic rich kid who commutes on a goat. But there’s no shortage of strange happenings outside the school either, like a ramen chef who shows off his fabulous nail art, or a shy robot who can bake sweet buns inside her head.
As you’re able to already deduce from the description above, Nichijou offers a strange yet delightful blend of charm, cuteness, surrealism, and absurd humor. You will encounter countless weird setups with even weirder punchlines. Prepare to be surprised and entertained with every turn of the page.
8Hinamatsuri
This list has already featured a story about a Yakuza and a story about a powerful psychic.Hinamatsuriis what happens when you combine the two.In this series, a young up-and-coming Yakuza named Nitta finds himself stuck with a powerful psychic girl named Hina. They say your life changes once you have a child. That’s certainly true for Nitta, though he’s not sure if it’s for better or worse.
On the one hand, Hina is a good kid who would often help Nitta destroy rival Yakuza groups in a matter of minutes, even though he never asked her to do so. On the other hand, her power can go out of control from time to time, and she may accidentally blow stuff up. Hina also likes to twist Nitta’s arms if he doesn’t give her delicious food. Hinamatsuri follows the absurd, chaotic, and strangely heartwarming everyday life of this unlikely father-daughter duo.
7Spy x Family
A Fake Family of a Spy, an Assassin, and a Telepath
Spy x Familyis one of the newest series on this list, and it is easily one of the best and funniest manga here as well. The story centers around a fake family consisting of a spy father, an assassin mother, a telepathic daughter, and a clairvoyant dog.
That composition alone is already the perfect recipe for chaos and comedy. But what makes things more chaotic is the fact that they all keep their ability and professions a secret from each other, with only the daughter, Anya,who knows about those secrets.As if that’s not interesting enough, this series is also jam-packed with tons of intense action sequences. That’s whySpy x Familyis undoubtedly one of the best action-comedy manga ever made.
