How to discover new manga series!
If you’re an avid manga reader, you may have heard of “Shonen Jump”! If you’re unfamiliar, Shonen Jump is a manga magazine that publishes a curated set of manga chapters every week, all bound together in one (rather large) magazine.
While Shonen Jump is probably the most well known manga magazine, it is by no means the only one out there!
- How to discover new manga series!
- So again, what is a manga magazine?
- Let’s look at some popular manga magazines!
- Are these the only manga magazines out there?
- How about you?
So again, what is a manga magazine?
A manga magazine publishes a highly curated set of manga, all targeted towards a set demographic. Using my example of Shonen Jump again, this manga magazine publishes chapters of more fantasy leaning, slightly darker manga that young men like. Although this is the target demographic, that doesn’t mean that if you’re not a young, fantasy-loving man, you won’t be able to enjoy the manga published in Shonen Jump.
Categorizing manga like this makes it a lot easier to find new manga that you may like! Manga magazines tend to publish manga that are similar in theme, tone, and demographic. As such, if you find yourself liking a few manga published in a certain magazine, you’ll probably find more that you like if you read any given volume of that same magazine.
Let’s look at some popular manga magazines!
Dessert
Dessert is my all time favourite manga magazine, and by far the majority of the manga that I own were/are published in this magazine. You can see the full list of everything currently being published by Dessert here! – Be warned, this list is in Japanese (but there are images!)
Who is the target demographic?
- Women in their 10’s – 20’s
- People who like “delicious” shoujo manga
- People who enjoy new love stories
What are some of the manga published in Dessert?
(Still ongoing, currently being published)
- In the Clear Moonlight Dusk
- Fall in Love you False angels
- Love, That’s an Understatement
- Choking on Love
- A Sign of Affection
(Finished publishing, completed series!)
- Lovesick Ellie
- Futarijime Romantic
- Mairimashita Senpai
- Watashi no Koi no Hajimekata
- A Condition Called Love
If you like any of the above listed manga, I recommend checking out some of the others on the list!
Hana to Yume
Hana to Yume is another, in my opinion, fantastic resource to find new manga! You can see the full list of all manga published by Hana to Yume here! – This one is also in Japanese, with images!
Who is the target demographic?
- Girls in middle and high school
- People who enjoy romance stories
- Girls who want to have their hearts moved by facinating stories
Again, even if you don’t fit into any of the above demographic, that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to read this magazine! I’m in university, and think nothing of reading manga targeted towards younger people. I’m friends with a few men who also enjoy a few shoujo manga here and there, and that’s a good thing!
What are some of the manga published in Hana to Yume?
(Still ongoing, currently being published)
- Spring Storm and Monster
- The Failure at God School
- Stray Cat and Wolf
(Finished publishing, completed series!)
- Colette Decides to Die
- Fruits Basket
- Ouran High School Host Club
- Vampire Knight
- Maid-sama
- Yona of the Dawn
- My Black Mage is Too cute!
- It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love
Margaret
Lastly, Margaret is the third shoujo manga magazine that I am most familiar with! You can find the full list of manga currently being published through Margaret here, in Japanese!
Who is the target demographic?
Margaret is a little bit more vague with its demographic, listing “middle and high school girls” as its target audience!
What are some of the manga published in Margaret?
(Still ongoing, currently being published)
- Fukakouryoku no I LOVE YOU
- Kimi to Barairo no Hibi
- Koi suru Lip Tint
- Kami ni Koi nado Hayasugiru
(Finished publishing, completed series!)
- Tiger and Dragon
- Let’s do it already!
- Mi ni Amari Kareshi
- Pink & Habanero
Are these the only manga magazines out there?
Of course not! Just in my collection, I also have manga published in:
- Gekkan Action
- KC Betsufure
- KC Palcy
- Ribon
- Comic REX
- Bessatsu Margaret
- Bessatsu Friend
- Sho-comi
- LaLaDX
…and that’s just some of my shoujo comics!
How about you?
Are you interested in collecting manga magazines? Even if you’re not, I recommend taking a look at who publishes what, as it can really help you find new interesting manga to read!
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