Martial arts are an integral part of most shounen and action seinen manga. From real-life martial arts like Karate to fictional martial arts like One-Punch Man’s One-Punch Man’s Fist, the art of hand-to-hand combat makes for thrilling action for every reader. And here is our list of 10 best martial arts manga.
10. One Punch Man
One Punch Man tells the story of Saitama, a bald man who decides to become a hero. In a society filled with heroes and monsters, not many people know about Saitama. But what people don’t realize is that Saitama is one of the strongest humans on Earth who can kill any monster with a single punch. The most prominent fighters in the series are the S-Class hero Bang and his disciple, the hero hunter Garou. Both use Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, a martial art that focuses on quick and fluid hand movements. In the hands of a master, this technique can be used to attack and even counter any attack coming from all directions.
Martial arts may be just a small part of what makes One Punch Man so enjoyable to read. However, characters like Bang and Garou are such an important part of the whole story that it’s hard to imagine One Punch Man without them. Not only that, their fight scenes also offer some of the most intense action sequences in the series.
9. Tokyo Revergers
Takemichi Hanagaki is at the lowest point in his life when he hears of the death of his ex-girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, at the hands of the notorious Tokyo Manji gang. With a head full of regrets and a broken heart, Takemichi suddenly finds himself 12 years in the past when the Tokyo Manji Gang was still in its infancy. Determined to change the future, Takemichi infiltrates this ruthless gang and tries to destroy it slowly within.
Instead of precise martial arts, what Tokyo Revengers has to offer is lots of raw street brawls. There is little or no one-on-one duels in this series. Every problem is solved through street fights involving dozens, if not hundreds, of people. In a way, this kind of street brawl can be said to be the reason why martial arts were developed in the first place. This display of aversion, anger, and brutal revenge is what makes the fight scenes so enjoyable to watch.
8. Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball is the story of a boy named Son Goku who strives to become the strongest martial artist in the world. We follow his journey from when he was a 12-year-old boy who knew nothing about the world, until he became a grandfather and fought aliens and aliens. robot. Goku was raised by his grandfather to become a highly skilled martial artist, especially with something similar to the Chinese Kung Fu. From Dragon Ball Z onwards, Goku usually fights with his energy rays and special moves, but in his childhood we see him fight against dangerous opponents purely with skill. his martial arts.
In fact, there are many rounds in the beginning of Dragon Ball where we get to see all kinds of fighters, including Goku, fight to be the strongest boxer under heaven: the disciples of Tortoise vs Crane school, a world class boxer with the strongest wrestler and even something as ridiculous as monsters vs aliens. Needless to say, those are some of the most exciting storylines in the entire Dragon Ball series.
7. Levius
Levius is a young boy who lost his right arm in the previous war. He has always been fascinated with mechanical boxing. With the help of his uncle, Levius begins his journey as a martial artist with his medical artificial right arm against martial artists who use military-grade technology or are individually crafted on both of their arms.
The fight scenes are actually not that different from regular boxing. However, the additional explosion through steam-powered mechanical weapons turned the intensity of the fights up to 11. Needless to say, Levius climbed the ladder, so did the warriors. and their power became even more frenzied. And all of these incredible battles are shown through Nakata-sensei’s incredibly detailed and delicate illustrations.
6. Tenjou Tenge
Souichiro Nagi and his best friend, Bob Makihara, enter Toudou Academy with the sole purpose of becoming the school’s strongest. After all, Toudou Academy is the most famous martial arts school in the country. Unfortunately, Nagi’s dream was completely and immediately crushed by his seniors. So they decide to join the Juken club and get proper martial arts training by one of the strongest martial artists in the school, a bombshell girl named Maya Natsume. But the road to the top is more difficult and dangerous than they ever thought.
Most of the characters in Tenjou Tenge use a combination of street fighting and fictional martial arts. Nagi himself uses a combination of his street fighting and the Forged Needle attack he learned from Maya. Each character uses a distinct martial arts style, and there’s a lot of one-on-one combat here. They all start with a punch in the face and end with broken walls and concrete.
5. Dolkara
Kazuyoshi Ishii, the former leader of the martial arts organization K-1, is hit and killed by a truck. Just before he moves to higher ground, a mysterious cat appears and offers him a second chance at life. Suddenly, Kazuyoshii wakes up in the body of a high school girl named Kei Ichinose, who has been in a coma for the past three days. After some research, he discovers that Kei is the heir to a dilapidated karate dojo left by her late father, along with mountains of debt. So begins Kazuyoshi’s effort to restore the Ichinose dojo to its former glory, while also revitalizing the nation’s interest in karate.
In addition to proper karate techniques, there is a wealth of insight into the Japanese martial arts business in Dollkara. But the highlight of the story is definitely the fight scenes. From karate to kickboxing, Dollkara showcases all kinds of real martial arts fights, clashing in highly dynamic action sequences.
4. Abyss Rage
Shinobu was blind from birth, but his love for his childhood friend, Mikoto, prompted him to learn the Mikoto family martial art, “Mibuchi Toshujutsu”. The martial art of Mibuchi used to be a deadly technique that targeted key areas like the throat, joints, and genitals, but the technique Shinobu was learning was a non-lethal version of it. And thanks to his keen hearing, echolocation technique, and years of daily practice, Shinobu finally obtained the right to inherit the Mikoto dojo. When a mysterious man appears, beats Mikoto’s father and kidnaps her. The man then invites Shinobu to join his death game. He will be put in a prison and tasked with killing 100 men if he wants to save his girlfriend. So start his deadly match with many dangerous boxers in lawless prison.
Unlike the aforementioned Mibuchi martial arts, most of the martial arts shown in Abyss Rage are real-life martial arts, such as Sumo and MMA. The fight scenes alone are fascinating to watch, but the fact that Shinobu is a blind fighter creates an entirely different dynamic in the action sequences.
3. Hinomaru Zumou (Hinomaru Sumo)
One of the most unique things about Sumo is the fact that there is no division of weight in this ancient martial art. Therefore, the larger athlete will clearly have an advantage over the smaller athlete. With a height of only about 5’2″, Hinomaru Ushio is clearly not a fit for the sport. However, his unwavering love and determination for Sumo has allowed him to face opponents far larger and stronger than he would have used his own brand of fighting. And this is the story of his journey to becoming the highest ranked sumo wrestler in the country, Yokozuna.
Sumo is an ancient Japanese martial art and much of the rules and principles behind the sport have remained relatively unchanged to this day. Hinomaru Sumo is great because it is clearly the path of someone striving to become a professional sumo wrestler – from school competitions to becoming a professional athlete. Not only that, every sumo match in the movie looks very thrilling.
2. Sun Ken Rock
Kitano Ken is a sadistic guy who doesn’t hesitate to throw himself into any fight against anyone. But when he entered the battle of love, he lost miserably. His first love, Yumin, flatly rejected his confession and returned to Korea to become a policeman.
Feeling that there was nothing worth fighting for in his life, he saved up and bought a one-way ticket to Korea to see Yumin. One story leads to another and Ken ends up becoming the leader of a small gang of gangsters and the protector of their neighborhood.
In a way, Sun Ken Rock is an adult version of Tokyo Revergers. After all, most of the action takes the form of street fights with fists and baseball bats. The only difference is in scope and detail. Every fight scene in Sun Ken Rock is drawn with an exquisite level of detail. You can feel the movement through each line in the pages. It’s brutal, cruel, brutal, and at the same time enchanting.
1. Kengan Ashura
Since the Edo period in this world, all disputes between merchants and noble factions have been resolved through something called Kengan fighting. Each side chooses a gladiator to represent their cause and whoever wins the fight wins the dispute. This unique tradition has been kept until modern times.
Tokita Ohma is a martial artist representing the Nogi Group in a dispute over ownership of a building. Compared to other boxers from other companies, Tokita is a young man with average physique. Yet somehow, he always manages to overwhelm his opponents and defeat them until he finally finds a monster he’s been searching for all his life.
Similar to the other entries on this list, Kengan Ashura presents a blend of both factual and fictional martial arts. All of them are exaggeratedly presented, but somehow still believable and incredibly entertaining. From its unique premise to its innovative and fast-paced action, Kengan Ashura is undoubtedly one of the best and most enjoyable martial arts manga to read.
