What are the must-read titles this year that are expected to become major hits, as highlighted by awards like the Manga Taisho 2026 and the Next Manga Awards 2025?

Manga is one of Japan’s most celebrated cultural exports. There are countless works that have gained global popularity, such as ONE PIECE, Detective Conan, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. In addition, new works poised to lead the next generation are constantly being created. While this is great news for manga fans, it can also be difficult to decide, "Which one should I read next...?" That’s why we recommend using manga awards as a reference. Every work selected by a panel of discerning judges is a safe bet! In this article, we will introduce the winners of the "Next Manga Awards 2025," the "Recommended Comics Chosen by Bookstore Staff Nationwide 2026," and the newly announced "Manga Taisho 2026."

*If you purchase or book products introduced in this article, a portion of the sales may be returned to FUN! JAPAN.

A Complete Overview of the 2026 Manga Awards

What is the "Manga Taisho"?

Overview of the "Manga Taisho"

The "Manga Taisho" (Manga Grand Prize) was started in 2008 by a group of volunteers. The most important value is the desire to "recommend a manga you found interesting to someone right now!" Manga fans from various backgrounds, including bookstore staff, come together to support this award. Eligible works are those "published between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year, with up to 8 volumes released." The award is filled with the spirit of discovering lesser-known works and delivering them to a wide audience of readers.

What are the winning works for 2026?

1st Place: "Hon nara uru hodo" (Ao Kojima)

2nd Place: "Dan Mitsu" (Tooru Seino)

3rd Place: "Jashin no Bentoya-san" (Ishiko)

4th Place: "Okaeri Suiheisen" (Taiyo Watabe)

5th Place: "Tomodachi datta Hito: Miya Kinuta Works Collection" (Miya Kinuta)

6th Place: "Kaijū o Kaibō suru" (Mado Saitō)

7th Place: "Robō no Fujii" (Otto Nabekura)

8th Place: "Thank You Pitch" (Kyu Sumiyoshi)

9th Place: "RIOT" (Yuta Tsukada)

10th Place: "Maotoko no Ichi" (Osamu Nishi, Shiro Usazaki)

What are the stories of the 2nd and 3rd place works?

"Hon nara uru hodo," which took first place in the "Manga Taisho 2026," also topped the "Recommended Comics 2026 Chosen by Publishing House Comic Editors." Therefore, here we will focus on the 2nd and 3rd place works.

"Dan Mitsu" (Tooru Seino)

In 2019, the marriage between Japanese celebrity Dan Mitsu and manga artist Tohru Seino was announced. The sudden news caused a stir in society, but the couple received many blessings as they embarked on their new life together. Still, many people must have wondered, "What kind of married life do they have?" This work answers that very question, as Seino himself candidly depicts his daily life with Danmitsu in this non-fiction manga. Through Seino's eyes, Dan Mitsu appears extremely mysterious. Yet the more you read, the more you will be captivated by her enigmatic personality.

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"Jashin no Bentoya-san" (Ishiko)

Solange, a deity worshipped in the northern lands since ancient times, presides over both harvest and death. Due to her unusual appearance, she was feared by some as an "evil god." Thirty years ago, a war broke out because of Solange, and she was banished from the world of gods. Forced to live in the human world under the name "Rainy," Solange chooses to run a bento shop. With the motto “one good deed a day,” she continues making bento, attracting people from all walks of life to her shop...

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What about past award-winning works?

Some of the past award-winning works have been adapted into anime or live-action films, all of which became big hits. Recently, works depicting "diverse people" have tended to take the top spot.

• 2016 1st Place: "Golden Kamuy" (Satoru Noda)
• 2020 1st Place: "Blue Period" (Tsubasa Yamaguchi)
• 2021 1st Place: "Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End" (Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe)
• 2024 1st Place: "Kimi to Uchuu wo Aruku Tame ni" (Inuhiko Doronoda)
• 2025 1st Place: "Arisu, Uchuu made mo" (Kiko Urino)

What is the "Next Manga Awards"?

Overview of the "Next Manga Awards"

The "Next Manga Awards" is a manga prize established in 2014 by the major Japanese publisher KADOKAWA Group. Its biggest feature is that it is "user participation-based," with works that are thought to be "the next big thing!" chosen by user votes. Since the nominated works already have strong support, the results keep audiences on edge until the very end! There are two categories: the Comics Division and the Web Manga Division, and each features unique works that win the grand prize.

What were the award-winning works in 2025?

1st Place: "Maotoko no Ichi" (Osamu Nishi, Shiro Usazaki)

2nd Place: "COSMOS" (Ryuhei Tamura)

3rd Place: "Choujun! Choujou Senpai" (Shun Numa)

Manga Division>

1st Place: "Thank You Pitch" (Kyu Sumiyoshi)

2nd Place: "Kenturia" (Tooru Kuramori)

3rd Place: "O Motome Itadaita Boukun Heika no Akujo Desu" (Tenichi, SORAJIMA)

What are the top-ranked works in each category about?

"Maotoko no Ichi" (Osamu Nishi, Shiro Usazaki)

The story is set in a world where magic exists as living beings. In this world, mastering magic requires overcoming countless hardships, and those who achieve this are called "witches." One day, deep in the mountains of a remote region, the strongest witch is clashing with the "King's Magic." At that moment, a boy named Ichi appears there. He lives as a hunter in the mountains, completely unrelated to magic or witches. However, when Ichi manages to subdue the "King's Magic," the world of magic is thrown into turmoil. How will Ichi's existence change the world—?

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"Thank You Pitch" (Kyu Sumiyoshi)

Among high school baseball players in Kanagawa Prefecture, there is a rumor. At night, a strange man appears and challenges players to a "three-pitch showdown." His only goal is "to fight strong opponents." Before long, this man comes to be known as the "Baseball Team Hunter." In this situation, Kobori, the captain of the Yokohama Shimohaba High School baseball team, devises a plan to bring the "Baseball Club Hunter" onto his side. If he can win him over, he might finally achieve his dream of reaching Koshien. Kobori volunteers to act as bait, and eventually comes face-to-face with the "Baseball Club Hunter." However, the man has a secret...

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What are some of the past award-winning works?

In the past, the following works have won first place. Some of them gained nationwide popularity after being adapted into anime.

• 2021 1st Place: "Oshi no Ko" (Aka Akasaka, Mengo Yokoyari)
• 2022 1st Place: "Medalist" (Ikada Tsuruma)
• 2025 1st Place: "Kagurabachi" (Takeru Hokazono)

Manga Category>

• 2019 1st Place: "SPY×FAMILY" (Tatsuya Endo)
• 2022 1st Place: "Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari" (Jinushi)
• 2025 1st Place: "Futsuu no Keionbu" (Tetsuo Denai, Kuwahari)

What is the "Recommended Comics Chosen by Bookstore Staff Nationwide"?

Overview of "Recommended Comics Chosen by Bookstore Staff Nationwide"

As the name suggests, "Recommended Comics Chosen by Bookstore Staff Nationwide" is a ranking based on a survey of bookstore staff—true professionals when it comes to comics—introducing notable works in ranked order. The list features manga that bookstore staff, who encounter countless works every day, feel they "want to recommend to many people." Many past winners have been adapted into anime or have become long-selling hits, making this a highly reliable comic award.

What are the award-winning works for 2026?

1st Place: "Belle Poupée's Ideal Fiancé: The Doll Princess Who Was Told 'You're Not My Type' Stopped Holding Back, and the Prince Became Completely Smitten. Truly Adorable!" (Asaki Asagiri, Seren)

2nd Place: "Books for Sale in Abundance" (Ao Kojima)

3rd Place: "The Little People of Your Castle: Please Give Us Food, We'll Work for It!" (Kazuhito Minagi, пNekoR, Hajime Kurihara)

4th Place: "DIG IT" (Yoshida.)

5th Place: "Love-Struck Lip Tint" (Nana Kusunoki)

6th Place: "Stepmother's Wisdom" (Sora Hoonoki, Mamenosuke Fujimaru, Tooru)

7th Place: "Taisho Era Student and His Beloved Wife" (Suzu Kayukawa)

8th Place: "THE BAND" (Harold Sakuishi)

9th Place: "Thank You Pitch" (Kyu Sumiyoshi)

10th Place: "K-9: Public Security Bureau, Section 9, Special Abilities Task Force" (Tetsuya Okuyama)

11th Place: "Silver Mountain" (Kazuhiro Fujita)

12th Place: "Suspicious Police Officer" (Muki Shitsu)

13th Place: "The Evil God's Bento Shop" (Ishiko)

14th Place: "BFF" (Oto Obana)

15th Place: "Yelknacht of the Black Moon" (Kou Suzumoto)

What is the story of the 1st place work?

"Belle Poupée's Ideal Fiancé: The Doll Princess Who Was Told 'You're Not My Type' Stopped Holding Back, and the Prince Became Completely Smitten. Truly Adorable!" (Asaki Asagiri, Seren)

Leticia, the daughter of a duke, is nicknamed "Belle Poupée" ("Beautiful Doll"). With her silky silver hair, blue eyes, and porcelain-white skin, her appearance is so doll-like that she draws sighs of admiration from those around her. However, her true nature is the complete opposite—she has a bold and gallant personality. One day, Leticia receives a marriage proposal. Her fiancé, however, is the second prince, Gilbert, who is rumored to have a questionable reputation and an unbelievably bad attitude. Can Leticia handle this "wild horse" of a prince?

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What is the ranking for "Recommended Comics 2026 Chosen by Publishing House Comic Editors"?

In the "Recommended Comics Chosen by Bookstore Staff Nationwide," comic editors from various publishers also introduce interesting works from other companies in a ranking format. This year's ranking is as follows:

1st Place: "Books for Sale in Abundance" (Ao Kojima)

2nd Place: "Regista!" (Fujimaru)

3rd Place: "The Wolf Falls in Love with the Moon" (Maria Komaki)

4th Place: "My Boyish Girlfriend is Too Cute" (Gyunyu Mugigohan)

5th Place: "Tonari no Jiisan" (Nocto Koike)

"Books for Sale in Abundance" (Ao Kojima)

"October Hall" is a used bookstore run by a laid-back owner who quit his corporate job. The owner, who loves and even reveres books, welcomes a variety of customers every day: a woman wanting to sell her late spouse's collection, a high school girl in love, a man coming to throw away unwanted books, and more. Everyone has their own way of relating to books—some people even treat them carelessly. Yet, sometimes a single book can bring people together and become a turning point in their lives. This heartwarming human drama, dedicated to book lovers, reminds us of the mysterious power that books hold.

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What are the past award-winning works?

With selections made by professional bookstore staff and manga editors, you can be sure these works are truly entertaining. In previous rankings, the following titles have taken the top spot:

• 2016 1st Place: "Delicious in Dungeon" (Ryoko Kui)
• 2017 1st Place: "Teasing Master Takagi-san" (Soichiro Yamamoto)
• 2019 1st Place: "Jujutsu Kaisen" (Gege Akutami)
• 2020 1st Place: "SPY×FAMILY" (Tatsuya Endo)
• 2022 1st Place: "Dandadan" (Yukinobu Tatsu)

Let's search for the next big hit!

Manga enthusiast writer Dai Igarashi has introduced the latest award-winning works from three major manga awards in Japan. There is no doubt that the next generation of blockbuster titles will emerge from among these. Be sure to check them out while you can!