At long last, the legendary historical epicKingdomis getting an official English release for its manga. The series had long been regarded as one of the greatest manga of all time thanks to its amazing writing and artwork, and it’s even one of the best-selling manga of all time, so this announcement is long overdue, especially when the anime has been running for years to incredible success.
Kingdomofficially getting licensed in Englishis nothing but great, and it opens the door for plenty more.Kingdom’s licensing proves that a manga can always come out in English, no matter how long or how old it might be, soifKingdomcan get an official English release, that means other great manga of its caliber can and should get English releases, as well, no matter how long it might take. A few manga like that are especially worth highlighting, and hopefully, it won’t be too long before every one of them is finally available in English.
Sanda
Cast
SANDA is a futuristic film exploring themes of survival and human connection in a world facing declining birth rates. It follows a boy named Sanda, who discovers that his classmate, Shiori Fuyumura, intends to kill him due to a “curse” and her missing friend’s influence.
Sandais the second major serialization from Paru Itagaki ofBeastarsfame.Sandatakes place in a dystopian Japan where children, while seemingly being given special treatment from adults, receive it at the expense of having every aspect of their lives controlled by the government, and the only one who can bring them hope is Kazushige Sanda, who has the power to turn into Santa Claus and bring Christmas joy to a world that’s forgotten the meaning of Christmas and various other holidays.
Sanda’s writing and overall premise make it a work that’s somehow even more wonderfully bizarre thanBeastars, and with it boasting all the same great artwork and fight choreography, there’s always something great to look forward to.Sandais receiving an anime in late 2025from Science Saru, the studio still in the spotlight fromDandadan’s success, and with any luck, the anime will give it enough of a boost for an English publisher to finally take an interest.
7Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops
Manga By Osamu Akimoto; Serialized In Weekly Shonen Jump 1976-2016
Osamu Akimoto’sKochiKame: Tokyo Beat Copsfollows the adventures of Kankichi “Ryo” Ryotsu, a manchild of a police officer who, along with his coworkers, spends more time goofing off than he does doing actual police work. The series is famous for its satire of not just anime and manga, but Japanese culture, as a whole, and in a similar vein toThe Simpsons, it’s even featured a multitude of cameos from real-life celebrities.
With 200 volumes published across 40 years and a writing style that likely wouldn’t make sense to people unfamiliar with Japanese culture, it makes sense that an English publisher would be hesitant to pick upKochikame, especially with how hit-and-miss comedy anime and manga are in the West. That being said,Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops' great comedy writing, combined with the sheer magnitude of its legacy, makes it plenty worthy of an English release, and hopefully, it’s not completely off the table.
Sket Dance
Sket Dance centers on the Sket Brigade, a trio of high school students who dedicate their time to assisting others with their troubles. Led by the resourceful Bossun, the group includes Himeko, known for her fierce personality and strength, and Switch, who communicates through a computer. The series combines humor, heart, and a touch of mystery as the Sket Brigade tackles diverse challenges and builds strong friendships along the way.
Kenta Shinohara’sSket Danceis a comedy series centered around the Sket Dan, a trio of high schoolers who dedicate their time to assisting people with their problems, no matter how big or small they may be. The trio of Bossun the leader, Himeko the former delinquent, and Switch the mute nerd always have eccentric ways of dealing with problems, but even with that, they’re often the normal ones in a school filled to the brim with bizarre characters.
Between its hilarious parody stylings and occasional moments of genuine heart and drama,Sket Dancewas one of the best slice-of-life stories to come out ofShonen Jump, and it’s maintained a notable cult following in the decade since its finale.Sket Danceis one of the most underratedShonen Jumpmanga ever to be published, but with the anime adaptation ofKenta Shinohara’s latest work,Witch Watch, set to become a big hit, there might be a chance forSket Danceto finally reach a wider audience.
5Billy Bat
Manga By Naoki Urasawa & Takashi Nagasaki; Serialized In Morning 2008-2016
Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’sBilly Batstars Kevin Yamagata, a comic book artist in post-World War II America who learns he might have accidentally plagiarized the hero of his storyBilly Batwhile stationed in Japan. Kevin returns to Japan to track down the creator in the hopes of getting permission to keep using the character, and doing so gets him embroiled in a centuries-old conspiracy that the biggest figures in history have all played a part in, all of which goes back to that seemingly innocent bat.
Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki have collaborated on some of the bestseinenmanga of all time likeMonster,Pluto, and20th Century Boys, and sure enough,Billy Batembodies everything great about Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’s work with its incredible art and intricate character and mystery writing. The constant references to Disney and other real-life companies, most of which are largely negative, might be keepingBilly Batfrom getting licensed, but it would still be great for there to be some sort of official means of reading such a great manga.
Yugo Kobayashi’sAoashistars Ashito Aoi, a young soccer player who has a chance encounter with a legendary coach that leads to him joining Tokyo Esperion, one of the most prestigious youth teams in the country. At Esperion, Ashito has the best chance in his life of becoming a professional, but Ashito is quick to learn how that road is far more complicated than he could have imagined.
WhileBlue Lockhas been the dominant soccer manga of the past few years,Aoashiis an incredible work in its own right thanks to its stellar character writing and how great a job the art always does of selling the intensity of every match, especially in the matches past the point the anime stopped at.TheAoashimanga is in its final arc, so if there was ever a time for it to get an official English release, now would be the time.
3Kinnikuman
Manga By Yudetamago; Serialized In Weekly Shonen Jump 1979-1987, Shu Play News Since 2011
Yudetamago’sKinnikumanstars Kinnikuman, the bumbling superhero of Japan who rarely ever saves the day without embarrassing himself. Kinnikuman does gradually become more heroic, however, and much of his growth is sparked by the constant wrestling matches he and his friends have to protect the universe from the forces of evil, with the nature of their fights always changing in complexity with every new fight across various decades.
Much likeKochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops,Kinnikumanis an incredibly lengthy manga that’s been running on and off for decades, so that, combined with the comedic elements of its early years and the commercial failure of theUltimate Musclemanga in the West, have likely keptKinnikumanfrom getting an official translation. Even so,Kinnikuman’s great action and the incredible lengths to which its writing and worldbuildingevolve over the years make it one of the bestshonenmanga a person can read, and with the recent success of its new anime, a manga licensing hopefully isn’t off the table.
Hideaki Sorachi’sGintamatakes place in an alternate history to our own where aliens invaded Japan during the late Edo period and transformed it into a land where samurai are outlawed and aliens reign supreme. Gintoki, a former samurai who fought in the war with the aliens, is now living as an eccentric freelancer, and after unwittingly taking on an apprentice in Shinpachi, his freelancing becomes a full-fledged business known as the Yorozuya.
WhileGintamawas licensed in English by Viz Media, its publication was abruptly canceled after 23 volumes, covering less than half of the entire story, and even with how much of a cultural iconGintama’s become, they’ve never picked it back up. It’s unknown whyGintamawas canceled in the first place, but regardless,Gintama’s incredible comedy writing, combined with its great action and surprisingly emotional character writing, make it one of the best manga to come out ofShonen Jumpin the 2000s, and it would be great if Viz Media or another publisher could finally finish it.
Makoto Raiku’sZatch Bell!, also known asKonjiki no Gash!!, stars Kiyomaro Takamine, an arrogant child prodigy who meets Zatch Bell, an amnesiac young boy sent to Kiyomaro by his father to help him make friends. Much to both of their surprise, Zatch is one of 100 demons sent to Earth to battle each other for the right to be the next king of the demon world, and coincidentally, Kiyomaro is Zatch’s chosen partner who gives him the power to shoot powerful bursts of electricity from his mouth.
Much likeGintama,Zatch Bell!was once licensed by Viz Media before being abruptly canceled, although in this case, it was due to a lawsuit filed by Makoto Raiku in 2008, and sure enough,Zatch Bell!’s incredible artwork and heartfelt character writing make it one of the best manga a person can read, even if it was never finished in English. Add in the incredible success of its recent sequel,Zatch Bell! 2, and afterKingdom,Zatch Bell!is the biggest case of amanga that needs an official English license, by far.
