Summary
With the seinen genre being aimed at young adults, specifically young men between the ages of 18 and 40, we oftensee seinen with an abundance of violent and action themes. Blood and war not being in a story also doesn’t mean that it’s childish at all, with somenon-violent seinenhaving very serious adult topics.
However, violence doesn’t equate to how good a manga is, with many manga having amazing storylines that avoid violence. While some seinen stories may feature violence at the beginning, or indications of violence, the overriding theme of this discussion is non-violence.Vinland Sagais a perfect example of a non-violent manga that, upon its first impression, readers expect to be very violent, but is in fact very anti-violence.
5Vinland Saga (Later Arcs)
An Eye-Opening Story About Finding Peace
AlthoughVinland Sagadoes feature a fair amount of violence in the earlier volumes, as a whole, it is a great insight into reflection and realization that violence isn’t the answer for the main character Thorfinn. His personal growth throughoutthis seinen series is one of the most interesting character arcsin all manga, with Makoto Yukimura doing an excellent job of expressing Thorfinn’s story.
Vinland Sagais set during the Viking age, with a more realistic outlook on what would be happening in the Viking times, apart from the obvious over-exaggeration here and there. Vikings were keen farmers, and that is interestingly covered in theVinland Sagamanga. The full-circle moments and callbacks to earlier volumes throughout the series are great, and keep the reader aware of how Thorfinn has developed with age.
4Planetes
Space-Based Thought-Provoker
Set in a near future where space travel and exploration are established, a crew of debris collectors, part of a spaceship called “Toy Box,” live their lives clearing space junk for people to safely travel. ThePlanetesmanga delves into the personal stories of the crew, focusing on each crew member’s aspirations and daily struggles.
The story features immense detail about its sci-fi world, alongside a deep web of emotionally compelling elements that make each crew member interesting. It feels like a very real take on what working in space would be like, with the characters having realistic reactions tothe scary vastness of space and the trials and tribulationsof the human race taking on problems in space.
3Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
The Battleground Of High-School Love Is Fierce
Following Kaguya and Miyuki, two elite students at an elite academy,Kaguya-sama: Love Is Waris a very funny andover-the-top romance seinen manga based on the pair’s relationshipand reluctance to admit their feelings. Both extremely intelligent students, the battle between them to trick each other into confessing their love is very complex and hilarious, with elaborate schemes and internal monologs that make readers forget that this is simply a high-school romance.
Alongside Kaguya and Miyuki,Love Is Waris filled with funny sidekicks who all add to the scenarios or schemes with their own silliness or wholesomeness in some cases. There is a nice balance of absurd and exaggerated scenarios, along with unexpected serious romantic situations that remind the reader that this is in fact a romance manga.
2Solanin
Navigating The Challenges Of Early Adulthood
Created by Inio Asano and serialized in Weekly Young Sunday and Weekly Young Magazine,Solaninis a classic Inio Asano manga that explores the story of Meiko and her boyfriend Taneda as they come to terms with the ebbs and flows of adulthood, both individually and as a couple. Coming out of college, they both have future dreams and plans that they hope can come to fruition.
However, the complexities of post-collegiate life make things less simple. Societal expectations, seeking meaning in life,and working out a relationshipare all things that they need to deal with, which are expertly addressed by Asano, who is highly skilled at creating these types of storylines.Solaninis a very thought-provoking manga that will open many readers' eyes to life as a newly turned adult.
1March Comes In Like A Lion
Lonely Shogi Player On A Journey Of Self-Discovery
Serialized in the Young Animal seinen magazine,March Comes In Like A Lionby Chica Umino follows Rei Kiriyama,a professional shogi playersuffering from past traumas that plunge him into loneliness and isolation. His career being reliant on him and him alone adds to this isolation that he feels, creating a situation where Rei must discover himself to turn his life around.
This manga is a great portrayal of loneliness and how a career can affect that, while also showing how people who feel stuck in isolation can work their way out, using what they love as a way to turn their life around.March Comes Like A Lionuses shogi as this outlet for Rei, with many shogi-related metaphors being used throughout.
