It can be overwhelming when you want to read, or start reading, manga. The first question that can come to mind is “Where should I start reading?” You look at everything out there and so many options appear before you. Do you want to read shounen, shoujo, josei, or seinen? If you’re unfamiliar with these terms or you’re a beginner in the manga world, we highly recommend checking out this beginner’s guide to manga first. Now, after checking that out and showering yourself with all that new information, the next step is to pick a variety of manga you want to try. But we still have that little bump in the road: the question of where to start. An excellent solution to try is to pick a manga that has similar aspects, vibes, and characters as your favorite book. “I wish I could read something like X…” Well, this is why I’m here! I’ve paired up some popular reads with manga recommendations that you can easily go into because they shares similarities with the other title. Of course, I can’t give thousands of recommendations pairing up each and every single one of all the books published to this day, you know? But I’ll choose books that you might have heard of, some that you might have seen on TikTok, and hopefully, you’ll find one or two books that happen to be among your all-time favorites. I love these types of lists so much, because it’s easier for me to find new things to read, watch, listen to, etc. If you’re looking to try your hand at something new for you, choosing options that you know you’re going to love based on what you’ve already experienced beforehand is a good way to do it. In this case, choosing to read manga based on a favorite book: it’s probable that you’ll love the manga because that book is one of your favorites. In the case of Jujutsu Kaisen, the story centers Yuji Itadori, a normal high schooler, who has a lot of strength but chooses to spend his time in the Occult Club. One night though, they find a sealed cursed object which happens to be a finger that belonged to the feared demon Ryoma Sukuna. If you swallow Sukuna’s body parts, the power you gain is unimaginable. To save his friends, he decides to eat Sukuna’s fingers, sealing his fate and future to a tragic ending. Chainsaw Man has a similar beginning, but definitely parts ways on the plot aspect a few chapters later. Denji is a young boy who will do anything for money, even hunting down devils. He has his devil-dog Pochita by his side to do it, of course. But one day, he is betrayed by someone he trusts, and Denji suddenly turns into a whole new man — Chainsaw Man! Though Kaguya-sama: Love is War does feature an academic rivals-to-lovers trope, I feel like Kaguya and Miyuki don’t really dislike each other like in other academic rivals-to-lovers romances. From the very beginning, you know that they both have feelings for each other, but they’re too prideful to let the other one know. Because of this, they come up with many plans to make the other one confess their love first. It follows one lonely man who loves cooking but is hesitant about eating around people. One day he meets two brothers who are many years apart, and his life basically changes completely. A Sign of Affection is the story of Yuki, a deaf college student, whose life revolves around her friends and social media. A chance encounter in the subway leads her to meet upper classmate Itsuomi-san. This sweet love story will pull at your heartstrings instantly! If you’re familiar with Attack on Titan, you can see that Deka and Eren, the protagonist in the manga, have similarities. Eren’s village is attacked by titans, these big, monstrous beings that destroy and eat everything in their path. After the death of his family, he enlists in the army to learn how to fight the titans. But as he starts to get used to this new world of his, he realizes that there are far too many secrets being whispered around him… and maybe, maybe, he’s holding the biggest one of them all. Kakegurui follows Yumeko Jabami, a student who has far too many secrets. She just entered Hyakkaou Private Academy, a magnificent institution housing children of the privileged. When you’re one of the wealthiest people in the world, you have to know the art of the deal, the art of gambling. And in this school, gambling is everything. I decided to match these two up mainly because of the characters. I feel like they’re very relatable and have similar stories. In Our Favorite Songs, the main characters are lonely, overworked, and trying to get away from their daily life. And that’s how they meet each other. It’s similar in a way in Puppy Love as well; Inukai works for a company that definitely exploits him, so when he meets this fluffy pet shop clerk he decides to quit his job and change his life situation in order to finally get a dog for himself. In the manga, Momo Ayase is someone who believes in ghosts but never in aliens. While Okarun thinks the opposites. They want to prove each other wrong immediately! Now, the two of them must overcome a ghost’s curse and aliens set out on attacking the innocent. This is a spooky, comedic read you won’t be able to stop reading. If you’re already familiar with manga and its subgenres, Book Riot is the perfect place to find recommendations and topics of conversation. Be it the best of isekai manga or horror manga to make you stay awake at night, manga is really the way to go if you want inspiring, entertaining stories that will stay with you forever.
