Deb Aoki’s annual rundown of the best and worst manga always draws big attendance with her precise round-robin questions and her panelists’ (a spirited and passionate crew of manga aficionados) witty, but clickbait-worthy, responses. This commentary can make or break a book. In Friday afternoon’s “Best and Worst Manga of 2024,” it was with unfortunate luck that both Chainsaw Man and DanDaDan, beloved fan favorites, were named to the “worst” list.

“The problem is when the boy goes to try to find the spirits, who finds an elderly woman who immediately suggests that she give him a blow job and the girl who meets these cloned aliens who rip off her clothes and pull out a penis that’s shaped like a rocket ship and implies they’re going to rape her,” explained panelist and Austin Public Library Associate Leslie Flynn as to how DanDaDan displeased her. “That’s when I said no, and I turned it off and returned it back to the library.”

Aoki and Flynn were joined by panelists Varun Gupta (MangaMavericks.com, Demon Slayer Podcast), Siddarth Gupta (MangaMavericks.com and LumSquad podcasts), Laura Neuzeth (YouTube and TikTok vlogger), Brigid Alverson (SmashPages, School Library Journal), and newcomer Michael Jokoh (editor-in-chief, Weekly Shogakukan Sunday), who drew boos with his putdown of Chainsaw Man.

“I did try to read this three times, but I could not get through Chapter 17,” said Jokoh. “I get why people like it, but you want good food…not this.”

Audience disagreement aside, here are the rules:

  • Panelists select a favorite manga series for each category and have 60 seconds to make their case.
  • For best new manga, a first volume must have been published digitally or in print between July 2023 and July 2024.
  • For best continuing series, at least one volume must be published between this same time period.
  • Panelists can choose to punt a category to another panelist (Aoki).

Best New Manga for Kids and Teens

  • Varun: Gachiakuta (Kodansha)
  • Laura: In the Name of the Mermaid Princess (Viz)
  • Leslie: Windbreaker (Kodansha)
  • Michael: Soara and the House of Monsters (Seven Seas)
  • Brigid: Medalist (Kodansha)
  • Siddarth: Tales of the Tendo Family (One Peace Books)

Best New Manga for Grown-Ups

  • Varun: Fool Night (Viz)
  • Michael: The Darwin Incident (Kodansha)
  • Leslie: Marriage Toxin (Viz)
  • Brigid: Mr. Villain’s Day Off (Square Enix)
  • Laura: My Lovesick Life as a ‘90s Otaku (Kodansha)
  • Siddarth: Mothers (Glacier Bay Books)

Best Continuing Series Manga for Kids & Teens

  • Leslie: My Happy Marriage (Square Enix)
  • Michael: Call of the Night (Viz)
  • Brigid: Akane-banashi (Viz)
  • Laura: Tamon’s B-Side (Viz)
  • Varun: Daemons of the Shadow Realm (Square Enix)
  • Siddarth: Yuri Is My Job (Kodansha)

 

Best Continuing Series Manga for Grown-Ups

  • Leslie: A Sign of Affection (Kodansha)
  • Laura: She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat (Yen)
  • Michael: Alice in Borderland (Viz)
  • Varun: Welcome Back, Alice (Kodansha)
  • Siddarth: I Think Our Son Is Gay (Square Enix)
  • Brigid: The Summer Hikaru Died (Yen)

 

Worst Manga (for Anyone, Any Age)

  • Leslie: DanDaDan (Viz)
  • Siddarth: Homunculus (Seven Seas)
  • Laura: Stray Cat and Wolf (Yen)
  • Varun: The Shiunji Family Children (Yen)
  • Deb: I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability (Kodansha)
  • Michael: Chainsaw Man (Viz)

  

Most Anticipated New Manga (August 2024 – February 2025)

  • Varun: Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow (Vertical, December 24, 2024)
  • Leslie: Semantic Error (Ize, November 19, 2024)
  • Michael: Dragon and Chameleon (Square Enix, November 19, 2924)
  • Brigid: Wash It All Away (Square Enix, February 18, 2025)
  • Laura: Last Quarter (Viz, September 3, 2024)
  • Siddarth: Now No One Lurks Beneath the Snow (fundraising on Kickstarter)

  

Most Wanted (But Not Yet Licensed) Manga

  • Leslie: Alice on Border Road / Alice in Borderland: Retry
  • Michael: Tatari
  • Deb: Girl Crush
  • Laura: Kobato
  • Varun: Sōbōtei: Must Be Destroyed
  • Siddarth: Higashi Tokyo Ward

 

Sadly, Aoki was not able to complete her discussion “Underrated, but Awesome Manga” due to time, but fans who want the complete list can visit Mangasplaining for details.

Stay tuned for more SDCC ’24 coverage from The Beat.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. And they wonder why Target and Wal-Mart keep reducing their Manga inventory. The content of “Chainsaw Man” and many numerous other titles is not going to fly with the majority of parents. Sales were down 30% in 2023. Expect the same for 2024.

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