Posted: 01.03.2026
Best of 2025
Looking back at some of my favorite manga from last year.
I read a lot of manga last year.
Nearly 200 volumes in 2025 alone (by my rough estimates). I don’t really track my reads as I go. The average seemed to be 1.5 books a day; bring ‘em to work, read ‘em on break, swap them out at night for the next shift. Couple my voracious manga reading habits with weekly trips to my local manga store (Yes! They do exist in the Midwestern U.S.), and I have a brain-friendly, wallet-stretching hobby to enjoy.
With tariffs and other BS getting in my way of obtaining figures this last year (read: am broke), manga has taken the front spot for “collectible hobby” in 2025 (example attached). Enjoy looking at this picture of (most) of my (not) current manga collection. This photo was taken back in October 2025 and that same bookcase is currently in shambles… so this old pic will have to be good enough.
Let’s dive into my favorites from 2025! I’m focusing on series that either had their first volume released in 2025 (official English printing), or are ongoing and had releases in 2025. This was a difficult list to narrow down to 5 titles; honorable mentions are included towards the end of this page.
5
Girl Crush
Midori Tayama
First Vol: Jun. 10, 2025
Latest Vol: Dec. 09, 2025 (4)
K-Pop in my J-Idol drama? More likely than you’d think.
This series follows Momose Tenka (the blonde one), as she uses the powers of raw talent and raw(er) jealousy, attempting to make her big break in the K-Pop industry. Not into idols and stuff? Fear not, dear reader! This series reads more like a high-octane sports manga. The drama, the rivalries, the jealousies; this is idol slop made with only the finest ingredients. Not to mention the art style! Girl Crush has some of the most striking covers in my collection. Midori Tayama’s use of colors and dot shading speak to me. And more impressively, her art throughout the books does not lose its shine; greyscale cannot hold this series back. Dance scenes are so well drawn, you’ll forget anime ever existed.
Speaking of: an anime adaptation of this series was announced in 2025. It’ll be tough to match this style on screen, but I’ll remain hopeful (and I’ll watch it even if it sucks, who am I kidding?). Until then, we wait for the next issue; Feb. 2026.
Jun. 10, 2025
Aug. 12, 2025
Oct. 21, 2025
Dec. 09, 2025
4
Mujina into the Deep
Inio Asano
First Vol: Feb. 18, 2025
Latest Vol: Dec. 16, 2025 (3)
In a world where you’re either a regular rights-bearing human, or a mujina, living a rights-less life, Asano has created a dystopian, cyberpunk nightmare. Follow the life of some game developer guy (not a mujina) as his life collides with Ubume (a mujina; heck yeah). Thrown into a world of lawlessness and recklessness, a very unconventional family mucks their way through a world we’ll hopefully never see for real.
After finishing his highly-celebrated series, Goodnight Punpun, I was rabid to read more of Asano’s stories. He is both a phenomenal artist and story teller. Emphasis should be made towards the art; this man definitely has a unique style. This leads to some of his characters being a little “same-facey” (Junji Ito syndrome), but their personalities are unique enough for them to stand apart.
Inio Asano is one of the best mangaka I’ve had the pleasure of reading. His aforementioned Goodnight Punpun series is requred reading for anyone who’s ever felt a little sad and/or a little crazy. Or both. I’m currently reading another one of Asano’s series, Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction. Read these! They’re so good!
Feb. 18, 2025
May 20, 2025
Dec. 16, 2025
3
Idol x Idol Story
Shotaro Tokuno
First Vol: Apr. 29, 2025
Latest Vol: Oct. 21, 2025 (3)
Meet Mimi! She’s on the cover of volume 1.
Mimi is a retired idol, inspired and encouraged by a fan of hers to enter an upcoming idol competition. 16 idol potentials, competing in a reality competition to become part of the best idol group ever made! Said competition takes place on… a cruise ship! The name of this contest? Super Star Ship! (corny)
Idol x Idol Story feels like a bastardization of Love Live x America’s Next Top Model. There’s even a Tyra-alike hosting the whole shebang. Yes, this is more idol slop. HOWEVER, Idol x Idol Story has one of the most interesting premises I’ve ever seen in my idol slop. This is a series for fellow reality TV enjoyers.
While I love the characters of this series, I must admit that they’re quite hard to tell apart sometimes. Lots of similar haircuts and colors. Luckily, the girls wear paper bibs with their names on them quite often (reality show and all that), so if you can muck your way through hiragana and katakana, it becomes much easier to keep track of who’s who.
Apr. 29, 2025
Jul. 15, 2025
Oct. 21, 2025
2
Tune in to the Midnight Heart
Masakuni Igarashi
First Vol: May 06, 2025
Latest Vol: Nov. 04, 2025 (4)
“Finding the girl behind the voice.”
What do 4 girls with voice-driven career aspirations have in common? Well, a lot, actually. They all go to the same school, they’re all in that school’s broadcast club, and most importantly, they all have very similar sounding voices. “Tune in to the Midnight Heart” (often referred to as Mayonaka Heart Tune), is a fun and fresh take on the heavily saturated harem genre. Follow Yamabuki Arisu, the world’s most insufferable boy, as he tries to discover which of these girls is his beloved “Apollo,” a voice-only streamer that he fell in love with years ago.
As I was reading this series, I thought to myself: “Damn, this series would make a fantastic anime.” And wouldn’t you know it! Announced in 2025, Tune in to the Mayonaka Heart Tune will have an anime adaptation released in 2026! Even more exciting: Hololive superstar (and AGS winner) Hoshimachi Suisei is doing the show’s opening song!
When it comes to romantic comedies, Tune Into The Midnight Heart is the zenith of the medium. This series is rife with your classic rom-com tropes: misunderstandings, forced proximity, absolute obliviousness — it’s all here, and more. Oh, and Shinobu Uzuki is the best girl. I will not accept conflicting opinions at this time.
May 06, 2025
Jul. 15, 2025
Sep. 02, 2025
Nov. 04, 2025
Honorable Mentions
Rai Rai Rai
Yoshiaki
Gushing Over Magical Girls
Akihiro Ononaka
Kusunoki’s Flunking Her High School Glow-Up
Mitsuki Mii
Shoutout to these 3 series for being very good… just not good enough to make the real list, apparently.
1
Magilumiere
Sekka Iwata / Yu Aoki
First Vol: Mar. 19, 2024
Latest Vol: Nov. 18, 2025 (10)
Sakuragi Kana is a brand new magical girl, now working for a small start up named, you guessed it: Magilumiere! If you couldn’t guess by the title “Magilumiere: Magical Girls Inc.,” this series takes place in a Japan where magical girl corporations are the norm. “Magical girl” is a bit of misnomer here, as these are working adults, but I guess “Magical Women” doesn’t have the same ring to it. Regardless, VIZ has the first few chapters available to read (for free!) so indulge yourself. Check it out and become obsessed just like me.
This is yet another series in this list that has an anime adaptation (season 1 released in 2024, as did the first volume of the manga). I just recently started watching this anime and am 4 episodes in. The anime is… fine. It’s lost some of it spunk during the move from page-to-screen. I can highly recommend reading Magilumiere if you’ve ever had a passing interest in the magical girl genre and can tentatively recommend the anime. I’m a slow show watcher. I’ll know in a month or two if season 1 is any good.
“Wait, this series didn’t start in 2025… Magilumiere volume 1 came out in 2024!” - you, probably.
Yes, yes, always the astute reader. I present to you: the only series on this list (besides my honorably mentionable girl Kusunoki, you go, Kusunoki!) that did not start in 2025. Hear me out: Magilumiere had 5 (five) releases in 2025 and by Jove, this series is straight gas. I’m no stranger to the magical girl genre; no genre holds more shelf space in my collection. While Magilumiere isn’t my favorite magical girl IP of all time (cough, cough, meduka meguca, cough), it is my favorite magical girl manga (so far). Magilumiere was completed back in September 2025, ending with volume 18. At VIZ’s current publish rate, we should see this series complete in English by the end of 2027.
Feb. 18, 2025
Apr. 15, 2025
Jun. 17, 2025
Aug. 19, 2025
Nov. 18, 2025
You’ve reached the end
Check out this Kana figure! A gift from jolly old Saint Nick. Kana’s such a hardworking corpo-magi-girl. Reward her by reading Magilumiere. Maybe I’ll type up a review on this figure next.
There you have it: my favorite manga of 2025. My original plan was to do 5 lists of 5 things (manga, figures, shows, games, and music), but this took me long enough and I’m burnt, yo.
So, do you agree with this manga list? Disagree with my choices? Sound off in the comment section below! Just kidding. There is no comment section. Your input is unnecessary and frankly, unwarranted. Consider this blog post: over.
My 2026 New Year’s resolution is to update this website more frequently. Lol. Lmao, even.