by Sara Smith
2025 was a fantastic year for publishing and reading, so this list was extremely difficult to make! One theme for this year that you'll see over and over is gorgeous illustrations. It seems I am a sucker for something beautifully drawn! I'm incredibly excited by all of the re-issuing of classic manga in hardcover or collector's editions so that new generations of readers can experience pivotal series. I read 250 books in 2025, and many of them received a rating of 9-10/10, including all of the books on this list. As I filtered through to create this list, I prioritized books that were published within the last year. Thus, a few top rated books ended up in my Honorable Mentions because they were a little older. I hope you enjoy this list and find some books to add to your library purchases or personal TBR lists! Reviews marked with the following symbols will require premium subscriptions, or searches in your favorite library purchasing program: Booklist* or School Library Journal+. Links to previous years: #15 - A song for you and i
Written and illustrated by K. O'Neill
I am a sucker for the works of K. O'Neill because of their beautiful and cozy illustration style. But on top of the pleasing artwork, O'Neill's stories are often about self-discovery, acceptance, and other positive, feel-good messages. This book is no exception. As a musician, I also adore when music is involved as a focal point. Read the full review. #14 - Hikaru in the Light
#13 - Baki
Written and illustrated by Keisuki Itagaki
Baki is a classic manga that has been re-published from Kodama, a publisher that began publishing in the US in 2025. Baki is a quintessential sports manga that has been immensely popular worldwide since it began its publication run in the early 1990s, so I was excited to finally be able to read it. The fights are completely over-the-top, but the illustrations are absolutely stellar. Itagaki spares no detail as he portrays bones breaking, tendons snapping, nerves being severed, all while coming up with some wild and crazy enemies for Baki to square up against. Read the full review here: vol 1 #12 - Almark
Written by Noboru Yamada, illustrated by Hiyoto Yunoki.
Volume 1 of Almark feels like it's a prequel to the full series. We see Almark before he gets to the magic school where he hopefully is going to learn a lot of things, but this serves as the background for who Almark is and his upbringing. It's not often in stories that you get to really see where a character comes from before the real action begins -- it's often a few panels or maybe a few pages of flashback. I often wish for more in-depth exploration of why someone acts the way they do, and this full volume set up will really give us that insight going into the full series. Read the full review here: vol 1* #11 - Phantom Busters
Written and illustrated by Neoshoco
I didn't expect to love Phantom Busters based on the ridiculous cover, but I fell in love with the quirky group of teen boys and the silly humor throughout volume one. We've seen exorcism books time and again, but this one has a unique humor and style to it. Each of the four teens is a little bit different, which makes them more like the real teenagers I work with and who would probably read this book. Read the full review here: vol 1* #10 - Lu and Ren's Guide to Geozoology
Written and illustrated by Angela Hsieh
As a fan of The Tea Dragon Society, I knew I was going to love this story full of fantasy creatures, and another affirming story of self-discovery. Hsieh's fantasy land is well thought-out, and the main characters' struggles will resonate with many readers. The beautifully, brightly colored illustrations definitely appealed to my sensibilities. Read the full review #9 - Kingdom
Written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara
I heard an anecdote said on a manga panel full of publishers that whoever brought Kingdom to the US market would be a serious manga publisher. Well, VIZ stepped up to the plate this year and brought this monster of a story with it's 70+ volumes already out in Japan. This beast is an insane story, and it started off extremely strong. It has all the classic tropes of a shonen manga that makes me want to read more -- war, double crosses, rags to riches, a large cast of characters, the hero's journey, and many others. Read the full review here: vol 1* #8 - Angelica and the Bear Prince
Written and illustrated by Trung Le Nguyen
Those who know me know that I'm mostly a robot with few outward emotions -- it's not often that a movie, even less often that a book, will make me cry. Angelica made me actually cry tears from my own eyes. It's beautiful and has a lot to say about safe, healthy relationships (including friendships). It also talks about grief, which is where it got me. But Nguyen does so in a beautiful way that still makes me a little misty remembering it and typing this reflection. Read the full review #7 - Issak
Written by Shinji Maraki, illustrated by DOUBLE-S.
This historical fiction manga blew me away with its gorgeous details in every panel as well as its attention to detail in historical accuracy. The narrative is also compelling -- who doesn't love a righteous vengeance storyline? Issak is also rather mysterious and reserved, so in addition to rooting for him to get his man, I really want to know more about him. Read the full review here: vol 1* #6 - Victoria of Many Faces
Written by Syuu, adapted by Komo Ushino
Our heroine, "Victoria" setting up a new life and running from her old job as a spy got me intrigued immediately. But the twist in this title that I didn't see coming was Victoria "falling in love" with a little girl and wanting to protect her in a motherly capacity. Yes, there is still a bit of a romantic angle to satisfy that itch, but Victoria is a self-sufficient girl who can fight, take on would-be assassins, be domestic enough to raise a young girl, and flirt with the handsome captain. This unassuming manga satisfies a lot of wants in a story. Read the full review here: vol 1+ #5 - Always a Catch: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince 
Written by Maya Momoyo & Itsuki Mito, adapted and illustrated by Kaki Nagato
This is one of those manga series with a ridiculously long title that sort of gives away everything. However, it's also really funny, extremely sweet, and uniquely illustrated. Main character Mimi can be a little bit naive when it comes to the affairs of state, but she's got a strong moral compass, and watching her get herself in and out of trouble is the best part of the series. Read the full review here: vol 1*, vols 1-2+, vol 3 #4 - Purgatory Funeral Cakes
Written and illustrated by Sanho
I'm surprised by how much this story moved me. Having lost someone dear a few years ago, I think this story hits a little differently because of how it deals with grief and the loss of loved ones. The mixture of supernatural elements and creatures is seamless, and it gives a fantastical element to this story that I adore. Read the full review here: vol 1 #3 - dragon Quest - The Mark of Erdrick
Written by Chiaki Kawamata, illustrated by Kami Fujiwara
Here's another classic manga that is finally being published in the US. It was originally published in the early 1990s, and it definitely has that classic manga feeling and humor to it. However, this title doesn't have some of the raunchier humor that mars other classic tails. Dragon Quest has an abundance of adventure, fantasy, and the good-ol' stand off between good and evil with a compelling set up that I thoroughly enjoy. Read the full review here: vol 1 #2 - Kamudo
Written and illustrated by Akira Himekawa
Himekawa has created a brand new fantasy world for us to step into with a plethora of gorgeous creatures living in a complex society. The prologue sets up Kamuna as something much more powerful than we see for the rest of the volume, so I'm immediately invested in his journey and development. Those familiar with Himekawa from their work on the Zelda series will know their illustration work is beautiful, but Kamudo is next-level impressive. Read the full review here: vol 1* #1 - Yan
Written and illustrated by Chang Sheng
This bright pink, captivating cover first drew me to Yan, and I had no idea what to expect beyond that. Sheng's gorgeous illustrations and immediate hook from the first few pages sunk me into an immersive reading experience, and the large format was a perfect choice to be able to enjoy every moment of this gorgeous work. Yan is a wild ride from beginning to end, and I stayed up way past my bedtime because I was physically unable to stop myself from reading. This was one of those books where I was absolutely devastated when I ran out of book. Read the full review here: vol 1 Honorable Mentions
These books received 10/10 or 9/10 ratings and are amazing reads. Some of them didn't make the cut because they didn't come out in 2025. For others, perhaps not every volume in the series was rated 9 or 10/10. These books are all still wonderful and deserve recognition.
Barefoot Gen
Written and illustrated by Keiji Nakazawa
This is one of those heartbreaking manga that everyone has to read at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, it is a little bit hard to come by. The original hardcover is out of print; the paperback is hard to find, and the ebook past the first volume is not widely available. If you're a manga reader or a manga librarian and you have opportunity to read or stock this powerful and tragic manga, I highly suggest you do so. While Nakazawa fictionalizes some parts of this story, Barefoot Gen is by and large based on his own account of living through the bombing of Hiroshima. This is a story we cannot forget, and something that is worth including in every library and manga collection. Read the full review here: vol 1 The Horizon
This has been in my TBR since it came out in 2023, and I have had so many people recommend it to me. I'm honestly sad that I just haven't gotten around to it because it is horrifying and amazing. Quite a lot of this volume is wordless, and JH did a fantastic job of keeping hooked without having to use any dialogue. Thank you to everyone who tried to get me to read it, and I promise I'll take your recommendations more seriously next time.
Read the full review here: vol 1 Innocent
This was another recommendation, and I am so thankful for the tip. Innocent is definitely not for all audiences, but for adult manga readers who love historical fiction, this one is fantastic. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and the story is gripping.
Read the full review here: vol 1 Suzume
Written by Makoto Shinka, illustrated by Denki Amashima
Once again pointing to the fact that I'm a robot and I don't cry. Except the movie of Suzume makes me cry. The manga reminds me of that moment and comes close. The movie is one of my favorite movies, and this manga adaptation does a stellar job of bringing the movie to the page. This isn't just a frame-for-frame adaptation where they cut cells of the film and place them in order on the page. There are emotional or sound-dependent moments that are difficult to re-create within a panel of a manga, and volume 3 does especially well at adapting those moments while still letting us enjoy a story in manga form. Read the full reviews here: vol 2, vol 3 Tokyo Ghoul
Written and illustrated by Sui Ishida
This series has been something I've been meaning to read for YEARS. Almost every convention panel I've been on, someone has recommended Tokyo Ghoul for high school students. I finally made it a priority, and it did not disappoint. I was blown away by how philosophical it is, and I'd love to see someone use it for discussion in an English class. Read the full reviews here: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4, vol 5 Previous Favs still being amazing
These series were featured in Top 15 lists from previous years. I maintained my reading of them in 2025 and still gave them 10/10 or 9/10! So as not to crowd out great books in the Top 15, I'm not including them again, but I do want to highlight that some series continue to be stellar into later volumes.
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About MeI've been reading Manga and comicbooks for years. Now, it's time to share my knowledge with you.
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