Summary Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has evolved over its 30-year run, making it one of the longest manga series at 133 volumes.
Hajime no Ippo, spanning 139 volumes since 1989, is a great sports manga that explores the stories of multiple boxers.
The Ginga franchise, with a total of 147 volumes, follows the adventures of the dog Gin and his descendants as they survive in the wilderness.
While many manga creators like to create multiple smaller stories, there are some mangaka who pour their energy into continuing one long series, resulting in some of the longest manga of all time. This has led to the creation of some of the most iconic franchises in Japan and some of the best manga series out there. Despite their length or perhaps because of it, many of these manga are well worth reading.
When judging the length of a manga, there are a couple of different metrics that can be used. The most straightforward may seem to be chapter count, but this can be misleading as many series have different chapter lengths given whether they are published daily, weekly, or monthly. Length of time serialized could be another metric but given hiatuses, this can make shorter series seem longer than they are. While still imperfect, the best metric to measure this with is how many tankobon volumes a series has.
10 Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
The Adventures of the Joestar Family Have Lasted Over 30 Years
Series Creator Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Phantom Blood Hirohiko Araki 5 1987-1987 Battle Tendency Hirohiko Araki 7 1987-1989 Stardust Crusaders Hirohiko Araki 16 1989-1992 Diamond is Unbreakable Hirohiko Araki 18 1992-1995 Golden Wind Hirohiko Araki 17 1995-1999 Stone Ocean Hirohiko Araki 17 1999-2003 Steel Ball Run Hirohiko Araki 24 2004-2011 JoJolion Hirohiko Araki 27 2011-2021 The JoJoLands Hirohiko Araki 2 2023-Present
Hirohiko Araki’s masterpiece Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is unique among other long manga for how its plot and characters constantly shift. Following the adventures of different members of the Joestar family over 9 parts, the series has evolved from the relatively simple sunshine karate of Phantom Blood to the complicated Stand battles in Stardust Crusaders and beyond. Despite shifting from weekly to monthly chapters and going on a couple of hiatuses the series stands at a whopping 133 volumes published since 1987. This isn’t even considering spinoff series like Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, which would make this number even more impressive.
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9 Hajime no Ippo
Ippo’s Journey to the Top of the Boxing World is Lengthy But Great
Series Creator Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Hajime no Ippo George Morikawa 139 1989-Present
George Morikawa’s Hajime no Ippo is one of the best sports manga of all time. It follows the boxer Ippo as he improves his fighting skills and rises to battle for various Championship titles. Part of what makes this series so compelling is how it fleshes out the stories of not just Ippo but the other boxers it features as well. These narrative detours are a big part of what has made the series so long, clocking in at 139 volumes published since it began serialization in 1989. However, the series is so good that no fan complains about the length.
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8 Kinnikuman
This Humorous Superhero Wrestling Story Has Lasted Over 40 Years
Series Creators Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Kinnikuman Yudetamago 83 1979-1987 and 2011-Present Kinnikuman Nisei Yudetamago 57 1998-2004
The Kinnikuman franchise, based around the original manga by childhood friends Yoshinori Takai and Takashi Shimada (known collectively as Yudetamago) is as absurd as it is heartfelt. Originally starting as a parody of Ultraman, it follows the adventures of the muscular superhero Kinnikuman as he enters intergalactic wrestling competitions. The initial series ran from 1979 to 1987, but was then revived in 2011. Combined with its sequel series Kinnikuman Nisei following Kinnikuman’s son, there are 140 volumes total, attesting to the franchise’s popularity despite its relative obscurity in the West.
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7 The Ginga Franchise
This Dog Dynasty Has Lasted For Decades
Series Creators Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Ginga Nagareboshi Gin Yoshihiro Takahashi 18 1983-1987 Ginga Legend Weed Yoshihiro Takahashi 60 1999-2009 Ginga Legend Weed: Orion Yoshihiro Takahashi 30 2009-2014 Ginga: The Last Wars Yoshihiro Takahashi 22 2015-2019 Ginga Legend: Noah Yoshihiro Takahashi 17 2019-2022
The Ginga franchise is a series of manga created by Yoshihiro Takahashi that follows the adventures of the dog Gin and his descendants as they struggle to survive in the wilderness. Since the first series began publication in 1983, fans have seen Gin’s legacy grow even after the original star of the series has aged. This sort of depiction of the passage of time is only possible given the length of the franchise, which when combining all of its individual series totals 147 volumes. While no Ginga series is currently serialized, Takahashi could create another sequel and increase this number.
The Ginga Franchise is not available to read in English.
6 Grappler Baki
This Fighting Manga Makes Jojo’s Look Normal
Series Creators Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Grappler Baki Keisuke Itagaki 42 1991-1999 Baki Keisuke Itagaki 31 1999-2005 Baki Hanma Keisuke Itagaki 37 2005-2012 Baki-Dou Keisuke Itagaki 22 2014-2018 Bakidou Keisuke Itagaki 17 2018-2023 Baki Rahen Keisuke Itagaki 0 2023-Present
While many manga readers look at Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure as the gold standard in absurd fighting manga, Keisuke Itagaki’s brutal Baki arguably has it beat. Beginning in 1991 with its first series Grappler Baki following the titular fighter’s quest to hunt down and defeat his powerful father, the franchise in its current form has gone far beyond that, even reincarnating famous fighters from Japanese history. The fights are some of the wildest in all of manga making this series well worth a read for any Shonen fans. With 149 volumes total, there is plenty for fans new and old to enjoy.
Baki is not available to read in English.
5 Cooking Papa
This Dad Has Been Cooking For Decades
Series Creator Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Cooking Papa Tochi Ueyama 168 1985-Present
Tochi Ueyama’s Cooking Papa is a cozy slice-of-life cooking manga following the salaryman Kazumi, who is a great chef but doesn’t want his coworkers to find out. The manga also includes recipes for every dish it features, which allows its readers to try its delicious food for themselves. Despite its simple premise, the series has been going strong since 1985 and is still being serialized today. For manga fans wanting a fun slice-of-life series with characters they won’t have to say goodbye to any time soon, Cooking Papa currently has 168 volumes for them to enjoy.
Cooking Papa is not available to read in English.
4 Minami no Teio
This Obscure Series Has Lasted Longer Than One Piece
Series Creators Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Minami no Teio Dai Tenoji and Rikiya Go 175 1992-Present
Minami no Teio is a relatively obscure series created by the team of Dai Tennoji and Rikiya Go. The manga follows a loan shark named Ginjirou Manda whose ruthless commitment to debt collection has given him a fearsome reputation. While the series doesn’t have much of a following in the West, in Japan it has spawned multiple movies. In addition, since its debut in 1992, it has released 175 volumes. For manga fans who want to read a series with a unique main character, this means there are plenty of chapters of Minami no Teio to satisfy them.
Minami no Teio is not available to read in English.
3 Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops
This Gag Manga Satirized Many Different Periods
Series Creator Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo Osamu Akimoto 201 1976-2016
Osamu Akimoto’s Kochikame is a gag manga following a group of police officers patrolling in downtown Tokyo. The manga doesn’t really have a grand overarching story, instead often lampooning various fads at the time of its publication. This makes it very interesting to read in the present day as it can serve partially as a cultural history of society as it underwent major changes in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. With 201 volumes published since it began serialization in 1976 it certainly captures a large snapshot of time with its unique satirical voice.
Kochikame is not available to read in English.
2 Dokaben
This Team’s Baseball Journey Lasted Years
Series Creators Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Dokaben Shinji Mizushima 48 1972-1981 Dai Koshien Shinji Mizushima 26 1983-1987 Dokaben Professional Baseball Shinji Mizushima 52 1995-2003 Dokaben Superstars Shinji Mizushima 45 2004-2012 Dokaben Dream Tournament Shinji Mizushima 34 2012-2018
Shinji Mizushima’s Dokaben franchise is made up of multiple series following the baseball careers of its main cast of characters from middle school to high school and beyond. The series took a more grounded approach to the sport than a series like Prince of Tennis did for its sport. This apparently influenced the iconic Slam Dunk, which took a similar approach to its chosen sport of basketball. From when it began in 1972 to when it ended in 2018, the Dokaben franchise produced 205 volumes, making it the longest sports manga of all time.
Dokaben is not available to read in English.
1 Golgo 13
This Assassin Story Is The Oldest Manga In Production
Series Creators Number of Volumes Dates of Publication Golgo 13 Takao Saito and Saito Production 211 1968-Present
Takao Saito’s Golgo 13 manga is a very unique series. Beginning publication in 1968, it’s the oldest manga still in publication and has continued even after Saito’s death in 2021. The series follows the hardboiled assassin Golgo 13 as he takes on various missions. Many of these missions were written by other writers, which can give the series an almost anthological feel to it at times. But this sort of system has enabled it to last for over 50 years. With 211 volumes out now and more likely on the way, Golgo 13 is the longest manga of all time.
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10 Longest Manga of All Time
