The 2010s are coming to a close so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to crunch the numbers to find the top-selling manga of the decade. The numbers are based on Oricon’s manga sales figures in Japan, so read on to see if your favorite manga made the list. Enjoy!
#10 Kuroko’s Basketball – 25,273,949 volumes sold
The sports manga Kuroko’s Basketball, written and illustrated by Tadatoshi Fujimaki, was the tenth best-selling manga of the 2010s, originally running in Weekly Shonen Jump for six years. Kuroko’s Basketball (known as Kuroko no Basuke in Japan) was a hit with Weekly Shonen Jump readers and also became a favorite of yaoi doujinshi circles, which helped boost its sales during the decade. Although the series wrapped up in 2014, Kuroko’s Basketball will go down in history as one of the best-selling manga of the 2010s!
#9 Tokyo Ghoul – 26,241,496 volumes sold
The supernatural thriller Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida makes the number nine spot on this decade’s best-selling manga list, running from 2011 to 2014 and inspiring a spinoff manga Tokyo Ghoul:re. The story of Tokyo Ghoul focuses on the ill-fated Ken Kaneki, a college student who is transformed into a half-ghoul after a deadly encounter with a young female ghoul. Both fans and critics were drawn to Tokyo Ghoul’s dark themes and excellent storytelling, making it one of the top sellers of the decade.
#8 Fairy Tail – 27,827,422 volumes sold
Next on our list is the fantasy series Fairy Tail, written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima of Rave Master fame. Fairy Tail ran in Weekly Shonen Magazine from 2006 to 2017 and told the story of Natsu Dragneel and his journey to find his adoptive dragon father, the great and powerful Igneel. Full of unforgettable characters and fantastical fun, we’re certainly not surprised that Fairy Tail is one of the top-selling manga of the decade!
#7 The Seven Deadly Sins – 28,513,182 volumes sold
The seventh top-selling manga of the 2010s is another fantasy title, Nakabe Suzuki’s The Seven Deadly Sins. Set in the magical land of Britannia, the series follows the adventures of Meliodas and Elizabeth as they set out to find a band of knights known as the Seven Deadly Sins to overthrow the tyrannical rulers that have taken control over the region.The Seven Deadly Sins is predicted to wrap up in the new decade, but it will go down in history as one of the top-selling manga of the 2010s!
#6 Haikyuu! – 37,959,223 volumes sold
Haikyuu! Is next on our list, a sports manga all about the world of volleyball written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. Haikyuu! tells the tale of the short and spunky Shoyo Hinata and the trials and tribulations that come with forming Kurasuno High School’s very first volleyball team. With the fourth season of the Haikyuu! anime adaptation broadcasting in January 2020, we think that Haikyuu! will continue to go from strength to strength in the new decade too!
#5 Kingdom – 39,303,152 volumes sold
The fifth most sold manga of the 2010s was Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom, an epic retelling of the Warring States period in China’s long and complicated history. Full of political intrigue and tactical warfare, Kingdom is a favorite of fans and critics alike, even winning the coveted Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2013. Kingdom is a grand and sprawling series that has run for over 13 years, and we expect the series to maintain its best-selling status into the 2020s.
#4 Bleach – 44,102,394 volumes sold
Next on our list is the shonen manga classic Bleach, written and illustrated by Tite Kuno. Bleach follows the supernatural adventures of the headstrong Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who is transformed into a Soul Reaper by a shinigami named Rukia in order to defend humans from evil spirits known as Hollows. Bleach originally ran from 2001 to 2016 in Weekly Shonen Jump, and is one of the most recognizable and iconic manga series of recent years, making it no surprise that it was one of the highest-selling manga series of the 2010s.
#3 Attack on Titan – 65,995,974 volumes sold
Hajime Isayama’s post-apocalyptic Attack on Titan (known as Shingeki no Kyojin in Japan) was the third highest-selling manga of the 2010s, not surprising considering the cultural phenomenon the series became around the world. Known for its intense action and plot-twists, Attack on Titan has been keeping millions of readers on the edge of their seat this decade and will leave a legacy that lasts well into the 2020s too!
#2 Naruto – 70,672,874 volumes sold
The second best-selling manga title of the 2010s is none other than the ninja-tastic Naruto! Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto ran in Weekly Shonen Jump for 15 years, becoming one of Japan’s most recognizable cultural exports in the process. While the series finished in 2014, the spirit of Naruto lives on in its spinoff manga Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which follows the exploits of Naruto’s son, the titular Boruto Uzumaki.
#1 One Piece – 180,002,532 volumes sold
And the top-selling manga of the 2010s is… One Piece! Eiichiro Oda’s swashbuckling adventure series has been published in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1998 and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. One Piece was the best-selling manga for the eleventh consecutive year in 2018, only to be dethroned in 2019 by the up-and-coming shonen title Demon Slayer. The story of One Piece may finish in the new decade, but it will always be remembered as the best-selling manga of the 2010s!
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*This ranking was calculated by using sales data of tankobon sales of manga in Japan between 2010 and 2019 collected by Oricon.
