5 Must Read Sci-fi Manga
Getting into reading manga feels intimidating because there are so many to choose from and it’s hard to know which one is worth your time or not. Reading manga backwards takes some getting used to but it’s worth it. I’m someone who has read a lot of manga so here are my personal top five must-read sci-fi manga.
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Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui
In the blink of an eye, the night sky is forever changed when, with a great explosion, the moon is blasted into a permanent crescent. Confronting the governments of the world, a yellow tentacled monster boasts that it was the one responsible for the catastrophe, and in a year's time, it will do the same to Earth. Zooming around at Mach 20, the creature makes a peculiar demand: a teaching position at the prestigious Kunugigaoka Junior High School. Desperate to keep the creature in one place, the government agrees, and so the students of Class 3-E find themselves faced with an impossible task—assassinate the creature responsible for destroying the moon. Although the fate of the world now rests on their shoulders, the class has more personal issues to deal with. Trapped at the bottom of Kunugigaoka's hierarchical education system, they face harsh discrimination from both teachers and students alike. Defeatism abound, they don't believe themselves capable of success in daily life, let alone against a monster that surpasses the abilities of any human. But as the enigmatic creature—whom they dub Koro-sensei—educates them in both assassination and academia, the children slowly find the courage to rise up and take aim at their target: the greatest teacher the world has ever seen.
Psycho-Pass by Gen Urobuchi and Makoto Fukami
In futuristic Japan, the human soul is analyzed and digitized. A flawless structure called the Sibyl System assesses this data and creates a perfect life for each citizen while also evaluating their potential for crime—otherwise known as one's "Psycho-Pass." Even so, incidents still occur, requiring the existence of the Ministry of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau (MWPSB). Short on personnel, MWPSB employs latent criminals as Enforcers—morally corrupt individuals whose Psycho-Pass surpasses the allowed threshold—in service of the capable Inspectors. They make use of Dominators, special guns designed to read one's Psycho-Pass, and work together to apprehend wrongdoers. Being one of the few people the System considers adequate for MWPSB, Akane Tsunemori is assigned as Criminal Investigation Division's new Inspector of Division 01. Secured by her strong sense of justice, Tsunemori's Psycho-Pass is unwavering in the face of incurable fugitives on both the just and rotten sides of the system. But early into her career, Tsunemori encounters a person thought impossible: a criminal with the Psycho-Pass of a righteous man.
The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai
At Grace Field House, life couldn't be better for the orphans! Though they have no parents, together with the other kids and a kind "Mama" who cares for them, they form one big, happy family. No child is ever overlooked, especially since they are all adopted by the age of 12. Their daily lives involve rigorous tests, but afterwards, they are allowed to play outside. There is only one rule they must obey: do not leave the orphanage. But one day, two top-scoring orphans, Emma and Norman, venture past the gate and unearth the harrowing secret behind their entire existence. Utilizing their quick-wittedness, the children must work together to somehow change their predetermined fate.
Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki
"Parasites" are tennis ball-sized creatures, whose numbers and origins are unknown. They invade and take over the human mind in order to survive. Shinichi Izumi is a 16-year-old high school student who lives with his parents in a quiet neighbourhood. One night, a Parasite invades Shinichi's body in an attempt to take control of it. However, it fails to complete the takeover process and ultimately ends up inhabiting only his right arm. Thus, both Shinichi and the Parasite—who calls himself Migi—retain their individual minds. Now in a peculiar "human and alien" relationship, Migi proposes that they cooperate to survive. Shinichi has no choice but to agree, and he must now cling to his morality as he and Migi face off against other bloodthirsty Parasites.
Steins;Gate by Yomi Sarachi
The story of Steins;Gate takes place in Akihabara and is about a group of friends who have managed to customize their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own research on time travel tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them.
Have you read any of these manga? Or have you seen the anime adaptations? If you have, let us know which one is your favourite! If you have any other manga recommendations drop them in the comments below or if you want more articles about manga let us know.
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