The 1970s was an important decade for manga, marking a paradigm shift and introducing some of the best stories the medium has to offer. While manga series in previous decades were mostly children’s stories that focused on action and adventure, the 1970s introduced and popularized series for the teenage girl demographic (shojo), as well asmore ‘mature’ stories for the adult male demographic (seinen).
While manga wouldn’t gain widespread popularity in the West until a couple of decades later, the ’70s set the stage for what was to come in the future, giving readers some of the first horror, science fiction, sports, and harem series in the medium.
10The Drifting Classroom
MyAnimeList Score: 7.39
The Drifting Classroomtells the story of a sixth-grade boy named Sho Takamatsu. One day, when Sho and his classmates are at school, an earthquake hits, and the entire school gets transported into a post-apocalyptic future. The teachers and students are forced to survive in this desolate wasteland and fend for themselves.
Considereda classic in the horror manga sphere,The Drifting Classroomcarefully balances zany, over-the-top moments with bloody, gruesome imagery, a style which has gone on to influence the works of other horror manga artists like Junji Ito.
9The Poe Clan
MyAnimeList Score: 7.70
The Poe Clanis a classic shojo manga that follows the lives of a group of ‘vampirnellas’ — vampires who possess eternal youth and beauty. The story mainly focuses on Edgar and Marybelle Portsnell, two siblings who were turned into vampirnellas when they were teenagers.
Along withThe Rose of Versailles,The Poe Clanpaved the way for more mature and complex stories in shojo manga, with its gothic horror elements and beautiful exploration of the tragedy of immortality, as well as the relationship between the two male vampires giving readers an early taste of the shonen-ai/boys' love genre.
8Urusei Yatsura
MyAnimeList Score: 7.72
Possibly thefirst harem comedy manga,Urusei Yatsurais about an unlucky and lecherous high schooler named Ataru Moroboshi, whose life turns upside down after an alien race called the Oni invade the Earth. Through a series of unfortunate events, Ataru accidentally proposes to the alien princess Lum, who accepts and moves in with him, much to his chagrin.
Urusei Yatsura’s over-the-top physical comedy and zany characters can make it feel like a parody of harem comedies despite predating modern harem series by quite a while. Its heavy use of Japanese cultural references also creates quite an unconventional learning experience.
7Galaxy Express 999
MyAnimeList Score: 7.82
Galaxy Express 999is aseminal work in science fiction, one whose influence can be seen in Eastern and Western media alike. It follows a young, impoverished boy named Tetsuro Hoshino, who vows to take revenge on the people who killed his mother by acquiring a mechanized body. He accompanies a mysterious woman named Maetel aboard the Galaxy Express 999 and journeys to the planet Andromeda for this purpose.
Galaxy Express 999,like many of the sci-fi manga that came after it, delves into moral dilemmas revolving around capitalism and whether it’s worth giving up one’s humanity for cybernetic enhancements.
MyAnimeList Score: 8.02
One of the first manga series to prove that the medium isn’t just for kids, theDevilmanseries follows a teenager named Akira Fudo, who becomes involved in a war between humans and demons. The plot kicks off when his childhood friend, Ryo, convinces Akira to merge with a powerful demon named Amon.
On the surface,Devilmanmay seem like a pointlessly gruesome and gory dark fantasy manga. Still, if one looks deeper, they can find a poignant exploration of human morality, discrimination, and the consequences of blind hatred. Its influence can be seen in other iconic dark fantasy manga likeBerserkandTokyo Ghoul.
5Barefoot Gen
MyAnimeList Score: 8.33
Barefoot Genis one of the most harrowing accounts of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It follows a six-year-old boy named Gen Nakaoka who lives in 1945 Hiroshima with his family. After surviving the horrific Little Boy bomb dropped on their city, Gen and his family deal with the devastating effects of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and its people.
Barefoot Gen’s depressingdepictions of the brutality of warand radiation exposure led to it being banned from several Japanese schools. The manga is one of the most important pieces of anti-war literature because of its incredibly emotive storytelling and unflinching portrayal of atomic warfare and its effects.
4Black Jack
MyAnimeList Score: 8.31
Created bythe godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka,Black Jackfollows an unlicensed but extremely skilled surgeon named Kuro’o Hazama a.k.a. Black Jack. He has a scarred face and a strong sense of justice, and he refuses to operate within the bounds of the law.
Black Jackis the perfect manga for fans ofBatman, as it features a similar anti-hero driven by a desire to protect the innocent and punish evildoers. The series also provides poignant and relevant social commentary on controversial issues like euthanasia and income inequality.
3Lone Wolf & Cub
MyAnimeList Score: 8.64
Lone Wolf & Cubtells the story of a samurainamed Itto Ogami. After his family is murdered, and he is accused of treason, he becomes an assassin for hire, with his young son Daigoro accompanying him on his journey.
Lone Wolf & Cubprovides the first-ever example of the ‘adult protects a child during a treacherous journey’ trope. As the progenitor of modern samurai manga, the series has some of the most realistic and complex characters in the genre, as well as some truly breathtaking action sequences.
2The Rose Of Versailles
MyAnimeList Score: 8.34
Perhaps the most influential shojo manga of all time,The Rose of Versaillesis a historical drama set before and during the French Revolution. It follows Oscar François de Jarjayes, a woman raised as a man to become the commander of the Royal Guard and protector of Marie Antoinette.
The Rose of Versailleswas one of the first shojo manga to prove that the genre is not just for elementary school girls, giving readers a surprisingly historically accurate portrayal of 18th-century France and its gender politics. The protagonist, Oscar, has influenced the creation of other cross-dressing heroines in manga, like Utena fromRevolutionary Girl Utena.
1Tomorrow’s Joe
MyAnimeList Score: 8.93
Tomorrows’s Joe, also known asAshita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, is perhaps the mosticonic sports mangaof all time. Every anime and manga that features a hero determined to become the best, likeNaruto, has this series to thank. The main character, Joe Yabuki, became a cultural icon among students and the working class in Japan at one point.
Tomorrow’s Joedeserves its legendary status for not only pioneering modern shonen sports manga but for authentically portraying the life of a boxer, pulling no punches about just how brutal it can be.
