There is no other manga like Hell's Paradise, and there is no other creator like Yuji Kaku. His art has the ability to take people's breath away, and Hell's Paradise is a one-of-a-kind historical manga. Because it's a shonen manga, you can expect a lot of raw action, fantastical creature design, cartoonish character writing, and a high-stakes plot.

This stunning manga is set at the end of Japan's Edo period, and the protagonist, Gabimaru the Hollow, is a young, merciless, legendary ninja from the Iwagakure clan. Gabimaru's head is on the executioner's block when the story begins. The executioner in question is Sagiri, a samurai executioner from the Yamada Asaemon clan. Fortunately for Gabimaru, Sagiri offers him an ultimatum: a pardon for his crimes and a life of freedom in exchange for a dangerous mission on the shogun's behalf.

Gabimaru and Sagiri will be taken on a mission to an uninhabited island off Japan's southwest coast. This island is said to be Shinsenkyo, a legendary paradise. However, almost no one who has visited the island has ever returned. Those who have been transformed into half-dead creatures with flowers and branches sprouting from their bodies are monstrous. Hell's Paradise is a mash-up of historical and fantasy manga, with a focus on the fantastic. But it's the attention to historical detail that makes it appealing to history buffs. Caleb Cook, the master translator, has done an excellent job on this one. And at the end of each volume, you are given a page full of facts about the manga's history, culture, and language.

Author: Yuji Kaku

Original run: January 22, 2018 – January 25, 2021
Volumes: 13

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/hells-paradise-manga/s?k=hells+paradise+manga

The Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura is widely regarded as the definitive historical manga. When it comes to genre, this series will be right on the surface. With good reason! When you think "Viking," you think "epic," and Makoto Yukimura delivers just that with Vinland Saga: a sprawling historical epic of staggering proportions. The Vinland Saga transports you to the Viking world of Northern Europe (primarily England), where you see the world and its events through the eyes of heroes and villains, with the lines between the two becoming increasingly blurred.

In the Vinland Saga manga, there is rarely a moral, thematic, or even emotionally consistent throughline. The complex actions of its complex characters continue to astound readers. There are contradictions, betrayals, moments of growth, and never-found satisfaction. This is what makes the world and story of the Vinland Saga manga so rich and textured.

Characters such as Thorfinn and Askeladd (the first hero/villain duo) do not feel like they exist to serve the plot or satisfy the readers' desire for resolution. They are too preoccupied with living, fighting, winning, and losing. Historical details can be found in the visual design (costumes, weapons, ships, architecture, and landscapes) as well as the lore on a regular basis (years, kings, heroes, and events). Fans of grand adventures, bloody battles, historical details, morally ambiguous characters, and breathtaking art should read Vinland Saga, which is possibly the best historical manga ever written.

Author: Makoto Yukimura
Original run: April 13, 2005 – present
Volumes: 27
Status: Ongoing
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Vinland-Saga-Manga/s?k=Vinland+Saga+Manga

This is a historical manga that is a must-read for anyone interested in traditional Japanese art forms as well as those looking for a beautifully crafted drama. The art in question is rakugo, a traditional Japanese form of comedic storytelling. Great practitioners of this art form are masters of oration, tone, pace, and timing. Kyoji, the protagonist, is a young man who has recently been released from prison and has no prospects, no money, and no hope for the future. Kyoji does have a dream: to study under the great rakugo master Yakumo Yurakutei VIII, who is notorious for refusing apprentices.

However, something within the protagonist causes him to reconsider, and he hires Kyoji as his apprentice, naming him Yotaro (the fool). In true drama fashion, people frequently flash back to the protagonists' previous lives and what brought them to this point, while also gradually progressing from apprenticeship to success story. Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju is a historical manga that celebrates the art of storytelling while telling its own intimate story of drama and tradition; old vs new.

Author: Haruko Kumota
Original run: 25 March 2010 – 7 June 2016
Volumes: 10
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Descending-Stories-Genroku-Rakugo-Shinju/dp/1632364697

Takehiko Inoue is best known as the creator of the beloved and massively popular shonen sports manga Slam Dunk. Vagabond, his follow-up historical manga, is a completely different beast. In fact, much like how a band's sound changes dramatically between albums, it's difficult to believe that these two manga were created by the same mangaka. The difference between the two is mind-boggling.

Vagabond is a slow-burn historical manga set during Japan's 17th century, at the tail end of the Sengoku Jidai, based on Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi. So begin at the end of the Sengoku period, following the decisive and legendary Battle of Sekigahara (which led to the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate, beginning with shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu). During the battle, two teenage boys who fought for the losing side narrowly survived, and readers begin the epic journey with them bruised but still alive.

The two young men split up after sheltering with a houseful of kind women and surviving a vicious attack, and the protagonist, Takez Shinmen, decides to become a wandering vagabond. Takez is renamed Musashi Miyamoto after returning home, being labeled a criminal, and surviving deadly pursuers. From here, follow his journey to becoming a legendary Japanese swordsman. Vagabond is an essential historical manga for anyone who enjoys Japanese history (especially the sword-swinging, honor-bound samurai variety).

Author: Takehiko Inoue
Original run: September 3, 1998 – May 21, 2015 (on hiatus)
Volumes: 37
Status: Ongoing
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/vagabond-manga/s?k=vagabond+manga

Golden Kamuy, set in the early twentieth century on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, is a thrilling action-adventure as well as an excellent historical manga. The plot of Golden Kamuy is as follows: a Russo-Japanese War veteran named Saichi Sugimoto joins forces with a local Ainu girl, Asirpa, and a motley crew of soldiers and ex-convicts to recover a stolen hoard of Ainu gold. There's plenty of detailed violence and bloodshed to satisfy readers looking for intense action in their seinen manga, but this story also features one of the manga's best female protagonists.

Aspira is a fan favorite, adored for her abilities and wit. It's also refreshing to see an Ainu in the spotlight in a manga; more Ainu representation in Japanese media is desperately needed! Golden Kamuy also teaches readers about Hokkaido, the Russo-Japanese War, and wilderness survival. It's as educational as it is brutal and bloody. Golden Kamuy is a must-read historical manga because of its memorable characters, simple and focused plot, and abundance of historical details.

Author: Satoru Noda
Original run: August 21, 2014 – April 28, 2022
Volumes: 31
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/golden-kamuy-manga/s?k=golden+kamuy+manga

This historical manga series was adapted into an anime film of the same name in 2016, and it was a huge success. If you've seen the movie, you should definitely read the manga. In This Corner of the World tells the story of World War II from the perspective of an ordinary, innocent Japanese person over three volumes that will stay with you forever. Suzu, a talented young artist living in Hiroshima, is the main character. When a young naval officer professes his love and proposes, she accepts and relocates to Kure with his family.

But war looms, closes in, and then arrives. And, based on the manga's setting and what people know about history, they fear for Suzu and her loved ones from the first page. Suzu's innocence as a painter who creates beauty from nothing is especially poignant against the backdrop of destruction, domination, and bloodshed. Witnessing World War II from her perspective is both moving and humbling. More historical manga should be written with the same nuance and humanity as this one.

Author: Fumiyo Kōno
Original run: January 5, 2007 – January 6, 2009
Volumes: 3
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/In-This-Corner-of-the-World-3-book-series/dp/B07JN5RGVS

Demon Slayer swept the manga and anime worlds, capturing hearts, rocketing to the top of bestseller lists, and transforming ordinary people into diehard anime and manga fans. However, this powerful and excellent shonen manga is also an excellent historical manga. It takes some liberties, with its titular focus on slaying demons, but it still honors a specific period in Japanese history. Demon Slayer takes place between 1912 and 1926, during Japan's relatively brief Taish era. With the introduction of automobiles, electricity, and Western fashion, it was a time of transition.

Tanjiro, the protagonist, is a country boy who grew up with his family in the snowy mountains. As such, he wields a sword and has long hair. He knows very little about modern city life. This is a minor aspect of Demon Slayer, but it is present in every arc in some way, even if only aesthetically.

This is the same time period that is rife with romantic imagery of cowboys in American fiction. Demon Slayer is similar in many ways to Demon Slayer. There are walks down dusty roads, rowdy and seedy city neighborhoods, and steam train battles, just like in Western fiction. Demon Slayer is a lot more cowboy than it appears. If you like the aesthetics of the 1920s, particularly in Japan, you'll enjoy how Demon Slayer looks and feels. It's also a fantastic historical manga in terms of shonen manga.

Author: Koyoharu Gotouge
Original run: February 15, 2016 – May 18, 2020
Volumes: 23
Status: Completed
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Slayer-Kimetsu-no-Yaiba-Manga/s?k=Demon+Slayer%3A+Kimetsu+no+Yaiba+Manga

The Elusive Samurai is a fun and frantic historical manga written and drawn by modern shonen manga legend Yusei Matsui, creator of Assassination Classroom, that begins at the end of Japan's Kamakura Period. This shonen manga begins in 1333 and follows the revenge story of the young lord Hojo Tokiyuki, heir to the Kamakura shogunate after his family's retainer betrays and burns the city.

The first chapter of the manga is a heartbreaking introduction to its protagonist, villain, and narrative motivation, as Tokiyuki watches the virtuous man he has always admired — Ashikaga Takauji — lead an opposing force to destroy his home. What distinguishes Tokiyuki is his proclivity for survival; his almost supernatural ability to evade, flee, and hide. He is able to carve a path out and back for vengeance and retribution by avoiding death. This vengeance begins with his first fight, with the assistance of his new comrades, against his uncle's betrayer; a man who let Tokiyuki's own brother die.

Despite the backstabbing, death, and trauma, The Elusive Samurai is a mostly positive and uplifting story about a young boy's ability to persevere, ask for help, and stay on his feet. It's a beautifully drawn modern shonen manga with frequent moments of comedic levity that keep it light and joyful while balancing out the darker historical themes and moments of the manga.

Author: Yusei Matsui
Original run: January 25, 2021 – present
Volumes: 11
Status: Ongoing
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Elusive-Samurai-Vol-Yusei-Matsui/dp/1974732517

Kingdom is a long-running historical epic, similar to the Vinland Saga, but it's worth noting that the first few volumes can be difficult to find in print if you want to start at the beginning. China, like Japan, is a nation that has been at war with itself, having begun as a collection of warring states. This came to an end in 221 BCE when Qin Shi Huang became the first emperor of unified China.

Kingdom is a historical manga set during the warring states period that, like Vinland Saga, features real and iconic figures from Chinese history. The protagonist is Li Xin, a young and impulsive orphan boy who, early in the story, loses his childhood best friend and then decides to join Qin Shi Huang's army (though at this time he was still known as Ying Zheng). Despite the fact that Ying Zheng was responsible for the death of Xin's friend, Xin enlists with the intention of becoming the greatest military general. As this long historical epic unfolds, you see Xin rise through the ranks. Kingdom, along with Vinland Saga and Vagabond, is easily one of the most iconic historical manga, and for good reason.

Author: Yasuhisa Hara

Original run: January 26, 2006 – present
Volumes: 68

Status: Ongoing

Buy here:https://www.amazon.com/kingdom-manga/s?k=kingdom+manga

Lone Wolf and Cub is a massively influential historical manga that was created in 1970 by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. It has been adapted for the screen and the stage. Ogami Itt, the titular lone wolf, is a former shogun executioner who now works as an assassin after being disgraced by false accusations from the Yagy clan. On his path of vengeance, he is accompanied by his cub, a three-year-old boy named Daigor.

Itt's previous position was one of great honor and privilege, as he assisted in the ritual seppuku of those samurai sentenced to death. The Yagy clan's leader, on the other hand, covets this powerful position and works to depose Itt from it. He accomplishes this by slaughtering Itt's family, all except his son, and framing Itt as a potential traitor to the shogun. This setup sends the lone wolf and his cub on a long journey of vengeance, as Itt works as an assassin to eventually achieve his goal. Few historical manga are as influential and popular as this one, nor are they as rich in specific details about Japanese history and samurai tradition.

Author: Kazuo Koike

Original run: September 1970 – April 1976
Volumes: 28

Status: Completed

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/lone-wolf-cub/s?k=lone+wolf+and+cub

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a cultural phenomenon. Not everyone is a fan, but those who are have a strong attachment to it. Calling JoJo's Bizarre Adventure a historical manga is a little, well, bizarre, but it is a manga that is set across different cultures and time periods, at least for the first few parts. Part 1: Phantom Blood begins in 19th-century England with the first JoJo, Jonathan Joestar, in a story that feels like a cross between Wuthering Heights and Dracula.

Jonathan is the son of a wealthy landowner who takes in an orphan boy named Dio Brando, who kills their father and transforms himself into a vampire using an ancient and magical Aztec stone mask. To fight his brother, Jonathan Joestar learns Hamon, a powerful martial art taught to him by Will A. Zeppeli (characters in JoJo's are frequently named after rock and metal bands).

Part 2: Battle Tendency follows Jonathan's grandson Joseph and takes place in the late 1930s across the United States and Europe, continuing the historical fiction trend. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a ridiculous thrill ride that is both beloved and despised by fans and detractors alike. You can only try it if you've never read it before. This is a manga that transcends genre but remains, for the time being, a very fun and eccentric piece of historical manga.

Author: Hirohiko Araki

Original run: January 1, 1987 – present
Volumes: 131

Status: Ongoing

Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/jojo-manga/s?k=jojo+manga

The edgy, dark comedy/drama Black Butler is to historical manga what Bridgerton is to historical fiction. The Black Butler, set in nineteenth-century Victorian London, begins with its young protagonist, Ciel Phantomhive (real name), suffering a series of tragic losses and traumas. Ciel's grandparents' house is attacked and burned down, killing both of his parents. He is then kidnapped by a satanic cult, which abuses him before summoning a demon.

However, the demon kills the cult on Ciel's behalf and strikes a faustian bargain with him. Ciel assumes his father's former position as Queen Victoria's watchdog with the assistance of the demon. Ciel works to exact revenge on those who destroyed his life at the start of the manga, with the demon named Sebastian by his side as his "butler." Sebastian will take Ciel's soul as part of their bargain when everything comes to an end. Black Butler is a ridiculous historical manga full of gothic tropes and drama. It is a very chaotic creature that is dark, edgy, and funny.

Author: Yana Toboso
Original run: September 16, 2006 – present
Volumes: 32
Status: Ongoing
Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/black-butler-manga/s?k=black+butler+manga