Summary
While there is something rewarding about catching up on a manga series likeOne PieceorJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,many long-running seriesbegin as one-shots, makingshort mangaa vital part of the industry. Still, even on their own, one-shots andshort mangaare great ways to introduce readers to complex, immersive stories without a lengthy time commitment.
From horror to comedy to sci-fi, fans of all genres can enjoy well-craftedshort mangaseries with compelling art styles, characters, and plots in under six volumes. While there are many noteworthyshort mangaand one-shots readers can enjoy in one sitting, these are some of the hardest to set down.
Updated on January 24th, 2025, by Mirza Aaqib Beg:In today’s fast-paced world, people rarely have time to read. The manga industry is filled with stories that span hundreds of chapters with no hint of a clear ending in sight. Therefore, good short manga offer a refreshing change, especially those that can be read in one sitting. This updated article includes some great manga with thought-provoking narratives, that will leave a lasting impression on their readers, but can be read in a single sitting.
Published by
Mangaka
Inio Asano
A fifth-grade student named Arie Kimura is fascinated by the tale of a girl blessed by God who foretells the destruction of a village to warn the inhabitants. Eventually, she takes that fascination a step further and argues that the Nijigahara tunnel is haunted by a monster. Her classmates are in turn haunted and disturbed by her story. to save themselves from the horror of suffering and torture, a group of students take a page from the same fairy tale and use Arie as a sacrifice, hoping that it will appease the mysterious beast prowling in the tunnel.
Nijigahara Holographisa psychological horror mangathat keeps readers engaged with its nonlinear storytelling and fascinating premise. Forcing readers to think critically, Inio Asano’s manga explores themes of trauma, guilt, the darker aspects of human nature, and interconnected fates that will leave a lasting impression on the reader.
Makoto Yukimura
Makoto Yukimura’saward-winning hard science-fiction mangaPlanetesis a psychologically stimulating story set in the second half of the 21st Century. It revolves around a crew of space debris cleaners who take on dangerous missions to keep spacecraft, space stations, and satellites safe. The story also highlights the hardships faced by characters in their personal lives and the challenges of working in space.
Planetesis an ambitious exploration of humanity’s quest to investigate the secrets of the universe and expand its horizons beyond Earth. With just 4 volumes, Yikmura’s manga is undoubtedly one of the best short manga one can ever read.
Mamoru Hosoda
Hana is an ordinary young adult whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets and falls in love with a wolf man named Ookami. Their relationship is everything she has ever dreamed of, filled with love and joy. The couple soon get married and have two wolf children, Yuki and Ame. Determined to give their children a normal upbringing, Hana and Ookami live a quiet life in a corner of a city.
I have lived knowing nothing of the forest, so there is nothing I can teach you. Go into the wild. Know the world…
Unfortunately, their happiness turns into mourning as Ookami dies suddenly, leaving Hana to raise their children alone. Overcome with grief, she moves to a rural town far from the city where she first met her husband.Wolf Childrenfollows Hanaas she deals with the trauma inflicted by losing the love of her life while simultaneously trying to give her children everything they deserve. Although melancholic and heart-wrenching at times, the story beautifully explores the challenges of parenthood, overcoming trauma, and finding peace.
Yoru Sumino
Yoru Sumino’sI Want to Eat Your Pancreasis a heartbreaking love story that explores themes of loss and the fleeting nature of life. The manga follows an aloof and emotionally distant high school boy named Haruki “Boku” Shiga, who one day comes across his classmate Sakura Yamauchi’s private diary. As he learns that she is secretly suffering from a terminal illness, Yamauchi requests that he keep her condition a secret to respect her privacy.
If we were alone, we wouldn’t know we exist. It’s because of the relationships I have with people that I am living.
Although Haruki initially shows barely any sympathy to Sakura, as fate keeps bringing the duo together, he ends up becoming an important part of her life during her last days. The experiences reshape Boku’s perspective on life and death, leading to a profound enlightenment that challenges his indifference to human connection.
Junji Ito
Dissolving Classroomis one of the many unique horror works penned by Junji Ito, a name that modern manga fans can’t get enough of. This horror mangaka has become a worldwide sensation, with his works tackling cosmic horror in a way that Lovecraftian fans will love. The fear of the unknown and the macabre is something that Junji Ito touches upon time and time again with his works, andDissolving Classroomis a great example of the same.
It’s one of thebest short mangathat readers can get their hands on, even if some people feel that the element of horror is not as prominent in this title as some of Ito’s other works. Still, the amazing and nightmarish artwork that Ito has become known for rears its ugly head in this manga that is brief, to the point, and leaves a strong impression in the minds of readers.
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Shuzo Oshimi
Social anxiety is something that a lot of people can understand, with Oshimi himself being pretty candid about his life before becoming a successful mangaka and how the anxiety of talking to people caused him to develop a stuttering problem that he found hard to get rid of. By channeling these experiences, this talented mangaka penned a short but riveting tale about a girl who has crippling social anxiety and finds it hard to talk.
The mockery she faces makes the problem worse, but one high schooler looks out for her when things look the bleakest. Becoming friends with a kind person only to see one of her supposed bullies join the group poses a dilemma that she tries to get over by making the Herculean effort of introducing herself inthe climax of a simple and heartwarming tale. This makesShino Can’t Say Her Nameone of thebest short manga peoplecan get their hands on.
Given how Junji Ito is mostly known for his horror work, it’s refreshing to see the mangaka channel his goofy side from time to time by drawing an autobiographical tale of his experience with two cats. However, he makes sure to retain the art style that made him such a phenomenon, resulting in these cats looking like some of the creepiest creatures in manga history.
Once readers get past the unnerving nature of these drawings, they’ll be laughing in no time as Ito narrates the struggles he’s faced with these felines time and time again.Junji Ito’s Cat Diaryis one of thebest short mangafor Junji Ito fans who want to see the diverse range of his skills and whether he can branch out of the horror genre from time to time.
Tatsuki Fujimoto
Chainsaw Manhas become such a major hit that the name of Tatsuki Fujimoto is on the tips of most people’s tongues. The amazing panel work and unique artistic flair of the mangaka have garnered mainstream interest, making it easy to see why people would want to see his earlier work.
The title of this manga makes it immediately clear what the subject matter is. Fujimoto’s work is displayed across eight volumes, tackling bizarre concepts and fun short stories that show flashes of the brilliance that went intoChainsaw Man.
Psychological horror
No Longer Humanis a novel written by Osamu Dazai, serving as a semi-autobiography of sorts.The protagonist is a despicable human beingwho ends up unable to reveal his true self to the world, slowly losing himself to a haze of drugs, alcohol, and debauchery until his life is nothing but a hollow shell.
I am convinced that human life is filled with many pure, happy, serene examples of insincerity, truly splendid of their kind of people to deceive one another without (strangely enough) any wounds being inflicted, of people who seem unaware even that they are deceiving one another.
It’s a tough read, especially knowing that the author took his own life soon after writing it. This haunting tale was adapted into a manga format by Junji Ito with unique additions of his own to make the story worth checking out for both fans of the novel and anyone who has yet to experience one of the most uncomfortable pieces of literature ever made.
Drama, mystery
Tatsuki Fujimoto has become one of the biggest and most beloved names in the manga community, with many people loving this man for his surreal and bizarre work that is accompanied by some of the best framing ever seen in manga. His work onChainsaw Manis the reason why Fujimoto became so successful, but there are more stories by this mangaka that are great in their own right.
One such story isGoodbye, Eri, a tragic and heartfelt tale that can be hilarious when the situation demands it. It’s a great one-shot that is long enough to get readers invested in the characters and the events that they go through.
