Shōnen Manga (少年漫画)

Shōnen manga are stories written primarily with an audience of teen boys in mind. While shōnen manga series cover the full range of genres, including fantasy, romance, comedy, sci-fi, horror, and more, there are several stylistic features that characterise this category. There is often a focus on action and plot development, with plots often following the basic structure of the hero's journey. Rivalry and friendship are common themes encountered in this category, as well as the notion of the 'outsider' protagonist. Visually, shōnen manga often employs sharper edges and distinctive silhouettes for its characters.

Updated July 8, 2024
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Wellington City LibrariesYouth team at Wellington City Libraries
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Jujutsu kaisen. 1, Ryomen Sukuna
Akutami, Gege
Paper Book
To gain the power he needs to save his friend from a cursed spirit, Yuji Itadori swallows a piece of a demon, only to find himself caught in the midst of a horrific war of the supernatural! In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary...
Fullmetal alchemist. Vol. 1
Arakawa, Hiromu
Paper Book
Breaking the laws of nature is a serious crime! In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking...
Spy x family. 1
Endo?, Tatsuya
Paper Book
An action-packed comedy about a fake family that includes a spy, an assassin and a telepath! Master spy Twilight is unparalleled when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions for the betterment of the world. But when he receives the ultimate assignment--to get married...
Chainsaw Man. 1, Dog and chainsaw
Fujimoto, Tatsuki
Paper Book
Broke young man + chainsaw demon = Chainsaw Man! Denji was a small-time devil hunter just trying to survive in a harsh world. After being killed on a job, he is revived by his pet devil Pochita and becomes something new and dangerous--Chainsaw Man! Denji's a...
Goodbye, Eri
Fujimoto, Tatsuki
Paper Book
An explosive story from the mad genius behind Chainsaw Man and Look Back! Young filmmaker Yuta contemplates suicide after the death of his mother, but a chance meeting with a mysterious girl will alter his life in an explosive way. From the mad genius...
Look back
Fujimoto, Tatsuki
Paper Book
A heart-wrenching single-volume story about the struggles of being an artist, from the creator of Chainsaw Man. The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn't be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A...
Haikyu!! Volume 1, Hinata and Kageyama
Furudate, Haruichi
Paper Book
Shoyo Hinata is out to prove that in volleyball you don't need to be tall to fly! Ever since he saw the legendary player known as "the Little Giant" compete at the national volleyball finals, Shoyo Hinata has been aiming to be the best volleyball player ever! Who says you need to...
My hero academia : vigilantes. Volume 1
Furuhashi, Hideyuki
Paper Book
Not everyone needs a license to fight for justice! In a superpowered society, there is nothing ordinary about evil anymore. Heroes, trained and licensed to protect and defend the public against supervillains, stand above all the rest. Not everyone can be a hero, however, and...
Demon slayer = Kimetsu no yaiba. 1, Cruelty
Gotoge, Koyoharu
Paper Book
Tanjiro sets out on the path of the Demon Slayer to save his sister and avenge his family! In Taisho-era Japan, kindhearted Tanjiro Kamado makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is...
The legend of Zelda : Twilight princess. 1
Himekawa, Akira
Paper Book
Link must defeat evil at every turn in his perilous quest to help Princess Zelda! Once upon a time, wizards tried to conquer the Sacred Realm of Hyrule. The Spirits of Light sealed the wizards' power within the Shadow Crystal and banished them to the Twilight Realm beyond the...
My hero academia. Vol. 1, Izuku Midoriya: origin
Horikoshi, Ko?hei
Paper Book
Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world's greatest hero, but greatness won't come easy. What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called "Quirks"? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean...
Attack on Titan. 1
Isayama, Hajime
Paper Book
The megahit Attack on Titan anime is back! In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent...
Beastars. Volume 1
Itagaki, Paru
Paper Book
At this high school, instead of jocks and nerds, the students are divided into predators and prey. At a high school where the students are literally divided into predators and prey, friendships maintain the fragile peace. Who among them will become a Beastar--a hero destined to...
Blue Lock. 1
Kaneshiro, Muneyuki
Paper Book
A mad young coach gathers soccer players from across the country to compete in a series of bizarre challenges in a high-tech colosseum he calls Blue Lock. It's a no-balls-barred battle to become Japan's next top striker, in this Squid Game-meets-World Cup manga, now available in print!
Sword art online : progressive. 001
Kawahara, Reki
Paper Book
"There's no way to beat this game. The only difference is when and where you die..."One month has passed since Akihiko Kayaba's deadly game began, and the body count continues to rise. Two thousand players are already dead. Kirito and Asuna are two very different people, but they both desire to...
Naruto.
Kishimoto, Masashi,
Paper Book
The world's most popular ninja comic! Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He's got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world's greatest ninja! Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the...
Boruto : Naruto next generations. Volume 1, Uzumaki Boruto!!
Kodachi, Ukyo
Paper Book
The ninja adventures continue with Naruto's son, Boruto! Naruto was a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He achieved his dream to become the greatest ninja in his village, and now his face sits atop the Hokage monument. But this is not his story... A new...
Bleach. Volume 1, Strawberry and the soul reaper
Kubo, Tite.
Paper Book
Part-time student, full-time Soul Reaper, Ichigo is one of the chosen few guardians of the afterlife. Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts--he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow--a malevolent lost soul--Ichigo becomes a Soul...
Maximum Ride : the manga. 1
Lee, NaRae.
Paper Book
Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "Flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives...
Assassination classroom. 1, Time for assassination
Matsui, Yu?sei
Paper Book
When the misfits of Class 3-E get stuck with a smiley-faced, octopus-tentacled schoolteacher with bizarre superpowers, they discover they have a lot to learn... When the misfits of Class 3-E get stuck with a smiley-faced, octopus-tentacled schoolteacher with bizarre superpowers,...
Kaiju no. 8. 1
Matsumoto, Naoya
Paper Book
Kafka wants to clean up kaiju, but not literally! Will a sudden metamorphosis stand in the way of his dream? With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with...
The girl from the other side : siu?il, a ru?n. Vol. 1
Nagabe
Paper Book
An ethereal fantasy from the editorial team behind the New York Times bestselling series The Ancient Magus' Bride The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún is an all-new manga series that pulls readers into a magical and enchanting tale about a young girl and...
Komi can't communicate. Volume 1
Oda, Tomohito
Paper Book
The journey to 100 friends begins with a single conversation. Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi's greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve! With the whole student body keeping their...
Bakuman. Volume 2, Chocolate and Akamaru
Ohba, Tsugumi
Paper Book
By the creators of Death Note! The mystery behind manga-making revealed! Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what...
Death Note. Vol. 1, Boredom
Ohba, Tsugumi
Paper Book
When Light Yagami finds a notebook giving him power over death, will he use it for good--or evil? Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue...
Mob psycho 100. Volume 1
ONE
Paper Book
Do you or someone you know need an exorcist who works cheap? Reigen's your guy! What's his secret to busting ghosts while keeping prices low? Well, first, he's a fraud, and second, he pays the guy who's got the real psychic power - his student assistant Shigeo - less than minimum wage. Shigeo is an...
A man & his cat. 1
Sakurai, Umi
Paper Book
The top manga launch in Japan in the first half of 2018, A Man and His Cat was also voted one of the top ten manga of 2018 by Japanese bookstore employees nationwide. Having won hearts and topped charts in Japan, this hotly anticipated series about an older gentleman and his unique, adorable cat is...
Cirque du Freak /
Shan, Darren.
Paper Book
From the Master of Horror comes the first gripping book in the twelve book New York Times bestselling Saga of Darren Shan. Start the tale from the beginning in the book that inspired the feature film The Vampire's Assistant and petrified devoted fans worldwide. A...
The promised Neverland. Volume 1, Grace Field House
Shirai, Kaiu
Paper Book
The children of the Grace Field House orphanage must escape a macabre fate before it's too late. Life at Grace Field House is good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious...
No matter how I look at it, it's you guys' fault I'm not popular! 1
Tanigawa, Nico
Paper Book
Tomoko Kuroki naturally assumed she'd be popular when she got to high school...but then cold, hard reality swooped in for the attack! Turns out all the popularity points she's racked up in her video game dating sims are worth squat in real life, and Tomoko's far from prepared to navigate high school...
Black butler. 1
Toboso, Yana
Paper Book
Just a stone's throw from London lies the manor house of the illustrious Phantomhive earldom, its master one Ciel Phantomhive. Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria's faithful servant . . . and a slip of a twelve-year old boy. Fortunately, his loyal butler, Sebastian,...
Dragon Ball super. 1, Warriors from Universe 6!
Toriyama, Akira
Paper Book
Goku's adventure from the best-selling classic manga Dragon Ball continues in this new series written by Akira Toriyama himself! Ever since Goku became Earth's greatest hero and gathered the seven Dragon Balls to defeat the evil Boo, his life on Earth has grown a little dull. But...
Food wars! : shokugeki no Soma. Volume 1, Endless wilderness
Tsukuda, Yuto
Paper Book
An action-packed, saucy food comedy featuring one boy's determination to be top chef! Soma Yukihira's old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town.  Aiming to one day surpass his father's culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out...
The drifting classroom. Volume 1
Umezu, Kazuo
Paper Book
The definitive edition, featuring an all-new translation and deluxe hardcover design that reestablish Kazuo Umezz's The Drifting Classroom as a timeless horror classic. In the aftermath of a massive earthquake, a Japanese elementary school is transported into a hostile world...
Frieren : Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1
Yamada, Kanehito.
Paper Book
The adventure is over but life goes on for an elf mage just beginning to learn what living is all about. Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party....

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