RuriDragon is Japanese Bookstores No. 1 Manga Recommendation of 2023
Clerks across Japan have listed their top recommendations for this year
Image via Viz Media
Looking for a new manga to pick up this year? Well, bookstore clerks across Japan recommend Masaoki Shindo’s RuriDragon as the top series you should be reading this year. Earlier today, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, a publishing company in Japan, released the results of their annual survey asking those who work inside bookstores which manga they would recommend to people.
Clerks were asked which manga they would either “recommend to many people" or series they would “like everyone to read" that was newly released in the past year or so and with only five or fewer volumes released. The survey given by the clerks was complied into a top 15 list, which can be seen below:
- 15. Ramen Akaneko by Angyaman
- 14. Gachiakuta by Kei Urana (with designs by Hideyoshi Ando)
- 13. Choujin X by Sui Ishida
- 12. You and I Are Polar Opposites by Kocha Agasawa
- 11. Hotel Metsäpeuraan e Yokoso by Seria Fukuta
- 10. PPPPPP by Mapollo 3,
- 9. Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo by Akira Konno
- 8. Zeikin de Katta Hon written by Zuino and illustrated by Kei Keiyama
- 7. Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku by Saka Mikami
- 6. Pink to Habanero by Mika Satonaka
- 5. The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren
- 4. Super no Ura de Yani Su Futari by Jinushi
- 3. Akane-banashi written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue
- 2. Daemons of the Shadow Realm by Hiromu Arakawa
- 1. RuriDragon by Masaoki Shindo
To celebrate taking first place, Masaoki Shindo drew a special illustration.
RELATED: RuriDragon Manga Goes on Extended Hiatus Due to Author’s Health
Aside from bookstore clerks who are on the ground selling books, the survey was also sent to publisher editors and sales staff, which was then compiled into a top five top manga they would recommend.
- 5. MARRIAGETOXIN written by Joumyaku and illustrated by Mizuki Yoda
- 4. Tamon-kun Ima Docchi!? by Yuki Shiwasu
- 3. Nippon Sangoku by Matsuki Ikka
- 2. Mikadono Sanshimai wa Angai, Choroi by Aya Hirakawa
- 1. Super no Ura de Yani Su Futari by Jinushi
As with Shindo, Jinushi also drew a celebratory picture.
Both illustrations will be given out in bookstores around Japan with every purchase of a manga as part of a special “store fair” to celebrate the winning series as well as giving people a chance to trial the series’ through QR codes installed in every participating store.
Source: Comic Natalie
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Daryl Harding is a Senior Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.
