by Deb Aoki

Every year (or so), a bunch of opinionated manga bloggers, vloggers, journalists, librarians and people who read way too much manga gather at San Diego Comic-Con International for the Best & Worst Manga panel!

This year’s line-up includes:

Brigid Alverson (@BrigidAlverson) - founder of one of the first manga-focused news blogs, MangaBlog, Brigid now writes about manga and kids/teens graphics novels for School Library journal, ICV2 and SmashPages.

Siddharth Gupta (a.k.a. LumRanmaYasha) from the Manga Mavericks Podcast and He’s also an animator, illustrator and writer.

Laura Neuzeth @lauraneuzeth is a YouTube and TikTok vlogger, focused mostly on josei and shojo manga picks!

Ryley Moore, a.k.a. The Omnibus Collector / @omnicollector creates videos about manga and comics that he features on his YouTube channel.

Jillian Rudes (@JRLibrarian) is a Japanese Culture and Manga Special Collections Librarian in New York City. She also runs a blog, MangainLibraries.com.

Plus me!

If you came to the San Diego Comic-Con to check out the panel, thank you very much! We hope you had fun!

HERE’S HOW THE BEST & WORST MANGA PANEL WORKS

If you’re new to the Best & Worst Manga panel — here are the guidelines! Each panelist was asked to pick a manga in 8 categories. At the panel, they each have 60 seconds to tell the audience why it’s a best manga pick or in the case of the worst manga, why it’s so awful.

If you missed it, I’ll be posting an audio + text transcript and maybe a video of the whole event, so you can hear why these manga were picked as the BEST & WORST MANGA OF 2022. But for now, here it is, just in list form:

BEST NEW MANGA FOR KIDS & TEENS

Kaiju No. 8 by Naoya Matsumoto, published by Shonen Jump / VIZ Media
In the Clear Moonlit Dusk by Mika Yamamori, published by Kodansha
Sakamoto Days by Yuto Suzuki, published by Shonen Jump / VIZ Media
My Love Mix-Up! by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko, published by Shojo Beat / VIZ Media
Vasilisa: The Wise Princess and Other Classic Folktales by Kuraibe Keishi, published by Starfruit Books

*DanDaDan vol 1* by Yukinoobu Tatsu (VIZ Media)

BEST NEW MANGA FOR GROWN-UPS

DanDaDan by Yukinobu Tatsu, published by Shonen Jump / VIZ Media
I’m Not Meat: Get Your Filthy Paws Off Me by Ikkadoh Itoh, published by Ghost Ship / Seven Seas Entertainment
I Want to Be a Wall by Honami Shirano, published by Yen Press
Summertime Rendering by Yasuki Tanaka, published by Udon Entertainment
A Life Turned Upside-Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic by Mariko Kikuchi, published by Seven Seas Entertainment
X-Gender by Asuka Miyazaki by Seven Seas Entertainment
Blue Lock vol. 2 by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura

BEST CONTINUING MANGA SERIES FOR KIDS & TEENS

One Piece by Yukinobu Tatsu, published by Shonen Jump / VIZ Media
Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura, published by Kodansha
Queen’s Quality by Kyosuke Motomi, published by Shojo Beat / VIZ Media
Skip and Loafer by Misaki Takamatsu, published by Seven Seas Entertainment
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! by Sumito Oowara, published by Dark Horse
My Summer of You by Nagisa Furuya, published by Yen Press
Dick Fight Island vol. 2 by Reibun Ike

BEST CONTINUING MANGA SERIES FOR GROWN-UPS

Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda, published by Shonen Jump / VIZ Media
Dick Fight Island by Reibun Ike, published by SuBLime Manga / VIZ Media
Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! by Yuu Toyota, published by Square Enix Books and Manga
REAL by Takehiko Inoue, published by VIZ Media
Blue Giant by Shinichi Ishizuka, published by Seven Seas Entertainment
Blood on the Tracks by Shuzo Oshimi, published by Kodansha

WORST MANGA (for anyone, any age!)

Deadpool Samurai by Sanshiro Kasama and Hikaru Uesugi, published by VIZ Media
Villainess: Reloaded! Blowing Away Bad Ends with Modern Weapons by Itaka, Sou Inada and Hachipisu Wan, published by Yen Press
My Hero Academia Vol. W(orld Heroes), published by Shueisha, Wedge Holdings
From the Red Fog by Mosae Nohara, published by Yen Press
Crazy Food Truck by Rokurou Ogaki, published by VIZ Media

*Do Not Say Mystery vol 1* by Yumi Tamura

MOST ANTICIPATED NEW MANGA

Do Not Say Mystery by Yumi Tamura, published by Seven Seas Entertainment (May 2023)
Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe by Hirohiko Araki, published by Shonen Jump / VIZ Media (November 2022)
Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki, published by First Second
The Yakuza’s Bias by Teki Yatsuda published by Kodansha
My Dear Detective: Mitsuko's Case Files by Natsumi Ito published by Azuki
Sasaki and Peeps by Buncololi, Pureji Osho, Kantoku, published by Press

MOST WANTED (but not yet licensed) MANGA

(Katekyo Hitman) Reborn! by Akira Amano, published by Shueisha (license rescue, previously published by Shonen Jump / VIZ Media)
MIX: Meisei Story by Mitsuru Adachi, published by Shonen Sunday / VIZ Media
Zatch Bell & Zatch Bell 2 by Makoto Raiku, published by Birgin Board (previously published by VIZ Media)
Jigoku no Girlfriend (Girlfriend in Hell) by Akane Torikai, published by Shodensha
Kimi ni Todoke Bangai-hen: Unmei no Hito (Soulmate) by Karuho Shiina, published by Shueisha
Dance Dance Danseur by George Asakura, published by Shogakukan

UNDER-RATED GEM

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun by Aidaro, published by Yen Press
Secret Reverse by Kazuki Takahashi, published by VIZ Media
Creepy Cat by Cotton Valent, published by Seven Seas Entertainment
Requiem of the Rose King by Aya Kanno, published by VIZ Media
Bat Kid by Inoue Kazuo, published by Bubbles Zine

I’ll update this list with the video and text transcript soon!

Stick around for more updates from San Diego Comic-Con 2022! For faster updates, follow me on Twitter at @debaoki!

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SDCC 2022: Best & Worst Manga Picks!