Some readers like brief dips intomanga. Maybe an arc here or there, a short-run series there, or even a bunch of one-shots. Others fancy an epic adventure and will dive into the longest manga series they know. But just because a strip has been running for a long time doesn’t necessarily mean it has the most chapters.
Berserkhas been running since 1988, and only has 376 chapters as of this writing.Narutoconcluded its run with an even 700 chapters.Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, from Part 1 to Part 9, has 957 chapters and counting. But these manga managed to go well beyond 1,000 chapters, with many of them still running to this day.
7KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops
MyAnimeList Score: 7.47
By the timeKochiKameended in September 2016, it had run for 40 years, producing 201 volumes and 1,960 chapters. It’s Shōnen Jump’s longest running strip, the second biggest manga series based on chapters, and third biggest based on volumes. It’s one of the most famous comedy strips in Japan, andits anime adaptationsare regarded just as highly.
Yet its fame is largely limited to Japan, given it’s simply about the misadventures of Kankichi Ryotsu, a middle-aged policeman who works at the police box in downtown Tokyo. He’d try one fad or get-rich-quick scheme, only to get stuck and plead with his younger, richer colleague Nakagawa to help him out. There’s no world-ending drama, just gags at Ryotsu’s expense that poke fun at society and its trends that have entertained readers of all ages since 1976.
6Kinnikuman
MyAnimeList Score: 7.60
Beyond the MUSCLE toys andUltimate Muscleturning up on the FoxBox,Kinnikuman’s fame didn’t travel far beyond Japan’s shores. Yet Suguru Kinniku’s efforts to prove himself worthy of Planet Kinniku’s throne via wrestling became so popular in the 1980s that they’ve inspired many successors directly or indirectly, fromFullmetal AlchemisttoFairy Tail.
Combined with its sequel,Kinnikuman: The 2nd Generation(Ultimate Muscle), and its revived run since 2011, they’ve produced more chapters than its old rivalsFist of the North StarandSakigake!! Otokojuku. It’s also since received a fresh anime inKinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc.If its 1,442 combined chapters sound intimidating, fans can get a taste of its comic wrestling action via Netflix.
5Grappler Baki
MyAnimeList Score: 7.72
LikeJojo’s Bizarre Adventure,Grappler Bakitells the story of Baki Hanma through multiple parts, though it doesn’t change protagonists or settings. Also likeJojo, Baki’s quest to surpass the strength of his brutal father, Yujiro, gets weird. If Keisuke Itagaki’s exaggerated expressions and musculature doesn’t raise eyebrows, the strip’s strange turns will.
For example, Baki takes President ‘Dubya’ Bush hostage just to find out where his opponent, Oliva, is holed up. His ransom demand is $10 to pay for coffee. Later, President ‘Tramp’ wets himself and concedes to Yujiro’s demands when he meets him. Different anime adaptations have come and gone, but the manga’s testosterone-fueled insanity has been going on since 1991 and shows no signs of slowing down.
4Crayon Shin-Chan
MyAnimeList Score: 7.93
Manga series are more closely tied to their creators than western comics are, which is why the decision to continue them after a mangaka dies can be a heavy one. Yoshito Usui passed away in 2009 after an accident while hiking around Mount Arafune. But his seminal workCrayon Shin-Chanis still running up to this day — kind of.
Futabasha, the comic’s publishers, technically ended the classic run of the strip in early 2010. Then, after a few months, Usui’s assistants began working onNew Crayon Shin-Chan. They still tell the misadventures of Shin-chan and his family, often with a grown-up edge to contrastthe kiddy-like art style. It just has a different creative team getting those gags out nowadays.
3Case Closed
MyAnimeList Score: 8.28
When Shinichi Kudo started investigating the mysterious Black Organization, he was captured and force-fed an experimental drug that turned him back into a ten-year-old. He continues his investigation as Conan Edogawa to find out how to go back to normal, living a new childhood with his classmates in the meantime, and using a voice changer to sound old enough to talk to his girlfriend.
Case Closedhas been going on since 1994, and has an anime that’s been running continuously since 1996. Some argue that it’s beengoing on too long, as there are only so many crimes and plots Conan can solve while remaining fresh. Nonetheless, it’s still one of the most popular manga in Japan, reaching 4th place in TV Asahi’s Manga Sōsenkyo poll in 2021, just behind the likes ofOne PieceandDemon Slayer.
2Hajime no Ippo
MyAnimeList Score: 8.73
Grappler Baki’s exaggerated action scenes aren’t always to everyone’s taste. If they’d rather have a more grounded take on combat sports, they’ll find it inHajime no Ippo, the classic boxing manga that shows Ippo Makunōchi’sRocky-esque rise from a school student and amateur fisherman to a world boxing champion.
George Morikawa really brings out the drama involved in how boxing matches are arranged and fought through his creative illustrations. It may not feature presidents being kidnapped, but it makes each fight feel like life or death, even if it’s just a belt or pride on the line. That might be why it’s lasted since 1989 and is still receiving new chapters to this day.
1One Piece
MyAnimeList Score: 9.22
Readers had to have expected this one to turn up here.One Pieceis one of the longest running shōnen strips around. Officially, it’s been going since 1997, though Eiichiro Oda did give Shōnen Jump readers a preview of what to expect from him via his1996 two-part one-shotRomance Dawn. Whether he expected he’d end up with the mother of all workloads to go with its success is another matter.
Many mangaka have seen their careers or lives cut short by the demanding schedule, so Shueisha has since eased up on Oda’s previously oppressive schedule (three hours of sleep per night). Nonetheless, he’ll finally get to rest soon, as the manga is due to end in early 2025. Luffy and the Strawhats will finally discover what Gol D. Roger’s One Piece truly is, and if it’ll truly grant their wishes.
