32 Manga Front Cover Awards

Reading Time: 6 minutes

When it comes to media consumption, everyone differs in taste. Some want paperbacks, others fancy graphic novels. And the rest of us want to read Manga.

We don’t know about you, but the art styles, the diverse set of characters, and the tone of dialogue just resonate with us.

An example would be Shoyo Hinata from Haikyu!! His passion knows no bounds, and a lot of people love him for it. He’s the personification of fiery dedication to one’s passion.

Karasuno vs Inarizaki

Manga’s charm encompasses many cultures, places, and all forms of imagination. The name comes from two kanji: man and ga. Man means whimsical or impromptu, and Ga represents pictures.

The first sightings of manga art were in the 12th and 13th century entitled, Choju-giga or Scrolls of Frolicking Animals. Also, during the Edo Period (1603-1867), Toba Ehon showed promise as a manga.

The term itself was only used in 1798 to describe Santō Kyōden’s Shiji no Yukikai (Four Seasons). But the manga style we know today was inspired by American comics.

During America’s time in Japan, it introduced Betty Boop, Disney’s works, and much more. The Japanese people then created their distinct manga styles.

Thus, the most popular manga came out entitled Astro Boy. It was, in turn, adapted into an anime that everyone enjoys today.

But you also have to take into account that manga has different genres. The genre division is by age and gender combined with the usual themes found in books in Western media.

Shōnen: For the boys.
Shōjo: For the girls.
Seinen: For the boys 18-30 of age.
Seijin: For adult men.
Josei: For adult ladies.
Yōji: For the kids.
Kodomo: For the kids learning to read.
Shōnen-ai (Yaoi): All about boys love.
Shōjo-ai (Yuri): All about girls love.
Hentai: Any manga with hardcore sexual content (the most prominent).

Manga, like any other form of media, needs to be promoted across many platforms. That’s the reason why manga covers are widespread. It shows the title and the main characters.

What makes a good cover?

Criteria for An Aesthetic Manga Cover

Let’s understand its role and components before we get into our top picks of manga covers compiled for you.

Illustration Grab

This cover aspect entices both future and current fans to read your work in the examples below. Some look like paintings brought to life by being placed on a manga cover.

Aside from that, it also helps that the manga-ka (manga creator) has a distinct style that people love and enjoy. Once you see a cover from the same artist, it’ll get the attention of the fans.

For example, Aka Akasaka and his works Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen and Oshi no Ko. Characters look similar, don’t they?

Unique Art Style

As stated above, the illustration styles attract people to read Manga. It makes them think, “Am I willing to invest in this?”

Each manga has this distinct manner of presenting its stories. Whether humanoid animals like Beast Stars or rambunctious redhead siblings like Quintessential Quintuplets, the portrayal is everything.

Another factor of this is Moe. It’s hard to explain but in a nutshell. It’s the feelings of attraction and protection towards certain character traits, whether physical or personality-wise.

Market Value

Manga is a big part of Japan’s main exports, which are technology and entertainment.

Manga works with anime in that sense because anime is the marketing scheme for manga. If people keep buying your manga because of the association, it helps contribute to the market.

Thus, increasing its value and getting reprinted repeatedly, making it a valuable manga cover.

Is it Anime Worthy?

As stated earlier, anime is the marketing scheme of manga. If the books themselves have high sales, then anime studios would potentially turn manga into anime.

As long as the fanbase is carried over and supports the manga enough to watch the anime, then the manga cover did its job.

The Hype Train

The last of the characteristics of a good manga cover, it’s the combination of everything above. As long as it creates a wave in the community, the manga cover did its job.

When the cover converts bystanders into avid patrons and becomes the talk of the town, you know the manga cover did its job well.

Our Top 30 Front Covers for Your Next Binge

As you check out the covers below, technically, we chose sixteen mangas in total. However, we got two covers from their series because choosing one just does not cut it.

Enjoy looking at these famous manga covers curated just for you: