2024] Space, Robots, and the Near Future! 10 recommended science fiction manga with a sense of the future!

In addition to anime such as "Mobile Suit Gundam" and "Doraemon," films such as "Star Wars" and "The Avengers" are loved around the world for their ability to stir the imagination and anticipation of the future. In this report, we have selected 10 works from the science fiction (SF) genre, which covers a wide range of topics such as space, robots, and the near future. Why not experience the world of the future woven by each author?

Item: Gintama; Atom The Beginning; All You Need is Kill; Ningyo no Kuni; New Edition Dokushinsei; Ge-Ma-Oh; Gender "Mona Lisa" to you.; Avalon of the Heavenly Prison; Yokohama Station SF; Terrarium with Key

SF Manga

Gintama by Sorachi Hideaki / 77 volumes

In the city of Edo, where a number of aliens (amanto) hold power, the sword ban has been imposed, and most people who have lived by the sword or the sword are unemployed. Shinpachi and his sister are trying to rebuild the dojo left by their father. At his part-time job, Shinpachi meets Ginji, a man known as Bankotsuya Gin-chan, who beats the natives mercilessly with a wooden sword.

One day, a debt collector comes to Shinpachi's dojo and takes away his sister in exchange for a loan. Shinpachi relies on Gintoki and decides to board a flying spaceship on a moped.

This work, with its poignant gags that incorporate current events and inflammatory humor, and the battles of manly men, has been a huge hit, with a total of over 58 million copies in print. It is one of Japan's most popular science fiction comedies, and has been adapted into a wide variety of media, including anime, film, and live-action movies.

Atom the Beginning by Osamu Tezuka, Tetsuro Kasahara, Masami Yuki, et al.

The story takes place in Japan five years after a mysterious catastrophe. The robot industry is flourishing by leaps and bounds, and Hiroshi Ochanomizu, a master's degree student in robotics, and fellow student Gotaro Tenma are busy developing and researching a new type of artificial intelligence with a "mind" called the "Bevstozine System.

One day, the two decide to participate in a "robot wrestling" tournament with prize money in order to raise the cost of creating a robot. However, curiosity leads them to probe the developer of the previous champion, Mars, and they get caught up in the problems of the underworld...

This work is a prequel to a new interpretation of the birth of the eternal hero Astro Boy, and will be broadcast as an animated TV series in 2017.

The appeal of this work is the interaction with the robot "Six" created by the two. Even though he is a robot, he is somehow lovable and human. It is such a science fiction manga.

All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Ryosuke Takeuchi, Yoshitoshi Abe, Ken Obata / 2 volumes

For many years, mankind has been engaged in a large-scale war with the "Gitai," a mysterious monster that wants to kill everyone. Keiji, who goes into battle for the first time as a soldier, is killed by the Gitai without a second thought. However, when he comes to, Cage finds himself in bed one day before the sortie.

Cage fled the base in fear of having died once, but was killed by the sudden appearance of Gitai. Noticing a loop that revives him over and over again, Cage uses his power to fight his way through the battlefield like an old soldier! You can feel the unimaginably harshness of experiencing death over and over again from the look on Keiji's face.

This film is a comic adaptation of a light novel; it was also made into a Hollywood movie in 2014, starring Tom Cruise.
It is a repetitive loop of fighting, dying, and waking up, but the main character grows with each loop.
You may feel that it is only two volumes, but the sense of fulfillment you will feel after finishing this work is exceptional. The story that was not depicted in the original novel is also noteworthy.

Ningyo no kuni written by Tsutomu Nibei / 3 volumes

The artificial celestial body Apocimuz has a habitation site about four layers below the earth's surface, and as one moves outward, a harsh environment prevails. Eslo, who lives on the snow-covered outermost world, is attacked when he happens to come into possession of something the Livedoa Empire is after.

The people he lives with are killed, and just before he himself is about to die, a mysterious free-standing machine gives him power! The one-of-a-kind worldview, including artificial celestial bodies and "doll disease," is both grandiose and detailed.

The author, Nibei, is the creator of "Knights of Cydonia," which was adapted into a TV anime in 2014, and "BLAME!

New edition by Yoshihiro Yamada, 4 volumes

More than 50 years after landing on the moon, mankind has finally succeeded in landing a manned spacecraft on Mars. However, a mysterious pillar-like object suddenly appears, destroys the spacecraft, and all communication with the earth is cut off. The President of the United States, who wants the manned Mars exploration program to succeed at any cost, calls for volunteers of any nationality or age to rescue the crew.

When Dohyou, a truck driver with his mother, sees the call, he heads for the selection test to go to space, which his late father had loved so much.

This work is an authentic space manga that provides detailed information about space and the training required to become an astronaut. The story of Dododama, a serious and clumsy character with guts, who works hard at his training without making any weak words, will surely strike a chord with the readers.

Ge-Maou by Futsuzawa Ganoshin

Roku (Roku) is an assistant trainee who dreams of becoming a manga artist. He has been obsessed with a single main character and has had countless rejected works. He is worried about his friends and people his age who are getting jobs one after another.

Then one day, when a major update to the smartphone game "Ge-Ma-Oh," for which all of Japan had been excited, was implemented, monsters from the game appeared all over town. Roku, now a black knight, the hero he has been obsessed with for years, begins his battle to save the world.

The creator of the Game Demon King is Sugosugi, a man Roku was close to as a boy. How did Sugosugi obtain the unknown technology and what is his purpose?

This work, created by author Ganoshin Futsuzawa, who is also in charge of the scenario for the game "Octopath Traveler," has a completely different style of illustration between the real world and the game world, with the game world featuring detailed dot paintings.
This work is a must-read for anyone who loves games.

Gender "Mona Lisa" to you. By: Yoshimura Lathe / 10 volumes

In a world where you can choose your own gender when you turn 12, Hinase turns 18 without being either. She has grown accustomed to the cold eyes of those around her and feels nothing for her unchanging body. She was content with the fact that her childhood friends, Shiori, a boy's school student, and Ritsu, a high school girl, were still friends with her, but suddenly Hinase's daily life is disrupted.

At the warehouse where Hinase was asked to pick up cleaning supplies, Ritsu confessed to Hinase that he had liked her for a long time. Puzzled, Hinase returns to the classroom, only to find Shiori there. After some chit-chat, Shiiori uttered her confession to Hinase!

This film is a human drama about Hinase, who is neither a man nor a woman, having received confessions from a man and a woman at the same time. The Mona Lisa in the title refers to the famous painting "Mona Lisa. It seems that gender is still not clearly known, as it depicts both the characteristics that men have and those unique to women.

This work attracted attention for its novel subject matter of gender and was selected for the "Next Coming Manga Award 2020" This work, now complete in 10 volumes, is perfect for those who want to read a summary. Why not witness Hinase's conflicted choices?

Avalon of Heavenly Prison by Toshimoto Hamamura and Noriyuki Fujisawa / 4 volumes

In the year 2319 A.D., mankind has left Earth for a new planet. Azuma, a cadet administrator, and another cadet, Anastasia, who work at the center of the interstellar mobile fleet Avalon, meet on an administrator cadet mission. After completing their mission that day, the two vow to meet again, but one of Avalon's ships crashes in a mysterious explosion.

Azuma survives the crash thanks to a capsule, but when he wakes up, he finds a woman in armor who calls herself Aisha, and the Avalon in ruins, 400 years after the crash. Unable to accept the reality, Azuma hears the name Anastasia from Aisha and goes to the Tengoro Kyokai, the organization to which Aisha belongs.

This work is a science fiction fantasy that mixes a world reminiscent of the Middle Ages with highly developed technology. Azuma, who appeared in the prologue, was wearing knight's armor (Orlane) and slaughtering his enemies in a brilliant battle. Just imagining what Azuma has experienced in the process of getting to that point is exciting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. We hope you will continue reading until the end.

Yokohama Station SF written by Gonpei Shinkawa and Yuba Kari / 3 volumes

Yokohama Station has been expanding for 200 years as if it has a will. A disparity has emerged between those who have Suica, a transportation IC card, and live inside the station (commonly known as "Ekinaka") and those who live outside the station without Suica. Hiroto, who lives in a colony built at Exit 1415 of Yokohama Station and does not have Suica, dreams of entering Ekinaka.

One day, Toyama, an outcast from Echinka, entrusts Hiroto with an "18 Ticket" that allows him to enter Echinka for five days only. Hiroto is elated at his first echinaka, but he is suddenly caught eating and drinking without paying.

First of all, you may be puzzled by the setting in which Yokohama Station expands, but the out-of-the-ordinary setting is the best part of a science fiction work. Set in Japan, this work started as a single tweet, was published as a novel, and then expanded into a comic book. With real-life objects such as Yokohama Station and Suica appearing in the story, you are sure to enjoy the worldview that mixes the ordinary with the extraordinary.

Keyed Terrarium by Yuna Hirasawa / 4 volumes

Chico, a research technician who can diagnose both humans and robots, and his younger brother Pino are searching for their missing mother, who is the key to preventing the collapse of Arcology, a facility that allows humans to live in a devastated world.

One day, the two find a medical tool that is not covered with dust in the already devastated colony. Thinking it might be traces left by their mother, they come across a broken-down medical robot.

Despite the anxiety over their mother's safety and the collapse of their living area, Pino, who never ceases to smile, is very cute and cheers up the reader.

It is sad to read about the sister and brother touring the devastated colony and stopping the robots that continue to move in pursuit of their mission, even though they are broken.

The story spun by the sister and brother alone, with little human interaction, is recommended for those who like a quieter style.