9 Best Full Color Shounen Manga, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Some manga break the mold with dazzling full-color pages, enhancing the reading experience.
• Full-color versions of iconic manga like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Dragon Ball elevate the art and design.
• Color editions of renowned series like Naruto and Bleach bring vibrant worlds to life, captivating readers.

Over the years, Manga has become increasingly popular since its first modern publication in 1902, but many people still struggle to get into it, whether due to panel structuring, genre conventions, or because of its typical black-and-white color scheme.

However, some manga break the mold by having actual color pages with as many dazzling colors as any regular comic, adding an inviting splash of color to some incredible series. Here are the best full-color shonen manga, ranked.

9 Yu Yu Hakusho

High Schooler Turned Spirit Detective

• Release Date: December 3, 1990
• Creator: Yoshiiro Togashi
• Number of Volumes: 19
• Genre: Adventure, Supernatural

Yu Yu Hakusho is a supernatural action series about Yusuke Urameshi, a delinquent teen who becomes a Spirit Detective after his death and resurrection. He investigates paranormal cases and battles demons to protect the human world.

The manga had a total of 19 volumes and ended its run in 1994. The series is still popular today, pulling new readers in with its released color pages. The English versions are a treat to come by, bringing the already vibrant world of the manga to life with colors that are sure to attract anyone even slightly interested in its distinct art style.

8 Parasyte

Unwilling Host To An Alien

• Release Date: August 1, 1989
• Creator: Hitoshi Iwaaki
• Number Of Volumes: 10
• Genre: Horror Thriller, Science Fiction

Parasyte is a horror sci-fi manga in which alien parasites invade Earth, taking over human hosts. Shinichi Izumi is one such host, but by some stroke of luck, he isn’t fully infected and is instead able to work with the alien, Migi, inhabiting his right hand. This leads to an uneasy alliance as they fight other parasites threatening humanity. Meanwhile, the parasite within Shinichi grapples with the meaning of its own existence.

The manga has a pretty good run, and after the success of the anime, a complete color rerelease was in order, to the fandom’s delight. The pages are true to the colorful art style present in the anime, flaunting vibrant new colors that would only be seen on the cover pages of black and white manga.

Parasyte is a timeless piece of anime history, which is still fairly easy to access. The same can’t be said about the color edition — a collector’s item that is very hard to come by. However, if readers do manage to come across a copy of the color manga, they’ll be in for a treat, basking in the distinct 90s style, art, and coloring that came with it.

7 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Joestars Always Look Better In Full Color

• Release Date: January 1, 1987
• Creator: Hirohiko Araki
• Number Of Volumes: 134
• Genre: Adventure, Supernatural

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a multi-generational saga following the Joestar family, each part featuring a new protagonist nicknamed “JoJo.” The story starts in England, between two brothers, and eventually evolves into a completely different universe, filled with wild characters, old names with new faces, and, of course, iconic stands.

The color versions of each volume — save for the most recent one, JoJolands — are all available for purchase and reading pleasure. The color versions of this manga are an exceptional read, along with the signature style of Hirohiko Araki that is sure to wow with his vibrant and flamboyant designs.

6 Bleach

Stunning Battles & Intense Faceoffs, Reaching Into The Afterlife

• Release Date: August 7, 2001
• Creator: Tite Kubo
• Number Of Volumes: 74
• Genre: Adventure, Martial Arts, Supernatural

This story of Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who, by a stroke of luck, gains Soul Reaper powers. He battles evil spirits called Hollows while trying to figure out the new world he’s been thrust into. Along the way, he makes new friends and a lot of enemies, fighting relentlessly to make sure his friends are always safe.

The manga has long concluded, with the anime arcs still rolling out, but color versions of the manga are available to read, and they are a blast, with each page faithfully recreated, and Kubo’s style even more compelling in full color. The landscapes are beautifully drawn, and so are the characters, lending bleach the beauty it always had but couldn’t fully implement in the absence of color.

5 Demon Slayer

Protector Of The Weak, Slayer Of Demons

• Release Date: February 15, 2016
• Creator: Koyoharu Gotouge
• Number Of Volumes: 23
• Genre: Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Martial Arts

Set in Taisho-era Japan, Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro Kamado’s quest to cure his sister Nezuko, who has turned into a demon. He joins the Demon Slayer Corps, battling demons while searching for the one who destroyed his family — the demon king himself, Kibutsuji Muzan. Tanjiro fights a plethora of demons, and even some demon slayers, to keep his sister safe from harm and achieve his goal of turning her back into a human.

With the full-color manga, some of the subtle character designs get to truly shine, as do their flashy moves. This brings a whole other dimension of depth into the manga, enhancing an already excellent read with gorgeous color usage in every panel.

4 Attack On Titan

Stuck Between Titans And The World, They Can Only Fight To Survive

• Release Date: September 9, 2009
• Creator: Hajime Isayama
• Number Of Volumes: 34
• Genre: Action, Dark Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic

In a world where humanity lives behind walls to protect themselves from man-eating Titans, Eren Yeager joins the military to fight back after his home is destroyed. He becomes a scout member, but on his first mission, he is eaten by a Titan, revealing a secret that Eren himself was unaware of: that he is also a Titan. Regardless, Eren is ready to kill all Titans to ensure peace and avenge all his fallen comrades — but all isn’t as it seems.

The manga and anime of Attack on Titan have both seen immense success, prompting the release of a full-color version. The color version brings the grisly details of the world of Attack on Titan into full view, and a lot of iconic moments in the manga can be seen in a new light.

3 Dragon Ball

An Unparalleled Fighter With Iconic Art Design

• Release Date: November 20, 1984
• Creator: Akira Toriyama
• Number Of Volumes: 42
• Genre: Adventure, Fantasy Comedy, Martial Arts

The iconic Dragon Ball series by Akira Toriyama follows Son Goku from childhood to adulthood as he trains in martial arts, explores the world searching for Dragon Balls, and battles increasingly powerful foes, protecting Earth from various threats. This manga has had volume after volume produced, and the end of the story seems nowhere in sight.

As arguably one of the greatest manga to exist, it is only natural that color versions exist. Drawing from the amazing color work in the widely popular anime, the full-color panels only serve to enhance the reading experience of the story. Like any good manga, these will leave readers glued to the pages until the very end, pulling them along with iconic art design and constantly evolving stakes.

2 Death Note

Filled With Twists And Turns, Anime’s Greatest Villain Fights To Win

• Release Date: December 1, 2003
• Creator: Tsugumi Ohba
• Number Of Volumes: 12
• Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Supernatural Thriller

Death Note is a psychological thriller about Light Yagami, a high school student who finds a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. In discovering this incredible power, he attempts to create a world free of crime — and a world that will come to worship him as a god. Despite his incredible intelligence, he is thrown into a vicious duel of the minds with the greatest detective alive, L. Light Yagami must find a way to kill him and continue his grand plan without raising suspicion. Still, the stakes are high and only increase when more variables enter the mix.

This dark psychological thriller is one of the most popular manga ever printed and continues to make waves now in full color to augment the experience. The shinigami designs in the color versions are markedly more grotesque, serving to drive home the fact that these creatures are inhuman. The manga manages to inject drama into even the simplest acts, and the added color only serves to enhance the larger-than-life intensity on every page.

1 Naruto

The Tale Of Naruto Uzumaki, The Greatest Ever Told

• Release Date: September 21, 1999
• Creator: Masashi Kishimoto
• Number Of Volumes: 72
• Genre: Adventure, Fantasy Comedy, Martial Arts

The journey of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja with dreams of becoming a Hokage, has been followed for years. This story has complex storylines and some of the most iconic moments manga and anime have to offer. Naruto has had so much success in the world that people still actively talk about and read the manga. It even has its spin-off manga, Boruto, which follows the adventures of Naruto’s son.

The color release of this iconic manga was a no-brainer and brings the world of Naruto fully to life in color. From the world’s design to the tailed beasts and the characters, the color version has it all — coupled with the fact that it is one of the greatest manga of all time, which just makes it one of the best reading experiences for anyone, regardless of whether they like manga or not.