Manga in Japan has been a thriving industry for decades. With many big anime series coming to an end, fans are now looking for the next big hit manga series that can come to replace the already established ones, once they are animated. The anime and manga industry is full of some very interesting new series, largely from Weekly Shōnen Jump, to other popular manga in Japan that are worth exploring through anime adaptations.
Anime Japan 2026 recently revealed a list of manga series that Japanese people want to see animated. The results may surprise many, especially given any manga series not even known to the average manga reader abroad. However, with this program, these anime series may be animated for years to come.
'The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Seen' Wins AnimeJapan 2026 'Manga We Want to See Animated'
Anime Japan is one of the most anticipated anime and manga events that unfolds every year, and in 2026, it's as exciting as ever. Recently, the event revealed the manga series that fans in Japan would love to see animated in 2026. To the surprise of all fans, the manga series won. Known as the No. 1 spot for the “Manga We Want to See Animated” segment “The Seen Martifying Exam”. This manga is very recent, from 2024, and hasn't had time to establish itself as a hit, especially overseas. However, apparently, it already has a dedicated fan base in Japan.
Winning this tournament will definitely be important for this series. If its sales continue well, it could definitely get an anime adaptation in the next few years. This award definitely puts it on the radar of anime studios, as well as international fans at least.
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A poignant test seen is a manga series by the writer and illustrator known as MMK. It has now been serialized for a while in Shogakukan, and in English, it has been picked up by Viz Media. It has 5 volumes, and it's still going strong, with no signs of ending anytime soon. This romantic and sexual story may catch the attention of many manga readers, but it certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Other manga series Japanese fans will want to watch are the animated Strikeout Pitch and Ketsu Battler.
While she won first place overall A poignant test seenAnime Japan 2026 has released the top 10 list. Many other series that did not win first place also received some recognition. However, like the number one spot, these manga have yet to gain enough recognition outside of Japan. Either way, they could become huge globally in the coming years if anime studios pick them up.
Apart from The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Seen, the top three are made up A strikeout pitchA series by Kyu Sumiyoshi, as well Ketsu BattlerBy Naotaka Takada. This is definitely an interesting list and one with major potential. A strikeout pitch Started in 2024. Now, a year later, it has gathered almost four volumes. The series focuses on baseball and follows the story of Heita Kobori, who serves as the captain of Soha High School's baseball team in Yokohama. He meets a strange man, Fusetsu Kiriyama, who for some reason can only pitch well three times a day. The goal of both is to reach the countrymen one day.
Ketsu BattlerOn the other hand, is a much less serious story. Densuke, the main character, is unable to get stronger even though he trains a lot. However, he stumbles upon a mystical sword that he wields between his buttocks. These series are definitely unique in their own way, and fans can see how they made it to the top 3.
The rest of the top ten, from number four to number ten, is made up of the following manga series:
- Utsuren Desu By Ruka Konoshima
- # Gal x Gal Yuri By Inoue
- On and off: Work-life imbalance By Shinnosuke Kanazawa
- Liar! Goku-kun By Makoto Yoshimoto
- Dinosaur Sanctuary By Itaru Kinoshita
- Gokurakugai By Yuto Sano
- Centuria By Tohru Kuramori
Fans should give at least some of the manga series on this list a shot as they might surprise them.
Source: X
