For most, the world of anime and manga is dominated by shonen series, typically action-focused storyies aimed primarily at a young male demographic (famed hits like Dragon Ball Z and even Death Note included). However, there are also anime and manga aimed at an older demographic, and that category is known as seinen.

So, what is seinen? "Seinen" is media aimed at older males in their late teens and 20s. In general, these series tend to star older protagonists, feature more explicit content, and deal with darker subject matter (though not all have to). While that male audience is the only real requirement to be seinen, the series can be enjoyed by anyone, and contains the variety to do exactly that. Below are ten of the absolute best seinen series available, offering great entry points into this diverse and underappreciated genre.

20 Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

Created By Coolkyousinnjya; Serialized In Manga Action

Coolkyousinnjya’s Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid stars Kobayashi, an overworked office worker who gets drunk one night and saves the life of a dragon who had been stabbed with a sword. The dragon, Tohru, is so thankful that she takes on a human form and becomes Kobayashi’s live-in maid, and their developing relationship leads to Kobayashi constantly learning more about Tohru’s world and the complexities of the people who inhabit it.

Not only does the series have surprisingly good fight scenes and worldbuilding, but Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid's character writing always stands out for its stellar development and thoughtful execution, especially when it comes to Kobayashi and Tohru’s relationship. It’s a far more heartwarming story than it appears, and it’s plenty worth reading as a result, even if it does tend to be a little too raunchy.

19 Land Of The Lustrous

Created By Haruko Ichikawa; Serialized In Monthly Afternoon

Haruko Ichikawa's Land of the Lustrous is a visually beautiful and creative fantasy seinen manga. As eye-catching as Ichikawa's emotionally expressive art style is, the series doesn't slack on depth in the story department, either. The story follows Phos, a member of a humanoid jewel-like species of beings who are deemed weak by their peers in their war against the Lunaris, who want to hunt them down for their value as jewels.

As the story goes on, Phos discovers that their powers come with a brutally steep cost. These revelations gradually unwind in a shocking fashion, and Land of the Lustrous' CG anime adaptation garnered special praise for accomplishing the rare feat of creating exceptional 3D animation that does justice to one of the best seinen manga out there.

18 20th Century Boys

Created By Naoki Urasawa; Serialized In Big Comic Spirits

Though he's more well-known for his work on Monster, Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys is another excellent seinen effort by the writer/artist. Urasawa has made himself known for stringing together mysteries that are equal parts intricate and engrossing at the core of his stories, and 20th Century Boys works that in with a sci-fi twist.

The plot follows an average convenience store manager, named Kenji Endo, who starts to feel suspicious of the suicide of a childhood friend and a dangerous new cult on the rise. From there, 20th Century Boys spirals into a tense psychological and conspiracy thriller that easily ranks among the best seinen series.

17 Kingdom is One of the Best Historical Fiction Manga

Created By Yasuhisa Hara; Serialized In Weekly Young Jump

With a somewhat similar genre appeal to Vinland Saga, writer Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom is an equally acclaimed historical fiction and sweeping seinen drama. Kingdom's length and success make it rival One Piece, but in a very different setting. Its story is a fictionalized version of the Warring States period of China, during the fifth century BCE.

Kingdom uses this setting to follow a war orphan named Xin, who is on a grand quest to become the world's greatest general, and plans to unify China in the process. The seinen manga series has been ongoing since 2006, and it's been acclaimed for maintaining a thrilling narrative throughout thanks to its compelling characters and strikingly expressive artwork across 64 volumes and counting.

A thrilling narrative throughout thanks to its compelling characters and strikingly expressive artwork across 64 volumes and counting.

16 Bocchi The Rock!

Created By Aki Hamazi; Serialized In Manga Time Kirara Max

Aki Hamazi’s Bocchi the Rock! stars Hitori Gotoh, a girl with crippling social anxiety who learned the guitar in a failed attempt at making friends until the day she ran into a girl begging her to be the guitarist for her band, Kessoku Band. Now finally having a proper outlet for her music, Hitori, now nicknamed “Bocchi”, will use her time in Kessoku Band to both make friends and slowly learn to overcome her social anxiety.

Just like the hit anime of the same name, Bocchi the Rock! excels through its thoughtful and often surreal exploration into social anxiety, and the comedic character writing and pleasing artwork to accompany it always works to sell that even further. Anyone who was a fan of the anime will find plenty to love about the manga, as well, especially when it's currently the only way to keep progressing through the story.

15 The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

Created By Rikito Nakamura & Yukiko Nozawa; Serialized In Weekly Young Jump

Rikito Nakamura and Yukiko Nozawa's The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You stars Rentaro Aijou, a young boy who's failed to find love after going through 100 confessions over the past 15 years. After his latest failure, the God of Love tells Rentaro that he will meet and fall in love with 100 soulmates in high school, but he needs to love them all equally, or else they could literally die of a broken heart.

As controversial as harem anime and manga tend to get, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You works for how well it commits to its premise and effortlessly justifies Rentaro having a harem beyond fanservice, all of which is perfectly complemented by its absurdist, parody-style writing. The series excels in both romance and comedy, and it's one every seinen fan should try and read.

14 Delicious In Dungeon

Created By Ryoko Kui; Serialized In Harta

Ryoko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon opens with Laios' adventure party being wiped out by a dragon and Laios’ sister, Falin, being eaten alive. What’s left of Laios’ party must hurry back through the dungeon to revive Falin, but they lack the funds a party would normally need to do so. Laios’ solution, much to everyone’s chagrin, is for them to eat the monsters they encounter in the dungeon, although for Laios, it’s less a survival tactic and more a dream of his he finally gets to fulfill.

While mostly a comedic take on JRPGs, what truly sells Delicious in Dungeon is its stellar artwork and writing combined with its creative and intricate worldbuilding that only gets better as the story progresses. Because of that, Delicious in Dungeon is one of the best takes on classic fantasy in recent years, and anyone looking for something like that won't be disappointed.

13 Record Of Ragnarok

Created By Shinya Umemura, Takumi Fukui, & Azychika; Serialized In Monthly Comic Zenon

In Shinya Umemura, Takumi Fukui, and Azychika's Record of Ragnarok, all the gods in the universe have decided that humanity has become irredeemable and needs to be erased, but the valkyrie Brunhilde offers an alternative. Rather than just erase humanity outright, the 12 strongest gods will fight history's 12 strongest humans in a tournament called Ragnarok, giving humanity a chance to fight for their right to exist and the gods a chance to definitively prove their superiority.

Record of Ragnarok is a story that's very much all about fighting and little else, but fortunately, Record of Ragnarok's gorgeous artwork and fight choreography always results in incredible action in every fight, and the few bits of depth the characters are afforded are plenty great to see, as well. There are few manga as good at pulling off pure action as well as Record of Ragnarok, and that's unlikely to ever change.

12 Grand Blue Dreaming

Created By Kenji Inoue & Kimitake Yoshioka; Serialized In Good! Afternoon

Fantasy and high-octane action will always attract plenty of attention, but Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka's Grand Blue is a welcome change of pace. Grand Blue is a grounded seinen slice-of-life/coming-of-age comedy revolving around college student Iori Kitahara. He's looking forward to starting this new phase in his life, staying in a room above his uncle's diving shop.

Iori tries to steer clear of the antics of the diving club there, who are more interested in partying than actually diving, but eventually gets roped into the group's exploits and learns more about diving through his cousins. It's become a fan favorite when it comes to seinen manga in the slice-of-life genre, with an anime adaptation by studio Zero-G earning a strong reception as well.

11 Rosen Garten Saga

Written By Fujisakimori; Illustrated By Bakotsu Tonooka; Serialized On Comiplex

Fujisakimori and Bakotsu Tonooka's Rosen Garten Saga takes place in a world where all myths are true, although they often have far more sexual bends to them than their real-life counterparts. When the village of the inexplicably ostracized Lynn is attacked by vandals, Lynn is saved after being possessed by the legendary warrior Siegfried, and while she hates the perverted situations he forces her into, she'll go along with it to try and win the heart of the beautiful warrior Brunhilde.

While Rosen Garten Saga often makes sex, rape, and fetishes integral to its story, not only does it end up looping back around to pure absurdity, but it's paired surprisingly well with Rosen Garten Saga having some of the best artwork and most creative fight choreography of any modern manga. Rosen Garten Saga is one of the best seinen manga around and is great for fans of pure action.